Nursing DNP

About the Program

Graduate nursing education strongly reflects the values and goals of nursing and the broad mission of Temple University. The DNP program prepares graduates to provide primary care for individuals, families and communities grounded in evidence-based practice and research. Embedded in the program is the social context of health systems, health policy, and health economics and their impact on the individual, family and community. Students are prepared to provide direct primary care to individuals across diverse settings and indirect administration of systems of care, as well as to participate in the development and implementation of health policy. The DNP program expands students' scope of practice while maintaining a clinical primary care focus. Through integration of the educator, clinician and research roles, faculty work with DNP students to cultivate the value of evidence-based clinical practice and its potential impact on individuals, groups and communities.

Time Limit for Degree Completion: 7 years

Campus Location: Health Sciences Center

Full-Time/Part-Time Status: Both full-time and part-time schedules are available to DNP students. Nursing classes are offered between 8:00 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. on Wednesdays throughout the year. Non-nursing courses are offered at various times. Summer courses are included as a part of the curriculum.

Accreditation: The Doctor of Nursing Practice degree at Temple University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 530, Washington, DC 20036, 202-887-6791.

Areas of Specialization: Two concentrations are offered in the post-baccalaureate option: Adult-Gerontology Primary Care and Family-Individual Across the Lifespan. A post-master's option is available for those who hold an earned master's degree in nursing.

Job Prospects: Graduates of the program are employed in a variety of advanced practice nursing positions.

Licensure/Certification: Professional Nurse Licensure (RN) is required in Pennsylvania and either New Jersey or Delaware for both post-BSN and post-master's applicants. Additional licenses may be obtained in states in which clinical work is to be done. For more information about licensure, see https://www.ncsbn.org/contact-bon.htm.

Nurse practitioner graduates are suited to sit for national board certifications with the American Nurses Credentialing Center (AANC) and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). The DNP program remains in compliance with the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing.

Non-Matriculated Student Policy: Non-matriculated students can take a total of 6 graduate credits prior to matriculation, although they must submit a complete application before registering for their second course. Only the following courses may be taken while a non-matriculated student:

Course List
Code	Title	Credit Hours
EPBI 5001	Biostatistics for Health Professions	3
NURS 5401	Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology	4
NURS 5402	Advanced Pharmacotherapeutics	4
NURS 5501	Theories for Advanced Practice Nursing of Families and Individuals	3

Financing Opportunities: Funds are available to matriculated students. Students are required to complete a FAFSA application annually to be eligible for funding.

Admission Requirements and Deadlines

Application Deadline:

Fall: April 15

All applicants to the DNP in Nursing program must apply via the Centralized Application Service for Nursing Programs (NursingCAS). The system can be accessed at https://www.nursingcas.org/.

Letters of Reference:
Number Required: 2

From Whom: Letters of recommendation should assess the applicant’s ability to work independently, academic and scholarly performance, analytical thinking and aptitude for advanced study, commitment to urban health, communication skills, and professional contributions. Authors should be supervisors or academics and indicate how long they have known the applicant and in what capacity.

Coursework Required for Admission Consideration: Two admission options are offered for the DNP program:

Direct entry from the BSN – Post-baccalaureate applicants choose between two concentrations: Adult-Gerontology Primary Care and Family-Individual Across the Lifespan. Candidates who apply for post-BSN entry must have earned a baccalaureate degree in Nursing. All transcripts of applicants will be reviewed by the graduate faculty. Offers of acceptance will be made based on their recommendations. The program reserves the right to request that an applicant take the GRE exam based on a review of the transcript.
Post-Master's – Applicants to the post-master's DNP program must have an earned master's in Nursing and are required to complete a total of 1,000 clinical practicum hours. Students may apply up to 500 hours earned during their master’s program toward the 1,000-hours requirement. Hours required for national certification may also be applied. Evaluation and verification of hours is required prior to formal admission to the program.

Bachelor's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: All applicants must present credentials that are the equivalent of a baccalaureate degree at Temple University. Official transcripts for all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended must be submitted.

A WES evaluation is required for applicants who completed their bachelor's degree outside of the United States. This can be requested at https://www.wes.org/ and submitted through NursingCAS.

Statement of Goals: In a 500- to 1,000-word statement of purpose, describe your background, academic and professional goals, and how your interests relate to the DNP program at Temple.

Standardized Test Scores:
GRE/MAT: Optional, although applicants who believe GRE scores would complement their application are encouraged to submit scores directly to NursingCAS using code 4033. If submitted, scores are expected to be at or above the 50th percentile.

Applicants who earned their baccalaureate degree from an institution where the language of instruction was other than English, with the exception of those who subsequently earned a master’s degree at a U.S. institution, must report scores for a standardized test of English that meet these minimums:

TOEFL iBT: 79 (send officially to NursingCAS using the NursingCAS-specific TOEFL code B506)
IELTS Academic: 6.5
PTE Academic: 53
Duolingo: 110

Resume: Current professional resume required.

Interview: An interview conducted by the Nursing Graduate Faculty is scheduled when all required materials have been submitted by the applicant.

Laptop: Beginning in Fall 2020, all incoming students in the College of Public Health are required to have a laptop. Academic programs in the college are technology intensive. They incorporate statistical and database analyses; utilize specialized tools for athletic training, kinesiology and physical therapy; stream audio and video for communication sciences; facilitate online interactive counseling for social work; and foster clinical experiences and online assessments. The laptop requirement enables the College of Public Health to improve opportunities for active learning and provide greater access to specialized software and required tools in and out of the classroom, better preparing students for the workforce. Learn more about device specifications and suggested vendors. Students can use excess financial aid (i.e., funds that are reimbursed after all tuition and fees are paid) to meet student needs, including the purchase of a laptop. Scholarships may also provide funding.

Transfer Credit: Up to 6 graduate credits from an accredited institution may be transferred into the DNP program. A transferred course must be equivalent to coursework offered at Temple, and the grade must be a "B" or better to transfer. The decision is made by the Director of Graduate Programs in conjunction with the appropriate faculty member and forwarded to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for final approval. Students must provide the syllabus for the course(s) being considered for transfer credits.

Clearances: The Nursing DNP program requires students to complete clinical/field education experiences at facilities both on and off Temple University’s campuses. Placements require a Pennsylvania state criminal background check, Pennsylvania state child abuse clearance, FBI fingerprinting clearance, and a drug screen. Negative results may limit or eliminate placement options for the student, resulting in their inability to meet admission/graduation requirements. Conviction of a misdemeanor, felony, or felonious or illegal act may prevent an individual from becoming licensed and/or obtaining Advanced Practice Nursing approval. Students need a physical examination, proof of required immunizations, Quantiferon testing, CPR certification and personal health insurance. Students who do not comply with the required health and immunization requirements will not be permitted to attend clinical and may be dismissed from the Nursing program.

Other: Copies of the applicant's current nursing licenses must be provided with the application.

Program Requirements

General Program Requirements:
Number of Credits Required to Earn the Degree: 68 for the post-baccalaureate concentrations in Adult-Gerontology Primary Care or Family-Individual Across the Lifespan; 37 for students entering post-master's

Required Courses:

Full-Time Post-Baccalaureate Option

Year 1
Fall		Credit Hours
EPBI 5001	Biostatistics for Health Professions	3
NURS 5401	Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology	4
NURS 5402	Advanced Pharmacotherapeutics	4
	Term Credit Hours	11
Spring
NURS 5101	Translation of Evidence in Healthcare	3
NURS 5501	Theories for Advanced Practice Nursing of Families and Individuals	3
NURS 5552	Advanced Health Assessment and Clinical Reasoning	4
NURS 8101	DNP Project Development I	1
	Term Credit Hours	11
Summer
NURS 8102	DNP Project Development II	1
NURS 8302	Managing Quality Initiatives Through Nursing Quality Initiatives	3
	Term Credit Hours	4
Year 2
Fall
HRPR 8985	Teaching in Higher Education: Health Professions¹	3
NURS 8204	Policy: Health Care Advocacy in Advanced Nursing Practice	2
NURS 9377	Primary Care of Adults I Theory	3
NURS 9387	Primary Care of Adults I Practicum (208 hours)²	2
	Term Credit Hours	10
Spring
EPSY 8960	Seminar Series: Problems in Educational Psychology¹	3
NURS 8205	Nursing Leadership for Systems and Communities	2
NURS 9477	Primary Care of Adults II Theory	3
NURS 9487	Primary Care of Adults II Practicum (208 hours)²	2
	Term Credit Hours	10
Summer
NURS 8201	Health Indices of Urban Populations in Primary Health Care	3
NURS 9289	Collaborative Partnerships: Transdisciplinary	1
	Term Credit Hours	4
Year 3
Fall
NURS 8103	DNP Project Implementation (168 hours)²	3
NURS 9189	Collaborative Partnerships: Interdisciplinary	1
NURS 9577	Primary Care of the Elderly I Theory	3
NURS 9587	Primary Care of the Elderly I Practicum (208 hours)²	2
	Term Credit Hours	9
Spring
NURS 8206	Health Economics and Business Practices in Primary Healthcare	2
NURS 8207	Advancing Health Through Information Technology	2
NURS 9677 or 9777	Primary Care of the Elderly II Theory³	3
NURS 9687 or 9787	Primary Care of the Elderly II Practicum (208 hours)^2,4	2
	Term Credit Hours	9
	Total Credit Hours:	68

Completion of EPSY 8960 Seminar Series: Problems in Educational Psychology (3 s.h.) and HRPR 8985 Teaching in Higher Education: Health Professions (3 s.h.) earn the student the 6-credit graduate certificate in Teaching in Higher Education, which prepares graduates of the DNP program to teach at the college level.

A total of 1,000 post-BSN clinical hours is required to obtain the DNP degree. The majority of these clinical hours involve the direct care of patients under the supervision of a preceptor. In addition, a limited number of clinical hours are allotted to the development of clinical scholarship.

NURS 9677 Primary Care of the Elderly II Theory is taken for the concentration in Adult-Gerontology Primary Care, while NURS 9777 Primary Care of Children and Youth Theory is taken for the concentration in Family-Individual Across the Lifespan.

⁴

NURS 9687 Primary Care of the Elderly II Practicum is taken for the concentration in Adult-Gerontology Primary Care, while NURS 9787 Primary Care of Children and Youth Practicum is taken for the concentration in Family-Individual Across the Lifespan.

Part-Time Post-Baccalaureate Option

Year 1
Fall		Credit Hours
EPBI 5001	Biostatistics for Health Professions	3
HRPR 8985	Teaching in Higher Education: Health Professions¹	3
	Term Credit Hours	6
Spring
EPSY 8960	Seminar Series: Problems in Educational Psychology¹	3
NURS 5101	Translation of Evidence in Healthcare	3
NURS 8101	DNP Project Development I	1
	Term Credit Hours	7
Summer
NURS 8201	Health Indices of Urban Populations in Primary Health Care	3
	Term Credit Hours	3
Year 2
Fall
NURS 5401	Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology	4
NURS 5402	Advanced Pharmacotherapeutics	4
	Term Credit Hours	8
Spring
NURS 5501	Theories for Advanced Practice Nursing of Families and Individuals	3
NURS 5552	Advanced Health Assessment and Clinical Reasoning	4
	Term Credit Hours	7
Summer
NURS 8102	DNP Project Development II	1
NURS 8302	Managing Quality Initiatives Through Nursing Quality Initiatives	3
	Term Credit Hours	4
Year 3
Fall
NURS 8204	Policy: Health Care Advocacy in Advanced Nursing Practice	2
NURS 9189	Collaborative Partnerships: Interdisciplinary	1
NURS 9377	Primary Care of Adults I Theory	3
NURS 9387	Primary Care of Adults I Practicum (208 hours)²	2
	Term Credit Hours	8
Spring
NURS 8205	Nursing Leadership for Systems and Communities	2
NURS 9477	Primary Care of Adults II Theory	3
NURS 9487	Primary Care of Adults II Practicum (208 hours)²	2
	Term Credit Hours	7
Summer
NURS 8207	Advancing Health Through Information Technology	2
NURS 9289	Collaborative Partnerships: Transdisciplinary	1
	Term Credit Hours	3
Year 4
Fall
NURS 8103	DNP Project Implementation (168 hours)²	3
NURS 9577	Primary Care of the Elderly I Theory	3
NURS 9587	Primary Care of the Elderly I Practicum (208 hours)²	2
	Term Credit Hours	8
Spring
NURS 8206	Health Economics and Business Practices in Primary Healthcare	2
NURS 9677 or 9777	Primary Care of the Elderly II Theory³	3
NURS 9687 or 9787	Primary Care of the Elderly II Practicum (208 hours)³	2
	Term Credit Hours	7
	Total Credit Hours:	68

Each clinical theory course is paired with a practicum course. Clinical hours associated with the direct care of patients are provided in practicum courses. All students take the following: NURS 9387 Primary Care of Adults I Practicum, NURS 9487 Primary Care of Adults II Practicum, and NURS 9587 Primary Care of the Elderly I Practicum. In addition, NURS 8103 DNP Project Implementation provides clinical hours dedicated to the implementation of the required scholarly project.

Students take coursework specific to their concentration. Those in Adult-Gerontology Primary Care take NURS 9677 Primary Care of the Elderly II Theory with NURS 9687 Primary Care of the Elderly II Practicum. Those in Family-Individual Across the Lifespan take NURS 9777 Primary Care of Children and Youth Theory with NURS 9787 Primary Care of Children and Youth Practicum.

Full-Time Post-Master's Option

Year 1
Fall		Credit Hours
EPBI 5001	Biostatistics for Health Professions	3
HRPR 8985	Teaching in Higher Education: Health Professions¹	3
NURS 8204	Policy: Health Care Advocacy in Advanced Nursing Practice	2
	Term Credit Hours	8
Spring
EPSY 8960	Seminar Series: Problems in Educational Psychology¹	3
NURS 5101	Translation of Evidence in Healthcare	3
NURS 8101	DNP Project Development I	1
NURS 8205	Nursing Leadership for Systems and Communities	2
	Term Credit Hours	9
Summer
NURS 8102	DNP Project Development II	1
NURS 8201	Health Indices of Urban Populations in Primary Health Care	3
NURS 8302	Managing Quality Initiatives Through Nursing Quality Initiatives	3
NURS 9289	Collaborative Partnerships: Transdisciplinary	1
	Term Credit Hours	8
Year 2
Fall
NURS 8103	DNP Project Implementation (168 hours)²	3
NURS 9189	Collaborative Partnerships: Interdisciplinary	1
NURS 9389	DNP I Practicum (166 hours)²	2
	Term Credit Hours	6
Spring
NURS 8206	Health Economics and Business Practices in Primary Healthcare	2
NURS 8207	Advancing Health Through Information Technology	2
NURS 9489	DNP II Practicum (166 hours)²	2
	Term Credit Hours	6
	Total Credit Hours:	37

A total of 1,000 clinical hours is required to complete the degree. Of that total, 500 hours are divided across three courses as shown. Evaluation and verification of 500 hours earned during the student's completed master's program is required prior to formal admission to the program.

Part-Time Post-Master's Option

Year 1
Fall		Credit Hours
EPBI 5001	Biostatistics for Health Professions	3
NURS 8204	Policy: Health Care Advocacy in Advanced Nursing Practice	2
	Term Credit Hours	5
Spring
NURS 5101	Translation of Evidence in Healthcare	3
NURS 8101	DNP Project Development I	1
NURS 8205	Nursing Leadership for Systems and Communities	2
	Term Credit Hours	6
Summer
NURS 8102	DNP Project Development II	1
NURS 8302	Managing Quality Initiatives Through Nursing Quality Initiatives	3
	Term Credit Hours	4
Year 2
Fall
HRPR 8985	Teaching in Higher Education: Health Professions¹	3
NURS 9389	DNP I Practicum (166 hours)²	2
	Term Credit Hours	5
Spring
EPSY 8960	Seminar Series: Problems in Educational Psychology¹	3
NURS 9489	DNP II Practicum (166 hours)²	2
	Term Credit Hours	5
Summer
NURS 8201	Health Indices of Urban Populations in Primary Health Care	3
NURS 9289	Collaborative Partnerships: Transdisciplinary	1
	Term Credit Hours	4
Year 3
Fall
NURS 8103	DNP Project Implementation (168 hours)²	3
NURS 9189	Collaborative Partnerships: Interdisciplinary	1
	Term Credit Hours	4
Spring
NURS 8206	Health Economics and Business Practices in Primary Healthcare	2
NURS 8207	Advancing Health Through Information Technology	2
	Term Credit Hours	4
	Total Credit Hours:	37

Minimum Grade to be Earned for All Required Courses: B-

Culminating Event:
Clinical Practice Project:
Over the course of completing NURS 8101 DNP Project Development I, NURS 8102 DNP Project Development II, and NURS 8103 DNP Project Implementation, the student develops an evidence-based clinical practice project in consultation with a committee composed of faculty and site mentor.