PROSPECTIVE GRADUATE STUDENTS

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

In the Fall of 2005, the University of Colorado Denver, College of Nursing became the first school in the Rocky Mountain region to initiate the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree. The University of Colorado’s DNP program has approval from the Board of Regents and the Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE).

Admission Requirements

There are two major pathways to the DNP:

1. For applicants with a BS in Nursing, the MS/DNP pathway offers the MS in nursing with an advanced practice specialty while simultaneously advancing toward the DNP degree. The MS in Nursing will also be awarded.   Or, for students with a MS and specialty certification, post masters course work will complete the DNP degree.

Or

2. For students with a MS in nursing and a specialty certification, graduate course work at the post-MS level will complete the DNP program.

The DNP degree appeals to nurses with an MS or a BS degree in Nursing who are interested in a practice-focused doctorate.  DNP graduates will be prepared as clinical leaders, who will design models of health care delivery, evaluate clinical outcomes, identify and manage health care needs of populations, and use technology and information to transform health care systems. The DNP degree has been suggested as a way to increase the number of doctoral prepared nursing faculty.

All applicants to the College of Nursing must be able to meet the technical standards. Please click here to read the technical standards.

To read more about the DNP go to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing website.

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Admission Procedures

1. For applicants with a BS in Nursing:

• You will be completing the MS and DNP
• For information on the MS part of the program, go to MS web page
• There is only one (1) application for the MS and DNP program. You must apply online through the MS application process. For your intended major, choose MS/DNP
• After reading the information about the MS program, you can apply from the MS website, or you may Apply Online now.

2. For applicants with a MS in nursing:    

• Click here for the DNP application and instructions.
• This is a paper only application process.

3. For applicants with both the MS in nursing and ND degrees from our College of Nursing:

• Click here for application and instructions.
• This is a paper only application process

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