The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) prepares experts in specialized nursing practice. Focus in on a population of your choice and develop the clinical expertise and leadership skills to expand your job prospects.
Through a combination of coursework, a scholarly project, and supervised clinical hours, you will not only become an expert clinician—you will gain advanced knowledge and skills in systems, leadership, program evaluation, informatics, and policy so you can evaluate, influence, and lead practice.
Learn more about the DNP program by watching the video from our Open House.
Student Profile
DNP student Kala Cornelius, featured on the We Are Healers website.
Delivery: Blended, online/in-person
Credits: Post-BS: 68 (up to 18 may be waived based on previous coursework); Post-MS: 32 (up to 19 may be waived); there is also a 3-credit graduate statistics requirement
Time Frame: Post-BS 3 years; Post-BS 4 years; Post-MS 2 years
Tuition: Doctor of Nursing Practice tuition rate (select from “student career” drop-down menu)
Audience: Holders of a BSN or MSN degree with one or more years of experience
How to Get In
Post-BS Applicants
Post-BS applicants have a bachelor’s degree in nursing. Applicants who have a non-APN Master’s degree (i.e. nurse education) are considered Post-BS applicants and are able to waive up to 18 credits based on previous graduate coursework, pending review of syllabi.
DNP Program Eligibility Requirements: Post-BS
- Graduation from an accredited baccalaureate program in nursing
- GPA of 3.0 on the last 60 credits for the baccalaureate degree
- RN license
- One year of professional nursing experience
- Grade of B or better in a graduate level statistics course within the last 5 years. (Note: The course does not need to be taken before applying, but must be successfully completed prior to the start of the fall term.)
Additional Requirements for International Applicants
- CGFNS Certification
- Minimum English proficiency scores in one of the following:
- TOEFL (600 PBT, 100 iBT)
- IELTS (8)
- MELAB (85)
Post-MS Applicants
Post-MS applicants have a Master’s degree in a specialty track and are certified (or eligible for certification) as advanced practice nurses.
DNP Program Eligibility Requirements: Post-MS
- Graduation from an accredited baccalaureate program in nursing
- Master’s degree in a specialty track from an accredited nursing program
- GPA of 3.5 for the Master’s degree
- RN license
- Certification as an advanced practice nurse
- One year of professional nursing experience
- Grade of B or better in a graduate level statistics course within the last 5 years. (Note: The course does not need to be taken before applying, but must be successfully completed prior to the start of the fall term.)
Additional Requirements for International Applicants
- CGFNS Certification
- Minimum English proficiency scores in one of the following:
- TOEFL (600 PBT, 100 iBT)
- IELTS (8)
- MELAB (85)
Tuition
DNP students pay a differential tuition. Rates are subject to change by term.
Tuition Costs Per Credit (select Doctor of Nursing Practice from the ‘Student Career’ drop-down menu)
Total Costs
This cost of attendance information may help in estimating costs—you will need to substitute the DNP tuition rate:
Graduate School Cost of Attendance
Financial Support
Graduate students in the School of Nursing have access to traineeships, fellowships, scholarships, loans, and research and teaching assistantship positions that may come with full tuition remission.
The majority of funding decisions are made in the Spring for the following academic year. All students are encouraged to apply for funding.
Visit the Costs & Financial Aid page for full information about financial support.
The faculty admissions committee will review applications once each year for fall admission. All DNP program applicants must complete the Graduate School’s online application and submit the required supplementary materials.
- Application opens: Early September
- Deadline: December 1
- In-person interview: Mid-January through late-February. Interview dates and times will be assigned by the School of Nursing.
For the purposes of application review, unofficial transcripts may be uploaded directly to the application. Official records will be requested by the Graduate School for all candidates who are recommended for admission.
Students must indicate their intended population focus and whether or not they intend to follow the full- or part-time program plan as part of the application. Requests to switch population focus areas after starting the program are only seldom possible and considered on a case by case basis.
After an initial application review, eligible applicants will be invited for an interview in mid-January through late-February. All applicants must participate in an interview in order to be considered for this program. Interview dates and times will be assigned by the School of Nursing.
Application Materials
Graduate School electronic application and fee
Supplemental application materials:
- Transcripts from all previously attended and currently attending institutions
- Copy of nursing license
- Reasons for Graduate Study/Statement of Purpose
Share your motivation and goals for pursing a DNP degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Nursing (1,400 word limit). Your statement must address ALL of the following in 1,400 words or less (4 pages, double-spaced, PDF format): -
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- Career Goals. Discuss your motivation and goals for pursuing a practice doctorate in nursing. Explain how you envision this program will help you attain your long-and short-term professional goals.
- Professional Experience. Describe your current professional role and past clinical experiences. Explain how these experiences have informed your choice of specialty track and will contribute to your success in the program.
- Critical-Thinking Ability. A key role of the DNP-prepared nurse is to translate evidence into practice. Describe a significant clinical and/or system problem in healthcare that you have encountered firsthand. Address the following questions in your response.
- What is the problem?
- Who was most impacted?
- What are the costs or consequences?
- What research, best practice guidelines, or innovations have you seen that could provide potential solutions to the problem?
- Diversity. Diversity strengthens the healthcare workforce and patient outcomes. Describe how your own personal experiences and attributes enable you to contribute to patient outcomes and workforce.
- Please note that DNP students must possess strong writing abilities. The Statement of Purpose is an important component of the application process and serves as evidence of your ability to communicate your thoughts and ideas in a logical and analytical manner. Your Statement of Purpose will be assessed in the following areas:
- Ability to address the entire prompt
- Ability to write in a logical, analytical and meaningful manner
- Ability to be concise and utilize proper grammar and syntax
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- Three (3) letters of recommendation
- Curriculum vitae or resume
- International applicants:
- CGFNS Certification
- Official TOEFL, ILETS, or MELAB scores
Curriculum
The Requirements
The curriculum is organized around three components: Systematic Evaluation of Practice, Leadership/Policy, and Clinical Practice. Requirements are met through a combination of coursework, a scholarly project, and supervised clinical hours.
Post-BS Option
The Post-BS option requires a minimum of 71 credits (68 in program plan plus 3-credit graduate statistics requirement). Nurses who have a non-APN master’s degree in nursing are considered Post-BS students. They are able to waive up to 18 credits based on previous graduate coursework.
Part-time and full-time program options are available. Part-time students complete the program in five years. Full-time students complete the program in three years.
Note: Whether full- or part-time, most students reduce work hours when completing their clinical courses.
Post-MS Option
The program of study for Post-MS students who have a master’s degree in a specialty track and are certified (or eligible for certification) as advanced practice nurses requires a minimum of 51 credits; 32 credits completed as part of the DNP program with up to 19 credits recognized from the MS degree.
Nurse Educator Certificate Option
Students interested in dual preparation as an advanced practice nurse and nurse educator may add a nine-credit nursing education focus.
The Experience
We use a cohort model—students progress in a group, following the course sequence of the program. By taking classes with the same people every semester, students are able to strengthen their relationships and build on shared experiences to challenge each other academically and professionally.
A Blend of Online and Classroom Learning
Our hybrid classes offer the best of both worlds: the convenience of online classes combined with the benefits of classroom learning. It’s a format that’s been proven effective in keeping students engaged and improving learning outcomes.
On-campus meetings are required for all courses—their frequency varies based on where you are in the program plan. These in-person class meetings offer dynamic discussions and case studies, as well as the opportunity to get to know your classmates and professors.
Clinical and Leadership Practicum Experiences
As part of the DNP program, Post-BS students complete a minimum of 1,000 practicum hours: 500 hours in clinical practice and 500 hours in clinical leadership. Post-MS students complete a minimum of 500 hours in clinical leadership. All clinical placements are arranged by the School of Nursing, taking advantage of established academic partnerships with major health care systems across Wisconsin. We do our best to honor student requests to complete clinicals near their home community or another site of interest, provided the site meets the requirements for the course and a qualified preceptor is available.
Scholarly Project
In the final year of the program each student completes a scholarly project, which represents the culmination of a student’s doctoral education. The project uses evidence to improve either practice or patient outcomes and may take the form of a program evaluation, program development proposal, or quality improvement project. Students develop their scholarly project over three semesters to produce a paper of publishable quality and deliver an oral presentation to faculty, students, and the community.
What Can I Do with My Degree?
A Heart and Mind for Home Health
DNP student Troy Lawrence has a favorite clinical setting. The kitchen table.
Careers
Rewarding careers in healthcare await our graduates after they complete our DNP program. Our alumni have moved into positions across the state and country with titles including: nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, clinical faculty, program director, nurse manager, nurse prescriber, executive director of a clinic, and more.
Our career advisor is available by appointment, phone, and email—see contact information below. To connect with other alumni and with employers, current students and graduates are encouraged to join BadgerBridge.
Certification
In addition to earning a doctoral degree, Post-BS graduates are prepared to sit for the following professional nursing certification examinations upon successful completion of the program.
| Population Focus | Role Preparation | Professional Certification Examination |
| Adult/Gerontology | Clinical Nurse Specialist | ANCC Adult-Gerontology CNS |
| Adult/Gerontology Acute Care | Nurse Practitioner | ANCC Adult-Gerontology Acute Care NP |
| Adult/Gerontology Primary Care | Nurse Practitioner | ANCC Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP |
| Pediatric Primary Care | Nurse Practitioner | ANCC Pediatric Primary Care NP PNCB Primary Care Pediatric NP |
| Psychiatric Mental Health | Nurse Practitioner | ANCC Psychiatric-Mental Health NP |
Connect with an Advisor
The program meets the AACN Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice and the NTF Criteria for Evaluation of Nurse Practitioner Programs. The Doctor of Nursing Practice program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.