School Nurse

University Admission Requirements

A student applying to this program must:

• Have earned a four-year bachelor's degree or its equivalent from a college or university that is accredited by the appropriate regional accrediting association, or do so by the time of program matriculation.
• Submit unofficial transcripts from each college or university other than Illinois State at which graduate, undergraduate, or non-degree credit was earned. The unofficial transcript should be easily readable and clearly indicate degree(s) awarded, courses and course grades for each term.
• If admitted, official domestic transcripts can be emailed from the university to GraduateAdmissions@IllinoisState.edu or mailed in a sealed envelope to: Illinois State University, Graduate School, 208 Hovey Hall, Campus Box 4040, Normal, IL 61790-4040.
• If admitted, official international transcripts can be emailed directly from the international institution to InternationalAdmissions@IllinoisState.edu or mailed in a sealed envelope to: Illinois State University, International Admissions, Campus Box 6180, Normal, IL 61790-6180.

International students can learn more about specific application requirements by visiting the Graduate School Admission Requirements.

Additional Program Admission Requirements

Interested applicants must:

• Be employed as a school nurse.
• Have a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from a program accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or a bachelor's degree in another field of study with an associate degree in nursing.
• Copy of unencumbered RN license, evidence of licensure in Illinois.
• Submit a current resume or curriculum vitae.
• Secure a preceptor who meets criteria to serve as a preceptor for the student's clinical experience in NUR 418.  Preceptor criteria is as follows:
  • Licensed as Registered Professional Nurse in Illinois and a bachelor's degree.
  • A Professional Educator's License (PEL) in Illinois.
  • Certified School Nurse endorsement.
  • Two years' full-time experience as a school nurse.
  • One full year of full-time employment with current employer.
• Include on the online application the name and email address of one reference, which must be from the principal or assistant principal of the school in which the applicant serves in the role of a school nurse or from the Nurse Manager in the district where you work. Your recommender will receive instructions to complete and upload this reference form to the recommender site.

You must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for the last 60 semester hours of undergraduate course work; to include courses in which the student is currently enrolled.

The Grade Point Average (GPA) of all undergraduate credentials earned in the United States that are used for graduate degree admission evaluation is calculated by the last 60 hours of undergraduate work. International credentials are evaluated by using cumulative GPA (CGPA) in lieu of the GPA from the last 60 hours of undergraduate work.

Prior to enrolling in nursing coursework, students must meet health and safety compliance requirements.  Students must also secure a qualified Preceptor and have employer’s approval for completing the certificate program.

International applicants must comply with the International Applicant Requirements as directed by the Illinois State University Office of Admissions. Please apply early in the application time frame to ensure adequate time to review transcripts.

Admission consideration is given to applicants who submit complete applications by the March 1st deadline for summer term admission. Applicants will be notified of their admission status by the third week of March.

Application Deadlines

• Summer Term — March 1. Applications will remain open until target enrollment has been met. To complete the application, apply in GradCAS.  Search for Post-Bachelor’s School Nurse Graduate Certificate.

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