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The core essentials of the online Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) include translation of research into practice, transformational leadership, and advanced expert nursing practice. To support these essentials, other course work will include nursing/change theory, foundations of advanced practice, health policy, informatics, and population-based health.

Depending on your educational background, the DNP program has two entry options:

  1. Directly from the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BS) for nurse administrators (61 total credits)
  2. Post–Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) entry for nurse administrators and advanced practice nurses (38–46 total credits)

The culmination of the program is an evidence-based practice project. The goal of your DNP project is to produce an actual, deliverable product that has originated from practice experience. You will identify a problem and use evidence-based research to develop a proposal to implement and evaluate a practice change initiative.

Course List - Doctor of Nursing

The online Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program has two entry options:

  1. MSN to DNP — curriculum will be composed of five components for a total of 38–46 credits. (Your total number of credits will depend on the number of practicum hours you need to meet the 1,000-hour requirement.)
    1. DNP Core Courses – 12 credits
    2. Other Required Courses – 20 credits
    3. Advanced Practice Clinical – 0–8 credits (Your number of credits depend on the number of hours completed in the student's MSN program; if you have completed 600 hours, additional clinical practice hours are not required.)
    4. DNP Project Requirement – 6 credits (minimum)
  2. B.S. to DNP — curriculum will be composed of seven components for a total of 61 credits.
    1. Master's Core – 9 credits
    2. Nurse Administrator Option Courses – 13 credits
    3. DNP Core Courses – 12 credits
    4. Other Required Courses – 8 credits
    5. Statistics Requirement – 3 credits
    6. Advanced Practice Clinical – 4 credits (needed to meet the 1,000-hour requirement)
    7. DNP Project Requirement – 6 credits (minimum)
    8. Electives – 6 credits

Practicum Hours

A total of 1,000 hours of post–BS practicum are required in the DNP program. You may transfer 550 hours of practicum (if applicable) from the master's program. The DNP project course (NURS 835) includes a total of 300 hours related to the DNP project. Leadership courses (NURS 832 and NURS 833) include a total of 150 hours of prescribed practicum experiences. The remaining practicum hours will be fulfilled in an individualized plan based on your area of interest and are scheduled in NURS 834.

You will develop this plan in consultation with the NURS 834 faculty member and with the approval of the DNP faculty adviser. Development of the plans for practicum experiences begins with your admission to the program and should be completed at the first Intensive meeting.

MSN to DNP Curriculum

DNP Core Courses (12 credits)
Title Abbreviation Description Credits
Evidence-Based Practice I: Theory and Research Methods NURS 830 Foundations in evidence-based research for nursing practice. 3 credits
Evidence-Based Practice II: Translation of Research NURS 831 Evaluation and translation of evidence-based research into nursing practice.

Prerequisite: NURS 830		 3 credits
Doctor of Nursing Practice: Leadership I NURS 832 Doctor of Nursing Practice transformational leadership to improve healthcare delivery and quality outcomes.
 		 3 credits
Doctor of Nursing Practice: Leadership II NURS 833 Doctor of Nursing Practice transformational leadership to improve healthcare delivery and quality outcomes.

Prerequisite: NURS 832		 3 credits
Other Required Courses (20 credits)
Title Abbreviation Description Credits
Theoretical and Scientific Foundations of Advanced Nursing Practice NURS 510 Examines the relationship of nursing theories to the development of nursing science, as well as current scientific advances that guide nursing practice and research. 3 credits
Colloquium NURS 590 Continuing seminars which consist of a series of individual lectures by faculty, students, or outside speakers. 1 credit
Ethics in Nursing Research NURS 587 Provides the theoretical and practical knowledge needed to design and conduct ethically responsible social and behavioral health research.

Prerequisite: master of science degree		 1 credit
Perspectives in Population-Based Health NURS 808 Theories and strategies for promoting health in community aggregates with emphasis on vulnerable and underserved populations of diverse backgrounds. 3 credits
Healthcare Informatics NURS 836 This course provides a foundation in information systems and technology for improvement of healthcare. 3 credits
Healthcare Economics and Policy for Nurse Administrators NURS 845 Concepts of health care economics and policy for nurse administrators. 3 credits
Applied Research Methods STAT 800 Investigates methods for assessing data collected from experimental and/or observational studies in various research setting. 3 credits
Epidemiologic Research Methods STAT 507 Research and quantitative methods for analysis of epidemiologic observational studies. Non-randomized, intervention studies for human health, and disease treatment.

Prerequisite: STAT 250 or equivalent		 3 credits
Advanced Practical Clinical (0–8 credits)
Title Abbreviation Description Credits
Doctor of Nursing Practice Clinical Practicum NURS 834 The focus of the clinical practicum is planning, implementing, and evaluating evidence-based interventions to address a healthcare problem. 1–4 credits per semester (maximum of 8 credits)
DNP Project (6 credits)
Title Abbreviation Description Credits
Doctor of Nursing Practice  Project NURS 835 The Doctor of Nursing Practice project demonstrates clinical scholarship in an area of practice. Prerequisite: NURS 831 3 credits, repeated

B.S. to DNP Curriculum

Master's Core (9 credits)
Title Abbreviation Description Credits
Issues in Nursing and Health Care NURS 501 Analysis and evaluation of the health care system with emphasis on health policy and economic issues affecting nursing practice. 3 credits
Theoretical and Scientific Foundations of Advanced Nursing Practice NURS 510 Examines the relationship of nursing theories to the development of nursing science, as well as current scientific advances that guide nursing practice and research. 3 credits
Nursing Research NURS 512 A nursing research course with emphasis on research design, data collection methods, and evaluation of research studies. 3 credits
Nurse Administrator Option Courses (13 credits)
Title Abbreviation Description Credits
Healthcare Economics and Policy for Nurse Administrators NURS 845 Concepts of health care economics and policy for nurse administrators. 3 credits
Leadership Concepts and Theories for Nurse Administrators NURS 846 Concepts and theories of leadership for nurse administrators. 3 credits
Human Resource and Workforce Issues for Nurse Administrators NURS 847 Human resource management and workforce issues for nurse administrators.

Prerequisite: NURS 846		 3 credits
Synthesis and Application of the Nurse Administrator Role NURS 848A Practicum in the application of the nurse administrator role in health care settings.

Prerequisite: NURS 845; NURS 846; NURS 847		 4 credits
DNP Core Courses (12 credits)
Title Abbreviation Description Credits
Evidence-Based Practice I: Theory and Research Methods NURS 830 Foundations in evidence-based research for nursing practice. 3 credits
Evidence-Based Practice II: Translation of Research NURS 831 Evaluation and translation of evidence-based research into nursing practice.

Prerequisite: NURS 830		 3 credits
Doctor of Nursing Practice: Leadership I NURS 832 Foundations of Doctor of Nursing Practice transformational leadership in complex health care settings.

Prerequisite: NURS 831		 3 credits
Doctor of Nursing Practice: Leadership II NURS 833 Doctor of Nursing Practice transformational leadership to improve health care delivery and quality outcomes.

Prerequisite: NURS 832		 3 credits
Other Required Courses (8 credits)
Title Abbreviation Description Credits
Colloquium NURS 590 Continuing seminars that consist of a series of individual lectures by faculty, students, or outside speakers. 1 credit
Ethics in Nursing Research NURS 587 Provides the theoretical and practical knowledge needed to design and conduct ethically responsible social and behavioral health research.

Prerequisite: master of science degree		 1 credit
Perspectives in Population-Based Health NURS 808 Theories and strategies for promoting health in community aggregates with emphasis on vulnerable and underserved populations of diverse backgrounds. 3 credits
Healthcare Informatics NURS 836 This course provides a foundation in information systems and technology for improvement of healthcare. 3 credits
Statistics Requirement (3 credits)
Title Abbreviation Description Credits
Applied Research Methods STAT 800 Investigates methods for assessing data collected from experimental and/or observational studies in various research setting. 3 credits
Advanced Practical Clinical (4 credits)
Title Abbreviation Description Credits
Doctor of Nursing Practice Clinical Practicum NURS 834 The focus of the clinical practicum is planning, implementing, and evaluating evidence-based interventions to address a healthcare problem. 1–4 credits per semester (maximum of 8 credits)
DNP Project (6 credits)
Title Abbreviation Description Credits
Doctor of Nursing Practice Project NURS 835 The Doctor of Nursing Practice project demonstrates clinical scholarship in an area of practice.

Prerequisite: NURS 831		 3 credits, repeated
Electives (6 credits)
Description Credits
Students can choose from a diverse list of online courses preselected by the program to satisfy this requirement. 3 credits

DNP Project

The DNP project is an important aspect of the program. You and your advising team will meet prior to the beginning of the first semester to begin planning your DNP project. Following NURS 830, you will typically sit for candidacy. As part of your candidacy portfolio, you will submit a one-page description of your topical area of interest and a preliminary plan for your project. At this point, you will meet with your advising team to discuss and receive approval for the plan prior to entering NURS 831. During this course, you will develop the DNP project proposal. Following NURS 831, comprehensives will occur, where you orally present the proposal to the doctoral committee and other faculty and students. The project is implemented during NURS 835. This course, which will be available every semester, must be taken for a minimum of 6 credits and must continue to be taken for 2 credits every semester (except summers) until you have completed your DNP project and paper. Once the project is complete and the paper is approved by the doctoral committee, you will proceed to the final oral presentation.

Course Availability

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