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  • Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

    Drexel's accredited online Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program is designed for advanced nursing practice leaders seeking a terminal degree in nursing practice and offers an alternative to research-focused doctoral programs. Based on nationally recognized standards by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and consistent with the DNP program accrediting by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), the mission of Drexel's DNP program is to prepare individuals to assume leadership roles as executives or practitioners and to apply evidence-based practice to improve individual, family, and community health outcomes. Nurses who graduate from Drexel's DNP program are well-equipped to fully implement the science developed by nurse researchers in PhD, DNSc, and other research-focused nursing doctorates.

    Upon graduation, you will be able to:

    • Design evidence-driven healthcare delivery approaches using fiscally responsible and environmentally sustainable strategies to meet current and anticipated individual and population health needs across the illness-wellness continuum
    • Execute established steps of evidence-based practice when leading efforts to improve healthcare quality based on measurable and manageable outcomes
    • Model communication skills necessary to lead and contribute to effective interprofessional collaborations and patient care encounters to accomplish high-quality and mission-driven outcomes
    • Appraise healthcare systems’ delivery processes to improve quality, accessibility, and/or the sustainability of healthcare enterprises
    • Propose policy initiatives that promote social justice and the health and wellness of all people, including those who are disparaged, oppressed, or vulnerable
    • Appraise practice dilemmas using moral reasoning and legal/ethical analyses to make decisions in practice settings and to create policies that are consistent with professional codes, practice standards, and laws
    • Utilize information systems/technologies to analyze health outcomes for individuals, aggregates, and populations and to evaluate healthcare delivery systems
    • Demonstrate advanced specialty and role competence as an advanced practice registered nurse or as an advanced nurse in a role focused on advanced aggregate/systems/organizational expertise

    Clinical Requirements

    A total of 1,000 post-baccalaureate precepted clinical hours are required, and are built into the tracks within the curriculum:

    • Core Courses – 200 practice hours
    • Advanced Clinical Expert Category 1 – 380 practice hours
    • Advanced Clinical Expert Category 2 – 600 practice hours
    • Nurse Executive/Leadership Expert Category 1 – 380 practice hours
    • Nurse Executive/Leadership Expert Category 2 – 600 practice hours

    You must fill out the Verification of Precepted Clinical/Practicum Hours form with your intended pathway (Advanced Clinical Expert Track or Nurse Executive/Leadership Expert Track.)

    Orientation

    Virtual DNP Orientation
    First Day of the Fall Academic Term (Required)

    Designed as an introduction to begin your academic journey, students entering the Drexel's DNP program meet in a virtual venue on the first day of the fall academic term. The required DNP Orientation is an interactive day abundant in resources, information, and an opportunity to become acquainted with the Drexel team and fellow DNP-student colleagues.

    DNP Project

    Drexel University’s online Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program blends a core curriculum with real-world practicum experiences that culminates with the creation, execution, and review of an extensive DNP Project. Your final project will be centered around improving health care processes and outcomes through carefully planned practice change. Upon completion of this online DNP program, you will be prepared to utilize your newly found advanced practice knowledge to create a personally driven but faculty mentored project specific to your educational pathway. Each pathway is determined by the number of graduate-level, precepted clinical hours achieved by the time of your admission into the program.

    As you embark on your DNP project, a doctorate-prepared Practicum Mentor will need to be assigned (for practicum intensive courses) who may be internal or external to your practice setting. This mentor will provide you with the support and guidance you need throughout the DNP project process. Additional formal or informal experts, mentors, partners, and/or facilitators may provide intermittent or limited support throughout practicum experiences. While your DNP project can be based on your current work setting, it is strongly recommended that you seek opportunities that enhance current networking opportunities while broadening your expertise as it relates to benchmarking, new and different practice models, or other experiences that foster the development of deep and broad knowledge and skills. 

    The ultimate goal of your final DNP Project is to solution an identified practice problem that offers you an opportunity to enhance care delivery or improve an outcome. This requires comprehensive research to identify relevant, curated evidence that informs an intervention that typically builds on established quality improvement methodology. After you participate in a DNP Project dissemination activity during Year 2 of the program, your completed DNP Project will be rigorously evaluated.

    Archived Webinars

    Questions? We're here to help!

    For application related questions:
    enroll@drexel.edu

    For program related questions:
    College of Nursing and Health Professions Program Team
    CNHPGraduateDivision@drexel.edu


    The Doctor of Nursing Practice at Drexel University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
    State restrictions may apply to some programs.

    Curriculum

    This program is organized into four 10-week quarters per year (as opposed to the traditional two semester system) which means you can take more courses in a shorter time period. One semester credit is equivalent to 1.5 quarter credits.

    Required Courses
     
    NUPR 700 Global Health: Disparities, Social Justice, and Evidence-Based interventionss 3.0
    NUPR 701 Evidence-based Practice: Research-Driven Health Care Delivery * 3.0
    NUPR 702 Research Methodologies Seminar 1.0
    NUPR 703 Nursing Knowledge Development: Ways of Knowing 2.0
    NUPR 704 Evaluating Research Quality: Evidence Appraisal 1.0
    NUPR 705 Health Policy and Politics: Nurses Influencing Health 3.0
    NUPR 706 Improving Quality and Safety of Health Care Delivery 4.5
    NUPR 707 Health Law and Clinical Practice/Organizational Ethics 3.0
    NUPR 708 Leading Projects and Evaluating Programs in Nursing and Healthcare Systems 2.0
    NUPR 805 Leading by Transforming and Partnering: The Future of Nursing 4.5
    NURS 706 Applied Epidemiology 3.0
    RSCH 519 Introduction to Biostatistics 3.0
    Academic Emphasis Pathways
    (Select one Pathway and one Category within each Pathway)
    12.0


    Advanced Clinical Expert - Category 1
    (Accepted with no fewer than 620 precepted practice hours.) **
     
    NUPR 785 Changing Practice Using Evidence (180 Practice Hours)
    Elective***
    Advanced Clinical Expert - Category 2
    (Accepted with no fewer than 400 precepted practice hours.) ***
     
    NUPR 781 Advanced Clinical Practice Specialization (120 Practice Hours)
    NUPR 782 DNP Scholarly Project Seminar 1: Planning Practice Change (120 Practice Hours)
    NUPR 783 DNP Scholarly Project Seminar 2: Implementing and Evaluating Practice Change (160 Practice Hours)
    Nurse Executive / Leadership Expert - Category 1  
    NUPR 785 Changing Practice Using Evidence (180 Practice Hours)
    Elective
    Nurse Executive / Leadership Expert - Category 2
    (Accepted with no fewer than 400 precepted clinical hours.) ††
     
    NUPR 781 Advanced Clinical Practice Specialization (120 Practice Hours)
    NUPR 782 DNP Scholarly Project Seminar 1: Planning Practice Change (120 Practice Hours)
    NUPR 783 DNP Scholarly Project Seminar 2: Implementing and Evaluating Practice Change (160 Practice Hours)
    Total Credits 45.0

    * Major assignment tailored to academic emphasis

    ** Advanced Clinical Expert Category 1: Total Practice Hours = 380

    *** Advanced Clinical Expert Category 2: Total Practice Hours = 600

    † Nurse Executive / Leadership Expert: Total Practice Hours = 380

    †† Nurse Executive/Leadership Expert: Total Practice Hours = 600

    ††† With advisor approval, approved electives may include: NURS 550-889, RSCH 500-899, NUPR 500-899, CIT 600-698, CHP 600-899, PBHL 600-899, EPI 600-899, IPS 500-899; NUPR 788 (requires program director approval)

    View a Sample Plan of Study
    View Course Descriptions

    Admissions Criteria

    • Current United States licensure as a registered nurse
    • Master's Degree in one of the following:
      • Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
      • Master’s Degree in Health-Related Field*
      • Master of Business Administration (MBA)*
      • BSN degrees must be from an institution accredited by CCNE (Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education), ACEN (Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing), or NLN CNEA (NLN Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation
    • Cumulative graduate GPA of 3.2 or higher
    • Graduate-level Research Methods course (grade B or higher)
    • Undergraduate or graduate-level Statistics course (grade B or higher)

    *If your Master's degree is not in Nursing, a Bachelor's Degree in Nursing (BSN) is also required.

    Track-Specific Admissions Criteria

    • Advanced Clinical Expert Track Applicants
      Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (Nurse Practitioner, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Nurse Midwife, or Nurse Anesthetist) require APRN national certification**
      • Plan of Study Path A
        • Verification of no fewer than 620 hours of precepted practice hours during graduate studies
      • Plan of Study Path B
        • Verification of 400 to 619 hours of precepted practice hours during graduate studies
    • Nurse Executive/Leadership Expert Track Applicants
      Nurses in Advanced Leadership Roles require advanced national certification OR verification of no fewer than 400 hours of precepted practice hours during graduate studies**
      • Plan of Study Path A
        • Verification of no fewer than 620 hours of precepted practice hours during graduate studies
      • Plan of Study Path B
        • Verification of 400 to 619 hours of precepted practice hours during graduate studies OR relevant national certification from:***
          • American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) Certification
          • American Nursing Credentialing Center (ANCC) Nurse Executive-Advanced certification (NEA) ****
          • American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL) Certified in Executive Nursing Practice (CENP)

    **You must have no fewer than 400 hours of precepted practice hours completed during graduate studies for DNP program admission consideration.

    ***Submit documentation of certification or verification that you're scheduled to take one of these exams no later than August 15, 2023. Those scheduled to take a certification exam will be considered for conditional acceptance for the Fall quarter and will not be permitted to progress in the program until advanced certification is earned and submitted to the DNP Program Director.

    ****Applicants with leadership/administrative experience and the NE-BC certification may be considered.

    Required Documents

    With multiple ways to submit documents, Drexel makes it easy to complete your application. Learn more by visiting our Completing Your Application Guide.

    • Completed application
    • Current United States licensure as a registered nurse
    • Role-specific documents:
      • Advanced Practice Registered Nurses
        • License and national certification documents
      • Advanced Roles in Nursing Administration/Leadership
        • American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) Certification
        • American Credentialing Center (ANCC) Nurse Executive-Advanced Certification (NEA)
        • American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) Certified in Executive Nursing Practice (CENP)
        • Other advanced role/specialization certifications will be considered on an individual basis
    • Official transcripts from all universities or colleges and other post-secondary educational institutions attended (including trade schools)
      • Official transcripts must be sent directly to Drexel from the colleges/universities. Transcripts must be submitted in a sealed envelope with the college/university seal over the flap. Transcripts are required regardless of number of credits taken or if the credits were transferred to another school. An admission decision may be delayed if you do not send transcripts from all colleges/universities attended.
      • Transcripts must show course-by-course grades and degree conferrals. If your school does not notate degree conferrals on official transcripts, you must provide copies of any graduate or degree certificates.
      • If your school issues only one transcript for life, you're required to have a course-by-course evaluation completed by an approved transcript evaluation agency.
    • Two letters of recommendation that discuss your academic ability, professionalism, and practice competence
      • Recommenders must have a graduate degree and be practicing in a position to appraise you: specifically, a professor, employer, or professional colleague. The reference may not be from a friend, family member, or workplace/organizational peer or subordinate.
    • Personal statement/essay integrating responses to the following questions in 3 word-processed pages, double-spaced, 10-12 font:
      • Describe the personal attributes and experiences that will promote your success in Drexel University’s online DNP program
      • Discuss your area of practice interest and how you envision the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree professionally benefitting you and the population you serve
      • Identify a practice problem that intrigues you and discuss how you believe the DNP program will be useful in assisting you with developing the skills and expertise needed to improve or eliminate this problem
    • Curriculum Vitae (CV) or Resume
      • You must identify your current position/job title and include a description of this role
    • Track Request Form (Advanced Clinical Expert Track or Nurse Executive/Leadership Expert Track) with intended pathway as supported by the Verification of Precepted Clinical/Practicum Hours form
    • Additional requirements for International Students

    Tuition

    The tuition rate for the academic year 2023-2024 is $1115 per credit.

    For the academic year 2023-2024, students enrolled in an online graduate academic program will be charged a graduate online program fee of $125 per year.

    • This program is eligible for Financial Aid.
    • Special tuition rates available for Drexel University AlumniMilitary members, and members of our Partner Organizations.
      • These rates apply only to new online students and students being readmitted.
      • Tuition rates are subject to increase with the start of each academic year in the fall term.
      • All students must contact applyDUonline@drexel.edu within the first two weeks of the term to request tuition savings for which they qualify.
      • Special rates cannot be combined. If you qualify for more than one special rate, you'll be given the one with the largest savings.
      • When receiving special tuition plans with Drexel University Online, you may not combine them with other tuition benefits that may be available from Drexel University.
    • All Global Immersion Trip costs are included in this program’s quarterly fees

    Additional Equipment/Lab Fees

     

    Academic Calendar

    2023-2024 Academic Year

    Term

    Classes Begin

    Classes End

    Exams Begin

    Exams End

    Fall 2023

    September 26, 2023

    December 9, 2023

    December 11, 2023

    December 16, 2023

    Winter 2024

    January 8, 2024

    March 16, 2024

    March 18, 2024

    March 23, 2024

    Spring 2024

    April 1, 2024

    June 8, 2024

    June 10, 2024

    June 15, 2024

    Summer 2024

    June 24, 2024

    August 31, 2024

    September 3, 2024

    September 7, 2024

     

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