A. Licensure for International Students

Special licensure for those licensed in another country may be granted by the Iowa Board of Nursing on an individual basis. The intent of the special license is to allow nurses licensed in another country that are not eligible for endorsement to practice in Iowa to provide care in a specialty area, to provide consultation or teaching where care is directed, or to obtain clinically based continuing education. This special license is required only if the student plans to do clinical practice.

To obtain this special license, students must satisfy the following requirements:

• Official verification of certificate-holder status submitted by the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS). Certification is required if the applicant has not been licensed as an RN in the United States following graduation from a nursing program and successful completion of a U.S. national licensure examination. For information about the CGFNS Certificate Program, please contact:
  • Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools
    ATTN: Certification Program (CP)
    3600 Market Street, Suite 400
    Philadelphia, PA 19104-2651 U.S.A.
  • Customer Service:
    Telephone: 215-222-8454 (M-F, 8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., CT)
    CGFNS web site
  • Applicants should request that CGFNS submit verification of certificate status directly to the Iowa Board of Nursing.
• Nursing Education Form: Certification Program submitted by CGFNS. Applicants should request that this form be submitted directly to the Iowa Board of Nursing.

Upon obtaining the Special Licensure from the Iowa Board of Nursing, the student should provide a copy to the PhD Academic Program Management Specialist at CON-PhDProgram@uiowa.edu.

B. English as a Second Language (ESL) Requirement for all International Students

English as a Second Language (ESL) credit classes are available to students whose first language is not English. This includes U.S. students as well as international students. All international students are required to take the on-campus English Proficiency Evaluation. If a student is found to need more than two courses in English as a Second Language, he/she will be required to enroll in, and successfully complete, the Iowa Intensive English Program. Concurrently with the Iowa Intensive English Program, the student will be allowed to register for one course within their program of study.

Students are required to complete any English as a Second Language coursework specified because of the English Proficiency Evaluation. Courses are offered in oral skills, pronunciation, grammar, reading, writing, and listening. Students must be enrolled at the University of Iowa to take ESL credit classes.

All international students are required to complete the English Proficiency Evaluation as soon as they arrive on campus. The evaluation is the basis for English as a Second Language recommendations for Intensive English or other coursework to improve English proficiency.

Students will be expected to enroll in courses recommended by ESL during their first semester and to continue enrollment until satisfactory grades are earned or until subsequent evaluation indicates that the required level of English proficiency has been achieved.

This policy may preclude students from enrolling in ANY graduate level course work during their first semester and may limit the amount of graduate course work they may take in subsequent semesters if ESL determines that additional English preparation is required. Failure to enroll in required ESL coursework will prohibit future registration in the graduate program until requirements are fulfilled.

C. Guidelines for Taking Exams for ESL Students

Students may request and be given up to 1½ times the scheduled exam time to complete the exam (e.g., 3 hours for a 2-hour exam). Requests for additional time need to be made in writing to the instructor during the first two weeks of the semester.

Native-language dictionaries may be used during the exam with prior approval of the instructor.