Master's to DNP Leadership Program

Admission to the Doctor of Nursing Practice program is competitive. Ideal candidates demonstrate a history of academic success, strong leadership, and potential for future success in leadership and practice scholarship. Applications are submitted online via CollegeNET.

Applicants must submit the following:

• completed application form accompanied by $50 nonrefundable application fee
• current unrestricted registered nurse licensure in the state of intended practice
• MSN degree or a BSN and master's degree in a related field
• proof of a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher at the graduate level
• transcripts from all post-secondary schools attended
• completion of  graduate-level inferential statistics course within the past five years, with a minimum grade of C (Please Note: Students who have not completed a graduate statistics course may be admitted to the program and may complete this requirement within one year of matriculation. Students may not progress beyond 12 months until this requirement is met.)
• verification of number of clinical/experience hours completed at the graduate level (Please Note: Verification should be provided by the program director or chairperson on school letterhead.)
• statement of intent that demonstrates the candidate's leadership and practice experience, their reason for pursuing doctoral study and their potential area of focus for the DNP Scholarly Project (Please Note: This statement should be representative of the applicant's writing ability. The statement should be two to four pages, double-spaced and written in 12-point font.)
• current résumé or curriculum vitae
• 3 letters of recommendation
• possible interview prior to admission, if asked

International Applicants

• Applicants with international degrees must have their transcripts evaluated for degree and grade equivalency to that of a regionally accredited institution in the United States.
• An official report of scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required from international applicants who are from countries where English is not the first language.

Non-Matriculated Students

Credits earned at Rhode Island College by a student in a non-matriculated status before admission to a degree program may be used toward degree requirements only upon the recommendation of the student’s advisor or the Zvart Onanian School of Nursing Graduate Committee, with the approval of the dean. No more than a total of 6 credits of courses taken at Rhode Island College by a non-matriculated student may be applied toward degree requirements for the DNP program.

DNP courses are delivered in your choice of in-person and remote formats. The typical plan of study allows for completion of coursework in three years. Full-time students may complete the program in two years; however, all students are required to have completed the program in seven years.

Course Requirements for Full-Time and Part-Time DNP Students

DNP Course Descriptions

• All students are expected to maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.00 (grade of B) or greater in their graduate program.
• Students who earn less than a B, including a grade of U, in a required nursing course will be placed on probationary status.
• Students on probationary status must achieve a minimum grade of B in all required nursing courses over the next 9 credits.
• Two grades below a B are sufficient cause for consideration of dismissal. The decision regarding a student's status will be made by the DNP program director in consultation with the dean.
• Students may be required to repeat a course at the discretion of the DNP program director.

Students of the DNP Program will demonstrate mastery of all of the Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice (AACN, 2006) and the AACN (2021) Competencies and level-2 Sub-competencies within the Ten Domains for Nursing, leading to achievement of the following DNP End-of-Program Outcomes: 

• demonstrate the integration, translation, synthesis, and application of established and evolving knowledge from basic science, nursing knowledge and other ways of knowing, and other disciplines that results in clinical judgment founded on a broad knowledge base [Domain 1] [DNP Essentials I, III, VIII]
• evaluate person-centered care at the advanced nursing level across the organization/system, provider, patient, and/or population level that focuses on the individual within multiple complicated contexts, including family and/or important others [Domain 2] [DNP Essential II, V, VI, VII, VIII]
• design population health systems that span the healthcare delivery continuum from public health prevention to disease management of populations [Domains 3, 6, 9] [DNP Essentials VI, VII, VIII]
• generate, synthesize, translate, criticize, apply, and disseminate nursing knowledge that improves health and transforms health care [Domains 1, 4, 5, 7, 10] [DNP Essentials I, II, III, IV, V, VIII]
• optimize health and healthcare outcomes using principles of health, quality, safety, and implementation science, through both system effectiveness and individual performance [Domain 5, 7] [DNP Essentials I, II, IV, VII, VIII]
• lead collaborative initiatives across professions and with care team members, patients, families, communities, and other stakeholders to optimize care, enhance the healthcare experience, and strengthen outcomes [Domains 2, 6,7] [DNP Essentials V, VI, VII, VIII]
• design evidence-based methodologies, system-thinking, business, and financial acumen to provide safe, quality, evidence-based and equitable care to diverse populations [Domains 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10] [DNP Essentials , II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII]
• analyze information and communication technologies and informatics processes to gather data, support care delivery, and inform decision making [Domains 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10] [DNP Essentials , II, III, IV, V, VII, VIII]
• cultivate an advanced-level professional nursing identity that encompasses self-reflective practice, commitment to inclusivity and social justice, accountability, collaborative disposition and ethical comportment that reflects nursing’s values [Domains 6, 9, 10] [DNP Essentials I, II, V, VI, VIII]
• foster organizational commitment to promote personal health, resilience, well-being; contribution to lifelong learning; expansion of nursing expertise, and the assertion of leadership [Domains 9, 10] [DNP Essential VIII]