MSN / Post-Graduate Certificate Application Procedures

Use this page for all information and forms to apply for the Master of Science in Nursing and Post-Graduate Certificate programs.

MSN Application Deadlines

  • Spring Admission – Application and Transcript Deadlines
    Priority Deadline – August 1st
    Final Deadline – November 1st
  • Summer Admission – Application and Transcript Deadlines
    Priority Deadline – February 1st
    Final Deadline – April 15th
  • Fall Admission – Application and Transcript Deadlines
    Priority Deadline – March 1st
    Final Deadline – July 1st

Post-Graduate Certificate Application Deadlines

  • Spring Admission – Application and Transcript Deadlines
    Priority Deadline – August 1st
    Final Deadline – November 1st
  • Summer Admission – Application and Transcript Deadlines
    Priority Deadline – February 1st
    Final Deadline – April 15th

Extended deadlines allow applicants to complete the process after the priority deadline. 

Please do not submit a Supplemental Application until you have a verified Primary Application in NursingCAS.

Prospective students should apply for financial aid as soon as possible. For any questions regarding the financial aid application process, please contact the USA Office of Financial Aid for more information. 

MSN/Post-Graduate Certificate Application Procedures

A new class of MSN students is admitted each fall, spring and summer semester. Admission into the program is limited and selective.  Applicants are accepted during the time periods listed above.  Applicants are required to complete both a Primary Application and a Supplemental Application.

MSN and Post Graduate Certificate applicants are required to complete two applications - Primary and Supplemental. First, complete the Primary Application in NursingCAS, then complete the Supplemental Application.  It is very important to complete the Primary Application first so that it moves through the following stages: received, complete then VERIFIED. Once it is verified you may complete the Supplemental Application.

Applicants are responsible for ensuring that their completed Supplemental Application is submitted by the deadline for the semester for which they are applying. Only completed applications will be considered for acceptance. 

Step 1 of 2 Primary Application

Step 1 of 2 Primary Application

The Primary Application is completed through The Centralized Application Service for Nursing Programs (NursingCAS). This service is separate from the University and College of Nursing. Applicants are responsible for any fees required by NursingCAS for their services.

NursingCAS How To Apply

Transcripts

The primary purpose of the Primary Application is to collect official transcripts. Applicants must request official transcripts from ALL college and university studies, regardless of the outcome of enrollment. Include all undergraduate, graduate, and professional institutions you have attended, even if the courses were not required for admission to a nursing program or were transferred to another institution. Include any non-degree programs (e.g., summer school) and foreign institutions attended, whether or not the coursework was transferred to a U.S. institution or resulted in a degree. Enter each institution only once, regardless of the number of degrees or gaps in the date of attendance. Please check with your degree conferring University to confirm they are regionally accredited before applying.

A transcript is ONLY considered official if it is sent directly from the college or university to NursingCAS. These documents become the property of the NursingCAS and will not be returned to the applicant. We recommend transcripts be ordered two months before the deadline and that the applicant confirm receipt of these transcripts one month before the deadline.

Applicants who are finishing a BSN degree between the application deadline and the beginning of the semester for which they are applying are required to send a transcript to NursingCAS in time to meet the application deadline and then, if accepted, they are required to send an official degree-conferred transcript to the University of South Alabama Graduate Admissions Office prior to beginning the MSN program.

Verification Process

NursingCAS Application Status changes status from In-Progress, to Received to Complete then Verified.

In-Progress - NursingCAS will send you a confirmation email acknowledging that your application was submitted. Note that submitting does not mean your application is being reviewed by your programs. Depending on what materials were already received, submitting changes your application status from “In-Progress” to “Received” or “Complete.”

Complete - In general, an application is complete when:

  • All official transcripts have been received and posted to your application.
  • Your application fee payment was submitted and marked as received.
  • You submitted your application and received an email confirming it was successfully submitted.
  • Your application Program Status is “Complete.”

Verification - Once all of your required application materials are received, your application's status changes to Complete and your application is placed in line to be verified. Verifications occur in chronological order and on average take two weeks to complete. Once your application is verified, you will receive a notification and your application's status will change to Verified.

  1. Complete all sections of the document required by NursingCAS.
  2. High School transcripts are not required for entrance into our graduate program.
  3. The only applicants who are required to complete the TEST section are International applicants who have been instructed by our Office of International Services to submit their TOEFL scores.
  4. Please complete all information required under Professional Experience AND attach a typed curriculum vitae (CV) or resume which denotes all RN experience, employment history, certifications, publications, etc. Please be as thorough as possible, as this information will be reviewed intensely by the Graduate Admissions Committee.
  5. Letters of reference are not required for admission to our programs.
  6. The Personal Goal Statement is a description of the applicant's purpose for completing the graduate degree. This essay serves as a writing sample to be reviewed by the Graduate Admissions Committee to determine the applicant’s scholarly writing skills.

    The essay should address: 1) why you chose to complete a graduate degree in your selected area of specialization at the University of South Alabama; 2) a current healthcare/practice issue or focus within the nursing specialty which you are passionate about; and 3) how your training/degree completion at the University of South Alabama will enable you to achieve your goals and impact the selected healthcare/practice issue or focus within your specialty. The APA-formatted essay of 450 to 500 words should demonstrate scholarliness and a strong command of the English language. A scholarly essay is defined as an essay that expresses progression of thought in a clear and concise manner while using correct grammar, sentence structure, punctuation, and sources when appropriate (See APA 7th edition style and resources).

    Applicants identified with a need of scholarly writing support to promote success in graduate writing courses will be recommended to take NU 597 Introduction to Scholarly Writing (3 credit hours) during the first semester of the graduate program.

  7. Privacy Statement - You are required to complete the Advisor Release Section and Certification and Verification Statement of this section.
  8. Designations – You may select ONLY ONE designation from the list below:
    • RN to MSN for RN’s with Non-Nursing Bachelor Degree is available to registered nurses who have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution in a discipline other than nursing.
    • BSN to MSN is available to Registered Nurses who hold a bachelor of science in nursing degree from a regionally accredited institution.
    • Post-Graduate Certificate is available for Registered Nurses with a graduate degree in nursing from a regionally accredited institution who seek academic preparation in a new specialty or subspecialty area of advanced practice nursing.

Only those applicants who comply with all requirements for the Primary Application Instructions listed above will be considered for admission.

Step 2 of 2 Supplemental Application

Step 2 of 2 Supplemental Application

The Supplemental Application is the application which is sent electronically to the College of Nursing at the University of South Alabama.

  1. The Supplemental Application is submitted electronically directly to the MSN Office at the USA College of Nursing. To begin the Supplemental Application process, please go to  https://explore.southalabama.edu/account/register?r=https%3a%2f%2fexplore.southalabama.edu%2fapply%2f%3fsr%3d870af7f1-de34-492d-b275-be6ef1c6297a.  Under Academic Information please select the appropriate semester for admission.  Select "graduate" under both student type and academic level of interest.  A new option will appear asking if you are applying for a graduate nursing program, select "yes" and this will take you into the nursing application.
  2. Please note that the Supplemental Application should be completed AFTER you have completed your NursingCAS application and it has moved through the following stages: received, complete then VERIFIED.  Once it is verified you may complete the Supplemental Application.
  3. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that their completed Supplemental Application is submitted by the deadline for the semester for which they are applying. Incomplete applications will not be processed. 
  4. This application requires a non-refundable processing fee of $100.00.
▼   Re-Application Process:

Applicants with an Incomplete Application on the application due date are required to submit a new Supplemental Application to USA along with another Supplemental Application fee to be considered for the next application period. Applicants may contact NursingCAS to see when their current Primary Application will be verified and if there is anything they need to do to finish the application process in NursingCAS for the next application cycle.

Students who are accepted into the program and decide not to start the program in the term for which they are admitted are required to submit a new supplemental application and pay another supplemental application fee to be considered for admission to another term.

If you have questions about the application process, please contact the college of nursing at congradapp@southalabama.edu or (251) 445-9400.

Contact Information

For all inquiries related to the admissions process: congradapp@southalabama.edu

For all current and continuing students: congrad@southalabama.edu