Courses
Penn State’s Doctor of Nursing Practice – Nurse Practitioner (DNP–NP) program is currently only available to nurses licensed to practice professional nursing in the state of Pennsylvania.
The DNP–NP program is designed to help prepare professional nurses to function in an expanded nursing role, providing direct care to specific groups of clients in a variety of health care settings. Since that practice is interdisciplinary in nature, advanced knowledge and research from nursing is combined with knowledge from science, medicine, and related disciplines.
To earn the DNP–NP degree, you will need to successfully complete 65–68 credits, depending on which nurse practitioner option you choose.
The curriculum will include:
- DNP degree program requirements (33 credits)
- Common nurse practitioner courses (12 credits)
- Required courses for each option (20–23 credits):
- Family/Individual Across the Lifespan Nurse Practitioner option courses (23 credits)
- Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner option courses (20 credits)
- Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner option courses (21 credits)
Practicum Hours
A total of 1,125 hours of post–B.S. practicum are required in the DNP nurse practitioner program. Your required hours will be accomplished through various courses in the DNP curriculum that include practicum hours as part of the course work. Practicum hour plans will be developed in consultation with the course 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. The practicum planning process involves establishing a site affiliation agreement with the practicum site and identifying a preceptor(s). You will be responsible for identifying potential practicum sites and preceptors and working with the program director to accomplish the affiliation agreement process. Some students choose to complete practicum requirements at their place of employment and other students identify alternate practicum sites. Practicum sites must be in Pennsylvania.
DNP Core Courses (33 credits)
Common Nurse Practitioner Courses (12 credits)
Required Courses for Each Option (20–23 credits)
Students select one of three options to satisfy these requirements. The course list varies based on which option you choose:
- Family/Individual Across the Lifespan Nurse Practitioner option courses (23 credits)
- Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner option courses (20 credits)
- Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner option courses (21 credits)
Family/Individual Across the Lifespan Nurse Practitioner Option Courses (23 credits)
Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Option Courses (20 credits)
Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Option Courses (21 credits)
Course Availability
If you're ready to see when your courses will be offered, visit our public LionPATH course search (opens in new window) to start planning ahead.

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