As an advanced practice nurse or clinical nurse leader, you play a pivotal role in modern health care. You are dedicated to your patients, passionate about your clinical specialty, and determined to improve health care delivery and outcomes. Imagine how much more of an impact you could make with a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree.
More than 10 years ago, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) called for moving the level of preparation needed for advanced nursing practice from the master’s degree to the doctorate level.
Today, multiple national organizations agree; nurse practitioners must be prepared at the doctoral level as high-quality clinicians, leaders in interprofessional health care team delivery, and contributors to the redesign and improvement of health care delivery models. The DNP degree is now the recommended pathway for entry into advanced nursing practice. Likewise, nurse executives nationally recognize the value of DNP-prepared CNLs to help build a robust evidence-base for practice at the point of care delivery.
We enrolled our first DNP students in 2007 and our program is CCNE accredited. This part-time, hybrid online DNP program provides education in evidence-based practice, quality improvement, leadership, policy advocacy, informatics, interprofessional collaboration, and systems thinking.
There are huge advantages to pursuing your DNP at an institution with the rich clinical resources and broad professional connections of the University of Rochester, the largest hospital and physician network in the region. Not only will you receive mentorship from expert faculty, but you’ll build close professional relationships across the extended UR network that will impact your future career.
At the UR School of Nursing, you’ll surround yourself with other big-picture thinkers and learn to understand and master the complexities that exist at the intersection of discovery and application to patient care, while working together to build real-world solutions that meet the health needs of individuals, systems, and populations.
There has never been a more exciting time to be an advanced practice nurse. Pursuing a DNP today will leave you well-positioned to lead innovative efforts to meet the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow. Join us!
As practice pioneers and clinical innovators, DNP-prepared nurses have an unprecedented opportunity to blaze new professional trails amidst a changing health care landscape. With a DNP from the UR School of Nursing, you’ll gain essential knowledge and skills to expand your future professional opportunities as a practice leader, clinical scholar, and change agent.
This program is available to nurses entering at the post-baccalaureate or post-master’s level:
Post-BS to DNP program of study — For highly qualified nurses with a bachelor’s degree in nursing who want to earn their DNP degree. Post-baccalaureate students will select an area of practice specialty (NP or CNL).
Post-Master's Entry — For nurses with master’s degrees who want to earn their DNP, master’s courses will be transferred into the program upon transcript analysis.
The UR School of Nursing uses a comprehensive, holistic review process during which each application receives individual consideration. We seek applicants who clearly understand the DNP role, have goals congruent with program goals, are motivated and prepared to pursue this rigorous program of study, and are committed to upholding the values of the school and the profession. Post-BS applicants will also need to be able to articulate reasons for choosing the specialty concentration to which they are applying.
To complete your application, you will need to create an account and complete all sections of the application. Once you complete your application, you may receive a follow-up email to schedule an interview with members of our Admissions Review Committee. We look forward to reviewing your application.
For details on how to submit these materials, reference How to Complete an Application and the directions in the online application system.
Start your application
Students typically take two courses per semester. The duration of the post-BS program depends on course load and specialty. For post-master's entry, the DNP program can be completed part time in just three years.
