Mar 28, 2024  
2023-2024 Graduate Catalog [Current Academic Year] 
    
2023-2024 Graduate Catalog [Current Academic Year] This is not the most recent catalog version; be sure you are viewing the appropriate catalog year.

Nursing Practice – Post-BSN Primary Care Nurse Practitioner [DNP]

Location(s): In-person/hybrid


Revised Program [Winter 2024]

Students admitted in Fall 2023 will be held to the Nursing Practice – Post-BSN Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner [DNP] requirements in the 2022-2023 Catalog.


The Post-BSN to DNP Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Program is a 3-year full-time program. Students in this program must complete the coursework for one of two Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Program Concentrations;

  1. The Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Concentration - Upon graduation, individuals will become Nurse Practitioner prepared DNPs equipped to provide care to patients ranging from adolescents to geriatrics in various settings such as community-based, offices, ambulatory care, urgent care, extended care, etc. Their expertise includes managing patients’ health across the wellness and illness continuum in the primary care setting.
  2. The Family Nurse Practitioner Concentration - Upon graduation, individuals will become Nurse Practitioner-prepared DNPs equipped to provide care to patients from infancy to geriatrics in various primary care settings such as community-based facilities, offices, ambulatory care clinics, urgent care centers, extended care facilities, and more. This preparedness will encompass the continuum of care from promoting wellness to addressing illness.

The curriculum includes advanced coursework and practicum experiences culminating in the DNP Scholarly Project. At the end of this program, the graduate nurse will be eligible to sit for their respective national certification examinations required to practice as an Adult-Gerontology Primary Care or Family Nurse Practitioner. They will subsequently be eligible for state licensure as a nurse practitioner. This program will be offered as a hybrid model where classes will be available online and in-seat through alternative designs (one-week immersion or extended weekend programming). Students admitted to the Post-BSN to DNP NP program must travel to campus for a maximum of 6 days per semester. These on-campus immersion sessions will support student success through instruction and testing of clinical skills utilizing skills labs, simulations, and expert seminars. 

The program typically requires 2-4 courses per semester year-round to complete the program in 3 years. The program may be pursued part-time over four years, requiring students to take 2-3 courses per semester year-round to complete the program. 

Students must have a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from an accredited School of Nursing (or complete Bridge requirements if the applicant is an RN with a bachelor’s degree in another field) and be eligible for a Michigan Nursing License.

Program Admission


Admit Terms and Deadlines

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis; students may start the program in the Winter. See Application Deadlines.

International applicants may apply to begin coursework during the fall semester.

The university takes an average of 2-3 weeks to make admission decisions. Therefore, the response time from the School of Nursing may be longer depending upon the submission date and application deadline

Minimum Graduate School Requirements

For full admission, applicants must have 1) Earned a four-year baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or an equivalent degree from a non-U.S. institution, 2) a minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 2.7 on a 4.0 scale, or 3.0 in the last half of the undergraduate program. Conditional admission may be available to applicants not meeting minimum admission requirements.

Program Requirements

Applicants must also meet the following program requirements. Requirements may be more stringent than the minimum graduate school requirements.

  • Possess a BSN degree (Applicants holding an RN license with a bachelor’s in another discipline may apply for conditional admission).
  • Have at least a cumulative 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) college GPA. (Applicants may seek conditional admission with a GPA of 2.75).
  • Have a current unrestricted license to practice as a professional registered nurse in the U.S or eligibility to obtain a Michigan license.
  • Have completed an approved basic statistics course that includes descriptive and inferential statistics within the last ten years.
  • Have completed a basic health assessment course.
  • Have completed an undergraduate community health nursing course and clinical (or equivalent) from an accredited university. In addition, RNs with a Bachelor’s in a discipline other than nursing must either complete the Community Health Nursing courses (NURS 450  & NURS 451 ) or complete the Community Health ATI Examination to demonstrate equivalency.
  • A telephone or in-person interview may be a part of the admission process

Additionally, the following documents are required and submitted with the application.

  • Current licensure as a registered nurse in the state in which practice will occur (Applicants who are eligible for a license may apply for conditional admission)
  • Resume or Curriculum Vitae
  • A two to three-page (500 words maximum) personal statement describing your goals as a Doctor of Nursing Practice in Adult-Gerontological NP.

The personal statement should reflect your understanding of (1) the role of an Adult-Gerontological NP and (2) the DNP prepared Advance Practice Nurse. It should indicate that your goals are a fit for your chosen program. It is most effective when you have researched the program and the scope of practice of your area of interest before writing your statement. Review the documents linked above from the AACN, NACNS, and NCBSN to help articulate the fit with your goals. The personal statement is evaluated based on your understanding of the DNP-prepared Advanced Practice Nurse’s role, fit with our program, and the ability to express yourself clearly and professionally.

Application

Your application will be submitted using NursingCAS, a Centralized Application Service (CAS) hosted by Liaison. After reviewing the admission requirements, please review the application instructions  and select the appropriate application.

Domestic Applicants Within the application, follow the instructions to submit an official transcript from all previously attended institutions.

International Applicants Before applying, applicants must review the international application/process deadlines at emich.edu/international as they may differ from general program requirements.

For additional information regarding the application process, please see Graduate Admissions or International Admissions. 

School Information


Nursing 352 Marshall, 734.487.2310

Marguerite DeBello, PhD, Interim Director

Advisor Information


Dejuana Jackson, DNP, RN, FNP-BC, Associate Director of Graduate Nursing Studies, 311 Marshall, 734.487.2279

Vicki L. Washington, Associate Director for Online Nursing Studies, 360 Marshall, 734.487.7671

Degree Requirements: 75-78 hours


To complete this program, students in Adult-Gerontology Concentration must finish 75 credit hours, while those in Family Nurse Practitioner Concentration must complete 78 credit hours. In addition, they must obtain a minimum of 750 clinical hours with direct patient care and an extra 500 DNP practicum hours.

Students who complete the minimum course requirements for an MSN in their area of study and the minimum direct patient care clinical practicum hours may apply for the MSN program at the end of Term 5 (or equivalent part-time) and graduate with a Master of Science in Nursing at the end of Term 6 (or equivalent part-time). Transcripts will reflect the conferral of an MSN degree at this point. Students will continue to complete the remainder of their doctoral work within the DNP program (Terms 7-9 or part-time equivalent). After their doctoral-level coursework and clinical practicum hours, they can graduate with a DNP degree.

Concentration: 21-24 hours


Satisfy one of the following concentrations.

Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Concentration: 21 hours


To apply for national certification exams, adult gerontology nurse practitioner candidates must complete the required clinical courses and acquire at least 750 direct patient care clinical hours. The hours spent in supervised clinical practicum with direct patient care are listed below for each course.

Family Nurse Practitioner Concentration: 24 hours


The following are the required clinical courses for the family nurse practitioner concentration. NP candidates must have at least 750 direct patient care clinical hours to apply for national certification exams. The hours spent in supervised clinical practicum with direct patient care are listed below for each course.

DNP Courses: 38 hours


Doctoral students must complete a total of 1,000 clinical hours. Students may claim up to 500 practicum hours from their APRN Clinical Courses toward the 1,000 practicum hours. The 800-level practicum hours are typically not direct-patient care.

Critical Graduation Information


Each graduate student is responsible for fulfilling the requirements or their equivalents of the Eastern Michigan University catalog in force at the time of their initial registration or a subsequent catalog, including the one in effect at the time of their graduation.

Students have seven (7) years to complete the requirements for the doctoral degree from the date of first enrollment in the doctoral program at EMU. 

In the event a student does not complete the degree requirements within seven years of the date of their original registration, the student may be required to have their credits re-evaluated by the academic department(s) of their degree in keeping with catalog requirements in force during the year of their graduation.

The following are minimum requirements for all doctoral degrees awarded by Eastern Michigan University. Some programs require more than the minimum in one or more areas below.

  • Minimum Credit Hour Requirements
    • A Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree must require a minimum of 90 credit hours post-bachelor’s degree.
    • A Ph.D. degree in a program that requires a master’s degree for admission must require a minimum of 60 credit hours post-master’s.
    • A Ph.D. degree in a program that allows a specialist’s degree for admission must require a minimum of 36 credit hours post-specialist.
    • Doctoral degrees in clinical or practitioner programs must require a minimum of 75 hours if admitting students post-bachelor’s degree. If admitting students post-master’s degree, a minimum of 41 new hours are required.
  • Doctoral programs must require a minimum of 15 total credit hours of research and research support coursework.
  • No more than six credits of independent study courses, and no more than 12 credit hours of special topics and independent study courses combined, may be applied to a graduate degree.  
  • Residency Requirement - See Academic Policies and Processes—Graduate School for residency requirements. 
  • Students must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA in all graduate-level courses taken at EMU and in their program of study to remain in good academic standing and be eligible for graduation. Students do not need to be registered for classes during the semester of graduation.
  • The Graduate School does not permit the use of undergraduate courses (499 and below) to meet degree requirements on graduate programs of study.
  • Some doctoral programs require a dissertation. See the Graduate School website for Thesis and Dissertation Manuals, all forms, and information about research and human subject approval. Every completed thesis or dissertation must be submitted to Digital Commons. Any form of graduate student work submitted to Digital Commons must first be approved by a faculty advisor and the Graduate School.