This terminal degree is a pinnacle for nurses who have earned a master's degree in nursing. This clinical doctorate helps students further develop their leadership and policy-making skills and provides experience in the interpretation of and practical adaptation of evidence based practice and best practices.
If you're a nurse who has a master's degree in nursing, our Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) offers you an opportunity to sharpen your nursing skills and enhance your leadership expertise. The DNP is a clinical doctorate with emphasis on enhancing leadership expertise in rural and underserved populations.
To receive a Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree (DNP) at Northern Arizona University, you must complete a planned group of courses, consisting of at least 74 - 79 units of graduate-level courses and one thousand hours (1,000) of clinical practice.
The full policy can be viewed here.
In addition to University Requirements:
| Minimum Units for Completion | 74 - 79 |
| Additional Admission Requirements | Required |
| Oral Defense | Oral Defense is required. |
| Research | Individualized research is required. |
| Additional Fees/Program Fees | Required |
| Some online/blended coursework | Required |
Purpose Statement
The philosophy of the School of Nursing at Northern Arizona University is based on an ethic of caring that embraces students, faculty and staff, and the university community and the global community within which we live and work. We also believe that caring is a conscious, intentional discipline that is part of nursing’s unique body of knowledge and is practiced in interdisciplinary contexts. Caring includes the creation and nurturing of an environment that recognizes that students, staff and faculty have unique ways of viewing the world. This philosophy promotes excellence for nursing education and practice in an environment of constant change and emerging healthcare trends.
The faculty believes the transition to the role of competent professional nurse is a major developmental achievement. We believe that nursing is an art and science that is an integral component of health care. Applying the discipline of nursing to practice depends on a foundation of natural and human sciences, humanities and arts, the application of research, and the diverse backgrounds of learners. Societal influences in the evolving healthcare system challenge all involved in nursing education.
Education is a dynamic, life-long collaborative process by which an individual pursues life goals, broadens human potential, develops thinking and clarifies values. The faculty believes that learning is the intentional acquisition, application, and integration of knowledge, skills and attitudes. Learning is shaped by the environment and developmental level of the learner, and is ultimately the responsibility of the learner. Faculty plan, guide, and facilitate learning while supporting the learning needs of a diverse community of students. We believe that learning-centered experiences with rigorous expectations and actively-engaged students result in higher-level thinkers and graduates prepared for real world practice. We value incorporating rural and global healthcare into a variety of educational experiences. Thus education not only expands the thinking of the learner, but increases opportunities for application.
The faculty has developed a philosophy that values diverse persons, environment, health, and nursing, and their inter-relatedness. The following meta-paradigm concepts guide the implementation of the organizing framework for the curriculum.
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is designed for nurses holding a master’s degree (MS) to obtain a terminal degree in nursing. The DNP builds on master’s education to provide expanded unique knowledge and expertise. These graduates will have a broader capability to provide high quality health care in a complex and increasingly strapped health care system. The DNP is a clinical doctorate with emphasis on enhancing leadership expertise in rural and underserved populations.
Student Learning Outcomes
Outcomes align with Standards from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
Upon completion of the degree, students will be able to:
Global Health:
Global Engagement: Develop creative solutions for health care systems to address health equity and social justice thus reducing health disparities in rural and/or disadvantaged populations.
Diversity Education: Analyzes social and cultural components of health and wellness to create solutions that are culturally and socially relevant and acceptable.
Environmental Sustainability: Synthesize interprofessional and interdisciplinary knowledge and approaches that promote sustainable environmental health policies and conditions as well as reduce human health exposures.
Individual program admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required.
The NAU graduate online application is required for all programs. Admission to many graduate programs is on a competitive basis, and programs may have higher standards than those established by the Graduate College.
Admission requirements include the following:
Visit the NAU Graduate Admissions website for additional information about graduate school application deadlines, eligibility for study, and admissions policies.
Ready to apply? Begin your application now.
International applicants have additional admission requirements. Please see the International Graduate Admissions Policy.
Take the following 71 units with a minimum GPA of 3.0:
Graduate nursing courses (66 units)
Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also successfully complete. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.
Program fees are established by the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR). A program fee of $60 per credit hour has been approved for this program.