Nursing Practice

Admission Requirements

Procedure for Admission to the Doctor of Nursing Practice** Program

** South University, Online Program offerings may not be available to residents of all states.  Please contact an admissions representative for further information.

Admissions criteria for the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program are consistent with those required in South University College of Nursing and Public Health's advanced practice programs. The criteria used in determining admission to the Doctor of Nursing degree program include:

• Completion of an application for admission.
• Completion of a master's degree in nursing (or be a pending graduate) from an acceptable accredited collegiate institution and a CGPA of 3.00 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
• Official documentation of the actual number of verified clinical hours completed during the master's program of study within 10 weeks after the initial start date. This requirement may come in the form of the credentialing documents used to verify the hours for certification examination or a statement from the graduate degree-granting institution verifying the actual number of hours completed during the master's program.
• Completion of a three semester credit hour undergraduate or graduate course (or equivalent) in statistics with a grade of C (undergraduate)/B (graduate) or better .
• Completion of a three semester credit hour graduate nursing research course (or equivalent) with a grade of B or better.
• Submission of official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended within 10 weeks after the initial start date.
• A valid unencumbered single-state and/or a valid unencumbered Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (eNLC) multistate license as a registered nurse in all U.S. states or territories in which the student is licensed, including the state in which the student completes all assignments for the program is required. (Note that military, federal, and foreign educated nurses must meet this state requirement for nursing licensure). An unencumbered license(s) must be maintained throughout the program.
• Applicants for whom English is a Second Language (ESL) must submit a minimum paper-based TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score of 600 or the electronic-based score of 250 to be considered for the program.
• Meet Core Performance Standards for nursing professionals as described in the academic catalog.
• Interview with Chair/Program Director or designated faculty for campus based students.
• Submission of the following:
  • Three references using the appropriate appraisal form. At least two of the individuals submitting references should hold a doctoral degree in any field.
  • An essay (i.e. goal statement) explaining career goals, reasons for your choice of program electives, and reasons to pursue a doctor of nursing practice degree.
  • A resume or curriculum vitae describing relevant work, professional, and volunteer experiences.

Once all required admissions documents and information are submitted, the application will be reviewed and evaluated for an admission decision.

Course Requirements

Outcomes

The objectives of the South University College of Nursing DNP program are to prepare nurses who, using leadership and collaboration, will:

• Provide the highest level of nursing practice through integration of advanced competencies in leadership, ethics and the practice sciences, including biophysical, psychosocial, analytical, organizational, and public health sciences.
• Demonstrate organizational and care systems leadership for quality and safety.
• Use contemporary healthcare science to address and resolve complex healthcare problems and disparities.
• Evaluate scientific findings for clinical applicability and potential to affect transformative care.
• Integrate information technology and informatics to provide scalable solutions for real-world systems problems.
• Use strategies of risk reduction/illness prevention, health promotion, and health maintenance to improve the care of individuals, families, and populations.
• Partner in the generation of healthcare policy to shape financing, regulation, access, and delivery of health services.

Comments and Concerns

Please fill out this form and email to mhsmith@southuniversity.edu with any Comments, Concerns and Complaints. 

All Fields Are Required

The purpose of this form is to provide a process for the general public to submit comments, concerns, or complaints regarding their interaction with the Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Master of Science in Nursing, Post Graduate Certificate, or Doctor of Nursing Practice program. A record of all complaints will be maintained and secured by campus administration. If you are a South University student, please submit your comments, concerns, or complaints according to the process outlined in the University Catalog or programmatic handbook. Please contact your Program Director or Academic Counselor if you need additional guidance.