Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

College of Health and Human Services

FNP-DNP

Nurses will acquire advanced knowledge and skills in nursing practice and processes in order to practice as a nurse practitioner. Students will reflect and act on the impact advanced practice nursing has on the health care delivery system and the lives of clients and communities. Graduates will be prepared to take the family nurse practitioner certification exam and then provide primary care and expertise in the holistic care of all populations.

DNP

Nurse Practitioners of any specialty will acquire doctoral skills both in the classroom and as they develop and implement a quality, practice, outcomes, or systems improvement initiative in the hospital, clinic or community.

Post Master's to DNP Nurse Practitioner 

DNP-FNP curriculum for students who are not a certified nurse practitioner. 

DNP Advanced Practice

DNP curriculum for students who are certified as a nurse practitioner (in any area of specialty). 

Academic Requirements

• All courses must be passed with a grade of "B-" or higher. 
• May only have 1 “Incomplete” (I) grade at any given time.

All DNP applicants:

1. Hold a Master of Science in Nursing degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
2. Submit transcripts from all colleges and universities previously attended. 
3. Current & valid Iowa registered nurse (RN) license. Cannot be denied, suspended, surrendered or revoked in any U.S. or international jurisdiction.     
4. Current resume/CV
5. Have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.5 in all Graduate and Undergraduate course work. 
6. Three letters of recommendation addressing professionalism, clinical skills, critical thinking, and communication skills.        
7. An undergraduate statistics course with a minimum grade of C (C- not acceptable) within the last 5 years is a prerequisite for admission. If not completed prior to admission, course can be completed in DNP curriculum. 
8. Personal interview with DNP program director.
9. All non-native English speakers are required to take TOEFL or equivalent English language proficiency assessment and complete interview with Program Director.
10. All DNP students must meet administrative requirements including criminal background check, health insurance coverage, immunization status compliance, CPR, and malpractice liability insurance prior to the first day of class.

Additional Admission Requirements (for NP applicants):

1. Letter from NP program documenting clinical hours completed in NP education (course work & clinical hours are subject to adjustment based on gap analysis - must have minimum of 1000 hours for DNP).
2. Current & valid Iowa registered nurse (RN) and advanced practice registered nurse (ARNP/APRN) licenses. Cannot be denied, suspended, surrendered or revoked in any U.S. or international jurisdiction.
3. Current NP certification in any specialty area.              

Academic Standing

Only two “C” grades (C+, C or C-) are permitted in the program. A third grade of “C+” or below will result in academic dismissal from the program. No course with a grade of “C-“ or below will count toward a graduate degree. Any grade of “F” may be cause for dismissal from the program. A second “C+” or below in a repeated course may be cause for dismissal from the program. Dismissals may be appealed through the appeal process.

Departments can identify courses in which a “B” is the minimum grade required. 

Repeating Courses

A student receiving a “C+”, “C” or “C-“ may repeat a graduate course once. For the MSN and DNP programs, a maximum of one course may be repeated. 

Clinical Practice Project

DNP students are required to complete a project in order to graduate. Students must complete NU-890 Innovation & Change for Future: DNP Clinical Practice Project prior to graduation. Students are required to enroll in NU-893 Innovation & Change for Future: DNP Clinical Practice Project Continuation each semester after that (Fall, Spring, and Summer) until the student is finished. A continuation fee, equivalent to one credit hour, will be assessed for every semester the student is enrolled in NU-893 Innovation & Change for Future: DNP Clinical Practice Project Continuation after the 3-hour requirement has been met. If a student does not enroll in NU-893 Innovation & Change for Future: DNP Clinical Practice Project Continuation, any incomplete grade in a project course will turn to a Fail (F).

After completing 3 credit hours of NU-890 Innovation & Change for Future: DNP Clinical Practice Project, a student has three years to complete the DNP project.

Transfer Policy

Upon admission to the program, students may transfer in graduate courses with the approval of the Program Director. The maximum number of transferable credit hours is 12. Credit allowance for graduate courses is considered on an individual basis; however, students must have earned a “B” or higher for the course to be considered. Course syllabi, college catalog, and a sample of previous course work may be requested for consideration of a class.

The Doctor of Nursing Practice program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791).

The Doctor of Nursing Practice program is approved by the Iowa Board of Nursing (400 S.W. 8th Street, Des Moines, IA 50309).