Doctor of Nursing Practice

Plan Description

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is a terminal professional practice degree. The goal of the DNP program is to prepare nurses to assume leadership roles in clinical practice, administration, clinical teaching, and clinical research. The DNP differs from the PhD in Nursing or Doctor of Nursing Science degrees, emphasizing advanced clinical practice, implementation of best practices, furthering excellence in nursing (clinical) education and evaluation of practice and care delivery models rather than individually initiated research. The DNP program prepares graduates for advanced clinical practice and leadership roles to serve the health care needs of the people of Nevada, the nation, and the professional community. DNP graduates are equipped to assume a wide range of leadership roles in both direct and indirect health care settings and nursing education programs. DNP graduates may function as specialists in their advanced practice clinical roles, nursing faculty, or as healthcare executives, program and policy analysts.

DNP Program Learning Outcomes:
The goal of the DNP degree is to prepare nurses to assume leadership roles in clinical practice, clinical teaching, and health care analysis. At the conclusion of the University of Nevada DNP program, graduates will:

1. Provide advanced nursing care to improve patient and population health care outcomes in various direct and indirect settings.
2. Take leadership roles in the analysis, delivery and management of nursing care and health care systems.
3. Provide evidence-based practice through the application of analytical methods, information systems technology, and clinical research.
4. Collaborate with interprofessional teams to meet the healthcare needs of culturally and ethnically diverse individuals and populations.
5. Act as change agent, leader, and advocate in the design, implementation, and evaluation of health care policy as it affects populations and the nursing profession. 

For more information about your program, including your graduate program handbook and learning outcomes please visit the Degree Directory.

Plan Admission Requirements

Post-Masters Tracks:

Application deadlines

Applications available on the UNLV Graduate College website.

 All domestic and international applicants must review and follow the  Graduate College Admission and Registration Requirements.

 Nurse Practioner Track:

1. Hold a baccalaureate degree in nursing from an accredited CNEA or CCNE nursing program.
2. Hold a master’s degree in nursing (MSN or MN). Exceptions to this will be made on a case-by-case basis and only for those students who hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing with a master’s degree in another health-related field (e.g., MPH, MHA, etc.). Coursework from non-nursing master’s degree must have significant content from nursing or a nursing focus. At a minimum, graduate level coursework must demonstrate a substantial study of Nursing Theory, Research, and Health Policy.
3. Have completed graduate-level course work with a grade of B or better in advanced pathophysiology, pharmacology, physical assessment, nursing theory, research, and healthcare policy.
4. Have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 or higher at the graduate level.
5. Hold an unencumbered license as a registered nurse and as an advanced practice nurse commensurate with state licensure.
6. Interviews may be required.
7. Hold national certification in an advanced practice role from a nationally recognized certification/credentialing organization.

Academic Leadership Track:

1. Hold a baccalaureate degree in nursing from an accredited CNEA or CCNE nursing program.
2. Students must hold a master’s degree in nursing (MSN or MN). Exceptions to this will be made on a case-by-case basis and only for those students who hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing with a master’s degree in another health-related field (i.e. MBA, MHA, MPH etc.). Coursework from non-nursing master’s degree must have significant content from nursing or a nursing focus. At a minimum, graduate level coursework must demonstrate a substantial study of Nursing Theory, Research, and Health Policy.
3. Have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 or higher at the graduate level.
4. Have completed graduate-level course work with a grade of B or better in nursing theory, research and healthcare policy.
5. Hold an unencumbered license as a registered nurse.
6. Interviews may be required.
7. Hold national certification (or eligible for certification) in an advanced practice role or an area of specialization or expertise.
8. Provide documentation of at least 500 hours of practice in a leadership role from educational experience, practice experience or equivalent course work in the area of administration (e.g., MBA, MHA, MPH, etc. or education).

Nurse Executive Track:

1. Hold a baccalaureate degree in nursing from an accredited CNEA or CCNE nursing program.
2. Hold a master’s degree in nursing (MSN or MN).  Exceptions to this will be made on a case-by-case basis and only for those students who hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing with a master’s degree in another health-related field (i.e. MBA, MHA, MPH, etc.).  Coursework from non-nursing majors must have significant content from nursing or a nursing focus.  At a minimum, graduate level coursework must demonstrate a substantial study of Nursing Theory, Research, and Healthcare policy.  Students who have not completed a graduate level course in healthcare policy must complete NURS 719R within the first year of study in the DNP program.
3. Have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) in the master’s degree program.
4. Hold an unencumbered license as a registered nurse.
5. Interviews may be required.
6. Hold national certification (or be eligible for certification) in an advanced practice role or an area of specialization or expertise.
7. Provide documentation of at least 500 hours of practice in a leadership role from educational experience, practice experience, or equivalent course work in the area of administration (i.e. MHA, MPH, MBA, etc.).

Students are accepted into a degree program as described in the Graduate Catalog. The faculty and corresponding sub-disciplines and sub-plans within the described programs are subject to change at any time.

BSN to DNP Tracks:

Application deadlines

Applications available on the UNLV Graduate College website.

All domestic and international applicants must review and follow the  Graduate College Admission and Registration Requirements.

Nurse Practitioner, Academic Leadership, and Nurse Executive Tracks:

1. Hold a baccalaureate degree in nursing from an accredited CNEA or CCNE nursing program.
2. Have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.2 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) in the baccalaureate in nursing degree.
3. Hold an unencumbered license as a registered nurse.
4. Have practiced as a baccalaureate prepared registered nurse for a minimum of one calendar year prior to beginning coursework in the BSN to DNP program.
5. Interviews may be required.

Students are accepted into a degree program as described in the Graduate Catalog. The faculty and corresponding sub-disciplines and sub-plans within the described programs are subject to change at any time.

Plan Requirements

See Subplan Requirements below. 

Subplan 1: Post-Masters Nurse Practitioner Track

Subplan 2: BSN - DNP Nurse Practitioner Track

Subplan 3: Post-Masters Academic Leadership Track

Subplan 4: BSN - DNP Academic Leadership Track

Subplan 5: Post-Masters Nurse Executive Track

Subplan 6: BSN - DNP Nurse Executive Track
 

Subplan 1 Requirements: Post-Masters Nurse Practitioner Track

 Total Credits Required: 31

Course Requirements 

Required Courses – Credits: 25

NURS 708 - Analysis and Economics of Healthcare Systems and Delivery  

NURS 712 - Strategies for Management of Healthcare Systems and Performance Improvement  

NURS 715 - Business Management for Nurse Practitioners  

NURS 716 - Population Health: Analysis and Evaluation  

NURS 719R - Health & Public Policy for Advanced Practice of Nursing   

NURS 729R - Translational Evidence for Healthcare Systems   

NURS 765 - DNP Residency  

NURS 767 - Collaboration, Communication & Negotiation for the Nurse Leader  

NURS 768 - DNP Forum & Role Transformation   

DNP Project – Credits: 6

NURS 788 - DNP Project  

Degree Requirements 

1. Complete 31 credits with a minimum GPA of 3.00.
2. Maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or above each semester enrolled.
3. Receive a grade of “B” (3.00) or above in all required cognate and nursing courses. If less than a “B”, for example a B- (2.7) is earned, the course must be repeated. The student must be in good standing to repeat a course and any required course may be repeated only one time.
4. A student may register for a course only two times. A student who has registered for the same course twice and has withdrawn or received a grade less than “B” is ineligible for readmission unless approved by the Graduate College.
5. If a student fails two courses or has withdrawn from two courses or received a grade less than “B” in two courses he/she is ineligible for readmission unless approved by the Graduate College.
6. Complete a minimum of six (6) semester hours in each calendar year.
7. Each student, upon admission, will be assigned an advisor. The advisor (and later the Advisory Committee including the chair of the Advisory committee if in place) will plan the student’s entire degree program of study and submit it to the Graduate College by the end of the second semester of enrollment. The degree program requires the approvals of the student, advisor, and the DNP Coordinator, the appropriate academic dean, and the Graduate Dean.
8. The Advisor monitors the student’s progress through the program of study. In addition, the DNP Coordinator will monitor the student’s progress, including adherence to all established policies of the Graduate College. At any given time, the student can request a change of advisor or chair of Advisory Committee. However, it is the student’s responsibility to secure approval of an individual faculty member who agrees to serve as his or her advisor before changing the original advisor, subject to Graduate College approval. Also, it is the student’s responsibility to make sure that his or her chosen advisor or chair has current full graduate faculty status at UNLV, which can be checked at: http://graduatecollege.unlv.edu/facstaff/status.html.
9. Students will select a chair for their DNP Project committee in the first semester and be required to file the Committee Appointment Form with the DNP coordinator when this is completed. More specific information about the DNP Project will be discussed in the courses it is embedded in the program.
10. In consultation with his/her advisor, a student will organize an advisory committee of at least two departmental members. In addition, a third member from outside the department, known as the Graduate College Representative, must be appointed. An additional committee member may be added at the student and department’s discretion. Please see Graduate College policy for committee appointment guidelines.
11. Continuously register for three (3) semester hours of credit each semester while working on a DNP Project.
12. Once admitted to the DNP program, students will need to continue to take a minimum of 3 credits per semester for both fall and spring semesters to maintain their place in the program until graduation. A leave of absence may be requested by students. The DNP Project is a culmination project based on guidelines from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) DNP Essentials. This is a project completed over three semesters in the program.
13. Students in the DNP program are required to abide by the policies for UNLV School of Nursing. Students in the DNP program are also required to abide by the policies of the UNLV Graduate College.

Graduation Requirements 

See Plan Graduation Requirements below.

Subplan 2 Requirements:BSN to DNP Nurse Practitioner Track

Total Credits Required: 68

Course Requirements 

Required Courses – Credits: 62

NURS 701 - Diagnostic Reasoning and Clinical Decision Making for the FNP  

NURS 702 - Diagnostic Reasoning and Clinical Decision Making for the PNP  

NURS 703 - Advanced Health Assessment  

NURS 704 - Advanced Pathophysiology and Genetics I  

NURS 706 - Nursing Theory and Research  

NURS 708 - Analysis and Economics of Healthcare Systems and Delivery  

NURS 711 - Informatics and Quality Improvement  

NURS 712 - Strategies for Management of Healthcare Systems and Performance Improvement  

NURS 714 - Family Theory and Health Promotion  

NURS 715 - Business Management for Nurse Practitioners  

NURS 716 - Population Health: Analysis and Evaluation  

NURS 719R - Health & Public Policy for Advanced Practice of Nursing   

NURS 729R - Translational Evidence for Healthcare Systems   

NURS 730 - Advanced Pharmacology and Genetics II  

NURS 734 - Primary Prevention in Pediatrics: The Well Child & Adolescent  

NURS 740R - FNP Adult and Women’s Health  

NURS 744 - Primary Care in Pediatrics: Common Problems  

NURS 750R - FNP Children and OB  

NURS 760R - FNP Geriatric and Chronic Illness  

NURS 764 - Primary Prevention in Pediatrics: Chronic Illness   

NURS 765 - DNP Residency  

NURS 768 - DNP Forum & Role Transformation   

DNP Project – Credits: 6

NURS 788 - DNP Project  

Students who wish to step out of the DNP program and receive a master’s degree will be required to complete NURS 761. Clinicial Synthesis and some courses identified above as required will not be completed.

Degree Requirements 

1. Complete 68 credits with a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.00.
2. Maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or above each semester enrolled.
3. Receive a grade of “B” (3.00) or above in all required cognate and nursing courses. If less than a “B”, for example a B- (2.7) is earned, the course must be repeated. The student must be in good standing to repeat a course and any required course may be repeated only one time.
4. A student may register for a course only two times. A student who has registered for the same course twice and has withdrawn or received a grade less than “B” is ineligible for readmission unless approved by the Graduate College.
5. If a student fails two courses or has withdrawn from two courses or received a grade less than “B” in two courses he/she is ineligible for readmission unless approved by the Graduate College.
6. Complete a minimum of six (6) semester hours in each calendar year.
7. Each student, upon admission, will be assigned an advisor. The advisor (and later the Advisory Committee including the chair of the Advisory committee if in place) will plan the student’s entire degree program of study and submit it to the Graduate College by the end of the second semester of enrollment. The degree program requires the approvals of the student, advisor, and the DNP Coordinator, the appropriate academic dean, and the Graduate Dean.
8. The Advisor monitors the student’s progress through the program of study. In addition, the DNP Coordinator will monitor the student’s progress, including adherence to all established policies of the Graduate College. At any given time, the student can request a change of advisor or chair of Advisory Committee. However, it is the student’s responsibility to secure approval of an individual faculty member who agrees to serve as his or her advisor before changing the original advisor, subject to Graduate College approval. Also, it is the student’s responsibility to make sure that his or her chosen advisor or chair has current full graduate faculty status at UNLV, which can be checked at: http://graduatecollege.unlv.edu/facstaff/status.html.
9. Students will select a chair for their DNP Project committee in the first semester and be required to file the Committee Appointment Form with the DNP coordinator when this is completed. More specific information about the DNP Project will be discussed in the courses it is embedded in the program.
10. In consultation with his/her advisor, a student will organize an advisory committee of at least two departmental members. In addition, a third member from outside the department, known as the Graduate College Representative, must be appointed. An additional committee member may be added at the student and department’s discretion. Please see Graduate College policy for committee appointment guidelines.
11. Continuously register for three (3) semester hours of credit each semester while working on a DNP Project.
12. Once admitted to the DNP program, students will need to continue to take a minimum of 3 credits per semester for both fall and spring semesters to maintain their place in the program until graduation. A leave of absence may be requested by students.
13. The DNP Project is a culmination project based on guidelines from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) DNP Essentials. This is a project completed over three semesters in the program.
14. Students in the DNP program are required to abide by the policies for UNLV School of Nursing. Students in the DNP program are also required to abide by the policies of the UNLV Graduate College.

Graduation Requirements 

See Plan Graduation Requirements below.

Subplan 3 Requirements: Academic Leadership Track

Total Credits Required: 33

Course Requirements 

Required Courses – Credits: 27

NURS 708 - Analysis and Economics of Healthcare Systems and Delivery  

NURS 717 - The Accreditation Process  

NURS 718 - Organizational Management for the Advanced Practice Nurse  

NURS 719R - Health & Public Policy for Advanced Practice of Nursing  

NURS 721 - Principles and Strategies for Clinical Supervision in Nursing  

NURS 729R - Translational Evidence for Healthcare Systems  

NURS 765 - DNP Residency  

NURS 767 - Collaboration, Communication & Negotiation for the Nurse Leader  

NURS 768 - DNP Forum & Role Transformation  

NURS 772 - The Nurse as Leader  

DNP Project – Credits: 6

NURS 788 - DNP Project  

Degree Requirements 

1. Complete 33 credits with a minimum GPA of 3.00.
2. Maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or above each semester enrolled.
3. Receive a grade of “B” (3.00) or above in all required cognate and nursing courses. If less than a “B”, for example a B- (2.7) is earned, the course must be repeated. The student must be in good standing to repeat a course and any required course may be repeated only one time.
4. A student may register for a course only two times. A student who has registered for the same course twice and has withdrawn or received a grade less than “B” is ineligible for readmission unless approved by the Graduate College.
5. If a student fails two courses or has withdrawn from two courses or received a grade less than “B” in two courses he/she is ineligible for readmission unless approved by the Graduate College.
6. Complete a minimum of six (6) semester hours in each calendar year.
7. Each student, upon admission, will be assigned an advisor. The advisor (and later the Advisory Committee including the chair of the Advisory committee if in place) will plan the student’s entire degree program of study and submit it to the Graduate College by the end of the second semester of enrollment. The degree program requires the approvals of the student, advisor, and the DNP Coordinator, the appropriate academic dean, and the Graduate Dean.
8. The Advisor monitors the student’s progress through the program of study. In addition, the DNP Coordinator will monitor the student’s progress, including adherence to all established policies of the Graduate College. At any given time, the student can request a change of advisor or chair of Advisory Committee. However, it is the student’s responsibility to secure approval of an individual faculty member who agrees to serve as his or her advisor before changing the original advisor, subject to Graduate College approval. Also, it is the student’s responsibility to make sure that his or her chosen advisor or chair has current full graduate faculty status at UNLV, which can be checked at: http://graduatecollege.unlv.edu/facstaff/status.html.
9. Students will select a chair for their DNP Project committee in the first semester and be required to file the Committee Appointment Form with the DNP coordinator when this is completed. More specific information about the DNP Project will be discussed in the courses it is embedded in the program.
10. In consultation with his/her advisor, a student will organize an advisory committee of at least two departmental members. In addition, a third member from outside the department, known as the Graduate College Representative, must be appointed. An additional committee member may be added at the student and department’s discretion. Please see Graduate College policy for committee appointment guidelines.
11. Continuously register for three (3) semester hours of credit each semester while working on a DNP Project.
12. Once admitted, students will need to continue to take a minimum of 3 credits per semester for both fall and spring semesters to maintain their place in the program until graduation. A leave of absence may be requested by students.The DNP Project is a culmination project based on guidelines from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) DNP Essentials. This is a project completed over 3 semesters in the program.
13. Students in the DNP program are required to abide by the policies for UNLV School of Nursing and are also required to abide by the policies of the UNLV Graduate College and University.

Graduation Requirements

See Plan Graduation Requirements below.

Subplan 4 Requirements: BSN to DNP Academic Leadership Track

Total Credits Required: 60

Course Requirements 

Required Courses – Credits: 54

NURS 703 - Advanced Health Assessment  

NURS 704 - Advanced Pathophysiology and Genetics I  

NURS 706 - Nursing Theory and Research  

NURS 708 - Analysis and Economics of Healthcare Systems and Delivery  

NURS 709 - Teaching and Learning in Nursing Education  

NURS 710 - Course Level Evaluation Strategies for Nurse Educators  

NURS 711 - Informatics and Quality Improvement  

NURS 717 - The Accreditation Process  

NURS 718 - Organizational Management for the Advanced Practice Nurse  

NURS 719R - Health & Public Policy for Advanced Practice of Nursing   

NURS 721 - Principles and Strategies for Clinical Supervision in Nursing  

NURS 724 - Developing & Evaluating Curriculum for Nursing Education  

NURS 729R - Translational Evidence for Healthcare Systems   

NURS 730 - Advanced Pharmacology and Genetics II  

NURS 733 - Nursing Education Practicum I  

NURS 765 - DNP Residency  

NURS 767 - Collaboration, Communication & Negotiation for the Nurse Leader  

NURS 768 - DNP Forum & Role Transformation   

NURS 772 - The Nurse as Leader  

DNP Project – Credits: 6

NURS 788 - DNP Project  

Students who wish to step out of the DNP program and receive a master’s degree will be required to complete NURS 743, Nursing Education Practicum II nd NURS 753, Scholarly Project.

Degree Requirements 

1. Complete 60 credits with a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.00.
2. Maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or above each semester enrolled.
3. Receive a grade of “B” (3.00) or above in all required cognate and nursing courses. If less than a “B”, for example a B- (2.7) is earned, the course must be repeated. The student must be in good standing to repeat a course and any required course may be repeated only one time.
4. A student may register for a course only two times. A student who has registered for the same course twice and has withdrawn or received a grade less than “B” is ineligible for readmission unless approved by the Graduate College.
5. If a student fails two courses or has withdrawn from two courses or received a grade less than “B” in two courses he/she is ineligible for readmission unless approved by the Graduate College.
6. Complete a minimum of six (6) semester hours in each calendar year.
7. Each student, upon admission, will be assigned an advisor. The advisor (and later the Advisory Committee including the chair of the Advisory committee if in place) will plan the student’s entire degree program of study and submit it to the Graduate College by the end of the second semester of enrollment. The degree program requires the approvals of the student, advisor, and the DNP Coordinator, the appropriate academic dean, and the Graduate Dean.
8. The Advisor monitors the student’s progress through the program of study. In addition, the DNP Coordinator will monitor the student’s progress, including adherence to all established policies of the Graduate College. At any given time, the student can request a change of advisor or chair of Advisory Committee. However, it is the student’s responsibility to secure approval of an individual faculty member who agrees to serve as his or her advisor before changing the original advisor, subject to Graduate College approval. Also, it is the student’s responsibility to make sure that his or her chosen advisor or chair has current full graduate faculty status at UNLV, which can be checked at: http://graduatecollege.unlv.edu/facstaff/status.html.
9. Students will select a chair for their DNP Project committee in the first semester and be required to file the Committee Appointment Form with the DNP coordinator when this is completed. More specific information about the DNP Project will be discussed in the courses it is embedded in the program.
10. In consultation with his/her advisor, a student will organize an advisory committee of at least two departmental members. In addition, a third member from outside the department, known as the Graduate College Representative, must be appointed. An additional committee member may be added at the student and department’s discretion. Please see Graduate College policy for committee appointment guidelines.
11. Continuously register for three (3) semester hours of credit each semester while working on a DNP Project.
12. Once admitted to the DNP program, students will need to continue to take a minimum of 3 credits per semester for both fall and spring semesters to maintain their place in the program until graduation. A leave of absence may be requested by students.
13. The DNP Project is a culmination project based on guidelines from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) DNP Essentials. This is a project completed over three semesters in the program.
14. Students in the DNP program are required to abide by the policies for UNLV School of Nursing. Students in the DNP program are also required to abide by the policies of the UNLV Graduate College.

Graduation Requirements 

See Plan Graduation Requirements below.

Subplan 5 Requirements: Post-Masters Nurse Executive Track

Total Credits Required: 32

Course Requirements

Required Courses – Credits: 26

NURS 718 - Organizational Management for the Advanced Practice Nurse  

NURS 726 - Healthcare Issues And The Law  

NURS 729R - Translational Evidence for Healthcare Systems  

NURS 735 - Healthcare Outcomes Management  

NURS 737 - Leadership in Organizations and Systems  

NURS 738 - Financial Theory and Budget Management in the Healthcare Setting  

NURS 765 - DNP Residency  

NURS 767 - Collaboration, Communication & Negotiation for the Nurse Leader  

NURS 768 - DNP Forum & Role Transformation  

XXXX - Cognate Elective (Focus depends on master’s degree coursework)

DNP Project – Credits: 6

NURS 788 - DNP Project  

Degree Requirements

1. Complete 32 credits with a minimum GPA of 3.0.
2. Maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or above each semester enrolled.
3. Receive a grade of “B” (3.00) or above in all required cognate and nursing courses.  If less than a “B”, for example a B- (2.7) is earned, the course must be repeated.  The student must be in good standing to repeat a course and nu required course may be repeated only one time.
4. A student may register for a course only two times.  A student who has registered for the same course twice and has withdrawn or received a grade less than “B” is ineligible for readmission unless approved by the Graduate College.
5. If a student fails two courses or has withdrawn from two courses or received a grade less than “B” in two courses he/she is ineligible for readmission unless approved by the Graduate College.
6. Complete a minimum of six (6) semester hours in each calendar year.
7. Each student, upon admission, will be assigned an advisor.  The advisor (and later the Advisory Committee including the chair of the Advisory committee, if in place) will plan the student’s entire degree program of study and submit it to the Graduate College by the end of the second semester of enrollment.  The degree program requires the approvals of the student, advisor, and the DNP Coordinator, the appropriate academic dean, and the Graduate Dean.
8. The Advisor monitors the student’s progress through the program of study.  N addition, the DNP Coordinator will monitor the student’s progress, including adherence to all established policies of the graduate College.  At any given time, the student can request a change of advisor or chair of Advisory Committee.  However, it is the student’s responsibility to secure approval of an individual faculty member who agrees to serve as his or her advisor before changing the original advisor, subject to Graduate College approval.  Also, it is the student’s responsibility to make sure that his or her chosen advisor or chair has current full graduate faculty status at UNLV, which can be checked at:  http://graduatecollege.unlv.edu/facstaff/status.html.
9. Students will select a chair for their DNP Project committee in the first semester and be required to file the Committee Appointment Form with the DNP Coordinator when this is completed.  More specific information about the DNP Project will be discussed in the courses it is embedded in the program.
10. In consultation with his/her advisor, a student will organize an advisory committee of at least two School of Nursing members.  In addition, a third member from outside the School of Nursing, known as the Graduate College Representative, must be appointed.  An additional committee member may be added at the student or School of Nursing’s discretion.  Please see Graduate College policy for committee appointment guidelines.
11. Continuously register for three semester hours of credit each semester while working on a DNP Project.
12. Once admitted, students will need to continue to take a minimum of three credits per semester for both fall and spring semesters to maintain their place in the program until graduation.  A leave of absence may be requested by students.
13. The DNP Project is a culmination project based on guidelines from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) DNP Essentials.  This is a project completed over three semesters in the program.
14. Students in the DNP program are required to abide by the policies for UNLV School of Nursing and are also required to abide by the policies of the UNLV Graduate College and University. 

Subplan 6 Requirements: BSN to DNP Nurse Executive Track

Total Credits Required: 60

Course Requirements

Required Courses – Credits: 45

NURS 706 - Nursing Theory and Research  

NURS 708 - Analysis and Economics of Healthcare Systems and Delivery  

NURS 711 - Informatics and Quality Improvement  

NURS 712 - Strategies for Management of Healthcare Systems and Performance Improvement  

NURS 716 - Population Health: Analysis and Evaluation  

NURS 718 - Organizational Management for the Advanced Practice Nurse  

NURS 719R - Health & Public Policy for Advanced Practice of Nursing  

NURS 726 - Healthcare Issues And The Law  

NURS 729R - Translational Evidence for Healthcare Systems  

NURS 735 - Healthcare Outcomes Management  

NURS 736 - Innovations in Communication: Scholarly Writing  

NURS 737 - Leadership in Organizations and Systems  

NURS 738 - Financial Theory and Budget Management in the Healthcare Setting  

NURS 765 - DNP Residency  

NURS 767 - Collaboration, Communication & Negotiation for the Nurse Leader  

NURS 768 - DNP Forum & Role Transformation  

NURS 772 - The Nurse as Leader  

Cognate (Elective) Courses – Credits: 9

XXXX - Elective, Open focus

XXXX - Elective, Open focus

XXXX - Elective, Leadership focus

DNP Project – Credits: 6

NURS 788 - DNP Project  

Degree Requirements

1. Complete 60 credits with a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.00.
2. Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or above each semester enrolled.
3. Receive a grade of “B” (3.00) or above in all required cognate and nursing courses.  If less than a “B”, for example a B- (2.7) is earned, the course must be repeated.  The student must be in good standing to repeat a course and any required course may be repeated only one time.
4. A student may register for a course only two times.  A student who has registered for the same course twice and has withdrawn or received a grade less than “B” is ineligible for readmission unless approved by the graduate College.
5. If a student fails two courses or has withdrawn from two courses or received a grade less than “B” in two courses he/she is ineligible for readmission unless approved by the Graduate College.
6. Complete a minimum of six (6) semester hours in each calendar year.
7. Each student, upon admission, will be assigned an advisor.  The advisor (and later the Advisory Committee including the chair of the Advisory committee, if in place) will plan the student’s entire degree program of study and submit it to the Graduate College by the end of the second semester of enrollment.  The degree program requires the approvals of the student, advisor, and the DNP Coordinator, the appropriate academic dean, and the Graduate dean.
8. The Advisor monitors the student’s progress through the program of study.  In addition, the DNP Coordinator will monitor the student’s progress, including adherence to all established policies of the Graduate College.  At any given time, the student can request a change of advisor or chair of Advisory Committee.  However, it is the student’s responsibility to secure approval of an individual faculty member who agrees to serve as his or her advisor before changing the original advisor, subject to Graduate College approval.  Also, it is the student’s responsibility to make sure that his or her chosen advisor or chair has current full graduate faculty status at UNLV, which can be checked at http://graduatecollege.unlv.edu/facstaff/status.html.
9. Students will select a chair for their DNP Project committee in the first semester and be required to file the Committee Appointment Form with the DNP Coordinator when this is completed.  More specific information about the DNP Project will be discussed in the courses it is embedded in the program.
10. In consultation with his/her advisor, a student will organize an advisory committee of at least two departmental members.  In addition, a third member from outside the department, known as the graduate College Representative, must be appointed.  An additional committee member may be added at the student and department’s discretion. Please see Graduate College policy for committee appointment guidelines.
11. Continuously register for three semester hours of credit each semester while working on a DNP Project.
12. Once admitted, students will need to continue to take a minimum of 3 credits per semester for both fall and spring semesters to maintain their place in the program until graduation.  A leave of absence may be requested by students.
13. The DNP Project is a culmination project based on guidelines from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) DNP essentials.  This is a project completed over 3 semesters in the program. 
14. Students in the DNP program are required to abide by the policies for UNLV School of Nursing and are also required to abide by the policies of the UNLV Graduate College and University.

Plan Graduation Requirements

1.  Submit all required forms to the Graduate College and then apply for graduation up to two semesters prior to completing his/her degree requirements.
2. The student must submit and successfully defend his/her DNP Project by the posted deadline. The defense must be advertised and is open to the public.
3. Student must submit his/her approved, properly formatted hard-copy project to the Graduate College, and submit the approved electronic version to ProQuest by the posted deadline.