Program Overview
College of Natural and Health Science
Director: Melissa Henry, Ph.D.
Location: Gunter 3080
Telephone: 970-351-2293
Website: www.unco.edu/nhs/nursing/
The Doctor of Nursing Practice Post Master's concentration is designed for clinicians with an APRN certification. Graduates of the Doctor of Nursing Practice program will be prepared as clinical experts with a focus on the critical thinking, leadership and political policy skills needed to advocate and create changes in healthcare practice at the individual, population and organizational systems levels.
The Doctor of Nursing Practice prepares expert clinicians for advanced practice roles in hospitals, primary care clinics, specialty settings such as long term care facilities, and virtually any area they wish to practice within the healthcare industry. These highly skilled practitioners will be the leaders in healthcare delivery and care management.
Specific exceptions to the Graduate School requirements for doctoral degrees have been approved, while maintaining the rigorous academic standards expected for this clinical the program. To earn the Nursing DNP degree, students will be required to complete a scholarly project instead of a doctoral dissertation. DNP students must complete the following as a part of the requirements for the DNP degree: a DNP Scholarly Project Proposal and formal Final Defense of the completed DNP Scholarly Project.
Admission
Location: Online
Start Term: Fall
General Doctoral Degree Admission Requirements
Admission Deadline
Starts Each Fall Term
The priority deadline for completed applications (including all supplemental materials) is February 1st for the upcoming fall term. Additional applications will be considered on a space available basis. You may contact nursing@unco.edu to see if applications are still being accepted.
Applicants must apply to the program through the Nursing Centralized Application Service (NursingCAS). Please submit all required materials by the application deadline to avoid a delay in the evaluation and screening of your application. All official transcripts are submitted to NursingCAS, and do not need to be resubmitted UNC.
The UNC School of Nursing will review applications following the application deadline. Official admission notifications will be sent in the 2-4 weeks that follow.
Admission Requirements Include:
- A master’s degree in nursing from an ACEN, CNEA or CCNE accredited institution
- Current, unencumbered RN license (licensure outside of the United States is acceptable).
- Certification as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) or pending certification as an APRN to be completed by the end of the 1st enrolled semester.
- Meet UNC Graduate School Requirements for admission.
- A minimum GPA of 3.0 at the master's level.
- If you are still completing your master's degree at the time you apply, admission will be based on your current cumulative GPA, and you will need to re-submit your official transcript (showing your conferred degree and final GPA) during your first semester. If your final GPA fell below 3.00, you will be given additional academic stipulations to remain enrolled at UNC.
- Meet the School of Nursing requirements for English Language Proficiency.
- Pass a background check and 10-panel drug screening.
Application Requirements Include:
- Official transcripts from each college or university where courses were taken including any in progress and including documentation of a bachelor’s or master’s degree.
- Please Note: As all official transcripts are submitted to NursingCAS, they do not need to be resubmitted to the Office of Admissions. Applicants with academic credentials from outside the U.S. will need to follow the requirements for submission of foreign transcripts. Click on the Transcripts tab for information about international transcripts.
- Copy of current unencumbered RN license.
- Copy of current unencumbered APRN license and national APRN certification.
- Two letters of reference that address the applicant’s capabilities to complete a clinical doctorate. Applicants will be asked to supply contact information for references in the application.
- Statement of career goals.
- Current CV or resume.
- Submission of a brief sample of professional writing (maximum of 10 pages). Examples:
- Describe a scholarly evidence-based case study that best exemplifies professional nursing practice.
- Describe a professional nursing practice related concept including its scope and significance, patient population, and clinical setting of interest.
- Submission of nursing school scholarly paper or current professional nursing practice scholarly works.
- A personal interview may be required.
- English Proficiency documentation, if applicable.
Please Note: This program does not require GRE scores.
International applicants (non-U.S. citizen/non-U.S. Permanent Resident) please refer to the International Admissions Requirements page for further information about submitting transcripts, English proficiency scores, passport copy and financial documentation.
For More Information
For more information about the admission process, please email the Office of Admissions at grad.admissions@unco.edu or call 970-351-2881.
Degree Requirements — 44 Credits
A minimum grade of ‘B’ or better or satisfactory in all nursing courses must be earned.
DNP Major Core Courses — 17 credits
| NURS 618 | Epidemiology in Advance Nursing Practice | 3 |
| NURS 658 | Applied Nursing Genomics | 3 |
| NURS 668 | Population Centered Health Care | 3 |
| NURS 678 | Professional Practice and Healthcare Finance Seminar | 3 |
| NURS 700 | Advanced Nursing Theory | 2 |
| NURS 707 | Leadership in Health Policy | 3 |
Translational Research Core — 15 credits
| NURS 616 | Leadership in the Measurement of Clinical Outcomes for Advanced Nursing Practice | 3 |
| NURS 725 | Translational Research Methods | 3 |
| NURS 726 | Introduction to the DNP Scholarly Project | 3 |
| NURS 727 | DNP Scholarly Project Proposal Development and Defense | 3 |
| NURS 798 | DNP Scholarly Project | 1-3 |
Electives — 12 credits
12 credits of electives are required. Students may bundle into a graduate certificate of their choice, based on interest and approval by their faculty advisor. Eligible electives include but are not limited to: NURS 662, NURS 663, NURS 664, NURS 671, NURS 672, NURS 673, NURS 692, NURS 702, NURS 668, NURS 760, NURS 780, NURS 741, NURS 679, PSY 681, CH 505, CH 509, CH 520, CH 525, CH 530, CH 535, CH 550, CH 568, CH 575, CH 610, CH 612, CH 615, CH 620, CH 622, CH 635.
The combined clinical hours from the masters APRN and the DNP must equal a minimum of 1000 hours. The masters APRN program clinical hours must be at a minimum equal to 750 clock hours. Any deficit in hours will be attained through the NURS 685 DNP Practicum course as determined by the DNP Program Coordinator and may alter the time to degree completion. Compliance requirements for clinical placements must also be met.