Taking a Course Before Admission

Individuals may register for select graduate-level courses at the University of Minnesota for professional development or personal enrichment prior to admission to the School of Nursing. You must have a completed bachelor's degree to be eligible for enrollment in graduate-level courses.

The School of Nursing allows up to 12 credits of graduate-level coursework taken as a non-degree student to be applied to nursing graduate degree programs. Coursework taken as a non-degree student may or may not be accepted by a graduate program at another institution, depending on the policies of that institution.

The courses available before the start of the Ph.D. program are at the discretion of faculty, but statistics courses should be the highest priority over any other courses.

In addition, all non-degree coursework is considered transfer work. The Graduate School and School of Nursing permit no more than 40% of the coursework on the final degree plan to be transfer work.

Submitting a registration request

To register for a graduate-level nursing course as a non-degree student, follow these steps:

  1. Download the Request for Graduate Credit (for non-degree students) form from the One Stop website.
  2. Using the One Stop Class Schedule tool, view prerequisites and class availability for the course you wish to take. Note the class number and section for that course. The class number is the red five-digit number located just to the right of the "add now" button on the screen. Each section of a course has its own class number so be sure you are listing the number that corresponds to the appropriate section.
  3. Contact the course instructor to obtain a permission number. The instructor name is listed on the Class Schedule web site after the date/time of the course. Click on the instructor name for contact information. Permission numbers are issued only by instructors.
  4. Complete the Registration Request for Graduate Credit (for non-degree students) form indicating class number, grade-basis (A-F or S/N), credits, subject/catalog number (example: NURS 5115) and section, and permission number. Remember to complete the optional fees section and sign the form. Registration will be delayed if any information is missing. You must complete a separate form for each term of enrollment.
  5.  Submit the completed form to the School of Nursing Office of Student & Career Advancement Services:

    Office of Student and Career Advancement Services 
    School of Nursing, University of Minnesota
    2-139 Weaver-Densford Hall
    308 Harvard Street SE
    Minneapolis, MN 55455
    Fax: 612-625-7727

    Note: If the course is not a NURS course, you will need to submit the completed form to the department offering the course rather than the School of Nursing. For example, for the statistics course EPsy 5261, you need to submit your form to the Educational Psychology Department.

Processing your registration request

Once you submit your completed registration request form to the School of Nursing, it will be reviewed, signed, and sent on to the Office of the Registrar (OTR) for processing. Do not send your form directly to OTR as it needs a nursing department signature.

OTR will process non-degree students' registration forms once the open registration period begins.

For registration dates, view the One Stop registration queue. You may submit your form prior to open registration, but OTR will not process the forms early.

Completion of the Registration Request for Graduate Credit (for non-degree students) form does not guarantee enrollment in a course. Courses can close between the time a student submits the form and the time it is processed.

Note: If you received a permission number from the course instructor it will guarantee you a space in the course.

You will receive an email from OTR within five (5) days of processing your request.

If the course has closed, OTR will contact you and advise you on how to proceed.

Registration request approved ... Now what?

Once you receive a confirmation email from OTR, your registration is complete and you will be given a student ID number and directed to set up your U of M email and internet accounts.

Your tuition bill will be sent to your University of Minnesota email account. Tuition is paid through the secure online UM Pay system.

As a non-degree student, your tuition must be paid in full by the first due date of the term. For more information about UM Pay visit their website or contact One Stop Student Services at 612-624-1111.

Tuition rates are posted on One Stop.

If you have registered for an online course, contact the instructor for information about access and requirements for the course. Learn more about online courses on the University of Minnesota Online website. Activation of the online course websites occurs shortly before the start of the term.