Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) Major in Nursing Practice

Program Overview

The Doctor of Nursing Practice program prepares advanced practice registered nurses and nurse leaders for the highest level of clinical leadership. This terminal degree supports career advancement through an Executive Practice track (APRNs) or an Executive Leadership track (nurse leaders). The curriculum emphasizes evidence-based practice, healthcare innovation, and leadership in crisis and policy environments. Students gain competencies in business, economics, advocacy, and systems-level thinking to improve healthcare delivery in Texas and beyond.

Doctor of Nursing Practice Program Outcomes

Graduates of the DNP program will gain knowledge, skills, and competencies for the following educational outcomes:

1. Integrate nursing science, theory, and evidence-based principles to advance scholarship and develop new practice approaches to care delivery.
2. Lead interprofessional teams through consultation and analysis of complex practice and strategies to positively affect change across organizational systems.
3. Synthesize and translate evidence into practice to design, implement, evaluate, and disseminate best practices to improve healthcare outcomes of individuals, aggregates, and populations.
4. Evaluate interventions based on the analysis of epidemiological and scientific data that target health promotion and disease prevention efforts to reduce community and global health disparities in individuals, aggregates, and populations.
5. Lead quality improvement efforts incorporating healthcare technology to progressively transform organizational and system performance.
6. Employ strategic leadership skills through advocacy to impact health policy initiatives, social justice, and ethical care for culturally, ethnically, and socially diverse populations.
7. Practice as an expert in an area of specialization within the larger domain of nursing through demonstration of advanced levels of clinical judgement, systems thinking, financial savvy, and accountability to improve individual, population, and global health outcomes.
8. Model professional accountability, collegiality, and ethics in clinical judgement, systems thinking, and professional practice.

Clinical Practicum Education

All students are required to complete practicum experiences focused on the DNP program outcomes and the DNP scholarly project with community partner organizations. Some practicum experiences and community partner arrangements may require students to travel for practicum hours. All practicum-related expenses, including travel, are the responsibility of the student.

Application Requirements

The items listed below are required for admission consideration for applicable semesters of entry during the current academic year. Submission instructions, additional details, and changes to admission requirements for semesters other than the current academic year can be found on The Graduate College's website. International students should review the International Admission Documents page for additional requirements.

• completed online application
• $55 nonrefundable application fee

         or

• $90 nonrefundable application fee for applications with international credentials
• an earned Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree and Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from a regionally accredited institution and nationally accredited nursing program by CCNE, ACEN, or NLNAC
  • The MSN major must be in administration/leadership or in one of the four APRN roles (nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, nurse anesthetist, nurse midwife).
  • Other MSN majors will be considered but may require additional coursework.
• official transcripts from each institution where course credit was granted
• minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for MSN degree
  • If a student completed an Associate Degree in Nursing to Master of Science in Nursing (ADN-MSN), minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in last 60 hours of upper division nursing undergraduate nursing courses is required.
• current, valid, unencumbered Registered Nurse licensure in Texas or have current multi-state licensure
  • For those applying to the APRN track, a current, valid, unencumbered Advanced Practice Registered Nurse license in the state in which they practice, along with current national board certification as a nurse practitioner, nurse midwife, clinical nurse specialist, or nurse anesthetist.
• GRE not required
• current CV or resume showing minimum equivalent of one-year full-time experience in a managerial or leadership role, or APRN position prior to the application deadline for the program
• written professional essay and goals statement using guidelines provided by the program
• three (3) professional letters of recommendation from persons competent to assess the applicant's academic capability, clinical expertise, and interest in pursuing doctoral nursing education
• an interview with DNP Admissions Committee

TOEFL, PTE, or IELTS Scores

Non-native English speakers who do not qualify for an English proficiency waiver:

• official TOEFL iBT scores required with a 78 overall
• official PTE scores required with a 52
• official IELTS (academic) scores required with a 6.5 overall and minimum individual module scores of 6.0

This program does not offer admission if the scores above are not met.

Additional Information

Additional admissions criteria must be completed prior to admission and the required due dates as listed on the School of Nursing's DNP webpage.

All DNP students are required to have accumulated 1000 clinical practicum hours by graduation from the DNP program. Total clinical practicum hours include both eligible master’s degree hours and earned DNP program practicum hours. Students who enter the post-master's DNP program may have varied amounts of graduate clinical hours accumulated during their master’s nursing program. A gap-analysis of hours will be completed by the DNP Admissions Committee upon admission. Admitted students who do not have a minimum of eligible 480 post-baccalaureate clinical practicum hours from their MSN program will be required to complete additional clinical practicum hours through required practicum courses. These hours are beyond the 520 hours they will accumulate in the Texas State DNP curriculum and assist the student to meet the minimum 1000 clinical practicum hour requirement. 

Degree Requirements

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) major in Nursing Practice requires 41 total semester credit hours for completion. Students enrolled in the DNP program are required to earn a grade of at least 80% ("B" or higher) in all courses in the DNP curriculum. If needed, students may repeat or withdraw from no more than two nursing courses during the duration of the program.

Course Requirements

To graduate with the DNP degree, a student must successfully complete all graduate nursing courses, practicum hours, and program requirements and maintain a 3.0 or higher GPA in the graduate nursing program. Students have five (5) years to complete their DNP degree in the SON.

Comprehensive Examination Requirement

All candidates for graduate degrees must pass one or more comprehensive examinations. The comprehensive exam for the DNP program is the DNP Scholarly Project and the successful completion of the required DNP practicum hours. Students complete a written scholarly paper, a professional poster, and an oral presentation of their project in the last year of the program. Students who do not successfully complete the degree requirements within the specified timelines will be dismissed from the program.

Doctoral level courses in Nursing Practice: NURS

Courses Offered

Nursing (NURS)