Doctor of Nursing Practice, Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist (BSN to DNP)

To be eligible for the BSN to DNP option of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program, an applicant must have a baccalaureate degree in nursing from a nationally accredited school of nursing. Students in the BSN to DNP option will proceed directly from the BSN degree to a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree without being awarded an MSN degree. 

Students with a master’s degree in nursing from a nationally accredited nursing program who wish to complete the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree can pursue one of two Post MSN options of the DNP program: Doctor of Nursing Practice, Advanced Nursing Practice (DNP) or Doctor of Nursing Practice, Organizational and Systems Leadership (DNP).

Program Objectives

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) prepares experts in advanced nursing with emphasis placed on innovative, evidence-based practice that reflects the application of credible research findings. The expanded knowledge base in nursing will broaden the DNP graduate’s ability to translate that knowledge quickly and effectively to benefit patients, to improve outcomes, and to contribute to the profession.

The Doctor of Nursing Practice program at the University of Southern Indiana is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (www.ccneaccreditation.org).

Admission Requirements

Admission requirements for the BSN to DNP option of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program are as follows:

• A baccalaureate degree in nursing (BSN) from a nationally accredited school earned prior to applying to the BSN to DNP program.
• ALL APPLICANTS MUST HAVE a minimum cumulative baccalaureate grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale. GPAs are reviewed based upon the total BSN GPA. This includes transfer courses in RN Completion programs.
• Satisfactory completion of a course in undergraduate statistics (grade C or better) at the time of application.
• An unencumbered U.S. RN license in all states of practice.
• Recommended but not required: one year full-time or two thousand hours of clinical practice as an RN within the last five years.

The DNP program requires a total of 78 semester hours in graduate nursing. USI’s DNP curriculum is built upon nursing content as determined by the AACN Essentials document.

Practice Hours: Students are required to compete 1,000 practice hours to successfully earn a DNP degree. Integrated practice hours within the curriculum will provide DNP students with learning opportunities to gain expertise in their area of specialization. Students will document their completed practice hours on the Doctor of Nursing Practice Hour Tracking form.

To earn the DNP degree, students must complete all courses with a grade of B or better.