Program Contact: Laima Karosas 203-582-5366

The Post-Master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program is for master's prepared nurses who want to further their skills in using evidence to change practice. In addition to the DNP core classes, students take select classes in a leadership specialty as well as electives supporting their career goals. To enhance learning, students participate in 480 hours of field experience related to their interest in nursing leadership. A total of 1000 hours are required for the DNP degree which includes hours from the master’s degree. For anyone bringing in fewer than 520 hours from the master’s degree, NUR 821 may be taken for additional fieldwork hours. Post-master’s applicants are required to provide a letter from their prior master’s program detailing the total number of supervised clinical hours they completed as part of that program. Download the form (PDF). 

Post-Master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice Nursing Leadership Program

Course Listing
NUR 514Epidemiology and Population Health2
NUR 516Health Policy and Organizational Systems2
NUR 800Evaluation and Synthesis of Scientific Evidence for Practice2
NUR 602Principles of Ethical Theory in Nursing1
NUR 810Clinical Scholarship and Inquiry in Nursing2
NUR 810PBLDNP Project I2
NUR 812Leadership and Collaboration for Change in Health Care2
NUR 812PBLDNP Project II2
NUR 614PBLDNP Project Continuation Course1
Leadership courses:
NUR 813Nursing Leadership Seminar: Applying Data to Practice2
NUR 815Nursing Leadership Seminar and Fieldwork Experience: Safety and Legal Contexts of Health Care3
NUR 817Nursing Leadership Fellowship: Relationship Management and Strategic Leadership3
Total Credits24

Curriculum Note:

Sample curriculum, 30 credits required.

Students take electives to complete 30 credits required for the degree. 

The semester-by-semester Learning Pathway for this program is available in the School of Nursing.

The curriculum for this program is subject to modification as deemed necessary by the nursing faculty to provide students with the most meaningful educational experience and to remain current with professional standards and guidelines.

Student Learning Outcomes

The objectives of the DNP program are designed to prepare graduates for advanced nursing practice who are capable of providing holistic health care for diverse individuals, families or populations in a variety of settings. Specifically, the program seeks to produce graduates who:

  1. Demonstrate clinical reasoning through an understanding of science and evidence-based practice.
  2. Design, implement and evaluate quality improvement initiatives across the systems in which health care is delivered.
  3. Analyze and critique the available evidence for best practices in healthcare.
  4. Apply technology and information fluency to conduct practice inquiry.
  5. Advocate for rational health policies to improve patient care and enhance effective use of resources.
  6. Demonstrate leadership through interprofessional collaboration to improve patient and population health outcomes.
  7. Direct health promotion and disease prevention efforts to improve patient and population health outcomes.
  8. Provide competent, culturally sensitive and ethically based care to individuals and/or populations in a defined specialty of advanced nursing practice.

Admission Requirements

An applicant to the post-master’s programs must have a master’s degree in nursing or a related field. Applicants should submit the following to the Office of Graduate Admissions:

  1. A completed admissions application including a resume and a personal statement addressing the following:
    1. professional goals and motivations
    2. a nursing experience that has influenced or shaped your practice
    3. a healthcare problem that interests you for potential doctoral study.
  2. Official transcripts from all schools previously attended.
  3. Official recent results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) for international applicants.
  4. Two letters of recommendation from persons with authority to evaluate your professional ability.
  5. Proof of current licensure or eligibility for licensure as a registered nurse in the state of Connecticut.
  6. Letter from applicant’s prior master’s program detailing the number of supervised clinical hours completed as part of that program.

Candidates applying for full-time admission for the fall term must submit a completed application by July 1.

All accepted students will be required to complete a background check and urine drug screen following acceptance and before the start of classes. Acceptance will be conditional until satisfactory completion of both.

Progression Requirements

Students are expected to take courses in the order they are presented on the curriculum pathways. Any student wishing to take a course out of sequence must seek permission from the graduate program chair.

According to Quinnipiac University policy, all graduate students are expected to maintain a grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.00 on a 4.00 scale. Full-time graduate students are required to achieve a 3.00 GPA each semester. Part-time graduate students must have an overall GPA of 3.00 upon completion of 9 credits and must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.00 thereafter. The grading scale of the Graduate Nursing Program is consistent with that of the university.

A student who earns less than a B minus grade in any nursing course will not progress into the next semester. The student is allowed to repeat the course once at Quinnipiac University provided that the course and the subsequent curriculum sequence are offered and must achieve a B minus or better. The student must achieve a minimum grade of a B minus in all subsequent nursing courses. Failure to meet this requirement will result in dismissal from the program. A student who earns unsatisfactory grades (grade of less than B minus) in two or more nursing courses in any semester is not eligible to repeat the courses and will be required to withdraw from the program.

A student who receives a grade of Incomplete (I) in any nursing course must meet all course requirements for conversion to a grade before the start of the subsequent semester.

For post-master’s students, transfer students or students returning from an elective leave of absence during their course of study, selected courses must have been completed within five years.

At the end of each semester, the chair of the graduate nursing programs reviews the cumulative GPA and academic record of graduate nursing students. The graduate nursing program chair will notify both the associate dean and the student, in writing, of the student’s failure to meet the academic requirements. Students who are performing at an unsatisfactory level will be: a) placed on probation; b) suspended; or c) dismissed. Students placed on academic probation remain in their program but must take specified corrective action to meet program performance standards. Students should meet with their advisers to identify learning strategies to help them accomplish these goals and the student should draft a list or narrative of these strategies, which will serve as a learning contract. A copy of this contract will be placed in the student’s folder and should be reviewed periodically with their adviser. Students must demonstrate a significantly increased GPA at the end of that semester in order to continue in the program. Students placed on suspension may also need to take specified actions as directed by the academic dean, graduate nursing program chair or academic adviser.

Appeal Process

  1. A student wishing to appeal a progression decision must write a letter via email to the chair of the graduate nursing program within one week of receiving notice of their inability to progress.
  2. Appeals will be considered by a Progression Appeals Committee and chaired by the associate dean. Results will be communicated in writing to the student via email.
  3. A student wishing to appeal a course grade should follow the grade appeal process.

NUR 514. Epidemiology and Population Health.2 Credits.

This course introduces epidemiologic principles, methods and data used in advanced nursing practice. Data and evidence from research are used to: assess acute and chronic population health problems/topics, provide effective possible interventions; and address and examine outcomes.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: Every year, All Online

NUR 516. Health Policy and Organizational Systems.2 Credits.

This course provides an introduction to various social and political policy environments impacting advanced nursing practice and health care systems. Students examine issues that inform health care policy, organization and financing. Nursing's advocacy role in shaping policy in organizational, social and political venues is emphasized.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: Every year, Fall and Summer Online

NUR 800. Evaluation and Synthesis of Scientific Evidence for Practice.2 Credits.

Students review selected processes to identify current best scientific evidence including formulation of asking an answerable question. Students also conduct a review of the literature, critically appraise individual studies, and synthesize the evidence collected. Various methods to evaluate statistical analyses and scientific rigor are emphasized. Discussions focus on strengths and limitations of existing evidence, and application to direct and indirect practice. Iterative writing is a major component of this course.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: Every year, Fall Online

NUR 602. Principles of Ethical Theory in Nursing.1 Credit.

This course facilitates the student's formulation of a theoretical basis for ethical judgment at an advanced level of practice. Students analyze ethical theory and debate responses to ethical problems in advanced nursing practice.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: Every year

NUR 810. Clinical Scholarship and Inquiry in Nursing.2 Credits.

This course focuses on improvement methods used to identify organizational systems' process problems affecting practice (direct and indirect care). Building on prior knowledge of evidence-based practice, students learn how to critically appraise scientific evidence, evaluate additional relevant information, and consider cost implications to create sustainable innovations intended to improve systems.

Prerequisites: Take NUR 600.
Offered: Every year, Spring Online

NUR 810PBL. DNP Project I.2 Credits.

This seminar provides an opportunity for students to identify a health organization or system's opportunity for process improvement based on available aggregate data. Students develop a substantial and meaningful scholarly DNP Project Proposal that is innovative and evidence-based, reflects the application of credible research findings, financially sound, feasible, sustainable and demonstrates value to the organization and population(s) served. There is a minimum of 120 fieldwork hours associated with this course. The course is graded on a pass/fail basis.

Prerequisites: Take NUR 610.
Offered: Every year, Summer Online

NUR 812. Leadership and Collaboration for Change in Health Care.2 Credits.

This course focuses on developing advanced practice nursing leaders who are able to generate pragmatic responses to health care policy, systems and practice inquiry problems through a collaborative approach.

Prerequisites: Take NUR 610.
Offered: Every year, Summer Online

NUR 812PBL. DNP Project II.2 Credits.

Students continue experiential learning to create and sustain change through implementation of the approved, scholarly DNP Project Proposal using appropriate leadership concepts, interdisciplinary team collaboration, and change theory. Post-implementation and evaluation of Project outcomes are disseminated to applicable fieldwork site stakeholders, peers in a professional forum, and in a digital repository. There are 120 fieldwork hours associated with this course. This course is graded on a pass/fail basis.

Prerequisites: Take NUR 610, NUR 610PBL.
Offered: Every year, Fall Online

NUR 813. Nursing Leadership Seminar: Applying Data to Practice.2 Credits.

This online seminar develops students' skills in identifying, critiquing and applying data in health care. Students investigate evidence-based research and how that data is used to improve health system outcomes. In addition, they examine electronic data transfer methods and displays that illustrate performance. Finally, students debate the ethical aspects of data access, security and use.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: Every year, Spring Online

NUR 614PBL. DNP Project Continuation Course.1 Credit.

This course is for those students who continue to work on their DNP Project in the semester(s) after the conclusion of NUR 612 PBL. Students register for this one credit course every semester until their DNP Projects are completed.

Prerequisites: Take NUR 612PBL.
Offered: Every year, All Online

NUR 815. Nursing Leadership Seminar and Fieldwork Experience: Safety and Legal Contexts of Health Care.3 Credits.

This two-hour clinical seminar accompanies 120 hours of experiential learning in the field, with an emphasis on safety and legal concepts in health care. Human factors analysis and systemic quality improvement for increased patient and provider safety are discussed.

Prerequisites: Take NUR 613.
Offered: Every year, Fall Online

NUR 817. Nursing Leadership Fellowship: Relationship Management and Strategic Leadership.3 Credits.

This online course focuses on developing nursing leaders who are able to generate pragmatic responses to health care demands that address the collaborative relationships critical to clinical, educational and organizational success. This course includes 120 hours (1 credit) of experiential learning in the field, with a two-hour online seminar to discuss student experiences and synthesize leadership concepts and skills.

Prerequisites: Take NUR 615.
Offered: Every year, Spring Online