Doctorate in Nursing Practice (DNP)
Admission Requirements
Applicants must meet the admission requirements of the Graduate School with the exception that the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is not required. Applicants must also meet additional requirements of the School of Nursing. Contact the School of Nursing for additional information.
Applicants must also:
- Have graduated from a National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (CNEA) or Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) accredited baccalaureate program in nursing with a minimum grade-point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
- Have an unencumbered license as a registered nurse in the state of practice.
- Have recent clinical experience.
- Meet all health clearance, criminal background checks, and other requirements for clinical practice.
- The Admission and Progression Committee will review all application materials prior to determination of acceptance in the program.
The number of applicants admitted to the Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) program is limited. Admission will be competitive and meeting the minimum admission criteria does not ensure that an applicant will be admitted to the program.
DNP Program Graduation Requirements
The DNP program requires completion of a minimum of 73-78 post baccalaureate credits including a minimum of 1000 post baccalaureate clinical hours. The DNP program requires completion of a scholarly project under the advisement of a nursing faculty member. As is standard with other practice or professional doctorates, a dissertation is not required.
The BS-DNP program offers two options for study: DNP Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) or DNP Leadership. The DNP Leadership Option allows the applicant to select either a cognate in executive leadership or nursing education.
All DNP students will take the DNP Core and Scholarship/Research Core.
The DNP program is offered as a hybrid program.
73-78 credits
DNP Core, 24 credits
All DNP students will take the DNP Core
| NUR 700 | Professionalism and Scholarly Writing | 3 |
| NUR 701 | Health Care Informatics and Data Management | 3 |
| HSC 683 | Principles of Epidemiology 1 | 3 |
| NUR 740 | Theory-Based Models of Care | 3 |
| NUR 760 | Population Focused Care | 3 |
| NUR 662 | Health Care Business and Economics | 3 |
| NUR 764 | Leadership in Health Policy and Advanced Practice | 3 |
| EDST 697 | The Grant Process and Research | 3 |
DNP Scholarship/Research Core, 14 credits
All DNP students will take the Scholarship/Research Core
Additional requirements for the DNP-FNP
3 P's Core for DNP-FNP, 9 credits
| NUR 632 | Pathophysiology and Nursing Practice | 3 |
| NUR 634 | Advanced Health Assessment | 3 |
| NUR 638 | Advanced Clinical Pharmacology | 3 |
FNP Core, 31 credits
| NUR 781 | Primary Care Across the Life Span 1 | 5 |
| NUR 782 | Primary Care Across the Lifespan 2 | 5 |
| NUR 783 | Primary Care Across the Lifespan 3 | 5 |
| NUR 785 | Primary Care Immersion | 7 |
| NUR 786 | Transition into Advanced Practice and Entrepreneurship | 4 |
| NUR 622 | Teaching in Nursing | 3 |
| NUR 784 | Behavioral Health in Advanced Practice | 2 |
Additional requirements for the DNP Leadership
Students complete the 3 P's Core for DNP Leadership, Leadership Clinical Immersion courses, and select either the Executive Leadership Cognate or Nursing Education Cognate.
3 P's Core for DNP Leadership, 6 credits
| NUR 608 | Pathophysiology and Pharmacology for Clinical Practice | 3 |
| NUR 634 | Advanced Health Assessment | 3 |
Leadership Clinical Immersion Courses, 16 credits
| NUR 618 | Application of Clinical Concepts in Community-Based Settings | 5 |
| NUR 787 | Leadership Immersion Practicum 1 | 5 |
| NUR 788 | Leadership Immersion Practicum 2 | 6 |
Executive Leadership Cognate, 13 credits
Select either the Executive Leadership or Nursing Education Cognate
| NUR 751 | Professional Roles, Communication and Collaboration for Healthcare Leadership | 3 |
| NUR 752 | Global Perspectives and Diversity in Healthcare | 4 |
| NUR 753 | Organizational and Systems Leadership | 3 |
| NUR 754 | Finance and Budgeting | 3 |
Nursing Education Cognate, 13 credits
Select either the Executive Leadership Cognate or Nursing Education Cognate
Total Credit Hours: 73-78