Skip to main content

2023-2024 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog

Search Help

Doctor of Nursing Practice

The changing demands of the nation's complex health care environment requires the highest level of integration of scientific knowledge into practice to improve the health of society. The Kirkhof College of Nursing (KCON) offers programs of graduate study leading to a Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) degree. The D.N.P. program prepares nurses with advanced knowledge, skills, and competencies that are used in innovative roles to promote and achieve improved healthcare outcomes for populations. The Doctor of Nursing Practice degree is the terminal degree for nursing practice. The D.N.P. program prepares nurse leaders who will contribute to the nursing profession and improve the health of society with emphases in advanced practice registered nursing (advanced practice registered nurses) roles: family nurse practitioner; psychiatric/mental health nurse practitioner; adult/older adult primary care nurse practitioner, child/adolescent primary care nurse practitioner, child/adolescent acute care nurse practitioner, or child/adolescent dual certification. The D.N.P. curriculum is student-centered, flexible and designed for full and part time options for Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) to D.N.P. A post master's D.N.P. with specialization emphasis is available for nurses pursuing a terminal degree.

Minimum Number of Hours for Graduation

  • Completion of 75-87 credits (depending on the chosen emphasis) is required for the D.N.P. degree.
  • Completion of 38 credits is required for the Post-M.S.N. D.N.P. degree.

Advanced Practice Certification

Students pursuing an advanced practice primary care emphasis must complete the didactic and clinical courses in a selected population emphasis which will qualify them to sit for national primary care specialty certification (pediatrics or adult gerontology; or dual certification in primary care/acute care child/adolescent; family nurse practitioner; or psychiatric/mental health nurse practitioner.)

D.N.P. Core
The following classes are required for all D.N.P. emphases, except the Post-M.S.N. to D.N.P.

Required Courses/Suggested Pattern of Coursework Nurse Practitioner D.N.P.

75-87 credits (depending on chosen emphasis)

Adult/Older Adult (AOA) Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (75 credits)

Students must complete the following didactic and clinical courses in the adult/older adult population which will qualify them to sit for national primary care specialty certification:

First Year
Fall Semester

Winter Semester

Spring/Summer Semester

Second Year
Fall Semester

Winter Semester

Spring/Summer Semester

Third Year
Fall Semester

Winter Semester

Adult/older adult nurse practitioner students must achieve a total of 10 clinical and 12 didactic credit hours by conclusion of the Winter semester the third year.

Child Adolescent (CA) - Primary Care

Students must complete the following didactic and clinical courses in the Child/Adolescent population, which will qualify them to sit for national primary care specialty certification: Child/Adolescent (C/A) Nurse Practitioner - single focus (Primary Care) (75 credits)

First Year
Fall Semester

Winter Semester

Spring/Summer Semester

Second Year
Fall Semester

Winter Semester

Spring/Summer Semester

Third Year
Fall Semester

Winter Semester

Child/adolescent nurse practitioner students must achieve total of 10 clinical and 12 didactic credit hours by conclusion of Winter third year.

Child Adolescent (CA) - Acute Care

First Year
Fall Semester

Winter Semester

Spring/Summer Semester

Second Year
Fall Semester

Winter Semester

Spring/Summer Semester

Third Year
Fall Semester

Winter Semester

Adult/older adult nurse practitioner students must achieve total of 10 clinical and 12 didactic credit hours by conclusion of Winter third year.

Dual CA Primary Care/Acute Care Emphases

Students must complete the following didactic and clinical courses in the Child/Adolescent population, which will qualify them to sit for national primary care AND acute care (dual) specialty certifications: Child/Adolescent (C/A) Nurse Practitioner - Dual focus (Acute and Primary Care) (87 credits).

First Year
Fall Semester

Winter Semester

Spring/Summer Semester

Second Year
Fall Semester

Winter Semester

Spring/Summer Semester

Fall Semester

Winter Semester

Spring/Summer Semester (dual-track C/A only)

Child/adolescent dual foci students must achieve total of 16 clinical and 18 didactic credit hours by conclusion of spring/summer third year

Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)

Students must complete the following didactic and clinical courses in the Family population which will qualify them to sit for national primary care specialty certification: Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) (78 credits),

First Year

Winter Semester

Spring/Summer Semester

Second Year
Fall Semester

Winter Semester

Spring/Summer Semester

Third Year
Fall Semester

Winter Semester

Family nurse practitioner students must achieve total of 10 clinical and 15 didactic credit hours by conclusion of winter third year.

Psychiatric/Mental Health

Students must complete the following didactic and clinical courses in the Psychiatric Mental Health population, which will qualify them to sit for national specialty certification: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) (75 credits)

First Year
Fall Semester

Winter Semester

Spring/Summer Semester

Second Year
Fall Semester

Winter Semester

Spring/Summer Semester

Third Year
Fall Semester

Winter Semester

Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner students must achieve total of 10 clinical and 10 didactic credit hours by conclusion of Winter or Spring/Summer third year.

Post-M.S.N. D.N.P.

Required Courses/Suggested Pattern of Coursework for Post-M.S.N. D.N.P. (38 credits)

*Students who have taken these courses in their MSN program can take graduate level elective courses that are based on their professional goals. The M.S.N. to D.N.P. program has a specialty foci, for example in leadership, healthcare informatics, or palliative and hospice care.

First Year
Fall Semester

Winter Semester

Spring/Summer Semester

Second Year
Fall Semester

Winter Semester

M.S.N. to D.N.P. Students must achieve total of eight clinical credit hours by conclusion of winter second year.


If you are in need of assistance please submit any questions or comments.