Academic Plan
The DNP program includes course work in critical decision-making, ethical leadership, social justice, nursing theory, informatics, evidence-based practice, organizational systems and health policy.
The program is offered on a part-time schedule, meeting on campus one weekend per month.
Degree requirements
A minimum of 19 classroom credits and nine clinical credits are required to graduate.
An overall minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is required.
Students in the DNP program will complete a portfolio including systems change project prior to graduation.
St. Catherine University's DNP course of study has been carefully designed to meet the AACN DNP Essentials within 28 course credits. Students who come into the DNP program with less than 460 master's degree practicum hours will complete additional practicum hours at 60 hours per credit to equal the required 1000 total hours required by AACN.
Students may choose to enhance their portfolio and course of study with additional credits from the Holistic Health Studies department or other related fields.
Course sequence
Fall
- NURS 8500: Underpinnings of the Discipline of Nursing
January Term
- NURS 8510: Information Systems and Technologies
Winter
- NURS 8520: Advanced Evidence-Based Practice
Fall
- NURS 8530: Organizational Systems: Implications for Practice
Winter
- NURS 8540: Healthcare: Power, Policy and Politics
Summer Session
- NURS 8600: Systems Change Project (4 credits) OR NURS 8610: System Change Project Part One AND NURS 8620: Systems Change Project Part Two (2 credits each) OR NURS 8601, 8602, 8603 and 8604 Systems Change Project (1 credit each)
The final Systems Change Project credit must be taken concurrently with or after NURS 8540.
Course descriptions are published in the current Graduate Academic Catalog maintained by the Office of the Registrar.
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