The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree is a 75-89 credit hour curriculum offering the following tracks:

• Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) 
• Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) 
• Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP) 
• Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (primary care and acute care) 
• Nurse-Midwifery (NM) 
• Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)
• Executive Nurse Leader (ENL)

Applicants who possess a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree , or a Master’s degree with a major in Nursing (MSN) and who are seeking a role change are eligible to apply for the BSN to DNP program. Applicants who completed an advanced practice master’s degree in nursing and are not seeking a new role are eligible to apply for the Post-Master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree. Full-time and part-time degree plans are available. The DNP Program offers students opportunities to participate in global missions.

Admissions Requirements

Admission requirements for the BSN to DNP:

For admission, applicants must meet the general requirements set forth by the Graduate School and the Louise Herrington School of Nursing.

Admissions criteria for BSN to DNP at the time of application:

1. Completed BSN with a nursing GPA of 3.0 or higher. Applicants who attend a program that issued Pass or Fail (P/F) grades or Complete or Incomplete (C/I) for all classes will not be a competitive applicant.
2. Experience:
   1. AGACNP - 1-year full-time nursing experience
   2. FNP- 1-year full-time nursing experience
   3. NNP- 1-year experience in a level III NICU
   4. PNP- 1-year full-time nursing experience
   5. NM- 1-year experience in labor & delivery, mother-baby unit or in an Outpatient OB/GYN
3. Unencumbered and current RN license
4. Three acceptable letters of recommendation (one must be from an immediate supervisor, one must be from a peer nurse, and one must be from an MSN/APP, DNP, PhD prepared nurse or MD/DO.)
5. An acceptable writing sample.
6. There is no foreign language requirement.

Admission requirements for Post-Master’s DNP without a role change:

1. Master’s degree as an APRN
2. Unencumbered license to practice as an APRN
3. Cumulative Master’s GPA of 3.0 or higher
4. Documentation of successful completion (grade of B or better) of a health-related graduate level statistics course prior to matriculation in the program.
5. Acceptable writing sample
6. Three letters of recommendation as follows: one must be from an immediate supervisor, one must be from a peer nurse, and one must be from an MSN/APP, DNP, or PhD prepared nurse or MD/DO.
7. There is no foreign language requirement.

DNP Program Outcomes

1. Synthesize scientific evidence and methods to design, direct, and evaluate strategies to promote effective patient-centered care.
2. Incorporate leadership skills and interprofessional team building strategies to improve quality metrics within health care systems, organizations, and diverse practice settings.
3. Employ information systems and technology in the delivery of transformative health care.
4. Advocate for evidence-based health policy to improve local, national, and/or global patient and health population outcomes.
5. Utilize effective interprofessional communication and collaborative skills to facilitate improvement in population health.
6. Demonstrate advanced levels of clinical judgment and systems thinking in designing, delivering, and evaluating evidence-based care for clinical prevention and population health.
7. Integrate scientific knowledge with faith-in-action, incorporating culturally sensitive and diverse approaches to advanced nursing care.

DNP Advanced Practice Nursing Core

Nursing (NUR)