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Doctor of Nursing Practice in Nursing Science (DrNP)

About the program
The DrNP, with its focus on clinical nursing practice, is the first Clinical Research Doctor of Nursing Practice degree in the nation. Graduates will be educated for many diverse career roles and will also be able to engage in practical, clinically oriented scholarship and research.

The program is designed as a part-time cohort model, and can be completed in three years. There is also an Alternate Cohort Program for students who want to slow the pace of coursework down (starting in the second year). This program can be completed part-time in four years.

Program objectives

• Prepare doctoral nursing graduates to assume roles in academia, advanced clinical practice, or in executive nursing and health care leadership.
• Provide an educational experience that is innovative, enriching, rigorous and scholarly to encourage graduates to promote the health of a nation, either through direct advanced practice nursing care, or indirectly through teaching, research, and executive leadership in nursing and healthcare.
• Promote the use and integration of technology to support learning and scholarship in doctoral nursing education.
• Contribute to the body of knowledge to further develop the science of nursing through clinical nursing scholarship.

Curricular objectives
The Doctor of Nursing Practice in Nursing Science (with a focus on Clinical Practice) has the following primary curricular objectives:

• Establish a theoretical nursing science background for analyzing clinical nursing phenomena.
• Build upon the student's existing practice knowledge.
• Enhance each student's knowledge with a specialized clinical practicum of his or her own choosing.
• With the use of a specialized role practicum, support the importance of role development for clinical nursing scholars with the doctorate who may choose from a variety of career opportunities.
• Emphasize clinical nursing research with the aim of improving health across the life span through scientific inquiry.

It is important to note that the DrNP program is an academic doctorate, requiring the completion of a clinical dissertation. The clinical dissertation is scholarly and is generally completed in one year. It should substantively contribute to nursing science knowledge, but differs both in scope and in its applied emphasis from the typical PhD dissertation. View the Curriculum for more detailed information about specific degree requirements.

For additional information about the program, visit the College of Nursing's DrNP Program web page.