Admission Requirements

There is a required Orientation Program for students accepted into the PhD program that occurs the Friday before classes begin in the summer term.  Details for the Orientation Program are sent by e-mail two weeks in advance of the orientation day.

Interested applicants should possess the following qualities:

• The PhD program is a post-master's degree program.  Applicants must have completed a master's degree program at time of admission.
• A Master of Science in Nursing from a program accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).
• A minimum grade-point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for the last 30 hours of graduate course work or the last 60 hours of undergraduate work.
• A graduate level statistics course is a co-requisite of the PhD courses. Applicants must enroll in graduate statistics with MCN the first summer of enrollment in the PhD program or have completed a graduate statistics course within one year of admission to the PhD program.  If a student completed a graduate statistics course more than one year prior to admission to the PhD program, they have the option to take the statistics proficiency examination.  If the student passes the exam, they have met the requirement, if they do not pass the exam, they will need to enroll in the graduate statistics course during the first summer semester of the PhD program.
• International applicants:  It is important to understand the nature of conducting research internationally prior to application.  Please review the Institutional Review Board site for details:  https://research.illinoisstate.edu/ethics/human-subjects/international/ 

Health and Safety Compliance Requirements for enrollment in Mennonite College of Nursing programs

All students entering their respective nursing program are expected to be compliant with all health & safety requirements of the University, MCN, and the clinical sites they are assigned to or have selected, at all times. In addition to any University and MCN expectations, all students engaged in a clinical for credit are subject to any applicable policies and/or procedures of the clinical site, including immunizations and other requests. Upon admission, students receive a comprehensive list of health & safety compliance requirements that must be adhered to prior to nursing course registration.  These include but are not limited to the following: immunizations, blood titers, TB skin test, influenza vaccination, criminal background checks, and drug tests. Upon clinical assignment and throughout the semester as applicable, students are provided with any additional clinical site-specific requirements beyond those outlined upon admission. If clinical rotations require more than ISU/MCN, (i.e., COVID-19 vaccination proof, weekly testing, etc.), students must meet the requirements of their clinical site by providing documentation as directed by the clinical site (i.e., directly to the site following their guidelines for compliance and/or through the College with an appropriate release). Students must comply with these requirements to receive an override to register or remain registered for clinical.  More details related to health and safety can be found in the Health and Safety section of the Student Handbooks.  Students should refer to their Health and Safety packets to be aware of requirements and deadlines.