Prospective Students

DNP: Degree Requirements

Degree requirements vary by option (BSN to DNP, MS to DNP) and by specialty area. Use this page as a guide, but consult your advisor for your individual program plan. Click here for course descriptions.

BSN to DNP Degree Requirements

	Core Practice Competency Courses: 32 SH
NUSC 525	Intermediate Statistics	3
NUSC 526	Nursing Inquiry I	2
NUSC 527	Nursing Inquiry II	2
NUSC 528	Health, Environment and Systems	2
NUSC 529	Issues of Advanced Practice in Nursing	1
EPID 400 or EPID 403	Principles of Epidemiology or Introduction to Epidemiology: Principles and Methods	3
BHIS 510	Health Care Information Systems I	4
NUSC 503	Evidenced-based Practice	3
NUSC 507	Promoting Health: Translating Science to Practice	3
NUSC 509	Advanced Leadership Concepts	3
NUAS 502 *	Strategic Planning and Outcomes Evaluation for Clinical Programs	3
NUAS 517	Financial Resource Management for Nursing Decision Makers	3
	Specialty-specific and Role Competency Courses: 38-48 SH
	Direct Care Roles: Nurse Practitioner (acute care, adult, geriatric, pediatric, women's health, family, mental health, occupational/family health, school/family health); Nurse Midwife; Clinical Nurse Specialist (acute care, geriatric, pediatric, perinatal, mental health). Systems-Focused or Blended Roles: Advanced Community Health Nurse Specialist; Occupational Health/Advanced Community Health Nurse Specialist	38-48
	DNP Synthesis Project and DNP Residency: 20 SH
NUSC 572	Synthesis Project Development	4
NUSC 574	Synthesis Project Implementation	4
NUSC 576	Synthesis Project Evaluation and Dissemination	4
NUSC 582 NUSC 586	DNP Residency I: Direct Care Role or DNP Residency I: Systems-Focused Role	4
NUSC 583 NUSC 587	DNP Residency II: Direct Care Role or DNP Residency II: Systems-Focused Role	4
	Total DNP Degree: 90-100 SH

* Students in the Advanced Community Health Nurse Specialist and Occupational Health/Advanced Community Health Nurse Specialist concentrations do not take NUAS 502.

MS to DNP Degree Requirements

	Core Practice Competency Courses: 25 SH
EPID 400 or EPID 403	Principles of Epidemiology or Introduction to Epidemiology: Principles and Methods	3
BHIS 510	Health care Information Systems I	4
NUSC 503	Evidenced-based Practice	3
NUSC 507	Promoting Health: Translating Science to Practice	3
NUSC 509	Advanced Leadership Concepts	3
NUAS 502	Strategic Planning and Outcomes Evaluation for Clinical Programs	3
NUAS 517	Financial Resource Management for Nursing Decision Makers	3
	Graduate-level electives to support Direct Care or Systems-Focused practice	3
	DNP Synthesis Project and DNP Residency: 20 SH
NUSC 572	Synthesis Project Development	4
NUSC 574	Synthesis Project Implementation	4
NUSC 576	Synthesis Project Evaluation and Dissemination	4
NUSC 582 NUSC 586	DNP Residency I: Direct Care Role or DNP Residency I: Systems-Focused Role	4
NUSC 583 NUSC 587	DNP Residency II: Direct Care Role or DNP Residency II: Systems-Focused Role	4
	Credit for previous master's degree: 45 SH
	TOTAL DNP Degree: 90 SH

MS to DNP Degree Requirements: Executive Nursing Leadership Concentration

	Core Practice Competency Courses: 31 SH

EPID 400 or EPID 403	Principles of Epidemiology or Introduction to Epidemiology: Principles and Methods	3
NUSC 503	Evidenced-based Practice	3
NUSC 507	Promoting Health: Translating Science to Practice	3
NUSC 509	Advanced Leadership Concepts	3
NUAS 560	Leadership Reflections: Building a Personal Map	2
NUAS 561	Collaboration for Strategic Financial Management in Healthcare	3
NUAS 562	Ethical Leadership in Providing Healthcare	2
NUAS 563	Transforming the Healthcare Organization	3
NUAS 564	Systems Approach to Healthcare Quality and Safety	3
NUAS 565	Seminar in Nursing Executive Leadership	1
	Graduate-level electives (may include additional hours of NUAS 565)	5
	DNP Synthesis Project and DNP Residency: 20 SH
NUSC 572	Synthesis Project Development	4
NUSC 574	Synthesis Project Implementation	4
NUSC 576	Synthesis Project Evaluation and Dissemination	4
NUSC 586	DNP Residency I: Systems-Focused Role	4
NUSC 587	DNP Residency II: Systems-Focused Role	4
	Credit for previous master's degree: 45 SH
	TOTAL DNP Degree: 96 SH