Request Info
Apply Now
Graduate Admissions

Doctorate Admissions Requirements for Health Sciences Programs

Every application needs: 

  1. Completed application
  2. Official transcripts to all post-secondary educational institutions
  3. Language proficiency

English proficiency is considered essential to providing quality client care. Students for whom English is not their primary language, regardless of US citizenship, are required to submit their TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score with their application. The MBU school code is 5397. A minimum score is 570 (paper-based) or 88 (internet-based). A student may be exempted if they have graduated with a bachelor’s or graduate degree from a 4-year accredited US university.

Holistic Application Review

Our mission is to identify individuals who are compassionate while also being dedicated to academic excellence. We consider the wholeness of each candidate rather than disproportionately focusing on any one factor. Therefore, we encourage you to tell us about yourself beyond your academic achievements. 

What We Look For

Tell us about your unique attributes/characteristics. Tell us about your experiences, work or volunteer, even if not directly healthcare-related. These factors are part of our review and selection process, just like your GPA. We are looking to create a cohort of students who will make a difference in our program, our community, and as professionals. 

Casper Assessment (select programs)

Casper is an online, open-response situational judgment test (SJT) that helps determine behavioral tendencies of applicants pursuing people-centered professions. To complete Casper visit Acuity Insights to create an account and complete the following assessment (Test: US Professional Health Sciences, CSP-10101) for Mary Baldwin University. A Casper Assessment must be completed in order to be considered for an interview. Early submission is recommended. Duet is not required.

Casper: 90-110 minute online, open-response situational judgment test (SJT)

Program-specific requirements:  

Jump to:

Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (DNP; hybrid)

  1. A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
  2. No GRE/GMAT entrance exam is required. 
  3. Curriculum Vitae.
  4. Personal statement (no more than 500 words) about short-term and long-term goals after completion of the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree.
  5. Three letters of recommendation from professional references with current knowledge of professional and/or academic skills. One recommendation must be from the applicant’s immediate supervisor.
  6. BSN from an accredited CCNE or ACEN School of Nursing.
  7. Completion of undergraduate or graduate statistics course with a grade of “C” or higher.
  8. Current unrestricted RN and/or an APRN license in the Commonwealth of Virginia or state participating in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) or be eligible for licensure in Virginia.
  9. Current BLS and ACLS certification.
  10. Minimum of one year (2080 hours) of current, continuous, critical care experience* as a registered nurse within two years of application. Orientation hours do not count towards minimum hours. Critical care certification (CCRN) is preferred. 
  11. Completion of critical care checklist with the clinical supervisor’s signature.

*Critical care experience must be obtained in a critical care area within the United States, its territories, or a US military hospital outside of the United States. Those who have experiences in other areas may be considered, provided they can demonstrate competence with managing unstable clients, invasive monitoring, ventilators, and critical care pharmacology.

Family Nurse Practitioner (DNP; hybrid)

  1. A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
  2. No GRE/GMAT entrance exam is required. 
  3. Curriculum Vitae.
  4. Personal statement (no more than 500 words) about short-term and long-term goals after completion of the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree.
  5. Three letters of recommendation from professional references with current knowledge of professional and/or academic skills. One recommendation must be from the applicant’s immediate supervisor.
  6. BSN from an accredited CCNE or ACEN School of Nursing.
  7. Completion of undergraduate or graduate statistics course with a grade of “C” or higher.
  8. Current unrestricted RN and/or an APRN license in the Commonwealth of Virginia or state participating in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) or be eligible for licensure in Virginia.
  9. Current BLS certification.
  10. A minimum of one year (2080 hours) of current, continuous, acute care experience* as a registered nurse within two years of application is preferred. Orientation hours do not count towards minimum hours.

*Critical care experience must be obtained in a critical care area within the United States, its territories, or a US military hospital outside of the United States. Those who have experiences in other areas may be considered, provided they can demonstrate competence with managing unstable clients, invasive monitoring, ventilators, and critical care pharmacology.

Nurse Anesthesiology (DNP; hybrid)

  1.  Current unrestricted RN and/or an APRN license in the Commonwealth of Virginia or state participating in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) or be eligible for licensure in Virginia.
  2. Earned BSN from an accredited CCNE or ACEN School of Nursing.
  3. A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale for baccalaureate nursing degree and subsequent graduate work.
  4.  Curriculum Vitae.
  5.  Personal statement (no more than 500 words) about short term and long-term goals after completion of the Doctor of Nursing practice degree
  6.  Completion of application for admission.
  7. Official transcripts to all post-secondary educational institutions. Transcripts should include 8 credits of anatomy & physiology with lab, 3 credits of chemistry (The chemistry can be general, organic, or biochemistry), 3-4 credits of microbiology, and 3-4 credits of pharmacology. 3 credits of Statistics undergraduate or graduate.
  8.  Three letters of recommendation from professional references with current knowledge of professional and/or academic skills. One recommendation must be from the applicant’s immediate supervisor.
  9. Completion of undergraduate or graduate statistics course.
  10.  Current AHA Certification: BLS, ACLS, and PALS.
  11. Minimum of one year (two years preferred) current, continuous full time or part-time equivalent, critical care experience* as a registered nurse within two years of application.
  12.  Critical care certification (CCRN) is strongly recommended.
  13.  Completion of critical care checklist with clinical supervisor signature.
  14. Completion of the Casper situational judgment test (Acuity Insights)
  15.  Qualified individuals may be asked for more information and invited for an interview.

Post-MSN Doctorate (DNP; online)

Advanced Practice Nurse Admission Requirements

  1. Earned MSN from an accredited CCNE or ACEN School of Nursing 
  2. A minimum GPA of 3.0.
  3. No GRE/GMAT entrance exam is required. 
  4. Current certification as an Advanced Practice Nurse from a US National Certifying Board such as a CNP, CRNA, CNS, or CNM with a minimum of one year (2,080 hours) of full-time experience as an APRN
  5. Current BLS certification

Non-Advanced Practice Nurse Admission Requirements

  1. Earned MSN from an accredited CCNE or ACEN School of Nursing 
  2. A minimum GPA of 3.0.
  3. No GRE/GMAT entrance exam is required. 
  4. Minimum of one year (2,080 hours) of full-time nursing experience.
  5. Current BLS certification

Occupational Therapy (OTD)

  1. A preferred overall GPA of 3.0.
  2. GRE scores are not required for admission.  However, if you would like to submit your GRE scores, you are welcome to do so.  The OTCAS GRE Code for Mary Baldwin University is 1992.
  3. Two references are required. At least one reference must be from an occupational therapist. The online application will provide a form to send to each of your references.
  4. Applicants must complete 40 hours of observation of occupational therapy practice in at least two different settings. Guidance regarding the submission of this information can be found on the OTCAS application form.
  5. The OTCAS application form requires a brief personal essay describing why OT was selected as a career and how an occupational therapy degree relates to your immediate and long-term professional goals.
  6. Prerequisite Courses
    • Introduction to Biology – 3-4 credit hrs; Lab not required but recommended
    • Human Anatomy – 3-4 credit hrs; Lab not required but recommended
    • Human Physiology – 3-4 credit hrs; Lab not required but recommended
    • Introduction to Psychology – 3 credit hrs
    • Abnormal Psychology – 3 credit hrs
    • Introduction to Sociology or Anthropology – 3 credit hrs
    • Lifespan Human Development – 3 credit hrs; Birth to death
    • Introduction to Research Methods – 3 credit hrs (Qualitative or Quantitative Research, Statistics or Research Methods)
    • Medical Terminology – 1-2 credit hrs; A medical terminology certificate could be used to fulfill the pre-requisite requirement for this coursework.

Your official transcripts from your degree-granting institution must be sent to Occupational Therapy Centralized Application Service (OTCAS). If you are still taking prerequisite courses during the application cycle, please indicate these planned courses in your OTCAS application. Please note, however, that you will not be able to enroll in our program until your official transcript has been received verifying completion of these courses, and that you have received a “C” or better.

Articulation Agreements: Occupational Therapy Program

The Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences OT program has established articulation agreements with the below partner institutions.  Qualified currently enrolled applicants from these articulation agreement schools are guaranteed an interview with the OT program; certain highly-qualified applicants may be offered guaranteed admission to the OT program.  The details of the articulation agreement for each school can be obtained from the school’s liaison or the MDCHS admissions office.  All students must apply through OTCAS.  The MDCHS supplemental application fee is waived for qualified applicants from articulation agreement partners.

OT Partner Schools (guaranteed interview)

OT Partner Schools (guaranteed interview and/or admission)

Physical Therapy (DPT)

  1. A preferred overall GPA of 3.0.
  2. GRE: You will need to request that your most current Graduate Education Examinations (GRE) score be sent to PTCAS. GRE must have been taken within five years of application to our program. The PTCAS GRE Code for Mary Baldwin University is 3866. There is no minimum GRE score needed to apply.
  3. The PTCAS application form will require a brief personal essay.
  4. Two references are required. At least one reference must be from a physical therapist. The online application will provide a form for you to send to your references.
  5. PT Observation Hours: 40 hours are required in at least two different settings, such as hospital inpatient, outpatient, pediatrics, long-term care, etc. Instructions on how to provide this information can be found on the online application form.
  6. Prerequisite Courses:
    • Human or Vertebrate Anatomy* – 3-4 credit hours*. Lab recommended
    • Human or Vertebrate Physiology* – 3-4 credit hours*. Lab recommended
    • Biology – 3 credit hours. At least one course; Upper-level biology courses such as cell biology or histology are recommended, but not required.
    • Chemistry – 8 credit hours. Must include labs
    • Physics – 8 credit hours. General physics, must include labs
    • Psychology – 6 credit hours. 1 intro and 1 upper or 2 upper-level psychology courses; Abnormal and developmental psychology are preferred.
    • Statistics – 3 credit hours. Can be from biology, mathematics, psychology, or business; NOTE: if a psychology course is used to meet this requirement, it cannot also be used for the psychology requirement.

*Can be combined for A/P.

Your official transcripts from your degree-granting institution must be sent to Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS). If you are still taking prerequisite courses during the application cycle, please indicate these planned courses in your PTCAS application. Please note, however, that you will not be able to enroll in our program until your official transcript has been received verifying completion of these courses and that you have received a “C” or better.

Articulation Agreements: Physical Therapy Program

The Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences Physical Therapy (PT) Program has established articulation agreements with the below partner institutions.  Qualified applicants currently enrolled at these articulation agreement schools are guaranteed admission to the PT program.  The details of the articulation agreement for each school can be obtained from the school’s liaison or the MDCHS admissions office.  All students must apply through PTCAS.  The MDCHS supplemental application fee is waived for qualified applicants from articulation agreement partners.

PT Partner Schools (guaranteed admission)

Accepting Transfer Credit

The Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences adheres to the following procedures for accepting transfer credits. These procedures allow us to both increase the flexibility of transfer credit in graduate programs and allows veterans to use VA benefits in our programs.

If you are a graduate student seeking to transfer credits, you must submit the request in writing to the program director of the program for which you’re seeking acceptance. Acceptance of the transfer credit is at the discretion of the program director.

Graduate programs in health sciences may allow up to six (6) graduate-level transfer credits with prior program director approval. Prior courses may be used to meet prerequisite requirements. There is no waiver of coursework or advanced standing granted in any program.

In order for transfer credit to be awarded, the following conditions must be met:

Find your level-up at MBU.
Connect with an Admissions Counselor.