DOCTOR OF NURSING PRACTICE (DNP)
Advance your nursing career
DePaul’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program will give you the leadership, business and research skills you need to work effectively with advanced health care providers, administrators and researchers. You’ll develop the clinical skills necessary to create and implement treatment plans, and you’ll master the tools to improve outcomes, safety and quality of care for your patients and their families.
Choose one of the following required tracks:
- Adult-Gerontological Nurse Practitioner
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Nurse Anesthetist (in conjunction with NorthShore Health Systems)
- DNP Completion – Nurse Anesthetist
- DNP Completion – Nurse Practitioner, Clinical Nurse Specialist or Nurse Midwife
Classes are offered online and at the Lincoln Park Campus.
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Application Deadlines
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until the deadline.
| Enrollment Term |
Application Deadline |
|---|---|
| Fall | July 15 |
| Winter | November 8 |
| Spring | February 1 |
| Summer | April 15 |
Admission Requirements
Submit an online application, personal statement, résumé, official transcripts and letters of recommendation.
Required Courses
You’ll complete 10 core courses, track concentration requirements and a DNP project.
$40M
DePaul recently invested more than $40 million in new College of Science and Health facilities and programs, including a fully renovated nursing simulation lab.
93%
of Nursing graduates were employed, continuing their education or pursuing other goals within six months of graduation.
Study with industry-leading faculty
Learn from professors like Joseph Tariman, PhD, RN, who has published numerous articles on multiple myeloma and ethical frameworks for decision-making in nursing practice and research. Professor Tariman was recently inducted into the American Academy of Nursing as a Fellow for his significant contributions to myeloma nursing.
“The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program gave me the knowledge and critical-thinking skills to succeed at my job. Whether I’m explaining the risks and benefits of an anesthetic to a patient, or describing the pathophysiology of certain diseases to my students, I use what I learned from the DNP program every day.”
Susan (DNP ’14)
Nurse anesthetist and nurse educator, NorthShore University HealthSystem
Alumni Network
You’ll benefit from extensive networking opportunities with DePaul’s strong alumni network. Nearly 3,000 Nursing alumni are working in the Chicago area at places like Lurie Children’s Hospital, Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.
Scholarships
Graduate school is an investment in your future. Learn more about the financial aid and scholarship opportunities available to you.
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Admission
????The spring, summer, and fall applications for the DNP bachelor's or master's entry RN for adult gerontology nurse practitioner and family nurse practitioner tracks are currently available. For DNP completion program, current Certified: Nurse Anesthetist, Nurse Practitioner, Clinical Nurse Specialist or Nurse Midwives can apply year round with a rolling admission process.
DNP applicants have the option of applying through DePaul’s online application or through NursingCAS, the online, centralized application service for nursing programs nationwide. Instructions for both options are listed below.
Attention Nurse Anesthesia Applicants:
Please note that the nurse anesthesia program is offered jointly with NorthShore University Health System’s School of Nurse Anesthesia. Students applying to the nurse anesthesia program should follow NorthShore’s application instructions and admission deadlines. For details on admission requirements and deadlines, please visit the NorthShore website. NursingCAS is currently not being used for application to NorthShore University Health System's School of Nurse Anesthesia. Please contact NorthShore directly with all questions at anesthesiaschool@northshore.org?.
Admission Requirements for BSN & Master's Entry RN NP Track Students
Admission Requirements for DNP Completion Program Students
The School of Nursing has the option to waive admission requirements.
Prospective students?: This program is not available to students who plan to complete their clinical practicum in any of the following states: Arizona, California, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Tennessee, and Washington. In addition, if you plan to obtain your advanced practice licensure outside of Illinois after graduation from this program, we urge you to contact your state's licensing agency to confirm restrictions and requirements unique to your state before beginning an online nursing program.
Registered Nurses with a master's in Nursing or a MSN may receive up to 12 credit hours of transfer credit for prior education completed within the last 5 years, with individual review of all transcripts. In addition, applicants with current certification as an Advanced Practice Nurse from an accredited program, and current licensure as an Advanced Practice Nurse in their state of residence will receive advanced placement in the program.
Applicants holding an MS degree in Nursing or MSN degree without certification as an Advanced Practice Nurse will be required to hold current licensure as a Registered Nurse in the State of Illinois prior to the first day of classes. Applicants holding an MS degree in Nursing or MSN degree with certification as an Advanced Practice Nurse will be required to hold current licensure as a Registered Nurse and as an Advanced Practice Nurse in the State of Illinois, and current certification from a national certifying body (e.g. American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, American Association of Nurse Practitioners, American Nurses Credentialing Center) in their area of specialty area of practice prior to the first day of classes.
Guidelines for Letters of Recommendation
?Letters of recommendation should be frank and detailed and should indicate how long and under what circumstances the recommender has known you (i.e., student, assistant, advisee, employee, etc.).
A recommendation is most helpful when it provides specific information concerning your intellectual and personal characteristics and performance; it should relate to your suitability for graduate study beyond information that is available on college transcripts and employment records.
While the admissions committee is particularly interested in learning more about your intelligence, independence of thought, and overall promise, character and fitness, information on your special interests, motivations and personal qualities may distinguish you from other applicants.
Directions for Submitting Letters of Recommendation
While completing the online application, applicants enter the name and contact information of their recommender. The recommender will receive an email with a link to upload their letter directly into the application. Please be certain you enter the name and contact of your recommender accurately as it cannot be updated after submitting.
International Students
International students (those who were educated outside of the U.S. and/or require an F1 visa) must take additional steps to be considered for admission. Please visit the International Student Admission page for exact information.
Degree Requirements
Course Requirements
Doctoral Core (40 credit hours)
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| NSG 522 | FINANCE AND COSTING IN HEALTH CARE | 4 |
| NSG 540 | CULTURE, ETHICS, AND POLICY ANALYSIS | 4 |
| NSG 550 | HEALTHCARE ECONOMICS | 4 |
| NSG 551 | LEADERSHIP AND ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR | 4 |
| NSG 552 | PROGRAM EVALUATION | 4 |
| NSG 554 | INFORMATICS AND TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS | 4 |
| NSG 580 | BIOSTATISTICS & RESEARCH METHODS FOR ADVANCED PRACTICE | 4 |
| NSG 600 | EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE RESEARCH | 4 |
| NSG 601 | EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE RESEARCH II | 4 |
| NSG 602 | DNP PROJECT PRACTICUM | 4 |
| NSG 603 | DNP PROJECT CANDIDACY CONTINUATION | 0 |
Concentration Requirements
In addition to the Doctoral Core requirements, students must complete the track requirements for their one designated concentration track.
Other Requirements
DNP Project
Students will be required to complete a DNP Project which represents the cumulating work for their DNP program. The project is expected to be a tangible academic product that reflects the student’s educational experiences and should be evaluated by an academic committee. The DNP Project for the DePaul DNP students (NSG 600, NSG 601, and NSG 602) will include:
- a needs assessment of an aggregate population, APN practice setting, healthcare institution policies, or healthcare delivery models using an Evidence Based Practice approach;
- development and implementation of a research project to improve the health of a population, change practice, influence health policy, or revise healthcare delivery models;
- evaluation of the program; and
- a publishable quality manuscript and a formal oral presentation will be presented to the student's DNP Committee for approval.
A poster representing the DNP Project will be produced by the student for presentation at the Grace Peterson Research Colloquium.
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