Special Program Application Instructions

 

The Graduate School follows a set of minimum admission requirements. Individual degree programs may consider their own additional requirements. It is your responsibility to know and understand these requirements. This information is given in My GradSpace and on each program’s fact sheet.



The following programs maintain unique admission requirements. If you plan to apply to these programs, we encourage you to read more about their requirements:

• Linguistics
• Nursing
• Occupational Therapy
• Physical Therapy
• Physician Assistant Studies

 

Linguistics

The University of North Dakota offers a Master of Arts in Linguistics and a Certificate in Community-Based Literacy in conjunction with the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL). In addition, it is possible to take courses for graduate credit without being in the Master of Arts program.

Students must apply to The Graduate School once in order to take classes in any of these statuses. Students must apply to the Summer Institute of Linguistics before each summer they wish to take classes.

For more information, please visit the Summer Institute of Linguistics home page at www.und.edu/dept/linguistics/.

If you are interested in this program, please contact the Summer Institute of Linguistics at admissions.sil@und.edu before you apply to The Graduate School.

 

Nursing

The College of Nursing will no longer accept applications for the RN to MS program effective December 14, 2011. This program has been suspended and is no longer available. Students are encouraged to apply for the RN to BSN program which will continue to be available. Students who wish to apply to the BSN should do so through undergraduate admissions. All students who are currently enrolled in the program are encouraged to contact their advisor with any questions they may have related to their plan of study.

Students who wish to apply to the Master’s of Science in Nursing program must declare one of the following specializations at the time of their application:

Nurse Anesthesia;

Family Nurse Practitioner;

Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Clinical Specialist or Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Nurse Practitioner;

Gerontological Nursing Clinical Nurse Specialist or Gerontological Nursing Nurse Practitioner

Advanced Public Health Nurse;

Nurse Education


In addition to The Graduate School’s admission requirements, all these specializations require

• a bachelor’s degree in nursing from an NLNAC or CCNE accredited program (foreign schools will be evaluated on an case-by-case basis),
• a current R.N. licensure,
• an undergraduate course in statistics,
• current health and immunization requirements of the College of Nursing before being permitted to enroll in a clinical nursing course, and
• that students must submit to and satisfactorily complete a background check prior to admission (which will be completed after a student is admitted into the program)

The admissions committees prefer, but do not require, at least one year of experience as a registered nurse.


In addition to the requirements for all specializations, the Nurse Anesthesia specialization requires:

• a completed application by October 1 in the year before you wish to enter,
• an undergraduate course in biochemistry (Biochemistry 301 or its equivalent),
• an undergraduate college algebra course (or equivalent),
• one year of critical care nursing experience (two years are preferred), and
• a successful interview.

In addition to the requirements for all specializations, the Family Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatric Mental Health, Gerontological and Advanced Public Health specializations also require a successful interview.

 

The University of North Dakota also offers a Ph.D. in Nursing. In addition to The Graduate School’s requirements, this program requires:

• a bachelor’s or higher degree in nursing from a nationally accredited program (or equivalent)
• a cumulative GPA of 3.5 in graduate coursework,
• test scores from the GRE or Miller’s Analogy Test,
• completion of a statistics course,
• a one-page paper stating the applicant’s research interests and professional goals,
• evidence of current, unencumbered licensure to practice as a registered nurse,
• a résumé,
• a successful interview, and
• that students must submit to and satisfactorily complete a background check prior to admission (which will be completed after a student is admitted into the program).

Note: Applicants for the Ph.D. in Nursing with earned Master’s degrees from accredited schools may qualify for up to 36 hours of credit toward the doctoral degree. Credit will be awarded only for courses in which a grade of B or better has been achieved.

 

Occupational Therapy

1. Applicants must apply to the Occupational Therapy program at UND through The Graduate School Admissions online application process. You must set up a My GradSpace account before you can apply. You will need to fill out the general Graduate School Application form. The application form is completed and submitted online along with The Graduate School Application fee. Only online applications completed as part of the Graduate School will be reviewed. The link for the Graduate School Admissions website is http://graduateschool.und.edu/my-gradspace.cfm.

2. You are not required to have a bachelor's degree for the Occupational Therapy program; however you do need to have completed all prerequisites prior to entering the professional program. Prerequisites can be found on the OT website at http://www.ot.und.edu/pre_prof_curriculum.html. If you will be enrolled in prerequisite courses during Spring Semester, a transcript indicating enrollment in those courses should be sent directly to the Department of Occupational Therapy.

3. GRE scores are not required for admission to the Occupational Therapy Program.

4. Applications for the Occupational Therapy program are due December 3, 2012, for priority review. The OT program will consider late applications if slots are available.

5. Dr. Janet Jedlicka, the Chairperson of the Occupational Therapy department, has prepared a letter and checklist for all applicants to the program. Please read these documents and print them out for your reference. http://graduateschool.und.edu/_files/docs/ot-letter-2012.pdf

6. Students are accepted to our program as undergraduates. Students do not need to reapply to the Graduate School after completing the first two years of the program. After completing the two years, students will automatically advance to graduate status as long as they:

• Maintain an overall GPA of 2.75, or a GPA of 3.0 during their first two years, and
• Receive a letter of endorsement from the Chair or Graduate Director of the Occupational Therapy department.

7. Additional information about our program and the pre-OT requirements can be view on the Occupational Therapy department website.

8. Questions about the application, forms, or process can be addressed to Darlene Czapiewski, pre-OT Advisor, at darlene.czapiewski@med.und.edu or (701) 777-2076.

 

 

Physical Therapy

1. Applicants will need to apply to the Physical Therapy program at UND through the PTCAS and the Graduate School Admissions online application process. The application form is completed and submitted online along with the Graduate School Application fee. Only online applications completed as part of PTCAS and the Graduate School will be reviewed. The link for the Graduate School Admissions website is: http://www.und.edu/dept/grad/html/landingpage-connect.html
2. You must set up a My GradSpace account before you can apply. If you do not already have an account, then choose Domestic Students or International Students. If you have an account, log into your account and select 'apply now' from the academic checklist. You may need to login again. Click on application.
3. You will need to fill out the general Graduate School Application form.
4. You are not required to have a bachelor's degree for the physical therapy program; however, you will need at least 90 credits prior to entering the professional program. GRE scores are NOT required for admission to the Physical Therapy Program at this time. A Statement of Goals is not required.
5. The deadline for the Physical Therapy application process is January 15th of the year in which you wish to enter the program.
6. If you will be enrolled in prerequisite courses during Spring Semester, a transcript indicating enrollment in those courses should be sent directly to the Department of Physical Therapy.
7. International physical therapy applicants must provide a credentialed evaluation of all foreign transcripts. Go to www.wes.org for more information on this process.
8. The deadline for the Physical Therapy application process is January 15th of the year in which you wish to enter the program.
9. Information about our program and the pre-PT requirements can be viewed on the Department of Physical Therapy website under 'Admissions.'
10. Questions on the application, forms, or process can be addressed to Alyson White, Coordinator of Admissions, at alyson.white@med.und.edu or (701) 777-3873.

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICAL THERAPY

School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Room 1510

501 N. Columbia Road Stop 9037

Grand Forks, ND 58202-9037

Phone: 701-777-2831
Fax: 701-777-4199

 

Physician Assistant Studies

Students who wish to apply to the Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) must meet The Graduate School’s requirements. In addition, the department recommends and/or requires:

• Current professional licensure, registration, or certification in one's clinical healthcare field with evidence of continued medical education throughout professional employment
  
• A minimum of three years clinical experience with direct patient contact in one's field of certification/licensure. Not all health care positions will provide the appropriate required experience. 
• A baccalaureate degree, preferably in a health related area.
• GPA of 2.75 or higher in undergraduate work, or more recent transcripts showing improvement. If GPA is lower than 2.75, an applicant may be accepted, but would be admitted to Provisional Status in The Graduate School.
• Courses in anatomy, physiology and pharmacology (must cover all body systems) with a grade of B or better. All of these courses must have been taken/competed in the last 10 years in the United States.
  • Note: If a combined course such as Human Anatomy and Physiology, 2 full semesters are required.
• A minimum of one 200-level or higher science course with a grade of B or better must have been taken/completed within the last 5 years. Recommended courses: genetics, microbiology, pharmacology, physiology, pathophysiology, anatomy or biochemistry.
• An arrangement with a licensed physician (MD or DO) who is willing to serve as the primary clinical preceptor to the student during the clinical portion of the program. Practice must be in Family Medicine or General Internal Medicine. If Internal Medicine, a Pediatrician as a co-preceptor will be required. Preference is given to clinical sites in rural (<25,000) and/or underserved populations.
• Current BLS certification. ALCS certification must be in place prior to the ER experience in Primary Care II Clinical.
• Completion of a successful interview.
• Written personal statement addressing applicant aptitude, ability, and commitment to meeting the Program mission
• Three reference letters and other personal qualifications are also considered prior to final acceptance.

 

If you wish to apply to the MPAS program, you must complete the following three steps:

1. Complete the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) application. You can access that application if you click here. We recommend you complete this application first.

2. Complete The Graduate School’s online application, which can be found in My GradSpace. Documents sent to CASPA do not need to be sent to The Graduate School.

3. Have your proposed physician preceptor complete the “Preceptor Profile.” This form should be downloaded from here and given to your proposed preceptor. Ask the preceptor to return the completed form to you in a sealed envelope. You must then forward it to the UND Physician Assistant Program at:

University of North Dakota

Physician Assistant Program

School of Medicine & Health Sciences – 4129
501
N. Columbia Road – Stop 9037

Grand Forks, ND 58202-0937