Nursing (D.N.P.)
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) program was established in 2008 for registered nurses seeking advanced education for leadership in clinical positions, health policy development, evaluation and application of patient care research, and systemic efforts in health promotion and risk reduction. Through this program, students are prepared to use clinical research to improve and transform health care.
Admission Requirements
Beginning Fall 2024, admission to this program is through AACN supported universal application system, NursingCAS.
Applicants must satisfy the following criteria and submit the required documents for admission consideration:
- The applicant must have completed an Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) accredited baccalaureate program in nursing with a grade point average (g.p.a.) of 3.0.
- Possession of a current Michigan Registered Nurse Licensure. All applicants educated outside the U.S. must be certified by the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS). Contact CGFNS, 3600 Market St., Philadelphia PA 19104-2651 to request a certification application, or call: 215-222-8454. Verification of a student’s CGFNS certification must be forwarded to the State of Michigan Board of Nursing by the CGFNS in order to take the RN licensure examination.
- Post-masters nursing students must be certified by a nationally recognized body in their area of specialization.
- Post-masters nursing students must be certified by a nationally recognized certifying body in their area of specialization.
- A personal goal statement.
- Two professional letters of recommendation (one reference from a doctoral-prepared individual is preferred).
- Resume.
- Official transcripts from all postsecondary institutions. An official transcript/credit evaluation is required for all international transcripts.
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) when required.
- All qualified applicants will be interviewed.
There may be additional requirements in each of the specialty clinical major areas. Please refer to the major program and consult with a clinical specialty coordinator for specific requirements.
Application: The D.N.P Program admits students every Fall semester. The final deadline is August 1. Informational meetings are held monthly and applicants are encouraged to attend before completing the application. The schedule is listed on the College of Nursing website under the Admissions tab, Information Meetings.
Admission decisions are based upon all materials submitted and reflect careful consideration of the applicant's professional goals, D.N.P. Project interests, interview and the resources of the College of Nursing. Even if an applicant meets all minimum requirements, admission may not be granted because of
- unavailable program space and/or
- inadequate College resources relevant to the applicant's specific interest.
A graduate level statistics course must be completed in the first semester of the program.
Students must successfully complete the first semester NUR 8620 Foundations of Nursing as a Discipline in order to progress in the D.N.P. program.
Readmission The D.N.P. student who withdraws from the program in good standing should contact the Office of Student Affairs one semester prior to the semester for which re-enrollment is desired. Following a review by the Director of Advanced Practice and Graduate Certificate Programs, the D.N.P. Committee and the Office for Academic and Clinical Affairs, the student will be informed of the steps required for readmission.
Revalidation of Credit: The D.N.P. committee reserves the right of revalidation of over-age (10 years) credits. Credits earned at other institutions may require revalidation at the time of WSU admission. In revalidation cases, the advisor and the student must set a terminal date for completion of all degree requirements, including such additional requirements as may be prescribed to revalidate the over-age credits.
Program Requirements
All course work must be completed in accordance with the academic procedures of the College of Nursing and the Graduate School governing graduate scholarship and degrees.
The D.N.P. program must include a minimum of thirty credits (excluding the DNP Project) of graduate coursework completed in residence at Wayne State University. Neither elective courses nor classes taken as a "visitor" may be used to fulfill this requirement. Early in the program the student, in consultation with the academic advisor, plans a sequence of courses. This Plan of Work is approved by the academic advisor and the Director of Advanced Practice and Graduate Certificate Programs.
Time Limitation: Students in all paths have a seven-year time limit to complete all requirements for the D.N.P. degree. The seven-year period begins with the end of the semester during which the student was admitted to doctoral study and was taking work toward meeting the requirements for degree. Students whose seven-year time limit has expired may be considered for an extension provided the DNP Project Proposal has been completed (NUR 9508) . Subsequent extensions will not be considered in the absence of substantial progress during the previous year.
Required Clinical Experience Prior to APRN Clinical Courses: Several specialties require RN staff nurse experience in that specialty population prior to the start of the three sequential clinical courses after NUR 7030 Advanced Nursing Assessment. Failure to complete this requirement may result in a delay in progression.
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NNP - the equivalent of two full-time years of RN experience in a Level III or higher NICU;
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PNP (Acute and Primary) - the equivalent of one full-time year of pediatric experience (in-hospital experience for PNP Acute Care);
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PMH - the equivalent of one year of experience in a psychiatric mental health setting.
Curricular Options
There are three curricular paths for students to complete the requirements for the Doctor of Nursing Practice. These options are oriented to the applicant’s educational level at the time of admission and professional career goals.
Path I is for students entering the program post-B.S.N. Students must choose a clinical specialty major.
Paths II and III are for those entering post-M.S.N. Students in path III must choose a clinical specialty major.
Full-time and part-time study options are available.
Students in path I and path III have several clinical specialty options:
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Family Nurse Practitioner
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Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
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Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
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Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
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Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
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Pediatric Nurse Practitioner-Acute Care
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Pediatric Nurse Practitioner-Primary Care
DNP Program Curriculum
Program Credits by entry option:
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Path I: BSN-DNP: 73 credits (FNP: 76 credits; PMH:78 credits). Stats prerequisite (3 credits).
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Path II: POST-MSN with clinical specialty (APRN certified); complete Core and DNP Project Practicum Courses (38 credits).
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Path III: POST-MSN without clinical specialty: determined after syllabi review and gap analysis.
DNP Curriculum
Total Credits: 73-78
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| DNP Core Courses | ||
| NUR 8210 | Determinants of Health and Health Disparities | 3 |
| NUR 8615 | Informatics Innovations in Nursing | 3 |
| NUR 8620 | Foundations of Nursing as a Discipline | 3 |
| NUR 8625 | Evidence Based Nursing Practice: Theoretical and Methodological Issues | 3 |
| NUR 8650 | Advanced Professional Leadership | 3 |
| NUR 8653 | Healthcare Analytic Methods, Data Management, Evaluation, and Outcomes | 4 |
| NUR 8665 | Health Policy, Economics, Ethics and Evaluation in Advanced Practice Nursing | 4 |
| NUR 8895 | Population Health for Nursing | 3 |
| Supportive Courses | ||
| NUR 7444 | Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology Across the Lifespan for APRNs | 4 |
| NUR 7555 | Pharmacotherapeutics for Advanced Practice | 3 |
| or NUR 7200 | Advanced Neonatal Pharmacology | |
| or NUR 7207 | Advanced Pediatric Pharmacology | |
| Clinical Course Sequence | ||
| NUR 7030 | Advanced Nursing Assessment | 4 |
| **Specialty Didactic and Clinical I | 8 | |
| **Specialty Didactic and Clinical II | 8 | |
| **Specialty Didactic and Clinical III | 8 | |
| **NUR Clinical course sequence numbers are specific to the specialty | ||
| DNP Project Practicum Courses | ||
| NUR 9508 | DNP Project Proposal Development Practicum I | 4 |
| NUR 9510 | DNP Project Practicum III | 4 |
| NUR 9520 | DNP Project | 4 |
| Additional Courses for PMH Specialty | ||
| Psychopathology and Therapeutic Frameworks Across the Lifespan for PMHMP and Psychopharmacology and Advanced Psychiatric Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning | ||
| Psychopharmacology | ||
| Advanced Psychiatric Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning | ||
| Additional Courses for FNP Specialty | ||
| Family Centered Health Promotion and Risk-reduction | ||
DNP Prerequisite Course first semester of DNP Program | ||
| Statistics in Nursing | ||
| Total Credits | 73 | |