MSN & DNP Students

Spring 2023

Orientation Webinar: Tuesday, January 10, 2023 from 1 PM - 3:30 PM

Classes Start: Wednesday, January 11, 2023

Summer 2023

Orientation: Thursday, May 11, 2023 from 9:15 AM - 2 PM at Claire M. Fagin Hall

Classes Start: Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Fall 2023

Orientation: Thursday, August 24, 2023 from 10 AM - 3 PM at Claire M. Fagin Hall

Post Master’s and Executive Leadership DNP students will be oriented during their virtual August intensive. More details will be provided by your program leadership soon.

MSNS students will be oriented during a program-specific virtual orientation in August. More details will be provided by your program leadership soon.

Classes Start: Tuesday, August 29, 2023

A PennKey and password are required to access many of the University’s resources, including establishing your Nursing email. You should receive a PennKey set-up code in the mail or email within 5 to 7 business days* after you submit your enrollment deposit. If you do not receive your set-up code in this time frame, please visit the PennKey website and click on the “student” tab.

If you have a PennKey from a previous Penn affiliation (i.e. Knowledge Link at UPHS), you do not need to create a new PennKey.

*Students who have been admitted to start more than one year in advance will not receive a PennKey until approximately 6 to 9 months before their start date.

All students are required to open a Penn Nursing email account. Please do so as soon as you have established your PennKey, and plan to access it daily. The account application form can be found on our ITS site under Getting Connected - Incoming Students - Request Your School of Nursing Email Account . You will note in the instructions that you can set up your e-mail to be read from your home computer. The ITS website has other information about the technology resources available to students at the School of Nursing.

* PennKey required. 

All transfer credit requests must be submitted for a full review. Learn about the transfer credit policy and apply for transfer credit here. 

* PennKey required. 

All students in clinical MSN and DNP programs will need to fulfill a series of compliance requirements prior to starting clinical coursework. One of these requirements is that students must have and maintain a current RN license in PA prior to admission and obtain DE and NJ licensure prior to the start of their clinical courses. It is recommended that you begin the process of applying for state licensure at least 6 months prior to your first clinical course.

Please wait until you receive instructions from the Office of Compliance before you begin to work on any other compliance requirements, as the timing will differ based on your plan of study.

 6. Enroll in or waive health insurance

The University of Pennsylvania requires full-time students to meet certain health requirements, including carrying comprehensive health insurance coverage and immunization against diseases. The Penn Student Insurance Plan (PSIP) is available for students who do not have insurance, whose plans do not provide coverage in the Philadelphia area, or whose plans do not meet our criteria for alternative insurance. You can enroll in the PSIP or request an insurance waiver on the Student Health website.

Full-time students must also meet University immunization requirements, which is a distinct process from the School of Nursing clinical compliance process. More information can be found here.

*PennKey may be required. 

** Students in exclusively online programs are exempt.

The University offers Penn Off-Campus Services to assist you in your Philadelphia housing search. 

New to the area? The Penn Grad Housing Guide, based on a survey of 1,000 graduate students at Penn, is a helpful starting point for getting to know the city’s neighborhoods and housing options.

Attend the annual virtual housing fair from March 23, 2023, through July 20, 2023. The two live dates are March 23, 2023, and April 13, 2023. Any current or incoming student can register here. A reminder will be sent closer to the date of the fair.

** Students in exclusively online programs are exempt.

Update your address information, emergency contacts, and profile. Carefully review your billing, local, and permanent addresses so that communication from the school will be sent to the correct address. Periodically review your profile to make sure everything is correct. 

*PennKey required.

9. Register for courses 

Registration is managed by the Nursing Registrar. Monitor your Penn Nursing email for important communications from the School of Nursing Registrar regarding registration each semester. You will register for courses based on the plan of study received at the time of admission; if you need to make any changes to your plan of study, please contact your Program Director before you register.

Path@Penn is your main hub for information about your academic records, financial aid, registration, and student profile. You can access Path@Penn and review guides on how to use Path@Penn here.

Registration instructions, important dates, and resources are also available on the website under Courses & Registration.

Canvas is the Learning Management System used at the University of Pennsylvania. Students use Canvas to access their course content, upload assignments, and interact online with their instructors and classmates. Once you register for a course, you will be added to the Canvas site. Please note that sites are published individually by instructors each semester, so don’t worry if you don’t see a course in your course listing right away.

* PennKey required.

PennCard is the official identification care of the University of Pennsylvania and is required for all students who attend courses on campus. The PennCard gives you access to many University facilities. You must be registered for classes before you are Penn Card eligible and you can pick up your Penn Card no sooner than two weeks prior to the beginning of classes. The PennCard center is located on the second floor of the Penn Bookstore (located at 3601 Walnut).

* PennKey required.