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Doctor of Nursing Practice, DNP (Post-Master's) - Hybrid
Advance your career with a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in Clinical Leadership
With a specialization, you will be prepared to take the next step in your nursing career
Gain a strong knowledge of nursing scholarship, clinical practice, health promotion, disease treatment, and the skills necessary to work in a changing and evolving health care environment in USJ’s DNP program. With your DNP, gain the foundation to work in leadership roles in patient care, with policymakers in public health departments, in research facilities, pharmaceutical companies, at the management level in doctor’s offices, or private practice.
Become a leader with an advanced degree to provide optimal care within a primary care practice. You will gain greater expertise to become a leader who can work with clinical partners to improve the health care provided to patients as you analyze and use evidence-based data to improve outcomes. This program offers specialized courses and clinical practicums to expand your advocacy skills to affect system changes, and research population health and health care practices.
The curriculum meets the requirements of the AACN Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice.
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Program Facts
- 10 semesters, 65 credits
- Or, complete the program without the Nurse Practitioner track in 6 semesters with 33 credits
- Evening classes from 4-6:30 p.m.
- Students receive a gap analysis and a custom plan of study
- Accredited By The Commission On Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
- 1:1 faculty advisor/student ratio for scholarly projects
- Current students enjoy dedicated clinical sites, opportunities to get involved locally and globally, and a practice-focused curriculum.
USJ Alumni Excellence Program
The University of Saint Joseph is proud to offer a 20% discount on select graduate programs, to our valued alumni, beginning in Summer 2025. This offer is available to all USJ alumni who enroll in a graduate program* at USJ for the first time in the Summer 2025 semester or later.
Click here to learn more about the program.
Why DNP?
- Most universities hire DNP-prepared nurses for full-time faculty positions, on both tenured and non-tenured tracks
- Hospitals and health care organizations recognize the DNP for executive and leadership positions
- You can work as a DNP-prepared nurse practitioner providing direct patient care, improving patient care outcomes, and performing quality improvement projects.
DNP Program Outcomes
This degree will provide you with a broad perspective that includes holistic health care for your patients including understanding how social and economic factors influence health outcomes.
- Demonstrate application of nursing and related sciences to inform clinical judgment in assessing, diagnosing, and managing high-quality healthcare.
- Translate advanced-level nursing knowledge to provide holistic individualized care that advocates for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- Apply advanced-level nursing knowledge to health promotion and disease prevention through understanding cost-effectiveness and healthcare delivery systems.
- Engage in the scholarship of nursing by critically appraising evidence through an understanding of the principles of research, informatics, and technology.
- Apply principles of safety and quality-driven care across healthcare settings and systems.
- Demonstrate understanding of the role of interprofessional partnerships in advanced-level nursing practice.
- Appraise systems-based practice and health policy as it influences healthcare outcomes through strategic planning, cost-effective care, and evidence-based practice.
- Demonstrate adherence to professional standards for advanced-level nursing practice.
- Demonstrate commitment to excellence through personal, professional, and leadership development.
- Apply nursing philosophical and theoretical concepts in identifying, initiating, and managing advanced practice nursing identity, professional roles, and clinical activities.
- Provide individual and population-centered care that is centered on an appreciation of human diversity and advocacy for social justice, equity, and inclusion for all.
Fatmata Williams, who will graduate from USJ’s DNP program in May 2025, was promoted to Deputy Medicaid Director for Connecticut Medicaid. Fatmata has been a nurse for 27 years, is an Advanced Practical Registered Nurse (APRN) and will soon be a DNP. We are so proud of our student!
Application Information
Submit an application, available at usj.edu/apply include:
- $50 non-refundable application fee
- Official sealed Master’s (M.S., Nursing) transcript from a regionally and nationally accredited institution with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2
- Two letters of recommendation
- Essay: Identify a health-related issue that has impacted your community or your patients. Share how you have engaged with this issue and describe one way you imagine a nurse practitioner could make a difference. What steps would you take to prepare yourself to address this issue as part of your NP education?
- Immunization records
- Nursing supplemental health form
- Certified background check
- Certification form documenting previous master’s-level supervised clinical hours signed by the previous school’s program director
- Copy of valid RN license and APRN license if applicable
- Resume or CV
- After the application review, candidates are interviewed by the respective program director
Requirements
- Must be a Registered Nurse with a Master’s degree in Nursing
- Must complete 45 credits over a two to four year period in conjunction with your plan of study, created and approved by the program director.
If you strive to work hard in pursuit of educational excellence, make improvements in health care systems, and advance nursing practice through leadership, collaboration, and advocacy, then you are ready for the DNP program at the University of Saint Joseph. Discover your passion, as I did, at USJ.
– Valencia Chicoine, M’12, DNP’16
Questions?
Contact:
Yvonne Joy, DNP, APRN
Associate Professor of Nursing and Director of Graduate Programs
Phone: 860.231.5258
Email:[email protected]
