The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is a joint program offered by The University of Alabama in Huntsville College of Nursing (UAHCON) and The University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing (UABSON) and The University of Alabama (UACCN).
The purposes of the DNP program are:
- To prepare graduates at the highest level of nursing practice to provide complex hospital and community-based care for patients and families.
- To redesign and evaluate nursing and health care systems.
- To address dire shortages of clinical nursing faculty to mentor and educate new nurses.
The DNP focus is to prepare expert practitioners who can also serve as clinical faculty. The DNP will initially be offered as post-master's entry to nurses with a specialized advanced nursing master's degree. Admission of qualified post-baccalaureate nursing degree applicants is projected for 2009.
Who May Apply
Nurses who hold the master's degree in nursing in an advanced practice area may apply. Advanced practice areas include nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, administration, midwifery, and nurse anesthetist.
If an applicant has a master's degree that is not in an advanced practice area, their program of study will be evaluated for coursework that meets criteria for the DNP. These students may need to enroll in additional coursework to meet the advanced practice component.
For most students, completion of the program will require thirty-four (34) semester hours curriculum.
| Course | Title | Semester Hour Credits |
| NUR 731 | Philosophical, Theoretical and Conceptual Foundations | 3 |
| NUR 732 | Design and Statistical Methods for Advanced Nursing Practice | 3 |
| NUR 733 | Informatics for Advanced Practice Nursing | 3 |
| NUR 735 | Population Health in Advanced Practice | 3 |
| NUR 736 | Application of Best Practices | 4 |
| NUR 737 | Interdisciplinary Leadership and Role Development for Practice Excellence | 3 |
| NUR 738 | Scholarly Project Development Seminar | 2 |
| NUR 739 | Scholarly Practice Project | 7 |
| NUR 740 | Health Policy and Politics: Implications in Health Care | 3 |
| Elective | Nursing Elective (500/600/700 Level) | 3 |
Proposed Full-Time and Part-Time Programs of Study
Tuition and Fees
Information on tuition and fees can be found in the current UAH Graduate Catalog, p. 15.
Admission Requirements
Applicants must:- Hold a master's degree in advanced practice nursing from an accredited institution.
- Complete a UAH Application for Graduate Admission (submit to the Office of Graduate Studies).
- Submit official transcripts from all higher education programs attempted.
- Submit completed application for admission to the UAH CON (available here in PDF format or from the Nursing Office of Student Affairs).
- Submit two satisfactory references from former faculty or professional colleagues (Form in PDF format).
- Submit proof of current/active unencumbered licensure and advanced specialty certification.
- Submit CV/resume with cover letter describing career goals and identified area of clinical practice interest.
- Meet health and background clearance requirements (available from the Nursing Office of Student Affairs).
- Interview with DNP faculty member (arranged by the UAH CON).
In addition to the above requirements, international students must demonstrate sufficient ability in English to read, write and speak (a minimum score of 550 on the TOEFL).