Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (Ph.D.)

To be considered for the Ph.D. program, applicants must meet all of the following requirements:

• Earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or are in the process of completing a BSN from a nursing education program accredited through the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), or NLN Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (CNEA).
• Non-U.S. applicants to the Nursing Ph.D. program must hold a Bachelor of Science degree that is equivalent to a U.S. Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from a college or university recognized and approved by the Ministry of Education or Commission responsible for higher education in the country where the degree was earned.
• Applicants may apply while a bachelor’s degree is still in progress but must receive the degree prior to the first term of enrollment at the School of Nursing.
• The University of Michigan School of Nursing considers post-baccalaureate and post-master's applicants for admission consideration. A Master of Science in Nursing is not required for admission consideration to the Ph.D. program. 
• Minimum grade point average of a 3.0 on a 4-point scale (or equivalent measures of performance if a graduate of an institution with no grading system) in both undergraduate and graduate (if applicable) nursing programs.   

Prior to their first term of enrollment, all admitted students must have an active and unencumbered RN license from any state within the United States. International Ph.D. students must hold a nursing license from a recognized jurisdiction. International Ph.D. students are not required to hold a valid U.S. RN license but those without a license may not perform as an RN while enrolled in the doctoral program. The decision to obtain a license should be informed by the student’s research focus and dissertation plans.

The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is not required for admission consideration to any of the University of Michigan School of Nursing’s graduate programs.

Required supporting materials

1. Academic statement of purpose
Provide a comprehensive statement, not to exceed 1000 words, that describes your rationale for pursuing the Ph.D. program. The statement is most effective when it specifies your: professional goals for the future as a Ph.D. prepared nurse and appraisal of research interests.

2. Identification of a possible mentor match 
Use the find a research mentor link to identify a possible mentor match.  Applicants are required to identify at least one possible mentor match but no more than three.  Mentor matches should be someone at the School of Nursing who is doing research similar in scope to your research interests.  

3. Personal statement
Provide a comprehensive answer, not to exceed 500 words, to the following question within the Rackham application under the section 'Personal Statement': How have your background and life experiences, including cultural, geographical, financial, educational or other opportunities or challenges, motivated your decision to pursue the Ph.D. at the University of Michigan? Note that the personal statement should provide evidence that you have researched the Ph.D. program at the University of Michigan School of Nursing.

4. Recommendations
The University of Michigan requires three recommendations. At least two of the three required recommendations must be from individuals who have a Ph.D. The recommendation form is part of the Rackham Graduate School application. For Information on how to check the status of a letter of recommendation and what changes can be made once a  recommender is registered, please view the Rackham Graduate School website. 

Additional Tips:

• Recommendation letters should describe the applicant’s potential to become a future researcher/scientist. 
• Each letter should be written on formal letterhead and signed by the recommender. 
• Do not use digital signatures. 
• Applicants should give recommenders plenty of time to complete their letter of recommendation as we do not accept letters after the application deadline. 

All letters of recommendation must be submitted through the application portal.

5. Official post-secondary transcripts
All applicants must upload a scanned copy, front and back, of their official transcript/academic record issued by the Registrar or Records Office to the applicant, to ApplyWeb for each bachelor’s, master’s, professional, or doctoral degree earned or in progress. The scanned copy of the official transcript is used for initial review by the graduate program faculty.  Include this information on the Education Information Section of the application. If you completed coursework for your degree at a non-U.S. institution, please see the section below titled Non-U.S. Institution Transcripts Requirements for further instructions.

After an offer of admission is made, an official transcript sent directly from the registrar’s office must be submitted to Rackham.

Note: A downloaded transcript from your school portal or system is an unofficial transcript and not acceptable for review.

Non-Degree Course work: 

The School of Nursing requires applicants to list and provide copies of official transcripts  for any non-degree course work on the Program Specific Information Cont’d Section of the application.

Non-Degree Coursework includes: 

• Community or junior college credit
•  One- or Two -year General Nursing Program/Diploma
• Study Abroad Credit 
• Transfer Credit 

6. Resume or Curriculum Vitae
A curriculum vitae (CV) or resume describes your education, work experience, research publications, teaching experience, professional activities, volunteer activity, community engagement, as well as honors and awards. Your current CV or resume should be uploaded as a Microsoft Word document within the online Rackham application.

7. Scholarly Paper
Provide a scholarly paper in support of your application. You should be either the first or sole author of this paper. The scholarly paper does not need to reflect your chosen area of focus within the Ph.D. program. The Admissions Committee will review the paper for writing style and scholarly quality, including the use of citations and references and evidence of critical thinking. 

Examples of an acceptable scholarly paper include:

• Master’s thesis 
• Published article 
• Research (data based) paper
• Post-baccalaureate applicants may submit a high-quality scholarly paper that was written during their undergraduate program. 

The scholarly paper must be submitted in English to be considered for review in the admissions process. 

*All application materials, including letters of recommendation, must be completed by the deadline or your application will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed. 

All applicants who attended non-U.S. institutions must upload both the Scholaro GPA report and a copy of their official transcript for each degree completed or in progress. Please review Rackham’s website on Credentials from Non U.S. institutions in its entirety on how to submit a Scholaro report in order to complete your application. 

After an offer of admission is made, an official transcript sent directly from the registrar’s office must be submitted to Rackham.

Important notes on Scholaro GPA Report:

• A Scholaro report can only be uploaded prior to submission. 
• Add Scholaro Reports (also called a GPA Report)  in the Education Information Section of the application. 
• Applicants are required to complete a Scholaro report for each/any bachelor’s, master’s, professional, or doctoral degree earned or in progress for non-U.S. institutions attended.
• A WES, ECE or reports from other foreign evaluation vendors cannot be accepted in place of a Scholaro report.
• Start Early! Finding the correct scale can take time! 

Need Help? Contact Scholaro GPA Help 

Non-Degree Coursework and Scholaro:

The School of Nursing requires applicants to list any non-degree course work on the Program Specific Information Cont’d Section of the application.  

A Scholaro report is not required for these courses or for coursework that did not result in a degree (bachelors, master’s or doctoral degree).

Non-Degree Coursework includes: 

• Community or junior college credit
•  One- or Two -year General Nursing Program/Diploma
• Study Abroad Credit 
• Transfer Credit 

*All application materials, including letters of recommendation, must be completed by the deadline or your application will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed. 

Interviews for Fall 2027 admission will be held starting in late January 2027.

You qualify for an exemption from taking an English proficiency examination if one of the following criteria are met:

• You are a native speaker of English.
• You are an applicant from Puerto Rico.
• You completed all of your undergraduate education and earned an undergraduate degree at an institution where the language of instruction is English only. Undergraduate degree requirements must be completed before the start of classes at U-M.
• You completed all of your graduate education and earned a graduate degree at an institution where the language of instruction is English only. Graduate degree requirements must be completed before the start of classes at U-M.
• You are a current U-M student.

Does not meet an English proficiency exemption:

• A one year graduate degree.
• If you completed a Master’s degree that was strictly research and no academic classes. This type of Master’s degree is generally awarded at a non-U.S. institution.

Applicants self-assess if they qualify for an English exception at the time of application. Applicants that are recommended for admission will have their files reviewed and will be notified if they do not meet an exception.

Applicants are required to upload the front and back of their transcript. Most universities indicate the language of the institution on the back of the transcript. If it is not indicated on the transcript, applicants can submit a letter from the Registrar’s Office, or equivalent, on university letterhead confirming the language of instruction. When applying, please upload documents confirming the language of instruction along with your transcript document(s).

English language test information

Scores must be sent directly to the University of Michigan

• Test scores are valid for two years after the test date.
• Official score reports must be received from the testing agency no later than the program application deadline.
• Tests accepted are the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) for graduate applicants.
• Only the highest total score from one test date will be considered in the admissions process.

Photocopies and/or faxes of English proficiency scores will not be accepted.

TOEFL (Preferred)

• For TOEFL exams taken before January 21, 2026, total score must be 94 or higher.
• For TOEFL exams taken on or after January 21, 2026, total score must be 5 or higher.
• We accept TOEFL internet-based-test.
• Official scores should be sent directly to the University of Michigan, School Code 1839.
• For  testing information, please view: https://www.ets.org/toefl

IELTS 

• Total score must be 7.0 or higher.
• We accept IELTS, IELTS indicator exam.
• Official scores should be sent electronically to the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
• For testing information, please view:  https://www.ielts.org/en-us

Webinars are held during the fall. These live webinars are hosted by faculty and provide a great opportunity to receive information and ask questions. See our visit us page for more information.