DOCTOR OF NURSING PRACTICE (DNP)

PROGRAM AND DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

Academic Performance

Progression in the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree program is contingent upon satisfactory academic achievement in all required courses.

DNP students in the post-licensure component of the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program must select the letter grade option (A, B, C, F, or W) when registering for all required nursing courses (except NUND 500) and achieve a minimum grade point average of 3.0 for the semester. In the event that a student's cumulative grade point average falls below a 3.0 during any semester of matriculation, the student will be placed on academic probation. In order to remove the academic probation the student must, in the next semester for which he or she is registered, achieve grades at a level sufficient to increase the overall GPA to a 3.0. If a student on academic probation fails to be removed from that status within one academic semester following the one with academic difficulty, the student will be excluded from the program.

Students who enter the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program at the postlicensure level must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or above in all courses taken for credit as a DNP student at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing to be awarded the DNP degree. All DNP students must successfully defend the thesis or research project.

When a student receives a grade of F for a required course, the student must register for that course the next semester in which the course is available. Doctor of Nursing Practice degree students who receive two failing grades indicating unsatisfactory performance (F, NP, or U) in required courses will be excluded from the School of Nursing.

The grade of incomplete (I) will be given at the discretion of the instructor for work not completed in the semester. A grade of I must be removed by the end of the semester following the one in which the course was taken or before the student enrolls in a course for which the initial course is a prerequisite. No credit is given for an I grade. The I will remain a permanent part of the transcript if the student fails to complete course requirements within the next semester.

DNP students must complete degree requirements within seven years from the prelicensure level, five years from Level III, and four years from Level IV.

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Scholarly Project

The DNP program culminates in successful completion of a scholarly project, which may be an independent thesis or an applied research project. The scholarly project is designed by the student in collaboration with a 3-member committee approved by the Associate Dean of Academic Programs and the Associate Dean of Research of the School of Nursing. The thesis or applied research project must be a significant contribution to existing nursing knowledge and suitable for publication in a peer reviewed journal or a book. Students must prepare their own scholarly project; joint projects are not permitted. The procedures and written product must conform to the regulations of the Bolton School of Nursing. The student must follow the appropriate approval process before applying for IRB approval (if necessary) and proceeding with the scholarly project.

The applied research project could be a program needs assessment with program development and evaluation, evaluation of an existing program, development of an assessment instrument/protocol for clients, a cost/benefit analysis of program models, or other scholarly program as approved. The research project will be developed will be developed in consultation with the student's research project committee.

Students must successfully defend their completed scholarly project in an “oral examination” with their committee members who are responsible for certifying that it meets acceptable scholarly standards. The defense is open to faculty and students; the chair determines whether the defense is open to those outside of the University. The committee determines the adequacy of the oral examination and written product. A student will pass if two or more of the committee members agree that the student successfully responded to questions during the defense and the written product met scholarly standards.

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DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

Non-nurses enrolled in the DNP program must complete the program within 7 years of initial enrollment. BSN graduates must complete the post licensure portion of the program in 5 years. MSN graduates must complete the program within 4 years. If not completed, the student's record will be re-evaluated in terms of the curriculum in effect at the time of review. The student may be required to take additional course work to graduate.

Time Frame for Completion of Degree:

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