MS—How to Apply or Reapply
Important Dates
The application deadline for the Fall semester is May 1st. Deadline for completion of Upstate Supplemental Application and submission of supporting documents is May 15th. You will be notified of a decision soon after the Admissions Committee reviews your completed application. We no longer accept applications for Spring semester to the graduate program.
Once accepted, you must send a $150 deposit to reserve your place in the entering class. This deposit will be deducted from your first semester tuition. All acceptances are contingent upon satisfactory completion of any college course work in progress.
How to Reapply
- Apply Online (A $65 fee must accompany this application)
- Official Transcripts and Test Scores If reapplication is filed within three years of your original application, all previously submitted transcripts are transferable. If your original application was filed more than three years ago, you will need to resend your transcripts. Of course, you will need to send transcripts from any colleges attended or ECE Exams taken since you last applied.
- Three New Letters of Recommendation afrom a faculty member, employer or other person in a position to judge your potential for graduate study.
- RN license, CPR certification
Copies of your current RN license and current CPR certification.
Current BS students who are requesting to transfer to the RN-MS Program
Current BS students who wish to change from the BS Nursing Program to the RN-MS program must complete the Change to RN to MS Program/Intent to Enroll Form 
and submit the form, along with the required personal statement and letter of recommendation to the Office of Student Admissions. Current students with outstanding pre-requisites are not eligible to apply for the RN-MS program.
How To Apply
Each master's applicant must submit the following documents to the Office of Student Admissions, 1215 Weiskotten Hall, SUNY Upstate Medical University, 766 Irving Avenue, Syracuse, NY, 13210.
- Apply Online A $65 fee must accompany this application (fee is waived for current Upstate nursing students).
- Official Transcripts from all colleges previously attended.
- Test Scores from BS degree-level Excelsior College Exams (ECE) used to fulfill admissions requirements. (This applies only to applicants who have a degree in a field other than nursing.) Graduate Record Exams (GRE) are not required.
- Three Letters of Recommendation from faculty, employers and/or other people in a position to judge your potential for graduate study. One letter must be from someone able to evaluate your clinical experience. (Note: Students continuing from the SUNY Upstate BS program are required to submit only one letter of recommendation.)
- RN license, CPR certification
Copies of your current RN license and current CPR certification.
Fall Semester: May 1
Director of Master's Program
After becoming an RN with an associate’s degree, Ibrahim Thabet said, “I felt that my journey was not complete. I decided to continue my education at Upstate Medical University because of the school's rich tradition of prestige.
I could not have imagined an easier transition.” Ibrahim achieved his goal of becoming a Nurse Practitioner by earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the College of Nursing.
—Ibrahim Thabet, FNP (2010)