Admission Criteria and Application Process
MNPP Admission Criteria and Application Requirements
An undergraduate degree in Nursing with an admission GPA of at least 3.0 on the 4-point scale from the Â鶹ÊÓƵ, or an equivalent institution.
The admission GPA will be calculated on the last 60 units of graded coursework completed, or on the equivalent of the last two years of full-time graded coursework.
An undergraduate course in both statistics and research methods or evidence-informed practice, with a minimum grade of B (or equivalent), preferably completed within the past six years.
Evidence of 4500 hours of registered nurse practice prior to entering the program.
- For applicants to the All Ages All Settings (AAAS) specialization, previous practice should include populations diverse in age (adults and children) and settings of care (ideally in both acute and community settings).
- For applicants to the Neonatal (NNP) specialization, required hours must be primarily in neonatal intensive care settings.
Note: Applicants who may not meet core program requirements or have questions about pre-requisite experience should contact the .
Applicants must be licensed as a Registered Nurse in a Canadian nursing regulatory jurisdiction, and their 4500 registered nurse practice hours must have been recognized as valid within the Canadian context by a Canadian regulator. For those including international registered nurse practice hours as part of the 4500 hours required, a verification letter from the Canadian regulatory body may be required.
If you require assistance or have questions regarding the application process, please contact us through your or refer to the FAQ section of the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (GPS) website.
Application Documents Required:
- A completed for graduate admission.
- You must declare your entire academic education from all past and present universities. upload complete academic documents for each program listed as per Document Preparation
- Current CV
- Three letters of reference (two from an academic setting and one from a nursing practice setting).
- For applicants who have already been awarded an MN degree, only two letters of reference are required (one from an academic setting and one from a nursing practice setting).
- For thesis applicants, one reference letter must be from your proposed supervisor or co-supervisors, and within the letter, confirm their agreement to supervise.
- Where possible, reference letters should support an applicant’s chosen specialty (AAAS/NNP) and highlight their clinical expertise in that area.
- Reference letters must be written in English.
- Note: Referees complete on online reference form as well as upload a letter in PDF that is on institutional or business official letterhead in order to be accepted.
- Note: Referees complete on online reference form as well as upload a letter in PDF that is on institutional or business official letterhead in order to be accepted.
When considering an application to the thesis-based MNPP program, it is the responsibility of the applicant to connect with a faculty member who could appropriately supervise the thesis project that you intend to develop.
The role of the graduate supervisor is to provide guidance and direction in the selection of the thesis topic and research method. Thus, the graduate supervisor must have the expertise required to support the intended research project.
Thesis applicants must confirm the name of the faculty member who has agreed to serve as their graduate supervisor prior to application assessment.
Application Review Process
An application will not be considered until all supporting documentation has been uploaded and the application has been submitted.
It is the student's responsibility to ensure the completeness of their applications by planning ahead to make certain that all documents will be uploaded to the online application by the deadline.
See Frequently Asked Questions
Each application is reviewed based on:
- GPA in the final two years of the baccalaureate nursing program (or most recent 60 credits)
- Grades in undergraduate research and statistics courses
- Grades in any graduate courses
- References
- Nursing work experience
- Expectations about the MNPP program and understanding of the Nurse Practitioner role
- Career goals
A recommendation is made by the Faculty of Nursing Graduate Admissions Committee to the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, Faculty of Nursing, who, in turn, makes a recommendation to the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (GPS).
GPS makes the final decision to accept or decline a student’s application.
Note: Although the program has minimum requirements, competition for admission is high; thus, meeting the minimum standard does not guarantee admission.
Please note that generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), such as ChatGPT, cannot be used to represent your “voice,” ideas or statements in your application. To do so is a breach of the UofA Code of Applicant Behaviour (see 11.8.4.1). You can use “simple” AI, such as Grammarly, when crafting your application.
Important Information for students admitted to the MNPP program
The official admission letter for successful applicants is posted directly on the student's application.
All offers of admission are conditional (with the exception of students who have only completed previous education at the Â鶹ÊÓƵ). As noted in the official admission letter, official documents (transcripts, degree certificates, etc.) are required by the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (GPS). Documents must be sent directly from the post-secondary institution to the GPS Office.
Prior to beginning a Nursing graduate program, students must complete the Â鶹ÊÓƵ's Indigenous Canada Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). Prior to attending the first course of the MNPP program, a copy of the course certificate should be submitted to the Nursing graduate office (further details provided on this webpage: Faculty of Nursing Graduate Programs and Admissions).