Prospective students must meet the following requirements for admission:

• Evidence of an unencumbered and unrestricted licensed as a registered nurse.
• A master’s degree in nursing (nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, nursing administration, clinical nurse leader, nursing informatics, or nurse anesthetist) or a master’s degree in business or health administration with a health emphasis.
• Have at least 3 years of mid-level leadership with preference given to executive level leadership.
• Aim for future health-related executive roles.
• A graduate GPA of at least 3.0 overall (based on a 4.0 scale) or in the last 60 hours of earned credit.
• Submission of an official transcript from every college or university ever attended.
  • Transcripts may be mailed or emailed electronically by the issuing institution to the UAB Graduate School. Transcripts may be emailed to gradschool@uab.edu or mailed to UAB Graduate School, LHL G03, 1720 2nd Ave. South, Birmingham, AL 35294-0013.
• Submission of two favorable evaluations by persons who have knowledge of the applicant’s potential for success in graduate nursing studies and executive leadership; these evaluations are to be completed using the evaluation form.
• Submission of a personal goal statement that is congruent with the Pathway for Nurse Executives goals (300 words or less).
• Submission of a letter of endorsement from a leader in a health organization supporting potential for high-level executive success.
• A scholarly writing sample.
• Resume/CV
• A personal interview either face-to-face or by phone.
• If admitted to the DNP program, students must show proof of completion of a descriptive statistics course, equivalent to UAB’s MA-180, before starting the program.
• Upon admission, a GAP analysis will be performed to determine if the didactic content (coursework) and the 500 clinical or administrative practicum hours according to your advance specialty track required for entry into the Post-MSN to DNP pathway have been met. If not, appropriate bridge coursework may be added to the program of study.

Out-of-state applicants to any of our distance-accessible programs should become familiar with their state’s regulations governing distance accessible programs. Prospective students residing in states other than Alabama should contact their state’s Board of Nursing and Department of Education for specific rules and regulations pertaining to students enrolled in out-of-state programs and are planning to conduct UABSON distance education in their home state. Only those students who reside in Alabama or those states where the UAB School of Nursing programs are available will be eligible to receive an offer of admission.

More information is available at the State Approval Website for Online Degree Programs at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Students are expected to follow the program of study¹

¹Program of study is subject to change.

Upon completion of the DNP Program, students will be able to:

• Synthesize scientific evidence for the development of clinical interventions for practice.
• Evaluate policy, healthcare delivery, and organizational systems for current and future health care needs.
• Translate scientific, theoretical, and ethical principles into healthcare for individuals, families, and populations.
• Incorporate knowledge of current and emerging health technologies to improve healthcare delivery and organizational systems.
• Advocate for social justice, equity, and ethical policies in healthcare.
• Demonstrate intra- and inter-professional collaboration to address health disparities and to improve the quality of healthcare across diverse populations and cultures.
• Assume complex leadership roles to advance clinical practice and healthcare delivery at the organizational and systems level and to improve health outcomes of individuals and populations.

The following tuition and fees are valid for the 2024-2025 academic year. Tuition and fees and are SUBJECT TO CHANGE annually based on approval from the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees and/or university.

The estimates below are based on the costs listed at the UAB Office of Planning and Analysis website.

Each student’s costs will vary depending upon a number of factors including state of residence, the number of credits taken in a semester, or whether the student attends class live or through a distance-accessible format. Fees vary by program and course.

University Scholarships and Financial Aid

Information on Financial Aid, University Scholarships and other funding opportunities are available on UAB's Cost & Aid website.

UAB School of Nursing Scholarships

The UAB School of Nursing offers many scholarships, both need and merit based, to support nursing students across all programs. Scholarships are awarded twice a year, during the spring and fall semesters and requires just one application to be considered for all undergraduate or graduate scholarships. For more information or to start the scholarship application process, visit the SON Scholarship Application webpage.

Graduate Fellowships and Traineeships

There are a limited number of Graduate Fellowships and Traineeships that are awarded through the UAB School of Nursing that require students to meet specific requirements, and are only awarded when funds are available. When such funds are available in a particular program, students enrolled in the program will be notified and provided information on how to apply. Contact Katrina Staffney (email: KatrinaStaffney@uab.edu), for more information.

Nurse Faculty Loan

Federal Nurse Faculty Loan Funds are available to MSN students who intend to assume a faculty position in a school of nursing upon completion of the degree. These funds are limited to payment of tuition and fees and other reasonable educational expenses. Contact JoeAnn Kennedy (email: joeann@uab.edu), for more information.

NOTE: Prospective International students must first contact UAB International Admissions to determine eligibility to study in the U.S. and/or submit an application for admission to UAB.

The table below provides information on eligibility requirements for the DNP Program.

Application Requirements

• Prospective students must have a master’s degree in nursing equivalent to that offered by a U.S. regionally accredited educational institution.
• For Graduate Clinical Programs such as the Masters of Science in Nursing (MSN) Program, prospective students must also be licensed as a registered nurse in the U.S., in the state in which they will reside while completing the program.
• International applicants must, as part of their application, provide a detailed course by course evaluation of their academic transcripts and verification of their academic credentials. Students may use one of the following firms for transcript evaluation; a report of the evaluation must be submitted directly to the UAB School of Nursing prior to admission decisions.
  • Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc.
    P.O. Box 514070
    Milwaukee, WI 53203-3470 USA
    Website: www.ece.org
  • World Education Services
    Bowling Green Station
    P.O. Box 5087
    New York, NY 10274-5087 USA
    Website: www.wes.org
• Applicants must have a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale on prior college/university course work.
• Applicants must complete and submit their scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) as part of the application process. If the GRE was completed prior to application, only scores completed within the previous 5 years are accepted.
• Completion of a formal admission interview.
• Meet English language requirements. Students must submit scores on Tests of English Language (TOEFL or IELTS) and achieve the following minimum scores:
  • TOEFL iBT 80 and minimum of 18 in each of the 4 test sections, or
  • IELTS 6.5 and minimum of 6.0 in at least 2 of the 4 test sections.