Saint Louis University's Doctor of Nursing Practice is a practice-focused doctoral degree that educates nurses to become expert clinicians, leaders in health policy and catalysts for improved health care delivery within an interprofessional environment. This online program is available to students who possess a master's degree in an advanced practice area such as a nurse practitioner or clinical nurse specialist.

This program offers:

• Full- and part-time curriculum plans
• Responsive faculty who are nationally recognized for teaching excellence, nursing leadership, scholarly research and student mentorship
• Faculty advisers who are individually assigned to mentor each student throughout the program
• An online library
• An online writing center
• State-of-the-art teaching facilities

Curriculum Overview

SLU's post-master's Doctor of Nursing Practice program begins each year in August and requires a total of 28 credits beyond the M.S.N. At the discretion of the School of Nursing, you may be able to transfer five to six credits of comparable graduate-level coursework.

The curriculum provides flexible sequencing of courses that are offered online in the fall and spring semesters, with one course offered in the summer session. The program requires two visits to the St. Louis campus. The first visit is a two to three-day orientation at the beginning of the program. A second visit of one to two days is expected at the end of the program to present the required Doctor of Nursing Practice project. This project is based on your interest and synthesizes the knowledge you gain throughout the program. It will focus on a practice change initiative in risk reduction, such as a program evaluation, a quality improvement project, evaluation of a new practice model, a consulting project or a pilot study.

Careers

Graduates of the Doctor of Nursing Practice program are prepared to be nurse clinicians or educators. Graduates influence health policy at institutional, local, state and national levels and formulate strategies to maximize patient health.

Admission Requirements

Saint Louis University School of Nursing adheres to the principles of a holistic admission process in which selection criteria are broad-based and linked to our University’s and School’s mission and goals. While we do consider academic metrics we also look at applicant experiences, attributes, potential for success, and how applicants may contribute to the school’s learning environment and to the profession.

Saint Louis University School of Nursing accepts applications to the D.N.P. program from students living in the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

• A cumulative grade point average of 3.25 or more on a 4.00 scale.
• A master's degree in nursing from a program accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency.
• Certification as a nurse practitioner in at least one of the nursing specialties that the School of Nursing offers as an MSN-NP degree including: acute gerontology primary care, adult gerontology acute care, family, pediatrics and family psychiatric mental health.
• Recognition as an advanced practice nurse in the state in which clinical experiences will be done.
• Certification as a clinical nurse specialist (C.N.S) with national and/or state recognition will be individually evaluated for admission according to specialty and functional role.
• An unencumbered registered nurse license in the state in which clinical experience will be done.
• Successful completion of pathophysiology, pharmacology and advanced health assessment at the graduate level.
• Evidence of recent A.P.N. experience.
• Inferential or biostatistics course within the last five years. (This may be taken at Saint Louis University during the summer prior to the start of the D.N.P. program.)

Application Requirements

• Application form and fee
• Transcript(s)
• Three letters of recommendation
• Résumé
• Interview (possible)
• Professional goal statement

Requirements for International Students

All admission policies and requirements for domestic students apply to international students along with the following:

• Demonstrate English Language Proficiency
• Proof of financial support must include:
  • A letter of financial support from the person(s) or sponsoring agency funding the time at Saint Louis University
  • A letter from the sponsor's bank verifying that the funds are available and will be so for the duration of study at the University
• Academic records, in English translation, of students who have undertaken postsecondary studies outside the United States must include the courses taken and/or lectures attended, practical laboratory work, the maximum and minimum grades attainable, the grades earned or the results of all end-of-term examinations, and any honors or degrees received. WES and ECE transcripts are accepted.

Application Deadlines

Students should apply for the fall semester by May 1.

Review Process

Applications will be reviewed shortly after the submission deadline. Applicants will have a decision six to eight weeks after that time.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

The Saint Louis University School of Nursing offers scholarship and graduate research assistantship opportunities to eligible graduate students. Financing for this program may be available through grants, scholarships, loans (federal and private) and institutional financing plans.  Additionally, most nursing students will participate in a tuition assistance program provided through their employer.

For more information, visit the student financial services office online at http://finaid.slu.edu.

1. Graduates will be able to use advanced knowledge of mid-range and translational theories from nursing and other disciplines as a framework for advanced nursing practice.
2. Graduates will be able to critically examine research and scholarship to support evidence-based clinical practice.
3. Graduates will be able to exemplify ethical principles in the delivery of comprehensive health care.
4. Graduates will be able to formulate strategies to maximize health in patient populations.
5. Graduates will be able to develop clinical competence for advanced practice that provides consumers with primary, secondary and/or tertiary health care.
6. Graduates will be able to use technology and information to improve health care.
7. Graduates will be able to apply principles of epidemiology, biostatistics, and environmental sciences to recognized populations at risk, patterns of disease, and effectiveness of prevention and intervention.
8. Graduates will be able to apply current knowledge of organizations and financing of health care systems to improve the outcomes of care.
9. Graduates will be able to design and implement processes to evaluate outcomes and systems for health care delivery.
10.  Graduates will be able to use business and management strategies for the provision of quality care and efficient use of resources.
11. Graduates will be able to use advanced communication and leadership skills with interprofessional health care teams to create and evaluate health care delivery systems.
12. Graduates will be able to influence health policy at institutional, local, state, and national levels.

Continuation Standards

Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 in all graduate/professional courses.

Roadmaps are recommended semester-by-semester plans of study for programs and assume full-time enrollment unless otherwise noted.  

Courses and milestones designated as critical (marked with !) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation. Transfer credit may change the roadmap.

This roadmap should not be used in the place of regular academic advising appointments. All students are encouraged to meet with their advisor/mentor each semester.  Requirements, course availability and sequencing are subject to change.

Apply for Admission

For additional admission questions please contact,
Scott Ragsdale
Recruitment Specialist
SLU School of Nursing
(314) 977-8995
slunurse@slu.edu