Nursing, Master's Entry in Nursing for Non-Nurses

Our Generalist Entry Master's (GEM) Clinical Nurse Leader program is designed for students who already have a bachelor's degree in another field and want to pursue a career in nursing. Our program focuses on clinical leadership and prepares students to successfully sit for the NCLEX (RN licensure exam) and Clinical Nurse Leader certification. In 2022, our NCLEX pass rate was 95%. RUSH graduates had the highest pass rate among all MSN programs in Illinois. 

We know that flexible learning is top of mind for many potential students as they weigh whether starting school is right for them. The GEM program offers students the ability to learn both in-person and online. More than half of all courses are offered online or are online optional.  

Critical elements in the role of a Clinical Nurse Leader are promoting health, reducing risk, and improving point-of-care outcomes. In addition to being prepared to function at a high level as a nurse in an inpatient, outpatient or community setting, you will also be poised to pursue an advanced practice DNP or PhD in nursing degree. Interested applicants can choose to apply simultaneously for one of five DNP programs through the Direct Entry pathway. As a top-tier academic medical center, you will learn from practitioner-teachers who actually practice what they teach. You will have a different clinical experience every term providing a broad overview of all of the major specialties in which nurses work, as well as a variety of settings across the health care continuum. You'll also have volunteer opportunities to expand your education beyond RUSH University Medical Center.

Direct Entry Pathway

Interested students are able to move seamlessly from the GEM program into one of five DNP programs or the PhD in Nursing Science program through the Direct Entry pathway. Interested applicants may consider applying to the Adult Health and Gerontology Primary Care NP, Advanced Public Health, Family NP, Primary Care Pediatric NP, Psychiatric-Mental Health NP and PhD in Nursing Science programs.

Application to the Direct Entry pathway will be done through the NursingCAS application system and requires an additional short-form application to the DNP track of their choice or the PhD program. This application is completed jointly with the GEM application.  

Upon acceptance to the Direct Entry pathway, direct entry students will be assigned a faculty advisor from their selected program track. GEM students in the Direct Entry program must maintain good standing throughout the GEM program to retain their early acceptance in the DNP program and are required to:   

1. Complete a GEM capstone project related to DNP specialty area (agreed upon by student, PD, & GEM team)
2. Student must consistently demonstrate academic progression and meet requirements of GEM program
3. Volunteer/Work experience in in-patient or community setting associated with DNP specialty area prior to graduating from the pre-licensure program and obtaining an RN license
4. Pass NCLEX-RN before enrolling in DNP program 
5. Work experience as a RN associated with DNP specialty area prior to starting the DNP program 

1. Application form - You must create an account to apply. Please click the following link to begin the process:
2. Unofficial transcripts - An unofficial copy of your transcript from every college and university attended is required, even if only one course was completed. Transfer credits listed on another transcript does not waive the submissions of a transcript from that school. Copies should be uploaded online via the application system only.
3. Grade point average - GPAs must be converted to a 4.0 scale.
4. Standardized test scores - Standardized test scores are optional for all programs. Applicants applying to the Integrated Biomedical Sciences Program have the option to submit GRE scores. Please upload a copy of your ETS score report online with your application (even if you have already sent in an official copy to the Graduate College via ETS). Applicants applying to the Biotechnology and Clinical Research MS Program may submit GRE, MCAT, PCAT, GMAT or DAT scores with their application.
5. TOEFL/IELTS scores - Scores must be submitted for international applicants who have received a diploma from a university at which English is not the language of instruction. TOEFL/IELTS scores will be waived for non-native English speakers who have completed a Bachelor’s degree or higher from a US accredited institution and have demonstrated language proficiency supported by the interview. TOEFL and IELTS are the only scores the Graduate College will accept.
6. Applicant fee - A $50 application fee is required to submit the application.
7. CV/Resume - A CV or resume is required and should include academic honors, awards received in college and/or graduate school, employment history, internships, summer research programs, education history, etc.
8. Statement of purpose - Describe your current research interests as they pertain to your desire to complete the program to which you apply. Please also include specific details about your past research experience. Your statement of purpose should be limited to one page.

9. Letters of Recommendation – Three letters of recommendation are required for all programs. The Graduate College will only accept professional or institutional email addresses, personal email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc. will not be accepted. Letters must be uploaded by the online application directly by your recommenders. The Graduate College does accept Interfolio letters of recommendation.

10. Background Check and Immunizations- Prior to matriculation, you will need to complete a criminal background check and submit your immunization records through CastleBranch. Upon acceptance into a program, The Graduate College Admissions Team will contact you with further instructions on ordering your package through CastleBranch.

11. International students (those with a degree outside the U.S.) must also submit the following:
    • Official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores. Scores can be emailed directly to the Graduate College. We will waive the TOEFL/IELTS requirement if you completed your degree in a country where the official language is English. 
    • Official course-by-course evaluation from Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE), or World Education Services (WES) only. Please review their web site for their individual requirements for evaluation. Once completed, they can then email the formal evaluation directly to Rush.
12. Rush/Stroger residents and fellows need to submit United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) scores.

We recommend that you complete the required RUSH University fields and submit your application well before the deadline. It can take several weeks for RUSH University to verify your transcripts and calculate GPAs after you submit the application and transcripts have been received.

Please review the required fields in the sections below that you need to complete before you can submit an application.

• Personal information
• Academic history
• Supporting information
• Program materials

You must complete required fields and submit your application by the posted deadline. Otherwise, we will not consider your application for admission. As programs are competitive, we strongly advise that you also submit all required documents to RUSH University prior to the application deadline.

You should check your personal application page on the RUSH University application portal to monitor that your transcripts and recommendations were successfully transmitted. Our admissions staff will also be working with you to ensure that your application is complete.