The doctoral program is 44 credit hours, which includes required clinical hours.
- You can complete the program in two years, attending part-time.
- Coursework is completely online, and there are three required visits to campus (see
below).
On-Campus Visits
There is a required 3-day on-campus orientation, typically scheduled in mid-July.
You will meet program faculty, administrators and fellow students; obtain resources
for program success; receive individual advising; and have an opportunity to speak
with mentors who have succeeded in the program. The only other required visits to
campus are to propose and defend your capstone project.
Coursework (44 Credit Hours)
To see a typical list of courses by term, visit an example Current Students page for this program.
For full program requirement details, see the official program listing in the UNC Graduate Catalog.
Clinical Hours
Clinical hours are completed via coursework completion. You need a total 1000 clinical
hours to successfully complete your DNP. The hours that you completed in your master’s
will count toward those 1000 hours. As a licensed APN, the additional required hours
will be completed in individualized clinical activities to refresh, expand and enrich
your knowledge.
Admission Requirements
Possess a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in Nursing from accredited (NLN/ACEN
or CCNE) programs in nursing, with a cumulative master's GPA of 3.00 or better (4.00
scale).
If you are still completing your master's degree at the time you apply, admission
will be based on your current cumulative GPA, and you will need to re-submit your
official transcript (showing your conferred degree and final GPA) during your first
semester. If your final GPA fell below 3.00, you will be given additional academic
stipulations to remain enrolled at UNC.
-
Preparation as an Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) with documentation of national certification
as an APN.
-
Minimum of 500 clinical practicum hours in the APN master’s program.
Current Colorado Registered Nurse (RN) license; or current RN license in the state
where you practice and eligibility for Colorado RN licensure.
-
One year of clinical experience is required.
Note: the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is NOT required for this program.
Eligibility by State
At this time, UNC can serve online education to students from every state, the U.S.
Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. We are not currently accepting students to our online
programs who reside in the CNMIs.
Because some states may have additional requirements or limitations for certain programs,
please check the following page to verify your eligibility. Note: if your state is
showing "limited authorization" it means you are likely eligible with additional documentation,
but please contact kim.black@unco.edu for details.
Current State Authorizations for This Program
International Student Eligibility
International students residing outside of the United States are eligible to apply
to our online programs. Applicants for online programs must demonstrate English proficiency,
or enroll in the UNC Intensive English Program, in order to be considered.
This program requires occasional visits to the United States. You will need to submit
financial documentation before you plan to arrive in the U.S. (and again each time
you travel to the U.S.). The financial documentation needs to demonstrate that you
can pay for the cost of tuition and living expenses for the days that you will be
in the U.S.
Please visit the International Students Admission Requirements page for details about English proficiency requirements, financial documentation and applying
as an international student.
Transferring Credit
Applicable graduate credit with a grade of A or B from a regionally accredited university
may be able to be applied towards this academic program. However, all doctoral students
must complete a minimum number of semester hours through UNC, so please check with
the Program Coordinator. Transfer credit cannot have been counted in the completion
of another degree, will not be used to meet any residency requirements, and is not
used in calculation of the grade point average. All work counted in a doctoral degree
program must be completed within eight years. The time limit is calculated from the
beginning of the first class transferred in and counted in the degree program. See
the full Graduate Transfer Credit Policy.
Students must submit an original transcript to their advisor for review. Student and
advisor then complete a Transfer of Credit form to submit along with the original transcript to the Grad School for review and final
approval.
Tuition
This is an Extended Campus program, which means:
- A flat per-credit tuition rate for all students (in-state or out-of-state)
- There are no student fees – they are incorporated into our flat tuition rate
- Certain courses may carry specific course fees for additional services and materials
Program tuition for the 2022-23 academic year (which runs Fall, Spring, and Summer
terms) is $672 per credit hour. Tuition for the 2023-24 academic year will be determined
mid-June 2023.
Financial Aid
Students who cannot pay for tuition alone are encouraged to apply for federal financial
aid. Students must first complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
The FAFSA priority filing date for each academic year (a Fall-Spring-Summer cycle
which begins each August) is June 1, although the form is now available by October
1 of the previous year and requests tax information from the year prior. For example,
the FAFSA form for aid for the 2023-24 school year is released on Oct. 1, 2022, and
is based off of 2021 tax return information.
Late submissions of the FAFSA are still accepted throughout the school year but you
may not be considered for the maximum amount of aid. If the priority deadline has
passed for the upcoming/current school year, we encourage you to apply for FAFSA consideration
as soon as you enroll for your first courses. Depending on the time of year, you may
be able to submit an application for the current academic year and an early/priority
application for the following academic year.
Doctoral degree students must be enrolled in a minimum of 5 credits per academic term for financial aid eligibility. Full time
enrollment is based on 9 credits per term.
To apply for federal financial aid assistance
Fill out the FAFSA form at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa
For more specific help, contact the Office of Financial Aid: ofa@unco.edu, 970-351-4862 or via the UNC Financial Aid website.
Students can also find helpful information such as the Guide to Federal Student Aid
at https://studentaid.gov/resources. Most of the resources are available in English, Spanish, and Braille.
Insurance
Malpractice Insurance
You must carry student nurse practitioner malpractice insurance while fulfilling the
clinical/practicum courses. Due to clinical contract requirements students must provide
proof of insurance about three months prior to the semester that your clinical begins.
Student Health Insurance (For Master's Program Students)
The University of Northern Colorado offers a Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP)
to all degree-seeking students who enroll in courses on our main UNC Campus, an Extended
Campus Center, or Online.
Degree-seeking graduate students enrolled in 6 or more credit hours will automatically
receive this benefit each term. SHIP premiums will appear on your semester bill. If
you have comparable insurance coverage, and do not want to be charged for SHIP coverage,
you must opt out of this plan each Fall via an online waiver process.
Please visit the UNC Student Health Insurance pages for more information about the insurance plan.
