Advanced Practice Nursing - D.N.P. Download to print

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) degree in Advanced Practice Nursing prepares advanced practice nurse (APN) clinical scholars. Students will develop leadership skills to effect health outcomes for individuals and populations by translating scientific evidence into clinical interventions; managing healthcare systems; and collaborating with other health care providers. The curriculum incorporates both clinical and didactic content.

Current unrestricted Ohio licensure as a registered nurse (or the state where they complete their clinicals) and current national APRN certification; an undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Applicants must have earned masters' degrees from a CCNE-or NLNAC-accredited Advanced Practice M.S.N. program with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale; three letters of reference from individuals who can address the applicant's potential to succeed in the D.N.P. program; a pre-admission interview, by telephone or in person, with the D.N.P. director; and a 300-word essay describing professional goals and reasons for seeking the professional practice doctorate. International students must have achieved a TOEFL score of 550 (PBT); applicants with scores greater than 525 but less than 550 will be considered for conditional admission.

Please refer to the university policy for graduate admission.

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) degree in Advanced Practice Nursing is 71 hours, which comprises (a) 37 credits of DNP core courses; (b) 540 clinical practice hours; and (c) transfer from the student’s master’s degree in nursing a minimum of 34 credits of nursing and advanced practice role-specific course work, including 500 clinical hours (may be taken as a part of the DNP degree). In addition to completion of the appropriate program plan with a grade point average of at least 3.000, the student must complete and successfully defend an evidence-based project to a committee that minimally includes the academic advisor and a preceptor member of the healthcare community. Preferably, the preceptor will hold a doctoral degree. The project must result in a manuscript suitable for publication.

Grade Point Requirement

Only work of high quality is approved for graduate credit. Graduate students are expected to maintain a 3.000 average GPA in all work attempted at Kent State to qualify for graduation. A student who fails to maintain a 3.000 average is subject to dismissal. In addition, in order to qualify for graduation, a 3.000 average must be maintained for all graduate coursework. Grades below “C” (2.000) are not counted toward completion of requirements for any advanced degree, but are counted in evaluating a student’s grade point average. Only graduate course credits count toward a graduate degree.

A graduate student who receives a combination of more than 8 credit hours of “ B-“(2.700) or lower grades, or more than 4 credit hours of grades lower than “C” (2.000) is subject to dismissal. Dismissal may be recommended by the chair (or director) of the student’s department to the college dean, or the college dean may request the action of the department chair, or action may be recommended by the college dean’s designee.

Scholarly Paper/Project
A total of 6 credit hours of NURS 76199 Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project is required culminating in an oral defense and publishable manuscript.

1. Students demonstrate advanced practice skills consistent with their areas of clinical specialization.
2. Students attain the necessary skills in physical assessment course to become certified.
3. Students attain the necessary skills in pharmacology to become certified.
4. Students attain the necessary skills in pathophysiology to become certified and to continue their educations.

A total of 6 credit hours of NURS 76199 Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project is required

The College of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education