College of NursingGraduate Program OverviewPhD Program OverviewHow to Apply to the PhD Program

How to Apply to the PhD Program

Step 1.

Gather application materials and documents

  • Update your professional curriculum vitae or resume.
  • Determine three references willing to provide a recommendation for you.
    • You will need to provide names and emails of your references on your application. We recommend (but do not require) your references include:
      • A current or past faculty member from a nursing program you attended.
      • Two professional references from a work setting (head nurse, provider, NP/PA, etc.)
    • The reference will be asked to discuss your leadership, academic standards, and skills as they pertain to your primary interest area.
    • Your references will be contacted directly by NursingCAS via email after you have saved their information to your application. Each reference will receive instructions for submitting their recommendation online. NursingCAS requires you to add a Due Date for the reference – set that date as 7 days after the day you are submitting your application (i.e. If you submit August 20, set the due date as August 27).
  • Prepare to complete the following “Program Intent and Goals” questions that you will submit within your application. They are:
    • What is the reason you want a PhD, and how do you envision it will advance your professional development and career?
      • Answers must be limited to 9999 characters including spaces, which equates to around 1,500 to 2,500 words.
    • Please describe your potential research idea for your dissertation. What gap in knowledge do you want to investigate?
      • Provide at least five references using APA 6th format to support the gap you have identified.
      • Answers must be limited to 9999 characters including spaces, which equates to around 1,500 to 2,500 words.
    • Please identify potential faculty in the College of Nursing you believe will be a good mentor for your dissertation topic.
      • Browse the College of Nursing Faculty/Staff Directory for details on each faculty member. Click “Bio/CV” for information on each faculty member’s areas of expertise and research.
    • Why do you feel each faculty member you selected may be a good fit for your topic?
      • Answers must be limited to 9999 characters including spaces, which equates to around 1,500 to 2,500 words.
    • What are four specific goals for your PhD program that are organized, clear, concise, and in-depth with demonstrated lucidity and well-developed thinking?
      • Goals may include rationale for progression through the program, courses from other disciplines in which you would want to enroll, writing a grant to fund your PhD study, and working with faculty to develop presentations and publications.
      • Answers must be limited to 9999 characters including spaces, which equates to around 1,500 to 2,500 words.
  • Scholarly work submission – All PhD applicants will be asked to provide an example of their scholarly work. Your scholarly work/writing sample should exemplify your research and writing ability. Your example could include published or unpublished work. Unpublished work examples could include work-related papers or reports, your master’s thesis or project, or a scholarly work from a graduate course. Published work examples could include journal articles or book chapters. If your work is written with multiple authors, a writing sample for which you carried the primary responsibility should be selected, and you should credit all authors and indicate, with an attached memo, your role in the authorship. Select one of the following options to upload to your application:
    • Option 1: Conduct a literature search on your proposed topic for the dissertation research. Write a review of at least five articles. At the end of the review, summarize the gaps in knowledge followed by a description of how your proposed dissertation research will address at least one gap. Provide a rationale for the importance of your topic for nursing practice, research, education, or policy. References/citations are required both in the body of the paper and in a reference list at the end using APA 6th edition. The scholarly work should be no longer than 5 double-spaced pages. Quality is valued over quantity.
    • Option 2: Submit a published paper (preferably a research report) for which you are the first author.
    • Option 3: Submit a literature-based paper written in your master’s or baccalaureate program for which you were the first author.
    • Option 4: Bacc-PhD applicants only – If you do not have experience in scientific writing and cannot provide a sample from one of the above options, you may take the Scientific Writing Course from Coursera. There is a $79 fee for the certificate of completion. The course is 6 weeks long and you must provide the completion certificate to the PhD Academic Coordinator prior to the first day of class.

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Step 2.

Complete the NursingCAS Application

Starting Your Nursing CAS Application

  • Review the application support documentation below.
    • Additionally, we have tutorial videos that were made for our prelicensure program. There are some exceptions to the PhD process, but it may prove helpful to see how NursingCAS works.  
  • Select the ‘Apply Now!’ button at the bottom of this section and select the term that you are applying for. Click apply to set up your account. Check your junk mail and spam folder for the initial account confirmation to ensure that NursingCAS emails are safely going to your inbox. Review the PhD page for admission requirements and deadlines.
  • Use the following link to view all available WSU College of Nursing Applications.
    • There are two PhD application options, standard PhD and Post-Baccalaureate PhD, so be sure to review the names to ensure you’re selecting the correct one.
  • Select the My Application tab to begin filling out your application.
  • Review the PhD page for admission requirements and deadlines. Note that the deadline time is 11:59 pm EST (which is 8:59 pm PST) of admission closure dates.
  • The application fee is $80 and non-refundable. Limited fee waivers may be available. For more information, visit the NursingCAS Application Fees and Fee Waivers page in the NursingCAS Applicant Help Center.

Personal Information

  • Fill out all 7 sections. Make sure you click “save and continue” at the bottom of each section.
  • Ensure that your contact info is accurate – your email is what we use to contact you for issues and info.
  • This section is run by NursingCAS – anything that is optional you are welcome to skip without it affecting your application.

Academic History

Fill out all 4 sections:
  • For Colleges Attended, click “add a college” and input every college you have ever attended. Complete the questions asked for each college you added.
    • You must input every institution of higher education in which you have been enrolled AND provide a transcript for each. That does include if you are a WSU student. Note that this includes coursework taken as part of a study abroad program (i.e. if you studied abroad from WSU to Canada, it would be WSU coursework and you need to include that)
    • The only exception is if you have international coursework – we will require an evaluation (such as through WES or ECE) in lieu of that transcript. You will need to provide your original international transcript to WSU if you are admitted, but we recommend waiting until you know you are admitted before you take on that expense.
    • NursingCAS will reject your application if coursework from an unreported institution shows on a submitted transcript, or if a transcript for an attended institution is not submitted.
  • You will need to order official transcripts for every college/university you have attended. These transcripts must go to Nursing CAS, and not to WSU or the College of Nursing. We recommend ordering an electronic transcript if possible. If your school does not offer electronic transcripts through one of the 3 companies that NursingCAS uses, please follow the instructions for “Option 2: Order a Mailed Paper Transcript.”
  • For Transcript Entry, input every course exactly as it appears on that institution’s transcript. NursingCAS will reject an application if the transcript entry does not match the transcript.
  • We recommend pulling up an unofficial transcript so you can copy over the classes accurately.
    • Note: We do not recommend using the Professional Transcript Entry (PTE) function as it takes far too long and may delay your application, causing you to miss the deadline. If you do use the Professional Transcript Entry (PTE) paid feature, please allow a large amount of time for CAS to finish that process. If you are late on a deadline or miss something due to PTE the responsibility is still with you. After you receive notification from NursingCAS that the PTE is complete, you must log back into your application and approve the coursework entry before your application will be submitted.
    • Note: Do your best with the course subject drop-down. It will not cover every option possible, and as long as it is close enough we will know what you are going for. The same goes for freshman/sophomore class standings. Those are not reviewed. The prefix, title, grades, and credits sections are the most important to us.
  • Once you have completed the transcript entry, choose to review and finalize your transcripts.
  • Ensure that you accurately indicate repeated classes. Type out exactly what is on your transcript.
  • For the prelicensure BSN program, we require a TEAS test score of 70 or higher. In the Academic History section, select Standardized Tests. Scroll down to TEAS. Click the pencil to add in your TEAS score (scores are good for 12-months from time of submission). Be aware that you will also need to upload your TEAS Individual Performance Profile in the Documents section located in Program Materials.
  • This section is the longest to fill out and often the most complicated. Do not hesitate to follow along on our video guide or reach out to nursing.admissions@wsu.edu if you have any questions.

Supporting Information

  • You can opt out of all these sections, as you will upload a resume/CV later on. However, if you are also applying to another school that needs these sections, it does not hurt you to have information in there. We will just not review it either way.
  • To opt out, click the “I am no adding any achievements, experiences, or licensure/certification” button at the bottom of each respective section.

Application Questions

  • Respond to all questions to the best of your ability following the directions provided for each question section.
  • When you are completing the “Program Goals and Intent” questions, most answers must be limited to 9999 characters including spaces which equates to around 1,500 to 2,500 words.

Program Materials

  • Review the home tab first, then fill out the remaining 3 tabs (Documents, Questions, Prerequisites).
  • For Questions, thoroughly read through each and answer appropriately – if you answer yes to a question, and later it turns out you should have answered no, you risk ineligibility.
  • For Documents, upload your CV/Resume, Scholarly Work option, License, as well as any of the optional documents that apply. Also, the Other section has information for documents that may be relevant to you:
    • If you are an international student please upload a copy of your passport.
    • If you are an enrolled member of a Native American tribe, please provide a copy of your tribal enrollment card.
    • If you have attended a previous nursing school or another health-related profession school, but did not complete/graduate from there, you must upload a letter from that school. It should be from their Dean, Registrar, or student affairs designee and include a statement regarding your standing at that uncompleted school.

Submitting Your Application

  • Navigate to “Submit Application” on the top of the page and pay application fee. Note that the deadline time is 11:59 pm EST on that date.
  • Wait – we will send updates via email.

Tips for submitting your application

  • Email us early on if you anticipate any issues! We are happy to help clarify anything on the application process.
  • Use Nursing CAS with an email address you check regularly. Most contact during the admissions process will be done via email. Failure to respond may jeopardize your chances for admission.
  • Make sure your official transcripts are received by NursingCAS by the deadline. Please note that a copy of a transcript from every college and/or university you have attended will be required.

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Step 3.

Create WSU account and pay Graduate School application fee. 

Students applying to Nursing will receive an email notice asking them to create an account at WSU so they may complete their application and pay a $10 Graduate School application fee. This is separate from the NursingCAS application fee. Please visit the Graduate School website for more information.

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Step 4.

Interview

PhD Applicants are be asked to participate in an interview via Zoom. Scheduling details for that comes after the application is submitted.

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Ready to begin the process?

Begin NursingCAS Application

Frequently Asked Questions

General Application & Admissions Questions

  1. What is the application review process?
    1. You will receive email notification upon submitting your application. Our PhD Advisory Committee reviews and scores all applications upon that submission.
    2. Applicants receiving an acceptable score are invited for a phone interview with 2 members of the committee. Those members will make a recommendation back to the full committee for a vote.
    3. You will receive an email from the College of Nursing notifying you of the admission decision. You will be notified via email if you are accepted, wait-listed, or denied. If approved, the applicant will be recommended to the graduate school for acceptance.
  2. Is the GRE required?
    1. No, the GRE is not required.
  3. Is an RN license required?
    1. No – you do not need to hold an RN license for our PhD program. You may find that you need it for the specific research you plan to do, but it is not a baseline requirement for the program.
  4. Are reference letters required?
    1. Yes, you will need to provide names and emails of your references on your application. We recommend (but do not require) your references include:
      • A current or past faculty member from a nursing program you attended.
      • Two professional references from a work setting (head nurse, provider, NP/PA, etc.)
    2. The reference will be asked to discuss your leadership, academic standards, and skills as they pertain to your primary interest area.
    3. Your references will be contacted directly by NursingCAS via email after you have saved their information to your application. Each reference will receive instructions for submitting their recommendation online. NursingCAS requires you to add a Due Date for the reference – set that date as 7 days after the day you are submitting your application (i.e. If you submit August 20, set the due date as August 27).
    4. You do not need to provide a paper recommendation. Please contact references prior to applying to ensure they are willing to respond to your recommendation request; ask them to discuss your leadership, academic standards, and skills as they pertain to your primary interest area.

General Application & Admissions Questions

  1. How will I hear about decisions or issues with my application?
    1. All communication happens to the email you have on file with your NursingCAS account. Make sure you create an account with an email you check regularly, and check spam and junk emails regularly as well. Verify your information is accurate in the Personal Information section as well. Both WSU and NursingCAS can/will contact you through the email you provided when applying.
  2. What happens if I get an email about issues I have?
    1. If the issues with your application are minimal and not duplicitous, we will reach out via email and give approximately 2 business days to update your application with fixed information. Again, for that reason, regularly check for emails from NursingCAS itself and in all folders.

      Replying to that email will put you in contact with your reviewer, so if you do not understand what you need to fix, or have fixed what you needed to, please let your reviewer know. This will continue the review process of your application. There is often something called an Academic Update needed, which can take time. Letting us know you’ve seen what you need to do and are working on it is good practice.
  3. I was asked a question on how COVID impacted my life, why was this asked?
    1. That was a question included by NursingCAS itself. We will not use the answer in our admissions process, so you may opt out of answering that if you so wish.
  4. Why am I not able to submit my application?
    1. There could be a few issues. First, double check that everything is filled out (all 4 quadrant circles are green) to show you’ve completed everything. If that is the case and you still are not sure, contact your campus advisor who can look over it with you.
  5. How do I reach out to NursingCAS?
    1. If you look at your name on the application, there will be a “?” icon next to it. If you click that you will be connected with the CAS helpdesk as well as find their contact email.

NursingCAS FAQs – Academic History & Transcripts

  1. What if I took classes in high school, like dual enrollment classes or running start college credit?
    1. Those are technically college credits and will be included in your history as well. Make sure you list that institution and order transcripts from them as well.
  2. What if I did AP credit instead?
    1. You will also need to enter these so we know. It can be tricky as you combine them into one sum of units. For example, if you took AP U.S. History and AP English Literature, and you got 3 units of work for history and 4 units of work for English, you would list it as: “AP Credits” for 7 units total for your first term for the school that granted you the credit. For the grade you may put CR to indicate it is for credit.
  3. Do I really need to order official transcripts from everywhere I’ve been?
    1. Yes. We need CAS to verify your coursework before we can take a look as reviewers, and CAS only verifies once they have everything. We recommend ordering your transcripts as soon as you can to mitigate issues.
  4. How do I order my transcripts then?
    1. For 99% of institutions, you will be able to order them through the application on NursingCAS. If your college is not listed within CAS, please contact us.
  5. Where do my transcripts go to? What if there is a mail delay?
    1. You want to make sure your transcripts go to NursingCAS, and NOT to WSU. We are unable to pass them to CAS if you send them to us. Please make sure that transcripts are ordered at minimum 6 weeks before the start of the term as well.

      Additionally, we understand that life does happen, and tech issues may rarely occur. We recommend that you save ordering receipts for this reason. Further, you are able to submit your completed CAS application with pending transcripts if this does happen.

      Lastly, it can take a few days for CAS to process your transcripts. It is normal to get confirmation they were sent, then have a few days before CAS notes them as received on your account. If it has been more than a week between sending and receiving, please reach out, otherwise the timing is normal.
  6. Do I need high school transcripts too?
    1. Luckily no! CAS will ask you where you attended, but you do not need to provide proof or transcripts for that section.
  7. When I put in my classes, what do I pick for the status?
    1. You can do your best guess here. If you were taking it early on, it’s okay to put first year/freshman there. Same thing if it’s been about a year you can put sophomore. We do not look in detail at this section, so you do not need to worry about mistakes here.
  8. I took a random class, what do I put for the subject area?
    1. Subject is another part that doesn’t matter as much to us. Use your best guess as to what makes sense, and when in doubt you can pick the “Special Topics” option without issue.

If you have any other questions about the application email us!

nursing.admissions@wsu.edu

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