Nursing Practice

Doctor of Nursing

Program Requirements

Courses (including the clinical practicum and the doctoral project) are developed as follows:

DNP Project

The capstone project highlights the contribution of the scholarly work to changes in the health care system that can improve quality on an individual and community basis. Students will identify a pertinent topic discovered through evaluation of evidence-based literature. The capstone project begins in DNP 8000 and culminates with completion of the project in DNP 8002. A majority of the required 500 practicum hours are devoted to the doctoral project. The final formal document details the nature and scope of the project, as well as providing for a method of communication with the health care world. Students are encouraged to individualize their capstone project toward their career focus as a DNP.

Candidacy for the DNP program requires the completion of the admission process, a grade point average of 3.0, and completion of the DNP core (24 credit hours), including 56 clinical hours. Students will be assigned to a DNP faculty advisor who will serve as the DNP Project Chair, providing guidance and advice throughout the three sequential semesters of project completion. The remaining supervisory committee member(s) will be mutually agreed upon between the student and faculty advisors.

Qualifications for the Degree

To qualify for the Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) degree, a student must satisfactorily complete the 33-credit post-graduate program. The student must: (1) maintain a minimum 3.0 grade point average , (2) achieve a grade of at least "B-" or better in all courses; (3) submit scholarly work for publication to a peer reviewed journal, (4) obtain approval of the student’s capstone project; and (5) successfully complete and present the doctoral  project. These requirements must be completed within seven years of matriculation into the program. If the program is not completed within a seven-year period, a petition for reinstatement is necessary.