Nursing Practice, D.N.P.

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Degree program is a professional degree designed to prepare advanced practice nurses for complex practice, leadership roles in the clinical setting, and teaching roles at California’s community colleges and universities. The BSN-DNP program prepares graduates for evidence-based inquiry, leadership, health policy and advocacy, and development of high-level competencies and skills in the following six nurse practitioner clinical specialty areas: Adult Gerontology Primary Care, Adult Gerontology Acute Care, Family Practice, Pediatric Primary Care, and Psychiatric-Mental Health Across the Life Span.  The program also prepares the students for national certification examination in specified clinical specialty.  The BSN-to-DNP Program is a 72 semester-unit, three-year (full time) program.  It consists of 39 units (54.67%) of core courses, 24 units (33.33%) of clinical specialty courses and 9 units (12.5%) of doctoral project. The students will complete 1,000 clinical hours in practicum experience. 

The BSN-DNP Degree is available to qualified students who desire advanced studies.  The School of Nursing is approved to offer both undergraduate and graduate nursing degrees by the California Board of Registered Nursing and accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 1 Dupont Circle, NW Suite 530, Washington DC, 20036-1120, phone: (202) 887-6791.

Admission requirements/Pre-requisites

1. A bachelor’s degree in Nursing;
2. Current unrestricted license to practice as a registered nurse in California;
3. Admission to graduate standing in nursing at the university;
4. A college level, upper division course in statistics*;
5. A physical assessment course which includes clinical practice (lab)*;
6. An upper division or graduate level course in pathophysiology*;
7. An overall GPA of 3.0 or better in the undergraduate program;
8. Three letters of reference;
9. An official copy of all transcripts;
10.  Interview;
11. Writing of an on-site essay test;
12. Statement of purpose for obtaining the BSN-DNP degree.

*These courses are usually part of the BSN programs

Advancement to Candidacy

1. Satisfy the general University requirements for advancement to candidacy;
2. Approval of the School Graduate Director and Associate Dean of the College of Health and Human Services

DNP Qualifying Assessment:

The DNP Qualifying Assessment is intended to assess the student’s ability to synthesize knowledge applicable to their DNP Scholarly Project. The written qualifying examination is evidence of mastery of concepts from their first-year courses to their selected area of scholarly project. The written qualifying exam will be the culminating project for NRSG 711 and will be graded as “pass” or “no pass.” Students can retake the examination once within one semester after completing NRSG 711 to advance successfully in the program. 

1. Completion of a minimum of 72 units in approved upper division, doctoral level courses;
2. An overall GPA of 3.0 or better;
3. Completion of 1000 clinical hours in the chosen clinical specialty;
4. Completion of the Doctoral Directed Project.