Admission Requirements

All students entering the graduate programs in nursing must satisfy the general conditions and procedures for admission to the Graduate School as stated in the Admission section of this publication.

Although each applicant is considered on an individual basis, the general admission criteria are:

• A baccalaureate degree in nursing from an ACEN, CNEA or CCNE-accredited school of nursing program
• A descriptive statistics course with a grade of C or better
• An undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better
• A current, unencumbered license to practice as a registered professional nurse in the United States
• Students must successfully pass the NCLEX-RN examination prior to enrollment in the graduate program. Prior to beginning clinical experiences in a New York state clinical facility, students must submit a copy of their current, unencumbered license to practice as a registered nurse in New York, which is a requirement of the New York State Department of Education Office of the Professions.
• Two academic or professional references from individuals in a supervisory capacity only. It is expected that a professional referent is a current or former supervisor or educator to the applicant, and  may not be personal friends or family members of the applicant.
• Submission of a 500-word personal statement
• Résumé or curriculum vitae
• For international students:
  • Proof of English proficiency (official TOEFL, IELTS or PTE Academic Scores); International Student Financial Statement Form; and supporting financial documentation (such as official bank statements or official scholarship or sponsorship letters).
  • Proof of an earned baccalaureate degree in nursing or its equivalent.
  • Proof of a current, unencumbered license to practice as a registered professional nurse in their home country.
  • Proof of a current unencumbered license to practice as a registered professional nurse in the United States.
  • An evaluation of the applicants academic transcript from the student’s home country must be evaluated by World Educational Services (WES).

Students who have a felony or child abuse conviction are advised that their prior criminal history may impede their ability to complete the requirements of the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences and/or to meet licensure requirements for nursing or advanced-practice licensure. Students who have concerns about this are advised to contact the Division of Advising and Academic Excellence office, graduate program director, or the dean’s office. Students are required to report felony convictions while enrolled in the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences as it may change their progression and ability to be placed in a clinical agency. To learn if felony/child abuse convictions will negatively impact their ability to obtain licensure, students should check with the State Board of Nursing in the state in which they plan to practice.

Notes regarding admission criteria above:

• A student may apply for non-degree/non-matriculated status. If admitted, a maximum of 12 graduate nursing credits may be completed as a non-degree student. Upon successful completion of up to 12 credits, students are encouraged to apply for matriculated status in the program of their choice. The director of graduate nursing programs, with input from the program coordinator, provides academic advisement regarding appropriate courses by non-degree students who are attempting to demonstrate their ability to be successful at the graduate nursing level and in anticipation of students applying for future matriculated status.
• Any U.S. applicant may be admitted as “regular admit-additional advising” (“conditional admission” in the Graduate School Manual) by the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences. By definition, this category of admission means the applicant lacks the required application criteria.
  • Students who do not advance their status from “regular admit-additional advising” to regular admission status in a timely manner (i.e., failure to meet the department’s conditional admission requirements) may encounter registration restrictions and/or program dismissal.
• Prospective students with a master’s degree in nursing from an accredited program may seek admission to the Advanced Standing (Post Graduate) DNP Program to pursue a different clinical specialty and/or an advanced practice role.
• One year of full-time employment as a professional registered nurse is recommended prior to admission to a graduate nursing program, but is not required. Students may be admitted to begin the master’s degree program on a part-time basis to allow time to gain confidence in their nursing skills while working as an RN.
• Students admitted to a graduate nursing program must possess the ability to communicate clearly and effectively via email, the ability to use various software applications,  conduct web searches, download and upload files in Microsoft Work and Google drives and communicate through web based technology such as Zoom.
• International student applicants cannot be admitted “conditionally” based on changes to federal regulations implemented in 2016 by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP).
  • International student applicants who have not met minimum TOEFL, IELTS or PTE Academic score requirements may be recommended for an offer of admission from the Decker School of Nursing, but may be granted provisional admission by the Graduate School.
  • A provisional admission status related to these test scores requires the applicant to provide sufficient proof of English proficiency.
  • Once sufficient proof has been provided by the applicant, the Graduate School will default the admissions decision back to that assigned by the department and the student will receive a regular letter of admission and an I-20.
  • In such an admission case, the student will be required to take an English as a Second Language Institute Program (ESI) assessment exam. Exam results assist the department in determining which ESI courses must be completed by the student preliminary to, or concurrently with, core graduate nursing course requirements in the first and/or subsequent semesters, and at the discretion of the graduate nursing program director.

Program Requirements

Additional Information About the Program

Clinical Placement / Responsibilities of Patient Care

All DSON Graduate Nursing Students are expected to provide care to patients to whom they are assigned. Assignments/placements are based on the level of skill and knowledge of the student and the educational objectives of the learning experience. When determining student clinical placement, student preference may be taken into consideration. The Decker School of Nursing Office of Clinical Placement makes the final clinical placements based upon student, course, preceptor, agency and school needs. Students will not be placed in an educational clinical experience at their work site or where they have supervisory responsibilities, with their own personal care provider, with a relative, or significant other. Such a situation often contributes to role confusion and the potential for a conflict of interest. In health organizations with multiple sites, a placement at a site other than the student’s actual work site within the employing organization may be considered and will be completed at the discretion of DSON Office of Clinical Placement. 

The University assumes no responsibility for providing transportation from campus to the clinical health agencies used for student clinical experiences. Students must arrange their own transportation to clinical agencies and affiliated sites. Some clinical experiences require students to travel a distance up to 150 miles. There may be parking costs at some clinical agencies.

DSON faculty and students are expected to practice nursing in adherence to the ANA Code of Ethics. Student behavior in the clinical area that is identified by faculty, clinical agency or a clinical preceptor as unprofessional may result in removal of the student from the clinical placement and further investigation of the student’s fitness to practice. Only when the DSON determines that the student is fit to practice will the student be permitted to resume his/her duties and responsibilities in the clinical area.

Class, Clinical and ISPC Attendance Policy

The Decker School of Nursing adheres to University policy pertaining to attendance in class. In addition, attendance for all clinical, simulation, or ISPC experiences is mandatory. Students must notify their instructors if they are unable to meet this commitment because of illness or other circumstances beyond their control. All course-related assignments must be completed as indicated in the course syllabi unless prior arrangements are made with course faculty. While clinical experiences are an important part of graduate nursing education, class absences due to attending clinical is not acceptable. Clinical hours performed during regularly scheduled class time will be rejected and not counted towards required completed clinical hours during the semester.

At least three semesters include clinical experiences, which range from a minimum of 12 hours per week to a maximum of 16 hours per week. Students enrolled in clinical courses are required to complete clinical hours weekly until the end of the semester regardless of required number of clinical hours completed. Some elective courses also have clinical practice requirements that may increase the clinical practice time. All clinical practice assignments must be coordinated through the DCNHS Office of Clinical Placements. The Decker School of Nursing will not provide opportunities for clinical experiences for students who fail to meet the requirements/responsibilities as outlined in the Decker School of Nursing Graduate Student Handbook (Policies for Student Clinical Practice).

Part-Time Study

Students interested in pursuing a part-time program option are encouraged to contact their program’s coordinator before submitting a Petition for Exceptions to Graduate Decker Policies to request a change from full to part-time status.

Student Request to Change Program Role or Specialization

Students must submit a Petition for Exceptions to Graduate Decker Policies to request a change in program role or specialization 90 days prior to the first day of the next semester, and indicate the reasons for requesting a role or specialization change. Petitions will be reviewed by the appropriate program coordinators, the Office of Clinical Placement and the graduate program director within 30 days of submission. Students will be notified of the final decision by the chair of the Admissions and Academic Standards Committee. No consideration for program change will be granted when the request is made for the semester in which the student is currently enrolled. Submission of a petition request does not automatically result in approval.

Students will receive a decision regarding their petition within 15 business days after the committee receives the petition.  All voting members of the committee will vote on the petition electronically.  The chair of the committee will send notificaiton of the petition to the committee members.  Voting members will vote and include rationale for the vote within 10 days of receiving the petition; there will then be another 5 business days before the final vote is tallied.  The student will be notified of the petition decision via email.

• If a petition requies additional discussion, it will be reviewed at the next scheduled committee meeting.
• If a student petition is denied and a change in student changed registration is required, the Graduate Program Office will notify the student.  If a course needs to be added, it is the students responsibility to self-register for the course.  If a course needs to be removed or dropped, the Graduate Program Office will administratively remove the course registration no sooner than three days following the decision notification to the student.
• Students should consult the Division of Advising and Academic Excellence for information on committee meeting dates, the name of the chair of the committee or if they have questions about the petition process.

Professional Practice Policies

Graduate students of DCNHS must adhere to the following policies related to professional practice. Students should expect to incur costs for additional items related to clinical practice and preparation. These costs are in addition to the standard University tuition and fees, as follows:

Nursing Simulation Lab Fee: A fee of $330 will be incurred by students enrolled in graduate nursing courses that require clinical simulation activities in the Innovative Simulation and Practice Center (ISPC). This fee is assessed once per semester regardless of the number of enrolled courses that carry the simulation fee. 

Clinical Management Tracking: A one-time system access charged to the enroll in a clinical experience managemt system; this is required for all graduate nursing students enrolled in clinical courses. This fee may be subject to change.

Malpractice and Liability Insurance: All students in clinical courses are billed for malpractice and liability insurance each semester. The cost of this insurance is currently $12 per semester, regardless of how many clinical courses a student is registered in. Students who have purchased their own malpractice and liability insurance policy are required to purchase malpractice and liability insurance through the University as it provides coverage for their practice as a student in clinical nursing courses. Individual policies purchased by the student do not satisfy this requirement. The malpractice and liability fee is subject to change each semester.

Health Insurance: All students enrolled in clinical nursing courses are required to submit proof of personal health insurance annually. This documentation must be submitted prior to beginning any clinical experience. Failure to demonstrate evidence of health insurance will prevent the student from beginning clinical experiences in any semester. Health insurance is available for purchase through the University for those students who do not have coverage.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: Prior to beginning clinical nursing courses, all students are required to submit evidence of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certification (including AED training) at the professional rescuer level. The DCNHS does not accept online CPR certification. CPR certification must be completed every other year.

Health Evaluations: Healthcare agencies must comply with the New York State (NYS) Department of Health Code 405.3, which includes health requirements necessary for all persons engaged in patient contact. Agencies may have additional health requirements over and above those mandated by NYS (i.e., substance abuse screening, removal of artificial/acrylic nails). The school must comply with NYS and agency requirements prior to student placement in the clinical agency.

The health/clinical practice requirements as outlined must be fulfilled and be completed prior to beginning clinical experiences. If health/clinical practice requirements are not current, the student will not be allowed in any clinical practice setting, which will result in a Graduate Violation of Nursing Standard (VNSG) infraction. If a student attends clinical experiences and is not compliant with health requirements, the clinical hours performed will not be counted. Note that it takes five to seven days for an uploaded document to be evaluated and approved or denied. Students should allow themselves enough time for this process to occur.

Prior to enrollment in clinical nursing courses, all students are required to submit an annual health evaluation to CastleBranch on behalf of the Decker School of Nursing. The annual health evaluation must include:

• a physical examination documented on the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences Student Annual Health Evaluation form;
• Tuberculosis screening (to be completed by one of the three below prior to enrollment in clinical nursing courses): 
  • a two-step Mantoux Tuberculin Test initially and one annually thereafter;
  • QuantiFERON-TB Gold blood test and a Turberculin screening form initially prior to enrollment in clinical nursing courses and one annually thereafter; 
  • any students with a positive reaction are required to have a chest X-ray. The chest X-ray report as well as the tuberculin screening form must be uploaded to Castlebranch to fulfill this requirement and provide evidence of follow-up healthcare. Some agencies require a Mantoux Test, chest X-ray or QuantiFERON-TB Gold (if indicated) within six months of a student’s clinical placement and students would be expected to comply with this requirement;
• documented evidence of current immunization to tetanus-diphtheria;
• documented evidence of immunization or serologic evidence of immunity to MMR (measles, mumps and rubella);
• proof of varicella (chicken pox) immunity as documented by varicella immunizations, diagnosis of history of varicella diseases or a varicella titer report, prepared by a healthcare provider;
• documented evidence of immunization to Hepatitis B, prepared by a healthcare provider. Those electing not to receive the Hepatitis B series must sign a Statement of Declination;
• documentation of the seasonal flu vaccine in the current semester in which clinical is taking place. Medical declinations will be considered and must be presented one month prior to clinical experiences. Agencies have the right to request this information from the DCNHS Office of Clinical Placement;
• Documented evidence of Covid-19 immunizations are highly recommended.  Those elected not to receive the Covid-19 vaccation must sign a declination.
• Students are required to sign a waiver authorizing the release of this information by the DCNHS. Failure to sign a release may lead to a delay/denial of clinical placement.

Professional Licensure: Evidence of an unencumbered, active license to practice professional nursing in the United States must be kept on file on CastleBranch. Agencies have the right to request this information and students are asked to release this information as requested. Prior to beginning clinical experiences in a New York State clinical facility, students are required to provide a copy of their current, unencumbered license to practice as a registered nurse in New York State. All clinical experiences performed outside of New York State will require that the student maintain a current active RN license in the state in which the clinicals are completed. 

Training in Infection Control and Bloodborne Pathogens; HIPAA: Clinical agencies require that students have annual training in infection control, bloodborne pathogens and HIPAA. Graduate students who are employed in healthcare agencies and who have received the above training through their places of employment and can provide documentation of such, may satisfy this requirement. Some agencies have very specific training that they require the student to participate in prior to the beginning of a clinical experience and students are expected to comply with such requests. Students who are not currently employed may receive this training through the DCNHS. The Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences HIPAA policy may be reviewed online. 

Fit testing: Some agencies now require proof of fit testing.  Students are expected to comply with facility requirements.  The student is responsble for all costs associated with the requirement.

Professional Ethics and Academic Honesty: Students are expected to comply with Binghamton University Code of Student Conduct and the policies related to professional ethics, professional practice and academic honesty as stated in the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences Graduate Programs Student Handbook.

Release of Personal Information: Some agencies, in order to protect clients, require information related to students’ past employment and documentation as to whether or not they have ever been convicted of a criminal offense, including misdemeanors and felonies. Students may be asked to respond to such questions.

Criminal Background Checks: Students who have a felony or child abuse conviction are advised that their prior criminal history may impede their ability to complete the requirements of the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences and/or to meet licensure requirements for nursing or advanced-practice licensure. Students who have concerns about this are advised to contact the Clinical Placement Office, the graduate program director or the dean’s office. Students are required to report felony convictions while enrolled in the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences as it may change their progression and ability to be placed in a clinical agency. To learn if felony/child abuse convictions will negatively impact their ability for licensure, students should check with the State Board of Nursing in the state in which they plan to practice.

Some clinical agencies require criminal background checks for everyone working in the facility, including students. All DCNHS students participating in a clinical experience are required by some clinical agencies used by the DCNHS to undergo a criminal background screening and/or drug screening. In addition, some agencies may require more stringent screening than indicated below, including fingerprinting. The student will be required to submit a criminal background screening to CastleBranch. This documentation will be due prior to the start of the semester in accordance with the due dates for all other clinical requirements (health forms, proof of CPR, etc.). The student is responsible for all costs associated with these requirements. The criminal background screening will be required annually while attending DCNHS. For more information about this process and its costs, see CastleBranch.

Results will be disclosed to the agency/clinical site to determine if the student is eligible to attend clinical within the facility. Any student who delays, fails or refuses to provide a criminal background screening to CastleBranch by the published due date will be unable to attend clinical, which may result in a failure for the clinical course. Positive criminal background screening results may hinder a student’s opportunity for state licensure. The DCNHS recommends a student contact his/her state board of licensure to clarify any concerns regarding licensure. Should a student be convicted of a criminal offense between the first and second background screening, he/she must immediately disclose this to the DCNHS for review with the clinical site. The clinical site will determine whether the student will be permitted to continue to participate in clinical experiences. Any such incident may jeopardize the student’s enrollment at the University and licensure.

Reports from the criminal background screening are stored online at a password-protected site sponsored by CastleBranch. After the student signs a release each year, the DCNHS will assume responsibility for releasing written verification of a clear criminal background check to the clinical agency. Again, failure, delay or refusal to sign the release allowing the DCNHS to provide the results to the agencies, will prevent the student from attending clinical, which may result in a failure for the clinical course.

Disclaimer: The Criminal Background Screening procedure does not ensure the security of students, patients, faculty or staff.

Medical Document Manager: All DCNHS health requirements are housed on CastleBranch. Instructions for this process can be found online.

The DCNHS will not provide opportunities for clinical experiences to students who fail to meet the above requirements/responsibilities.

Violation of Nursing Standards (VNS) Policy

In accordance with the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences mission to prepare future providers and managers of care, the Violation of Nursing Standards Graduate Policy (VNS) requires students to abide by the following rules and regulations while enrolled in the program:

• American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics and the Interpretive Statements (available electronically through Binghamton University Libraries) 
• Standards of Practice for Nurse Practitioners 
• NYS Board of Nursing Regulation
• Binghamton University Student Handbook and Code of Student Conduct
• ANA Scope and Standards of Practice (available electronically through Binghamton University Libraries)
• Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences Graduate Student Handbook (all graduate students, DNP, and PhD)
• Affiliating agency policies and procedures
• Current federal, state and/or local laws

A violation may be given any time a student is not compliant with any of the bulleted items above. Records of violations are tracked and recorded internally. Immediately following a violation, the VNS Report will be completed and submitted by the issuer of the violation. Once a VNS is reported, the student will receive the following to his/her/their official Binghamton University email:

• Description of the violation
• Consequences
• Required remediation instructions, if necessary
• Instructions for submitting comments, acknowledgement of receipt of the VNS letter

Course faculty or administration may require remediation to address the VNS. A student completing the required remediation may be allowed to continue in the program. If remediation is required, failure to complete the assigned remediation(s) will resuilt in more severe consequences (and may include immediate dismissal). 

Despite remediation:

• Three violations in one course will result in course failure.
• Five cumulative violations will result in dismissal from the Decker School of Nursing.
• A single incident that is determined to have produced serious actual/potential harm may also result in dismissal.
• A violation of federal, state, and/or local laws will resulte in a report to law enforcement officers.
• Violations of affiliating agency policies and procedures may result in termination of privleges at the clinical site. 

Dismissal from the nursing program as a result of a VNS is final and may be recorded on the student’s official Binghamton University transcript. A student may initiate the DSON’s Grievance Policy as a formal appeal process. Future readmission of students who have been severed for VNS will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Questions about this policy should be directed to the graduate program director.

For more information on the Nursing MS program, please refer to the Division of Nursing website. To apply to the Nursing MS program, please visit the University Admissions website.