Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Program Description

This practice-focused doctoral program will prepare nursing leaders for the highest level of clinical nursing practice beyond the initial preparation in the discipline. Throughout the program students will develop the clinical, organizational, economic, and leadership skills to design and implement programs of care delivery which significantly impact health care outcomes and have the potential to transform health care delivery. Graduates with this terminal clinical degree will be prepared for roles in direct care or indirect, systems-focused care.

Advanced practice nurses practicing in today’s healthcare environment require complex clinical skills and sophisticated knowledge of the evidence-base for practice. Graduates of the DNP will be able to affect the healthcare delivery system by evaluating the evidence base for nursing practice, becoming leaders in the clinical arenas, establishing standards and policies, and meeting the needs of today’s diverse healthcare systems.

Admission to the DNP Program

The DNP Program has multiple points of entry and is planned to predominantly allow for three types of prospective students: post-baccalaureate RNs, current master’s degree in nursing students; and advanced practice nurses and nursing administration practitioners who have completed a master’s degree in nursing. However, nurses with a PhD could also seek the DNP.

Admission Criteria

All applicants must have:

• A baccalaureate degree in nursing
• A competitive QPA
• A current license to practice nursing in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or the state or U.S. territory where you will complete the clinical practice requirements. Foreign applicants should see section on Admission of Students from Other Countries.
• A pre-admission interview. If the applicant resides at a great distance, a telephone interview may be substituted.
• Evidence of an ability to communicate in writing
• Pre-requisite statistics course
• Applicants to the BSN-DNP program are required to submit scores on the Graduate Record Examination. Applicants to one of the MSN-DNP completion programs must have a master's degree in the DNP track being pursued. Applicants interested in pursuit of a new specialty will be required to complete relevant master’s level coursework. Students who have demonstrated successful completion of an MSN program with a competitive QPA will not be required to take a graduate admission exam.

Application Procedure

All applicants to the DNP program should obtain application materials from the Student Services Office, School of Nursing, 239 Victoria Building, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261 or from our website. Each applicant should then submit the following:

1. Completed application form
2. Application fee
3. Complete official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work
4. Admission test scores if applicable
5. Three letters of recommendation in sealed envelopes indicating the reviewer’s support of the student’s ability to successfully complete a demanding graduate level academic and clinical program
6. Personal essay stating your philosophy of nursing, your reasons for wanting to study in a particular area of specialization, what you expect from the DNP Program, and your future career goals
7. Self-addressed mailing labels
8. Current CV or resume

Materials are to be submitted to the Associate Director, Student Services, Graduate Program, who will forward them to the Program Coordinator for review. The Program Coordinator will then submit the completed application to the DNP Admission Committee for an admission decision.

The DNP Program uses a process of rolling admissions. Applicants will be notified at the earliest possible date of their admission status. Applicants wishing to be admitted for full-time study should apply for Fall Term admission.

Applicants who do not meet all of the criteria may be admitted with provisional status. Please refer to Policy 231.

Admission of International Students

Application is made through the Student Services Office.


• School of Nursing
• University of Pittsburgh
• 239 Victoria Building
• Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
Applications from international students are reviewed according to the DNP program admission criteria stated above and are admitted on a rolling basis. The application must be completed in English and accompanied by official academic credentials with notarized English translations. A DNP applicant must have evidence of the receipt of a degree comparable to the American master’s degree in nursing for admission to the MSN to DNP program or a degree comparable to the American baccalaureate degree in nursing for admission to the BSN to DNP program. The official transcripts must show all high school and post-high school work, including grades in each course, examination grades and standing in examinations and classes, and whatever other credentials are available to give a clear description of the student’s academic accomplishments.

Important Information for DNP Applicants from Other Countries

International students may not register until non-academic clearance has been issued by the University Office of International Services. It is especially important that the student have adequate financial support.

After final admission, the School of Nursing reserves the right, even after arrival and enrollment, to require, at the student’s expense if necessary, individual curriculular adjustments whenever particular deficiencies or needs are found. This could include enrollment in courses prerequisite to the regular course of study or additional course work in English as a second language.

To facilitate the educational experience and to help the student adjust to the United States, the University offers the support of the Office of International Services:

Office of International Services
706 William Pitt Union
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh PA 15260.

Please refer to Policy 201.

For international applicants whose native language is not English, successful achievement on the TOEFL or IELTS is required.

After admission to the DNP program has been granted, actual enrollment in courses is contingent upon successful completion of the NCLEX-RN (Naitonal Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses) and licensure as a registered nurse in the state of Pennsylvania. To be eligible to take the NCLEX in Pennsylvania, a candidate must have passing scores on the CGFNS examination.

Length of Program

Students may be accepted to and enter the DNP Program after earning a Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD degree in nursing. The duration of the full-time program will depend on the student’s level of entry: (1) Following a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing [approximately 3 years]; (2) Following a Master’s Degree in Nursing [approximately 1-2 years]. The student’s master’s transcript will be compared with the DNP curriculum and their previous coursework will be reviewed for permissible transfer credits in keeping with University policy and program requirements; and (3) Following a PhD Degree in Nursing [approximately 1-2 years, depending on the program]. Student transcripts will be compared with the DNP curriculum. Students will be granted academic credit for comparable coursework and will complete the required DNP coursework. Students choosing to pursue the DNP program on a part-time basis must extend the program time and design the specifics with their academic advisor. Review of applications is on an individual basis.

Curriculum

Coursework and clinical practice are required in the first two years of the DNP curriculum. Year three provides the advanced professional didactic and clinical education further required for the DNP. The core theory content and set of core competencies for all DNP graduates are aligned with the Essentials of the Doctor of Nursing Practice, defined by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN] .

The DNP focuses on evaluating evidence and using evidence in clinical decision-making, leadership skills, implementing viable clinical innovations, and through applying research and theoretical understanding to plan and make change in practice. There is also emphasis on a population perspective, assessment of populations, use of data to make programmatic decisions, and program evaluation.

Core courses of this curriculum focus on advanced evidence-based practice, organizational and systems leadership, clinical research and analytical methods for evidence-based practice, informatics and patient care technology for the transformation of health care, health care policy and finance, clinical prevention and population health, and interprofessional collaboration for improving patient and population health outcomes. This knowledge is then expanded upon through cognates within selected areas of focus. The program culminates in a capstone project that reflects the synthesis and application of knowledge gained throughout the curriculum.