Frequently Asked Questions

For MS, Advanced Certificate, and DNP (AGPCNP, PMHNP, FNP) programs, the application deadline is March 1 for admission in the fall semester.

Programs with a summer start date have earlier application deadlines:

• Nurse Anesthesia DNP: November 1
• PhD in Nursing program: December 15

Any exceptions to these customary deadlines will be posted here.

The Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing is now accepting applications exclusively through NursingCAS, the Centralized Application Service for Nursing. Starting October 1, 2025 for Nurse Anesthesia DNP and October 15, 2025 for all other graduate programs, prospective candidates are invited to submit an application at www.nursingcas.org.

Please review our program admission requirements before beginning your application.

Yes, in fact most of our graduate students attend part-time, although a few complete some semesters on a full-time basis (12 or more credits per semester). For some specializations such as the Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP master's program, consistent, full-time study is not possible due to factors like course sequencing, prerequisite requirements, and clinical preceptorship requirements. The Nurse Anesthesia DNP program is the only exception, as this dual-certification program is only offered on a full-time basis over nine semesters (summer, fall, spring).

No; applicants to our graduate programs must have at least a baccalaureate degree in nursing and a current New York State RN license. If you are an RN without a baccalaureate degree, you may want to first look into our undergraduate RN-to-BS program.

No; applicants to our graduate programs must have at least a baccalaureate degree in nursing and a current New York State RN license. If you are not an RN and you have a bachelor's degree in another field, you may want to look into our accelerated second-degree program or our generic undergraduate program.

Please refer to our program admission requirements for the amount of post-baccalaureate nursing experience required for your program of interest. For programs that do not state a hard requirement, we recommend two years of full-time experience working as a registered nurse before applying.

For our master's programs, 3.0 is the minimum GPA required (for the DNP and PhD programs, the minimum is 3.5). Some of our programs may receive more applications than we are able to accept in one admissions cycle, so applicants who meet the minimum requirements are not always accepted. Please keep in mind that your GPA is computed based on grades from all post-secondary schools you have attended. Also, we look at your overall, cumulative GPA (all courses attended from all institutions) and your GPA in your major—i.e., based on the nursing courses you completed.

We also take other factors into consideration, such as professional experience, recommendation letters, and personal statements. Faculty are especially interested in candidates who have a clear understanding of the program specialization/population focus for which they are applying. Please see our program admission requirements for details.

No; the GRE is not required for admission into any of our graduate nursing programs.

We host program information sessions in the months leading up to a program's application deadline. Information sessions are typically hosted in the fall-winter for programs with a March 1 deadline, and during the spring-summer for programs with a fall deadline. Dates are posted on our events page as soon as they are set.

For students attending part-time, courses typically meet 1-2 times per week on campus in the afternoons and evenings. However, many courses are designated as 'Hybrid', where between 33% and 80% of scheduled class meetings and activities are conducted online. Hybrid courses may be synchronous or asynchronous, depending on their designation.

For students attending part-time, many graduate-level nursing courses are offered in the afternoons and evenings to allow students to attend more than one class on the same day. However, clinical practicum requirements will vary by preceptor availability and often require additional flexibility (time off, changes in work schedules) to complete practicum hours. It is best to plan for at least one day off during the week, and at least two days off during the week when taking clinical courses or courses during summer or winter intersession. Rigid work schedules may present significant challenges to progressing and meeting program requirements.

Some programs, such as our Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (master's and post-bachelor's DNP), Nurse Anesthesia DNP, and PhD program require summer enrollment. For other programs, course offerings during the summer and intersession are typically available but may be limited. Course scheduling depends in part on faculty availability during these times, as well as whether the course is appropriate to teach over a shorter, condensed period. The length of courses offered during summer and intersession will vary, but the majority of them meet twice per week due to their abbreviated time frame.

Our Nursing Education (master's and advanced certificate) programs are offered online, with the exception of a 105-hour practicum requirement completed in the final term. All other graduate programs are not designed to be completed online, although many core courses are offered in a blended/hybrid (partially online and partially face-to-face) format.