Mar 29, 2024  
2022-2023 Graduate Catalog 
    
2022-2023 Graduate Catalog This is not the most recent catalog version; be sure you are viewing the appropriate catalog year.

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


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The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program is a four-year post-BSN program. Students in this program must complete the coursework for one of two Advance Practice Registered Nursing programs; Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner or Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist. This program is for the Post-BSN Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner track. Graduates will matriculate as Nurse Practitioner prepared DNPs who will practice in primary care settings, working with patients from adolescence through geriatrics.

The curriculum includes foundational coursework and clinical experiences culminating in the DNP Practicum (dissertation equivalent) Capstone project. 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.

The DNP program is offered in a hybrid format where classes meet online and in seats. The program typically requires 2-3 courses per semester year-round.

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 who do not meet 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 311 Marshall, 734.487.2310

Jennifer Avery, PhD, RN, GNP-BC, Interim Director

Advisor Information


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

Silisa Waldroop, 734.487.6599

Degree Requirements: 84 hours


Students who complete the 43 credit hours and 500 clinical practicum hours in good graduate standing for the NP program may apply to the Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner 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 part-time equivalent). 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 7-12). They must provide evidence of sitting for their certification exam by the end of Term 9 (or part-time equivalent).

Clinical Courses: 16 hours


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’s.
    • Doctoral degrees in clinical or practitioner programs must require a minimum of 84 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.

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