Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Take your nursing career to the next level, and become a nursing leader who helps to shape health care delivery and improve patient outcomes.
About
Our post-master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree helps you enhance your clinical expertise, expand your career prospects and raise your earning potential. This part-time study plan blends online and face-to-face learning with interdisciplinary courses and small class sizes. Only PA College gives you the opportunity for inter-professional and collaborative learning, with its experienced faculty and Lancaster General (LG) Health/Penn Medicine affiliation.
Not sure if this is the right nursing program for you? Browse all nursing options.
Requirements
- Active employment as a registered nurse, licensed in Pennsylvania (or eligibility for licensure in Pennsylvania)
- Successful completion of a bachelor’s degree-level statistics course
- Master’s degree in nursing from an accredited college or university
- GPA of 3.0 or higher for highest earned degree
- Successful interview with the DNP Program Chair and graduate education faculty
- Submission of additional required documentation and application essay
Curriculum
Our DNP program provides an alternative to the research-focused doctorate, with a customized curriculum based on your professional and academic experience:
- Students whose previous Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) programs did not emphasize clinical practice will enter the Clinical Leadership Track and complete the program in three to four years.
- Students whose previous MSN program had a clinical focus, such as advanced practice registered nursing or nurses holding some type of advanced nursing certification, can complete the program in two to three
Four-Year Clinical Leadership Track
| First Year: Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree | ||
| Fall Semester | Credits | |
| IPC 512 | Health Care Policy and Finance | 3 |
| NHA 522 | Organizational Behavior and Performance Improvement in Health Care | 3 |
| Total | 6 | |
| Spring Semester | Credits | |
| NUR 700 | Epidemiology & Population Health | 3 |
| NUR 710 | Health Information Technology | 3 |
| Total | 6 | |
| Summer Semester | Credits | |
| IPC 550 | Integrating Experience 1 | NC |
| IPC 601 | Leadership in Healthcare | 3 |
| Total | 3 | |
| Second Year: Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree | ||
| Fall Semester | Credits | |
| MAT 600 | Statistics for Evidence-Based Practice | 3 |
| Total | 3 | |
| Spring Semester | Credits | |
| IPC 511 | Graduate Research | 3 |
| Total | 3 | |
| Summer Semester | Credits | |
| NUR 830 | Clinical Role Immersion I Non-NP 1-3 clinical credits - 60-180 clinical hours Waived if not necessary for 1,000 clinical hour requirement | 1-3 |
| Total | 1-3 | |
| Third Year: Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree | ||
| Fall Semester | Credits | |
| NUR 706 | DNP Leadership Practicum Post-Master's 2 clinical credits - 120 clinical hours | 2 |
| Total | 2 | |
| Spring Semester | Credits | |
| NUR 707 | Independent Study in Leadership Practicum 1-6 clinical credits - 60-360 clinical hours 15-week course | 1-6 |
| Total | 1-6 | |
| Summer Semester | Credits | |
| NUR 707 | Independent Study in Leadership Practicum 1-6 clinical credits - 60-360 clinical hours 15-week course | 1-6 |
| NUR 715 | Evidence-Based Practice: Research Translation | 3 |
| Total | 4-9 | |
| Fourth Year: Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree | ||
| Fall Semester | Credits | |
| NUR 800 | DNP Project I: Planning and Development 1 semester credit, 2 clinical credits - 120 clinical hours | 3 |
| Total | 3 | |
| Spring Semester | Credits | |
| NUR 810 | DNP Project II: Implementation 1 semester credit, 1 clinical credit - 60 clinical hours | 2 |
| NUR 811 | Knowledge Dissemination | 1 |
| Total | 3 | |
| Summer Semester | Credits | |
| IPC 650 | Integrating Experience II | NC |
| NUR 820 | DNP Project III: Evaluation and Dissemination | 2 |
| NUR 832 | Clinical Role Immersion II Non-NP 3 clinical credits - 180 clinical hours Waived if not necessary for 1,000 clinical hour requirement | 3 |
| Total | 5 | |
| Total Combined Credits | 47 | |
Two-Year Track
| First Year: Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree | ||
| Fall Semester | Credits | |
| IPC 512 | Health Care Policy and Finance | 3 |
| MAT 600 | Statistics for Evidence-Based Practice | 3 |
| NHA 522 | Organizational Behavior and Performance Improvement in Health Care | 3 |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Spring Semester | Credits | |
| IPC 511 | Graduate Research | 3 |
| NUR 700 | Epidemiology & Population Health | 3 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Summer Semester | Credits | |
| IPC 550 | Integrating Experience 1 | NC |
| IPC 601 | Role Development and Leadership | 3 |
| NUR 715 | Evidence-Based Practice: Research Translation | 3 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Second Year: Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree | ||
| Fall Semester | Credits | |
| NUR 706 | DNP Leadership Practicum Post-Master's 2 clinical credits - 120 clinical hours | 2 |
| NUR 710 | Health Information Technology | 3 |
| NUR 800 | DNP Project I: Planning and Development 1 semester credit, 2 clinical credits - 120 clinical hours | 3 |
| Credits | 8 | |
| Spring Semester | Credits | |
| NUR 810 | DNP Project II: Implementation 1 semester credit, 1 clinical credit - 60 clinical hours | 2 |
| NUR 811 | Knowledge Dissemination | 1 |
| Credits | 3 | |
| Summer Semester | Credits | |
| IPC 650 | Integrating Experience II | NC |
| NUR 820 | DNP Project III: Evaluation Dissemination | 2 |
| NUR 832 or NUR 833 | Clinical Role Immersion II Non-NP or Clinical Role Immersion II NP 1-3 clinical credits - 60-180 clinical hours Waived if 1,000 clinical hour requirement is met | 1-3 |
| Credits | 2 (or more) | |
| Total Combined Credits | 34 (or more) | |
Three-Year Track
| First Year: Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree | ||
| Fall Semester | Credits | |
| IPC 512 | Health Care Policy and Finance | 3 |
| NHA 522 | Organizational Behavior and Performance Improvement in Health Care | 3 |
| Total Credits | 6 | |
| Spring Semester | Credits | |
| NUR 700 | Epidemiology & Population Health | 3 |
| NUR 710 | Health Information Technology | 3 |
| Total | 6 | |
| Summer Semester | Credits | |
| IPC 550 | Integrating Experience 1 | NC |
| IPC 601 | Role Development and Leadership | 3 |
| Total | 3 | |
| Second Year: Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree | ||
| Fall Semester | Credits | |
| MAT 600 | Statistics for Evidence-Based Practice | 3 |
| NUR 706 | DNP Leadership Practicum Post-Master's 2 clinical credits - 120 clinical hours | 2 |
| Total | 5 | |
| Spring Semester | Credits | |
| IPC 511 | Graduate Research | 3 |
| Total | 3 | |
| Summer Semester | Credits | |
| NUR 715 | Evidence-Based Practice: Research Translation | 3 |
| Total | 3 | |
| Third Year: Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree | ||
| Fall Semester | Credits | |
| NUR 800 | DNP Project I: Planning and Development 1 semester credit, 2 clinical credits - 120 clinical hours | 3 |
| Total | 3 | |
| Spring Semester | Credits | |
| NUR 810 | DNP Project II: Implementation 1 semester credit, 1 clinical credit - 60 clinical hours | 2 |
| NUR 811 | Knowledge Dissemination | 1 |
| Total | 3 | |
| Summer Semester | Credits | |
| IPC 650 | Integrating Experience II | NC |
| NUR 820 | DNP Project III: Evaluation and Dissemination | 2 |
| NUR 832 or NUR 833 | Clinical Role Immersion II Non-NP or Clinical Role Immersion II NP 1-3 clinical credits - 60-180 clinical hours Waived if 1,000 clinical hour requirement is met | 1-3 |
| Total | 2 (or more) | |
| Total Combined Credits | 34 (or more) | |