About the Program
Program Design
The program’s accelerated weekend format provides both full- and part-time options for study. Four courses will be offered each semester. Two courses will be offered for the first eight weeks, followed by two courses during the last eight weeks. Courses will be held on Friday evenings and Saturdays every other weekend for an eight-week period (one course Friday evening and another course all day Saturday). A student who chooses the full-time option can complete the 48-credit-hour program in four semesters. A part-time student who takes two courses per semester can complete the program in four years. It is expected that each student will complete 1,000 hours of clinical practice in accordance with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s “DNP Roadmap Task Force Report” (2006). For the post-master’s student, coursework in the program will provide the student with the additional clinical practice hours, building upon the practice hours that were part of the student’s master’s degree to meet the 1,000-hour requirement. For the post-baccalaureate student, the 1,000 clinical practice hours will be completed within the program. Clinical placements will occur in interdisciplinary settings with an expert/mentor. Each setting will provide students with extensive advanced clinical practice experiences and allow students the opportunity to implement emerging science and practice innovations to improve the healthcare system. Each student will undertake a clinical scholarship project reflecting a practice site and population of interest supported by scholarly evidence. There is no dissertation requirement.
Attendance
- Participation in and attendance at all classes is a critical component for successful completion of the DNP program.
- As a future nurse leader, there is an expectation that a candidate’s preparation, participation, attendance, and work will reflect the standards, care, and scholarship that are required in a rigorous doctoral-level program.
- One missed weekend session is equivalent to being absent for 25 percent of a course and will adversely impact a candidate’s final grade in that course. It is important, therefore, that candidates make every effort to be on time and attend every session. Students may be required to fulfill additional course activities if a class is missed.
- If it is necessary to miss or be late to a class, candidates are required to notify the faculty member teaching the course in advance, if possible.
- Specific details of the attendance policy and requirements will be provided by the faculty at the start of each course.