Admission Requirements and Application Procedures

Eligibility and Admission requirements

In order to apply to the Post-Master’s Certificate program, applicants must be licensed advanced practice nurses or certified nurse midwives, have current Connecticut RN licensure, have earned a bachelor’s degree in any major from an accredited college or university, and have a master’s degree in nursing awarded by an accredited college or university in a specific specialty area. At least one year of post-master’s clinical nursing experience is preferred, but not required.  

The Post-Master’s Certificate can be pursued as part- or full-time enrollment. The duration of study for a Post-Master’s Certificate is determined by the specialty directors, course requirements, and the incoming student’s graduate academic record. Applicants must indicate whether they intend to enroll part- or full-time in the application for admission.

Five areas of specialization are offered: Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner-Primary Care, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner-Acute Care, and Psychiatric–Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Selection of the intended specialization must be made at the time of application. 

Program information, links to the online application, deadlines and complete application instructions can be obtained by visiting https://nursing.yale.edu/admissions or by contacting the Office of Admissions at ysn.admissions@yale.edu.

Application process

The following application materials are required in order to complete an application for admission to the Post-Master’s Certificate:

  1. NursingCAS application, including payment of a nonrefundable application fee to NursingCAS
  2. Résumé/curriculum vitae 
  3. Personal statement/essay
  4. Asynchronous virtual interview
  5. One official transcript from each college or university attended, regardless of whether or not a degree was sought or earned. If admitted, applicants will be required to submit final, official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended indicating degree conferral where applicable. Applicants who have undertaken coursework at institutions outside of the U.S. or Canada must submit a course-by-course evaluation conducted by an international credentialing agency such as SpanTran or World Education Services (WES). In addition, if a transcript is issued in a language other than English, it must be accompanied by an English translation.
  6. Three letters of recommendation 
  7. Evidence of current Connecticut RN licensure
  8. IELTS or TOEFL scores for applicants whose native language is not English and who have not completed four years of their bachelor’s degree in the US, Canada, or Great Britain. See below for additional information.

Applications will be reviewed only if all application materials are received by the applicable application deadline. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all materials are received by the Office of Admissions in a timely manner. Incomplete applications or applications submitted after the published deadline will not be forwarded to the Admissions Committee for consideration.   

Admission decisions are based upon a range of factors, including evidence of motivation, academic ability, personal understanding of and propensity for advanced practice nursing in the area of specialization they select, letters of recommendation, and potential for continued constructive use of the professional education. 

Program information, links to the online application, deadlines, and complete application instructions can be obtained by visiting https://nursing.yale.edu/admissions or by contacting the Office of Admissions at ysn.admissions@yale.edu.

ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

Anyone whose native or first language is not English and who has not completed four years of undergraduate education in the United States, Canada, or Great Britain is required to demonstrate their English fluency.

Yale School of Nursing accepts the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the academic version of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).  The following scores are required for admission to any programs at Yale School of Nursing, and must be submitted to NursingCAS as part of the application process: 

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) minimum score: 100/120 total; with minimum section scores of reading, 22/30; listening, 22/30; writing, 22/30; and speaking, 25/30. 

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) minimum score: band 7.0/9.0 total; with minimum speaking score of 7.5/9.0; with no section score below band 6.5/9.0. 

Arrangements to take the TOEFL must be made online at www.ets.org/toefl. Arrangements to take the academic IELTS must be made online at www.ielts.org. 

It typically takes one month from the date of administration for the official transcript of scores to be transmitted. Prompt arrangements for taking an English examination should be made in order to meet the appropriate application deadline for receipt of official scores.   

Reapplication Policy

Unless explicitly authorized by the Office of Admissions and/or YSN leadership, applicants to YSN who have applied three times to the same program without receiving an offer of admission will not be allowed to apply to that program again.  

Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) Examination

Prior to enrolling at YSN, graduates of foreign schools of nursing must pass the CGFNS Qualifying Exam as well as the NCLEX-RN examination in order to become a registered nurse (RN) in the United States. Several states, however, do not require successful completion of the CGFNS Qualifying Exam in order to take the NCLEX-RN. Information on the CGFNS Qualifying Exam can be obtained from the United States Embassy, the nurses’ association in the foreign country of residence, or www.cgfns.org. Information on the NCLEX-RN examination is available online at www.ncsbn.org/nclex.