Post-Master's DNP
Upcoming DNP Informational Webinars
Please join us for one of our upcoming informational webinars in 2025! The DNP program director and DNP program coordinator will be available to discuss the program and answer questions. To sign up for a webinar, please click HERE.
Request More Information about this program
Program Overview
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is a professional doctorate designed to prepare nurses for the highest level of practice in a complex healthcare environment. The TTUHSC SON DNP graduate has the scientific knowledge and practice expertise to advance quality outcomes and create access to health care across a multitude of settings from rural health clinics to major urban health systems.
The purpose of the Doctor of Nursing Practice program is to provide a rigorous education to prepare clinical scholars who translate science to improve population health through expert leadership that powers innovation in health care for West Texas, the state, and the nation.
The program is designed for master's prepared nurses who are working. Classes are both on-line and in "executive sessions" over an average of 3 days twice during the semester. The TTUHSC program is 45 credit hours and can be completed over six consecutive semesters.
TOEFL Scores – Applicants from a country where the primary language is not English must provide evidence of achieving a total score of 84 or higher with a speaking score of 26 or higher and a writing score of 27 or higher on the TOEFL iBT. This may only be waived if the student has received a degree from an accredited college/university in one of the listed countries: Australia, Canada (except the Province of Quebec), Commonwealth Caribbean countries (including Anguilla, Antigua, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Dominic, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands), Republic of Ireland, Liberia, New Zealand, United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales), United States.
Disclaimer: Due to changing regulations, the TTUHSC SON Graduate Programs cannot guarantee at
the time of submission of an application that we can accept students from a particular
state. At this time, we are unable to accept students living in the following states – Arizona,
California, Georgia, Louisiana, New York, Oregon, Tennessee and Washington.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon program completion, the graduate will be prepared to:
- Translate innovative practice approaches based on scientific knowledge from nursing and other disciplines.
- Design holistic initiatives championing person-centered care using evidence-based practice.
- Direct collaborative efforts among interprofessional teams and communities to improve population health and transform healthcare.
- Lead quality and safety initiatives to optimize outcomes across the continuum of healthcare from individuals to systems.
- Integrate systems leadership and professionalism to deliver efficient, equitable care to diverse populations.
- Critically appraise informatics and healthcare technologies to inform leadership and practice decision-making.
- Develop a professional identity reflective of individual roles to propel leadership, personal growth, and continuous learning.
Admission Requirements
IMPORTANT NOTE FOR APPLICANTS WHO ATTENDED A COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY IN SPRING 2020
An explanation of how TTUHSC School of Nursing considers courses in which a student earns grades of Pass (P), Fail(F), Credit (CR) or No Credit (NC) is outlined below:
- Official transcripts with courses awarded with P or CR during the SPRING 2020 semester can be used to meet prerequisite course requirements and will not be used in calculating either the cumulative or science GPA for admissions.
- TTUHSC SON reserves the right to determine how, and if, courses awarded with P or CR during any semester, outside of spring 2020, will be calculated into a GPA and/or considered for transfer credit.
- Official transcripts with courses awarded with a Fail (F) or No Credit (NC) during any semester cannot be used to meet prerequisite course requirements
All DNP applicants must meet the following requirements:
- Current unencumbered licensure as a registered nurse in the United States
- Master of Science in Nursing degree from a regionally accredited college or university with nursing program accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or from the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC). Post-Master's DNP applicants with unique credentials will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Such applicants may be required to complete one or more additional graduate nursing courses.
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree or ADN to MSN degree from a regionally accredited college or university with nursing program accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or from the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC)
- Official transcripts from each institution of higher education attended by applicant must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar
- GPA of 3.0 or higher for master's degree
- Three letters of reference attesting to the applicant's academic ability and potential, including one from a current professional colleague
- Personal Statement
- Interview with a DNP Admissions Committee faculty member
- Current CV or resume
- Approval by a state Board of Nurse Examiners to practice as a Nurse Practitioner
- Current certification by a nationally recognized credentialing body as a Nurse Practitioner
- Minimum of one year's experience as a nurse practitioner
- BLS certification
- Minimum of one year's experience in a health care leadership position
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s (AACN) The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education (2021) requires students graduating with the DNP degree have achieved 1000 clinical hours from a combination of clinical hours in the master’s program and the DNP program. Each student will achieve a minimum of 500 clinical/practice hours in the TTUHSC DNP program. The student may or may not have achieved 500 clinical hours in his/her master’s program. To meet the total 1000-hour requirement for a DNP graduate with the combination of master’s clinical/practice hours and the 500 clinical/practice hours required in the DNP program, individualized determinants are utilized to identify the number of clinical hours that students need for graduation as follows:
- Qualified Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) applicants with national certification as an APRN are expected to have had a minimum of 500 clinical hours in their APRN master’s program in order to meet requirements for APRN recognition and national certification, as appropriate for their professional role and practice area. The DNP post-master’s program provides a minimum of 500 clinical hours resulting in a minimum total of 1000 clinical hours for graduation with the DNP degree.
- Qualified applicants who hold a master of science in nursing (MSN) in administration, education, or other MSN typically have had some clinical hours in their master’s program. Clinical hours completed in the MSN program will be verified through a transcript review and school catalog verification, and/or verification of hours in writing from the MSN program. If the number of clinical/practice hours from the MSN program is less than 500, students must achieve the required number of clinical/practice hours via a supervised academic program, which will be offered through an independent study in their first semester to provide an individualized clinical intensive based on their background, experience and learning needs; the independent study will be offered in subsequent semesters depending on the number of clinical/practice the student needs to complete.
- Qualified applicants with a master’s degree in a field other than nursing are evaluated for the clinical hour requirement and are required to complete clinical/practice hours via a supervised academic program, which will be offered through an independent study in their first semester to provide an individualized clinical intensive based on their background, experience and learning needs; the independent study will be offered in subsequent semesters depending on the student’s individual needs to complete the academically supervised 500 hours.
Application
It is the responsibility of the applicant to make sure that their application is complete: Application Instructions
All application fees and placement fees/enrollment deposits are non-refundable. Please be sure you are applying for the correct term/program before submitting your application.
Deadlines
| Admission Term | Application Open | Application Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Fall | No Admission | |
| Spring | No Admission | |
| Summer | September 1 | January 15 |
- Once you have submitted your application, official transcripts must be submitted by ALL colleges or universities attended. You may only request official transcripts – you may not submit an official transcript yourself.
- Transcripts may be mailed by the college or university to this address:
TTUHSC School of Nursing
Office of Admissions
3601 4th St. STOP 8212
Lubbock, TX 79430-8212
Or
- *Effective immediately, TTUHSC School of Nursing WILL NO LONGER accept transcripts transmitted through the SPEEDE system. Please ensure your official transcripts are submitted electronically to SONTranscripts@ttuhsc.edu or mailed to the Office of Admissions.
*DISCLAIMER: Please be aware that if the Office of Admissions does receive an official transcript transmitted via the SPEEDE system (either directly from the sending institution or a third-party transcript provider), we may use it to evaluate and process your application. Therefore, as an applicant, it is important you remain aware that information on transcripts submitted via SPEEDE may not be accurate. It is to your benefit to have the transcript sent to the Office of Admissions either electronically to SONTranscripts@ttuhsc.edu or through the mail.