School of Nursing
Doctorate of Nursing Practice Frequently Asked Questions
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When is the application deadline? How often are students admitted?
The application deadline for Fall is March.
What is the GPA requirement and are GREs required?
The minimum master’s GPA requirement is 3.50 and there is no requirement to take the GREs
Is a Master’s Degree in Nursing required for admission to the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program?
A master’s degree in nursing or an equivalent field of study is required.
Is there a work experience requirement?
Two years of recent nursing experience in the nursing field is required.
What is the application time line?
Application Deadline: March 1
Application Decisions: April 15
Applicant interviews take place in March. Applicants will be contacted by the Director of the DNP program if selected for interview.
How many semester hours is the program?
The program is 30 semester hours in length.
What is advanced standing and what is the maximum number of advanced standing credits that I can be awarded?
You may be granted a total of 9 credits of advanced standing. If you received your master’s degree from NU and took any of the courses that are required for the DNP program in the last 5 years, you may be eligible for advanced standing (meaning that you do not need to repeat the course). Each transcript will be reviewed individually.
How many credits can I transfer in from another program?
You may transfer in a total of 9 credits from another graduate nursing program, however the courses must be equivalent and each transcript will be reviewed individually.
* Please note that a total of 9 credits (including advanced standing and transfer credits) is the maximum number of credits that will count toward the 30 credit hours required for the DNP.
What is the cost for the program?
Students pay per semester hour for the program. Fees for graduate credits for 2010-2011 are $1100 per semester hour. The application fee is $50, but waived if you are NU alumni.
Can I attend the program on a part-time basis?
Full-time or part-time enrollment is available. Students who attend full time complete the degree in 4 semesters. Students who attend part time usually complete the degree in two years. All students (full time or part time) must take the Leadership in Advanced Nursing Practice course in Fall 2011. There is no special student status for the DNP program.
When are classes offered?
The DNP program is offered in an on-line format with face to face meetings twice a semester on Fridays and Saturday mornings the first year only. For Fall 2011, there is a mandatory a1 1/2 day orientation session (TBA). Students will need to be available from 5-9pm on Mondays for “live on-line” chats. These will not occur every week, but you must be available during that time period.
What is the capstone project?
The DNP program culminates in the successful completion of a scholarly “Capstone” project that demonstrates mastery of expert practice knowledge and is completed over 2 semesters (9 semester hours). The scholarly project must be a significant, evidence-based contribution to existing nursing knowledge and be suitable for publication in a peer reviewed journal or a book. This Capstone Project could be a program needs assessment with program development and evaluation, evaluation of an existing program, development of an assessment instrument/protocol, a cost/benefit analysis of program models, or other scholarly project as approved by the student’s advisor.
Students will apply knowledge and skills obtained in the didactic and integrative courses in order to address the ethical, legal, financial and organizational aspects of the scholarly project. The DNP student will discuss his/her topic of interest, the development of the project and how it addressed the needs of a selected population; and evaluate the implementation and outcomes of the project.
Each student will have a primary mentor and their advisor working with them on the project. Clinical practice residency hours will be used to carry out the project in a practice setting (work settings may be included, but specific objectives will be developed that may be different from the student’s job)
The DNP is a relatively new degree. Where can I go to find more information?
We suggest that you visit the AACN’s website at: http://www.aacn.nche.edu/DNP/DNPFAQ.htm
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