The Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) represents the highest level of preparation in nursing practice based on nursing science and prepares leaders for nursing practice. This program builds upon the base of a Master's Degree in Nursing Preparation in Nurse Practitioner (NP) and Clinical Nurse Specialty (CNS) programs and excellence of practice based on validations by standard sets of competencies in national certification processes and specialty credentials.

The Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Beth-El College of Nursing and Health Sciences program is based upon The Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice from the American Association of College of Nursing (AACN, 2006) and the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF, 2017) Nurse Practitioner Core Competencies.

The Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Beth-El College of Nursing and Health Sciences program is based upon The Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice from the American Association of College of Nursing (AACN, 2006) and the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF, 2017) Nurse Practitioner Core Competencies.

• Completion of a minimum of 70 credits at the graduate level
• Completion of a minimum of 33 credits at the graduate level for post masters
• A grade B or better in all required courses
• Completion of degree requirements within seven years

Post-Masters DNP

• NURS 7010: Theoretical Foundations of Reflective Practice
• NURS 7030: Advanced Health Care Policy, Ethics and Law
• NURS 7080: Clinical Nursing Scholarship for Evidence-Based Practice
• NURS 7120: Evaluation of Clinical Research & QI Projects
• NURS 7070: Population-Based Health Care for Improving the Nation’s Health
• NURS 7200: Organizational Systems Leadership
• NURS 8050: DNP Project I
• NURS 8051: DNP Project II
• NURS 7090: Business, Finance and Entrepreneurship for Advanced Practice Nursing
• NURS 8052: DNP Project III
• NURS 8053: DNP Project IV
• NURS 8054: DNP Project V

Graduates in the master's and post-master's certificate programs are eligible to apply for licensure in the states listed below; where our curriculum meets the requirements for licensure. You can learn more about the requirements for APRN licensure in Colorado by visiting the Colorado Board of Nursing APRN application page, or the state board of nursing in the state of your primary residence.

• Current unrestricted Registered Nurse license from an approved state listed on our website
• Master of Science Degree in Nursing from an accredited (CCNE/NLN) program
• MSN cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
• National Certification as NP, CNS, CNM, or CRNA
• Submission of all required application materials by posted deadlines (all required materials are listed in the online application)
• All English as Second Language (ESL) applicants are required to meet a minimum standard of English proficiency for admission. This requirement can be met by one of the English Proficiency Requirements.
• NOTE: The DNP admissions standards differ from the UCCS Graduate School admissions in that the NP/CNS National Certification and RN license are required as well. Prerequisite graduate courses in nursing theory, research and policy are indicated only if the MSN programs were in deficit of this core courses.

Essay Questions

The online application will require answers to several essay questions. We strongly recommend drafting your answers to these questions before beginning the application so that you can complete it in one sitting.  

Essay Questions: the first is mandatory, then choose 3 of the remaining 6 questions to answer. Responses should be 250-300 words each.

1. What are you doing to find clinical spots? (mandatory question)
2. What professional or personal life obstacles have you had to overcome to be successful in your education or career?
3. What skills or characteristics do you possess that will make you a successful practitioner?
4. What opportunities do you see that might help improve health in your state?
5. What language or cultural expertise and experience do you have that enhances your ability to practice health care?
6. What interests do you have in historical, cultural or health related topics that have spurred your intellectual curiosity?
7. What professional life experiences do you have or community service have you done where you led efforts to overcome a problem or challenge?”

Deadlines

The Graduate Nursing Department’s MSN and DNP options have a rolling admission cycle. 

Completed applications are reviewed each month by the Graduate Option Coordinators. 

A prospective student may apply for a Spring, Summer, or Fall start for any of our MSN, DNP, or Post Masters Certificate options.

Completed applications will be considered up to January 5th for the Spring term, up to May 5th for the Summer term, and up to August 5th for the Fall term.

Debbie Schultze

Academic Services Professional
(719) 255-4458
dschult3@uccs.edu

For information about accreditation for this and all our programs, please visit our accreditation page.

See the Bursars Office website for a tuition and fee estimate. 

Additional costs:
There are additional costs besides tuition that are incurred when obtaining licensure as an advanced practice registered nurse.  

The estimated costs below may include but are not limited to an application fee (70.00-350.00), transcripts (15.00) and fingerprinting and background check (30.00-58.00). Certification board examination fees (see links below) along with professional liability insurance (600.00-1500.00). These are estimates based on the states we admit from and can change at any time. You should use the links below to find the specific state Board of Nursing (BON) website where you plan to apply for licensure in order to find the most current information.  

• https://www.aanp.org/ 
• https://www.nursingworld.org/ancc/