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 Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health 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 years.
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 750 | Doctoral 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 750 | Doctoral 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 750 | Doctoral 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) | |