Procedure for Admission to the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program
Note: Not all Online Program offerings are available to residents of all U.S. states. Please contact an admissions representative for further information.
The criteria used to determine admission to the Doctor of Nursing Practice program include:
- Completion of an application for admission.
- Completion of a master's degree in nursing (MSN) from an accredited institution.
- A cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
- Submission of official documentation of the actual number of verified clinical hours completed during the post-baccalaureate program of study within 5 weeks after the initial start date. This requirement may come in the form of the credentialing documents used to verify the hours for certification examination or a statement from the graduate degree-granting institution verifying the actual number of hours completed during the master's program.
- Submission of official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended within 5 weeks of the class start date (refer to Conditional Acceptance).
- A valid unencumbered single-state and/or a valid unencumbered Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (eNLC) multistate license as a registered nurse in all U.S. states or territory in which the student is licensed, including the state in which the student completes all assignments for the program. (Note that military, federal, and foreign educated nurses must meet this state requirement for nursing licensure). An unencumbered license(s) must be maintained throughout the program.
- Submission of a minimum paper-based TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score of 600 or the electronic-based score of 250 for applicants for whom English is a Second Language (ESL).
Once all required admissions documents and information are submitted, the application will be reviewed and evaluated for an admission decision.
For additional admissions information please see the admissions section here.
Offered at Savannah, Tampa, and Online Programs.
Note: Not all Online Program offerings are available to residents of all U.S. states. Please contact an admissions representative for further information.
Program Description
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program in the College of Nursing and Public Health is designed as the highest degree for advanced nurses who wish to maintain nursing practice as their area of professional emphasis. The DNP program provides options for current nurse practitioners and other advanced practice nurses to incorporate progressive and thoughtful clinical practice, inquiry, and leadership competencies into their clinical practice repertoire.
The DNP program is offered as a post-master's program, providing a pathway for master's prepared nurses to achieve doctoral level competencies consistent with a clinical program of study. Coursework in the program emphasizes current topics in nursing, experiences, and scholarship. The program is offered in an online format that supports ongoing education for working nurses. Courses are provided online or in a blended format with the practice component (i.e., advanced nursing field experiences which are guided by agency mentors) provided located in the students' geographical regions.
In 2004 the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) endorsed the DNP degree and proposed that the DNP is the terminal degree for nursing practice. The Essentials for Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice (AACN, 2006) outlines the eight competencies that are the foundation for all DNP graduates, regardless of specialty. The South University College of Nursing is uniquely qualified to provide the framework for this practice doctorate degree. As an integrated, national system of higher education, the exposure to outstanding faculty, coupled with state-of-the-art online coursework and industry-standard practice opportunities in the student's geographical area provides a dynamic environment for DNP students to grow into new leadership roles and clinical arenas.
For more information about the Doctor of Nursing Practice within the nursing profession, please visit the American Association of Colleges of Nursing website at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/DNP/index.htm.
Program Student Learning Outcomes
Graduates should be able to:
- Provide the highest level of nursing practice through integration of advanced competencies in leadership, ethics and the practice sciences, including biophysical, psychosocial, analytical, organizational, and public health sciences.
- Demonstrate organizational and care systems leadership for quality improvement through advancing nursing practice.
- Use contemporary healthcare science to advocate through policy change for resolution of complex healthcare problems and disparities.
- Evaluate scientific findings for health promotion and disease prevention and impact on transformative care and outcomes.
- Integrate information technology and informatics to provide scalable solutions for real-world systems problems.
Doctor of Nursing Practice: 66 credits
Program credits are determined based on evaluation of MSN program of study and clinical/practicum hour attainment.
Foundation: 28 Credits
Credits : 4
Credits : 4
Credits : 4
Credits : 4
Credits : 4
Credits : 4
Credits : 4
Clinical Field Experience: up to 34 Credits*
Theory, evidence, and the systematic translation of nursing science into practice provide the basis for DNP practica experiences across the program of study. Students investigate clinical problems and refine their clinical translational capabilities within the context of the broader health care system. Clinical learning is directed toward systematic application of knowledge and scientific discovery in resolving new or persistent problems affecting the safety and quality of patient care. Mentored clinical application of evidence-based knowledge and skills, as well as independent investigation and evaluation of outcomes, support knowledge acquisition, as well as integration of the DNP role into the complex circumstances of contemporary nursing practice. Leadership, consultation, advocacy, fiscal accountability and interdisciplinary collaboration serve as core competencies to effect organizational change. A grade of B or better is necessary to successfully complete this course. A minimum of 30 clinical hours for each enrolled credit is required.
Credits : 6
Theory, evidence, and the systematic translation of nursing science into practice provide the basis for DNP practica experiences across the program of study. Students investigate clinical problems and refine their clinical translational capabilities within the context of the broader health care system. Clinical learning is directed toward systematic application of knowledge and scientific discovery in resolving new or persistent problems affecting the safety and quality of patient care. Mentored clinical application of evidence-based knowledge and skills, as well as independent investigation and evaluation of outcomes, support knowledge acquisition, as well as integration of the DNP role into the complex circumstances of contemporary nursing practice. Leadership, consultation, advocacy, fiscal accountability and interdisciplinary collaboration serve as core competencies to effect organizational change. A grade of B or better is necessary to successfully complete this course. A minimum of 30 clinical hours for each enrolled credit is required.
Credits : 6
Theory, evidence, and the systematic translation of nursing science into practice provide the basis for DNP practica experiences across the program of study. Students investigate clinical problems and refine their clinical translational capabilities within the context of the broader health care system. Clinical learning is directed toward systematic application of knowledge and scientific discovery in resolving new or persistent problems affecting the safety and quality of patient care. Mentored clinical application of evidence-based knowledge and skills, as well as independent investigation and evaluation of outcomes, support knowledge acquisition, as well as integration of the DNP role into the complex circumstances of contemporary nursing practice. Leadership, consultation, advocacy, fiscal accountability and interdisciplinary collaboration serve as core competencies to effect organizational change. A grade of B or better is necessary to successfully complete this course.
Credits : 6
Required for students who have less than 460 post baccalaureate clinical hours:
This course allows students the opportunity to complete 180 practice hours of the required 1000 post-baccalaureate hours for completion of a Doctoral Nursing Program. Students complete post-baccalaureate practice experiences to enhance their skills as practitioners of nursing. Students work with an approved mentor to gather the experience required for a terminal degree in nursing. The course provides opportunities to help students assimilate knowledge for advanced specialty practice.
Credits : 6
This course allows students the opportunity to complete 180 practice hours of the required 1000 post-baccalaureate hours for completion of a Doctoral Nursing Program. Students complete post-baccalaureate practice experiences to enhance their skills as practitioners of nursing. Students work with an approved mentor to gather the experience required for a terminal degree in nursing. The course provides opportunities to help students assimilate knowledge for advanced specialty practice.
Credits : 6
This course allows students the opportunity to complete 120 practice hours of the required 1000 post-baccalaureate hours for completion of a Doctoral Nursing Program. Students complete practice post-baccalaureate experiences to enhance their skills as practitioners of nursing. Students work with an approved mentor to gather the experience required for a terminal degree in nursing. The course provides opportunities to help students assimilate knowledge for advanced specialty practice.
Credits : 4
*Practice Immersion Experience courses are eligible for PLA (Prior Learning Assessment) based on post-baccalaureate clinical experiences. Students are required to have a minimum of 1000 documented hours of post baccalaureate clinical experience to earn the DNP degree.
Capstone in Applied Practice: 4 Credits
This integrated scholarly effort is presented in a series of four sequential one-credit offerings that provide the DNP student with substantive opportunities to engage in exploration of a critical clinical question. This comprehensive exploration is conducted as a mentored experience and includes identification, development, implementation, evaluation and dissemination of an independent scholarly project. This scholarly project focuses on problems of practice within a defined organization or within specific populations. Each course builds on the existing knowledge and practice expertise of the DNP student within the broader context of translating science into clinical practice or solving for intractable clinical problems in which outcomes management, including quality and safety, are essential. The range of projects varies according to the interest of the individual DNP student. A grade of B or better is necessary to successfully complete this course.
Credits : 1
In this second of the four-course series, the DNP student works with a faculty mentor to refine the project design and apply contemporary investigative methods to structure data collection. Additionally, the DNP student will complete CITI/NIH training and submit an IRB application for Human subjects review where appropriate, prior to beginning data collection for this scholarly project. Students must successfully complete an oral defense of the project prior to implementation. Each student will be required to submit individual objectives at the beginning of the semester for each of the four courses. The objectives will be signed by the student and the mentor. The student will be evaluated according to the requirements of the course within the context of the agreed-upon objectives. A grade of B or better is necessary in order to successfully pass this course.
Credits : 1
In this third course of a four-course series, the DNP student implements the evidence-based scholarly project specific to a population of interest within an identified clinical setting. Continued and ongoing interaction with the assigned mentor is expected and modifications of protocols are completed, where indicated, at this time. . Each student will be required to submit individual objectives at the beginning of the semester for each of the four courses. The objectives will be signed by the student and the mentor. The student will be evaluated according to the requirements of the course within the context of the agreed-upon objectives. A grade of B or better is needed in order to pass this course.
Credits : 1
In this fourth and final course, the DNP student conducts the data analysis and writes the discussion section of the scholarly project. The discussion focuses on evaluation of the evidence generated in the scholarly project and the actual or potential impact of the project on identified health care outcomes. Students disseminate their findings through a final oral presentation (defense) and preparation of a manuscript suitable for a peer-reviewed publication. Each student will be required to submit individual objectives at the beginning of the semester for each of the four courses. The objectives will be signed by the student and the mentor. The student will be evaluated according to the requirements of the course within the context of the agreed-upon objectives. A B or better is necessary to successfully complete this course.
Credits : 1