Post-Master Nurse Practitioner Diploma (PMNP)
Post-Master Nurse Practitioner Diploma Application Process
For details about the Post-Master Nurse Practitioner Diploma, including admission requirements, visit the Post Master Nurse Practitioner Diploma Program.
Important Dates (For September 2023 intake)
Application for the September 2023 intake will be open on November 15, 2022 and will be accepted until April 30, 2023.
School of Graduate Studies (SGS) Online Admissions Application
Please review important information below prior to submitting your application.
- If you are a first-time applicant, click Create an Account to begin your application. You will receive a verification code via email. Enter your verification code and create a password for your account. Once account is created, you may save and return to the application at any point in the process.
- Pay the mandatory application fee through the applicant status portal immediately after submitting your application. Your application will not be processed until application fee is received.
- Upload required application checklist materials, including unofficial transcripts, statements of intent, writing samples, and more, through your applicant status portal after paying the application fee.
- Enter information for referees. Referees will automatically receive a notification email that they have been requested to complete a reference for your application, along with instructions to submit their reference letter in the application system. If you need to change your referees, please contact connect.nursing@utoronto.ca (Subject line: Change referees for new applicant). Please provide your first and last name and U of T applicant number.
- You may send an email reminder to existing referees through your applicant portal after submitting your application.
- You may view your application status, including outstanding requirements, by logging in to your account and selecting view applicant status portal.
To apply for Master of Nursing (MN) program, please visit the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) application.
Announcement
Please note that we will not be offering admission to the Paediatric emphasis for the foreseeable future.
Guide to Completing the On-line Application:
Letter of Intent
(1) In 200 words please describe how your previous health studies and clinical experiences have led you to pursue the NP program and influenced your choice of clinical focus (ie. Adult or Primary Health Care – Global Health).
(2) In 200 words please describe your short and long-term career objectives and how they will be advanced by the Nurse Practitioner program.
(3) In 200 words please outline what you hope to gain from your clinical placements.
Curriculum Vitae
You will be asked to upload your CV to the on-line application. Please use the categories listed below when you are developing your CV. If a particular heading does not apply, you may leave it out.
- Academic education (post-secondary degrees, diplomas, certificates)
- Continuing education (including workshops, professional development)
- Awards and honours (e.g. practice awards from employing organization, bursaries, scholarships)
- Professional employment (Please note whether roles were full-time, part-time, or casual)
- Relevant presentations / publications / research
- Current membership in professional organizations
- Committees (e.g. work-related, professional)
- Clinical / administrative / practice innovations (please provide brief descriptions or examples)
- Membership in research oriented organizations (please specify role)
- Relevant volunteer activities
Completion of Clinical Hours
Applicants to the NP programs must complete a minimum of 3,900 clinical hours in a hands on clinical practice environment as an RN by August 31, prior to beginning the program in September. As part of your application, you will complete a form indicating when and where you completed (or will complete) your clinical hours.
Considerations Related to Clinical Experience Pre NP Application:
While each application is reviewed holistically, we do place a significant amount of weight in your clinical experience as a Registered Nurse. Considerations with respect to practice requirements for each emphasis are outlined below.
PHC-GH: Applicants to the PHC-GH emphasis should demonstrate experience in primary healthcare and exposure to a wide variety of populations (e.g., refugees, people experiencing homelessness, underserved groups etc.) and age groups (infant through to older adults). This may include settings such as community health centres, family health teams and nurse practitioner led clinics. Please note that experience in settings such as COVID vaccination clinics or cosmetic clinics would not apply.
Adult: Applicants to the Adult emphasis should demonstrate experience caring for adults in a variety of settings with exposure to a broad range of conditions. This may include in patient settings such as general internal medicine, oncology, cardiology, respiratory care, complex continuing care and long-term care (provided that there is also experience with younger adults). Outpatient settings such as emergency departments (adult or all ages) or ambulatory clinics are also acceptable.
Very specialized tertiary and quaternary care experiences such as trauma and ICU should be supplemented with experiences in other settings that are less acute.
For each emphasis, applicants should demonstrate a variety of experiences, while also ensuring that there is consistent tenure. Applicants with multiple experiences held for short durations of time will not be reviewed as favourably as those with longer term employment. While we invite applications from applicants with a variety of employment experiences, it should be noted that those with more robust clinical experience will be looked at more favourably given that they have had more time to develop their RN practice.
Proof of RN Registration
In order to be registered in our MN or NP programs, each student must be registered to practice as an RN. You will be asked to upload proof of registration to your application.
Two letters of Reference
Letters of Reference are submitted electronically through the SGS online application. You will need to provide the referees’ email addresses. Please communicate with your referees in advance to confirm their contact information. After you pay the application fee, we will contact your referees by email and ask them to submit their recommendation electronically. We will send them a Reference Form to complete and upload to your application.
1. Academic Reference. Ideally your academic reference will come from a professor/lecturer who taught you and graded your written work during your previous degree and who can speak to your academic abilities. A preceptor or clinical instructor is not an appropriate academic reference.
If you are unable to obtain an academic reference from a previous professor, you can provide a reference from someone who has taught you in a continuing education course.
2. Manager/Supervisor Reference. Ideally your reference will come from your manager or a direct supervisor who is familiar with your practice and professional accomplishments (e.g., leadership, contribution to nursing, involvement in professional organizations). A colleague is not an appropriate professional reference.
If you are unable to obtain a Manager/Supervisor reference from a manager, you can provide a reference from someone who is familiar with your clinical practice such as a Clinical Educator.
Note: SGS provides the option to select from Recommenders from Academic, Employer, and Professional. Bloomberg Nursing requires 1 Academic reference and 1 Manager/Supervisor reference. Applicants can select “Employer” or “Professional” reference to satisfy the Manager/Supervisor Reference.
Electronic or Scanned Transcript(s)
You will be asked to submit both an electronic copy of your transcript as well as an official transcript (paper copy by mail or electronic copy to connect.nursing@utoronto.ca).
You are required to upload one electronic or scanned transcript from each post-secondary institution you have attended to the on-line application so that we may assess your file immediately. Scanned copies of transcripts must be up to date and must include the transcript “legend” which is usually printed on the back of the paper transcript.
Technical Requirements
- Please scan your transcript in grayscale at the lowest dots per inch (dpi) setting that results in a legible document. We recommend 72 dpi whenever possible.
- The file must be in .PDF format. Image files, such as those in .jpg or .bmp formats, must be converted to .PDF before uploading.
- The file size of each scanned transcript file to be uploaded must not exceed 3 megabytes (Mb).
- If your transcript is double-sided, please be sure to scan the front and back of each page.
- The transcript legend (usually printed on the back of a paper transcript) must appear at least once for every scanned transcript submitted.
- Scanned documents must be clearly legible and print on standard CDN/U.S. 8 1/2″ x 11″ paper.
- Do not upload a document that is password-protected or that contains macros.
- University of Toronto students may submit a screen capture of their academic history from the Student Web Service of ACORN in place of a transcript. However, if you have attended multiple institutions, the other universities’ transcripts (with legend) must still be included in the file in chronological order.
Official Transcript(s)
You will be asked to submit both an electronic copy of your transcript as well as an official transcript (either a paper copy by mail or an electronic copy by email to connect.nursing@utoronto.ca). In addition to uploading a copy of your transcript, you should also order your transcript(s) from each university you have attended. Transcripts must be received by the Faculty of Nursing in an official envelope that is sealed and signed by the issuing institution across the seal OR by email from the issuing institution to connect.nursing@utoronto.ca. You may include a one page cover letter to support your application if you believe the marks you received do not reflect your performance due to extenuating circumstances. In the case of University of Toronto transcripts only, applicants may submit an ACORN print-out of grades rather than an official University of Toronto transcript.
English Proficiency Test Results
International applicants must submit a copy of their English proficiency test scores. Applications with unsatisfactory test scores will not be assessed. This requirement should be met at the time you submit your application.
Interview
An interview with the Admissions Committee may be required. If this is the case, we will contact you by email to arrange for an in-person interview or, if this is not possible, an interview by telephone. Interviews typically take place from February to June.
- Academic education (post-secondary degrees, diplomas, certificates)
How to submit official transcripts and other documents required:
U of T Transcripts
In the case of University of Toronto transcripts only, applicants may upload and submit an ACORN print-out of grades rather than an official University of Toronto transcript.
You will be asked to submit both an electronic copy of your grades from ACORN (a print-out or legible screen capture) as well as a hard-copy of your grades printed from ACORN. This applies to University of Toronto transcripts only. If you have attended other institutions as well, you will need to submit official transcripts from those institutions.
You may include a one page cover letter to support your application if you believe your marks do not reflect your performance due to extenuating circumstances. Please upload the cover letter with your electronic transcript.
NB: If you have an academic record at the University of Toronto prior to September 1998, you will need to order a U of T Transcript as we are unable to access your grades on ACORN.
You are required to arrange official transcripts from the School of Continuing Studies (SCS), University of Toronto to be sent directly to the Faculty. The Faculty does not have access to records of the School of Continuing Studies.
All Other Transcripts
You will be asked to submit both an electronic copy of your transcript as well as an official transcript (either a paper copy by mail or an electronic copy by email to connect.nursing@utoronto.ca).
- You are required to upload one electronic or scanned transcript from each post-secondary institution you have attended to the on-line application so that we may assess your file immediately. Scanned copies of transcripts must be up to date and must include the transcript “legend” which is usually printed on the back of the paper transcript. You may include a one page cover letter to support your application if you believe the marks you received do not reflect your performance due to extenuating circumstances. Please upload the cover letter with your electronic transcript.
- You should also order your transcript(s) from each university you have attended. Please submit official electronic transcripts to connect.nursing@utoronto.ca (please have the issuing institution email them directly). Please submit official hard copy transcripts to the Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, Graduate Admissions, 155 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5T 1P8 in an official envelope that is sealed and signed by the issuing institution across the seal.
Proof of English Facility
English proficiency test scores can be submitted directly by the test centre to the School of Graduate Studies, University of Toronto. Alternately, test results can be sent directly to the Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, MN Admissions, 155 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5T 1P8. Please refer to the School of Graduate Studies website for details around our institutional code number, acceptable tests, and minimum score requirements.
Additional Documents
International and internationally-educated applicants may have to submit additional documents such as English translations of academic records and copies of original degree diploma. Please refer to international student and international student resources for details. Additional documents should be sent to MN Admissions, Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, 155 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5T 1P8.
How to ensure documents have been received:
References
You can login to your application to check the status of your references. Once your referee submits his/her recommendation, you will be able to see that it has been received. Remember, it is up to you to ensure that you submit the correct contact information for your referee. It is also up to you to ensure your referee submits his/her recommendation by the application deadline.
Transcripts
Once we have received your official transcript(s), we will confirm receipt in your application within 48 hours. Login to your SGS application to ensure your transcript has been received.
Additional documents
If you submit additional documents such as English Facility results, we will confirm receipt of the documents in your SGS application. Login to your SGS application to ensure receipt.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
GPA Calculation
What is the grade average required to be competitive to enter the Post-Master NP Program?
The minimum grade average required is a mid-B (3.0 GPA or 75%) in the final year of study of your MN. However, the Post-Master NP program is highly competitive. Most successful applicants have a grade average of at least B+ or higher in the final year.
I am in my final year of study and grades for my final year will not be available until May, which courses will be considered for my grade average?
Completed courses of your most recent year of studies (usually fall term courses of your final year, summer courses – if any, and winter courses for year previous year) will be considered for grade average calculation at the time of our admissions review. The Admissions Office will recalculate your final year average when you submit final transcripts with all completed grades.
References
Can a TA be considered as an academic referee?
Usually no. Your academic reference should come from a university professor/lecturer who taught you and graded your written work during your previous degree and who can speak to your academic abilities.
Can a Preceptor or Clinical Instructor be considered as an academic referee?
Usually no. Your academic reference should come from a university professor/lecturer who taught you and graded your written work during your previous degree and who can speak to your academic abilities.
I have been out of school for a while. Can I submit 2 professional or employer references instead of 1 academic reference and 1 professional reference and 1 employer reference?
No. You will want to make sure you have at least one referee who can speak to your academic abilities. Ultimately the choice is up to you but, ideally, an academic reference will come from a professor who taught you during your previous degree, even if that was years ago. If you request a letter from a former professor, you may want to put together a package of information as that person may need to be reminded of who you are and of your abilities. You might include the following documents: grades (unofficial transcript is fine), CV, statement of interest (so the referee knows what you’re applying to and what your goal/intent is), piece of work that the referee has graded. Don’t be embarrassed to request a letter years after you graduate, but, DO provide the referee with information about yourself.
Can I submit multiple academic references and professional and employer references?
Please don’t. Only 1 academic reference, 1 professional reference, and 1 employer reference are required. Please work to have the best academic, best professional, and best employer references rather than multiple references for each category.
Admission Offers
When will I be notified whether I am admitted to the program?
We will start issuing admission offers as early as the end of March until the end of June on an on-going basis.
Is there a waiting list? When will students be notified if they are placed on a waiting list?
Students who have been waitlisted will be notified by the end of June. Waitlisted students will be contacted from July until early September if there are spots available for them.
How to prepare for entry to the Post-Master NP program once you have received an offer of admission:
Accepting the offer of Admission
You will receive your offer of admission by mail and by email. You can use either copy to respond to the offer. To accept our admission offer you need to complete and return the School of Graduate Studies Confirmation Form (fax to 416-978-8222 OR scan and email to connect.nursing@utoronto.ca). We will email you to confirm receipt.
Clearing admission conditions
If your offer of admission has conditions, these will be outlined in your offer letter. You are required to clear all conditions by the due date (usually August 31) indicated on your offer of admission letter. Failure to clear outstanding conditions may jeopardize your entry to the Post-Master NP Program. Typically conditions will require that you submit a document (final transcript, letter, diploma) to show that you have fulfilled the condition. Please submit documents to Post-Master NP Admissions, Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, 155 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5T 1P8.
We will email you to confirm receipt of documents and to indicate the condition has been cleared.
Immunization
All newly admitted students are required to complete immunization forms before entering the Post-Master NP program. In order to comply with the Public Hospitals Act, other legislation, and to meet the requirements of the students’ nursing practice placement settings, the immunization forms package must be completed in its entirety. Failure to do so can jeopardize your entry to the Post-Master NP program. Please refer to Graduate Nursing Programs Immunization Forms for more information. Updated information and full details will be sent to newly admitted students via email.
CNO Registration (or CNO equivalent if out of province)
Each Post-Master NP student must submit her/his valid CNO registration number to the Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, Clinical Assistant by August 15. Each student must re-submit her/his valid CNO registration number to the Faculty on an annual basis.
If you plan to complete your placements outside Ontario, please submit your licensing body’s RN registration details in lieu of a CNO registration number.
Please submit documents c/o Clinical Assistant:
Fax: 416-978-8222
Mail:
Clinical Assistant,
Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing,
155 College Street,
Toronto, ON, M5T 1P8For information on CNO registration, visit: http://www.cno.org/
ACORN
You can access ACORN as soon as you have accepted your offer of admission. To log in for the first time, you will need your student number, which is located on your Offer of Admission letter. Visit the ACORN home page for instructions on logging in for the first time and setting up a password.
Take some time to explore ACORN where you will do many important things including enrol in courses, monitor your student financial account, print your tuition invoice, and obtain tax documents.
TCard, UT email and UTORid
Your TCard is your University of Toronto student card and is your key to many services and activities at the University and off-campus. Once you have obtained your TCard, you will be able to set-up your UT email account and you will be assigned a UTORid.
Fees, Registration, and Enrolment
A breakdown of your tuition and supplementary fees for the coming year is typically posted in ACORN in mid to late July. You can login to ACORN to monitor your student account and to print out your tuition invoice, once it is available.
You are considered registered as soon as you have paid tuition and incidental fees or have requested to register without payment (i.e. fee deferral). For information on registering without payment (i.e. fee deferral), visit the Graduate Fees section of the SGS website.
Full details on enrolling in courses will be emailed to all students by the Registrar.
Paying your tuition
You should login to ACORN and print out your invoice. For instructions on making your tuition payment, consult the Student Accounts page.
Orientations
School of Graduate Studies (SGS): SGS usually holds an orientation session during the first week of September. SGS will email you with full details over the summer.
Newly admitted Nurse Practitioner (NP) students: All NP students attend a mandatory residency and orientation which is typically held for the 4 days (Tuesday to Friday from 8am to 6pm) following the Labour Day Monday holiday. Full details will be emailed to NP students over the summer.