Doctor of Nursing Practice - Family Nurse Practitioner (DNP-FNP)
Degree: Doctor of Nursing Practice
Program of Study: Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)
Program Code: 9611
About This Program . . .
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is designed for those nurses who are interested in assuming an advanced nursing practice role as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP). DNP graduates are prepared as clinical experts in the delivery of primary care, with a focus on critical thinking, leadership, and policy skills needed to advocate and create changes in healthcare practice at all individual (patient and family) and aggregate (organization, community, public policy) levels. The program includes 1000 hours of immersion in clinical practice to build and assimilate knowledge for advanced practice at a high level of complexity. These experiences provide the context within which the final DNP scholarly project is completed.
The DNP degree is built upon the generalist foundation acquired through a baccalaureate in nursing; advanced placement is also available for students with a prior master’s degree in nursing. Graduates prepared for an advance practice role as a Family Nurse Practitioner will demonstrate practice expertise, specialized knowledge, and expanded responsibility and accountability in the care and management of individuals and families.
The program uses an online delivery format, providing flexibility for students to remain in their current work positions and home communities. Opportunities for personal interactions are included with faculty and peers in focused intensive sessions at selected points during the semester. Students will complete most clinical requirements in their home communities, but may need to travel for specialized clinical experiences including rural health care settings.
Important information about this program:
- Admission to the program follows the general admissions policies & procedures for graduate programs outlined in the university catalog.
- A bachelor’s degree in nursing from a regionally accredited college or university is required, prior to beginning the program. Applicants must have maintained a GPA of 3.0 or better in baccalaureate nursing coursework.
- 74 Semester Hours are required for the Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree.
- Applicants must hold a current, unrestricted license to practice as a registered nurse in their state of practice.
- It is recommended that students work closely with a faculty advisor when selecting courses and scheduling classes prior to registration.
All CMU doctoral-level graduates are expected to demonstrate proficiency in specialized knowledge/applied learning, quantitative fluency, communication fluency, critical thinking, information literacy, and ethical reasoning. In addition to these campus-wide student learning outcomes, a graduate of this program will be able to:
- Build intra and interprofessional collaboration to improve health-care quality across diverse populations. (CMU 2)
- Compile and evaluate health care information systems to strengthen, support, or improve the health delivery system. (CMU 2)
- Interpret social justice, equity, and ethical policies in health care for complex decision making for individuals and populations. (CMU 6)
- Develop theoretical and scientific practice initiatives and/or policies for quality improvement to promote a culture of safety in diverse organizational cultures and populations. (CMU 1, 6)
- Modify complex clinical situations and health care systems through the integration and utilization of evidence-based practice to promote optimal outcomes. (CMU 3)
- Improve the delivery of care to individuals, families, and communities through advanced nursing science. (CMU 1, 4, 5)
Each section below contains details about the requirements for this program. Select a header to expand the information/requirements for that particular section of the program's requirements.
To print or save an overview of this program's information, including the program description, learning outcomes, requirements, suggested course sequencing (if applicable), and advising and graduation information, scroll to the bottom of the left-hand navigation menu and select "Print Options." This will give you the options to either "Send Page to Printer" or "Download PDF of This Page." The "Download PDF of This Page" option prepares a much more concise presentation of all program information. The PDF is also printable and may be preferable due to its brevity.
Institutional Graduate Degree Requirements
The following institutional requirements apply to all CMU graduate-level degrees. Specific programs may have different requirements that must be met in addition to institutional requirements.
- Graduate certificates consist of a minimum of 5 credit hours. Master’s degrees consist of a minimum of 30 credit hours. Doctoral degrees consist of a minimum of 60 credit hours
- All credits in a graduate program must be minimally at the 500-level.
- At least fifty percent of the credit hours must be taken at CMU.
- Students must achieve a 3.00 cumulative GPA or higher in all CMU coursework.
- Students may not apply coursework with a grade lower than a “B” toward graduation requirements.
- A course may only be used to fulfill one requirement for each degree/certificate.
- Capstone exit assessment/projects (e.g., Major Field Achievement Test) requirements are identified under Program-Specific Requirements.
- The Catalog Year determines which program sheet and certificate requirements a student must fulfill in order to graduate. Visit with your advisor or academic department to determine which catalog year and program requirements you should follow.
- See “Graduate Degree Requirements” in this catalog for a complete list of graduation requirements.
- All policies for graduate degrees are outlined in the Graduate Policies and Procedures Manual, Capstone Guidelines Manual, and Thesis and Dissertation Guidelines Manual, all of which are provided on the Graduate Studies website.
Specific to this degree:
- 74 semester hours are required for the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree.
Program Specific Requirements
(74 semester hours, no class grade lower than a “B” will be counted toward the degree. It is recommended that students work closely with a faculty advisor when selecting courses and scheduling classes prior to registration.)
| Code | Title | Semester Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core Courses | ||
| NURS 500 | Theoretical Foundations | 3 |
| NURS 501 | Evidence-Based Practice | 2 |
| NURS 504 | Advanced Health Policy and Ethics | 2 |
| NURS 505 | Advanced Quality Improvement and Leadership | 3 |
| NURS 536 | Leading Through Quality, Policy, and Ethics | 3 |
| NURS 625 | Statistics for Health Sciences | 2 |
| NURS 626 | Clinical Epidemiology | 2 |
| NURS 700 | Translational Evidence-Based Practice | 2 |
| Advanced Nursing Practice Cognate | ||
| NURS 525 | Advanced Pathophysiology | 3 |
| NURS 526 | Advanced Pharmacology for Nursing | 3 |
| NURS 527 | Advanced Health Assessment | 2 |
| NURS 535 | Health Promotion and Disease Prevention | 2 |
| NURS 577 | Clinical Practicum: Advanced Health Assessment | 1 |
| NURS 586 | Clinical Practicum: Procedures and Diagnostic Testing | 2 |
| NURS 600 | Advanced Practice Nursing Issues | 2 |
| NURS 601 | Primary Care of the Infant, Child, and Adolescent | 3 |
| NURS 602 | Primary Care of the Adult | 3 |
| NURS 603 | Primary Care of the Older Person | 3 |
| NURS 604 | Primary Care of Rural and Underserved Populations | 1 |
| NURS 605 | Mental and Behavioral Health | 2 |
| NURS 610 | Clinical Practicum: Infant, Child, and Adolescent | 2 |
| NURS 615 | Clinical Practicum: Mental and Behavioral Health | 1 |
| NURS 620 | Clinical Practicum: Adult | 3 |
| NURS 627 | Health Systems in Advanced Nursing Practice | 2 |
| NURS 630 | Clinical Practicum: Older Person | 3 |
| NURS 640 | Clinical Practicum Capstone: Primary Care of Rural and Underserved Populations | 3 |
| NURS 650 | Clinical Preceptorship I | 3 |
| NURS 652 | Clinical Preceptorship II | 3 |
| DNP Scholarly Project | ||
| NURS 660 | Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project: Identification | 2 |
| NURS 750 | Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project: Design and Defend | 3 |
| NURS 760 | Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project: Implementation and Evaluation | 3 |
| Other Requirements | ||
| Oral Defense of Proposal | ||
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 74 | |
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Semester Credit Hours | |
| NURS 500 | Theoretical Foundations | 3 |
| NURS 501 | Evidence-Based Practice | 2 |
| NURS 525 | Advanced Pathophysiology | 3 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 8 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| NURS 526 | Advanced Pharmacology for Nursing | 3 |
| NURS 527 | Advanced Health Assessment | 2 |
| NURS 577 | Clinical Practicum: Advanced Health Assessment | 1 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 6 | |
| Summer Semester | ||
| NURS 535 | Health Promotion and Disease Prevention | 2 |
| NURS 586 | Clinical Practicum: Procedures and Diagnostic Testing | 2 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 4 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| NURS 605 | Mental and Behavioral Health | 2 |
| NURS 615 | Clinical Practicum: Mental and Behavioral Health | 1 |
| NURS 602 | Primary Care of the Adult | 3 |
| NURS 620 | Clinical Practicum: Adult | 3 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 9 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| NURS 601 | Primary Care of the Infant, Child, and Adolescent | 3 |
| NURS 603 | Primary Care of the Older Person | 3 |
| NURS 610 | Clinical Practicum: Infant, Child, and Adolescent | 2 |
| NURS 630 | Clinical Practicum: Older Person | 3 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 11 | |
| Summer Semester | ||
| NURS 536 | Leading Through Quality, Policy, and Ethics | 3 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 3 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| NURS 600 | Advanced Practice Nursing Issues | 2 |
| NURS 604 | Primary Care of Rural and Underserved Populations | 1 |
| NURS 640 | Clinical Practicum Capstone: Primary Care of Rural and Underserved Populations | 3 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 6 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| NURS 505 | Advanced Quality Improvement and Leadership | 3 |
| NURS 625 | Statistics for Health Sciences | 2 |
| NURS 660 | Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project: Identification | 2 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 7 | |
| Summer Semester | ||
| NURS 627 | Health Systems in Advanced Nursing Practice | 2 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 2 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| NURS 626 | Clinical Epidemiology | 2 |
| NURS 700 | Translational Evidence-Based Practice | 2 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 4 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| NURS 650 | Clinical Preceptorship I | 3 |
| NURS 750 | Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project: Design and Defend | 3 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 6 | |
| Summer Semester | ||
| NURS 504 | Advanced Health Policy and Ethics | 2 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 2 | |
| Fifth Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| NURS 652 | Clinical Preceptorship II | 3 |
| NURS 760 | Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project: Implementation and Evaluation | 3 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 6 | |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 74 | |
Advising Process and DegreeWorks
Documentation on the pages related to this program is intended for informational purposes to help determine what courses and associated requirements are needed to earn a certificate. Some courses are critical to complete in specific semesters while others may be moved around. Meeting with an academic advisor is essential in planning courses and discussing the suggested course sequencing. It is ultimately the student’s responsibility to understand and fulfill the requirements for their intended degree.
DegreeWorks is an online degree audit tool available in MAVzone. It is the official record used by the Registrar’s Office to evaluate progress towards a certificate and determine eligibility for graduation. Students are responsible for reviewing their DegreeWorks audit on a regular basis and should discuss questions or concerns with their advisor or academic department head. Discrepancies in requirements should be reported to the Registrar’s Office.
Graduation Process
Students must complete the following in the first two months of the semester prior to completing their degree requirements:
- Review their DegreeWorks audit and create a plan that outlines how unmet requirements will be met in the final semester.
- Meet with their advisor and modify their plan as needed. The advisor must approve the final plan.
- Submit the “Intent to Graduate” form to the Registrar’s Office to officially declare the intended graduation date and commencement ceremony plans.
- Register for all needed courses and complete all requirements for each degree sought.
Submission deadlines and commencement details can be found on the Graduation web page.
If a student's petition for graduation is denied, it will be their responsibility to apply for graduation in a subsequent semester. A student's “Intent to Graduate” does not automatically move to a later graduation date.