Doctor of Nursing Practice Curriculum

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)- Spring 2026 start

Curriculum Notes:

1. Minimum of 36 credits required. Additional courses dependent on previous course work in the MSN program and individual progress in the DNP project.
2. Students who have not taken NUR 520 Advanced Physical Assessment, NUR 530 Advanced Pharmacology, and NUR 522 Advanced Pathophysiology are required to complete those courses in the DNP program.
3. Program accreditation requirements include a minimum of 1,000 post-baccalaureate practice hours as part of the academic program. Students are able to apply up to 500 practice hours from their MSN program, with approval of the Program Director.
4. The curriculum for this program is subject to modification as deemed necessary by the nursing faculty to provide students with the most meaningful educational experience and to remain current with professional standards and guidelines.

Student Learning Outcomes

The objectives of the DNP program are designed to prepare graduates for advanced nursing practice who are capable of providing holistic health care for diverse individuals, families or populations in a variety of settings. Specifically, the program seeks to produce graduates who:

1. Evaluate critical thinking and decisions of individuals and teams, leading actions to improve decision making and the use of high-quality information and evidence.
2. Role model adaptive thinking when faced with challenges by exhibiting expert flexibility, creativity, and critical analysis.
3. Advocate for ethical advanced nursing practice and adhere to ethical principles in the conduct and dissemination of scholarship.
4. Evaluate equitable, holistic, person-centered, and evidence-informed care coordinated to improve the health of diverse communities and populations.
5. Evaluate and critique systems to create evidence-based interventions for delivery of safe, equitable, and high-quality care.
6. Lead and participate in system-level change that utilizes individual, organizational, and community level data to deliver and direct innovative, holistic patient-centered care that improves health outcomes leveraging healthcare technologies and informatics.
7. Role model holistic self-care practices that promote well-being, resilience, and lifelong learning of self and others in complex care environments and healthcare systems.
8. Model and mentor others in professional growth while leading strategic advocacy to shape health policy and transform care systems.