GRAD ENTRY DNP

A SPECIAL GATEWAY TO a new career in nursing

Graduate Entry DNP Home
Frequently Asked Questions
Entry Options
Admission Requirements
Progression in the Program
Curriculum
Contact Us
Grad Entry DNP Application Form
Newly Admitted Students

Thinking of becoming a nurse? Confused with all of the programs that are out there today? Why settle for another baccalaureate degree when, in nearly the same amount of time, you can earn a graduate degree?

The Graduate Entry DNP Program is a post baccalaureate, graduate entry nursing program. Offered since 1979, this innovative nursing education program was the first in the United States to provide a Professional Doctorate in Nursing.  The program has been periodically updated and revised to continue to prepare students for leadership roles in the evolving profession of nursing and in the rapidly changing health care environment of the United States and around the world.

The Graduate Entry DNP program at FPB has three phases: 

  • MN: Students begin with an on-site, accelerated pre-licensure program. Upon successful completion* of this phase, students will receive the MN (Master of Nursing) Degree, which qualifies them to apply for licensure as a Registered Nurse.
  • MSN: The student then studies an advanced practice nursing curriculum in our MSN Program. Upon successful completion** of this program, the student is awarded the MSN (Master of Science in Nursing) degree and is qualified to take the advanced practice certification exam in their specialty.
  • DNP: Students can take the DNP doctoral-level courses concurrently with the MSN curriculum or after completing the MSN. They may also apply for the PhD Program after completing the MSN. Many MSN courses and all of the DNP doctoral level courses are taught in our user-friendly intensive course format, and other MSN courses are taught in a web-based format. Upon successful completion* of the DNP degree, the student is prepared to develop as a leader in clinical practice or nursing education.

Changes are underway!

Beginning with the Fall 2009 class, students who successfully complete* the curriculum will receive the Master of Nursing (MN) degree at the end of the pre-licensure phase of the program. The student can then apply for licensure as an RN and practice as an entry-level professional nurse. The MN is a generic master’s degree without an advanced clinical major. The MN will replace the Certificate of Professional Nursing.

  • The length of the pre-licensure phase will be 20 months.
  • The overall period to earn the MSN and DNP will remain the same (example: 39 months to the MSN for a full time student with a primary care MSN major).
  • Beginning with the Fall 2009 pre-licensure curriculum, students will earn 14-16 credits toward the MSN (compared to 6 credits toward the MSN in the current curriculum).
  • Effective with the Fall 2009 class, the cost of tuition for the pre-licensure (MN) phase will increase by 1 credit to a total of 48 credits compared to the current 47 credits.
  • Admission requirements remain the same.
  • See the curriculum section for the Fall 2009 curriculum. Additional details will be posted as available.

Questions?

Our admissions advisors are more than happy to help you chart your course to a rewarding career in nursing. Admission requirements and application forms are available on this website. Classes for the pre-RN licensure curriculum begin in the fall semester only. May 1, 2010 is the deadline for applications for enrollment in the following fall semester.

For questions, contact:


*See the FPB Bulletin for details on requirements for completion of each phase of the Program.

**Certain MSN specialties require experience as an RN and/or a separate admission process. Applicants interested in these specialties or Nurse Anesthesia should talk with a recruiter.