2011-2012 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Doctor of Nursing Practice
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 Return to: Degree Programs and Graduate Certificates
Program director:
Frances C. Jackson
416 O’Dowd Hall
(248) 370-4080
fcjackso@oakland.edu
Program description
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is the terminal degree for nurses in clinical practice. It is a 32-credit, post-MSN program intended to prepare nurse leaders for clinical practice.
Nurses holding the DNP will be prepared to assume clinical and leadership roles in both academic and a variety of service settings. Skills and knowledge beyond the current master’s preparation include the ability to analyze organization and clinical systems, to critique evidence to support improved practice, and to develop practice guidelines to improve patient care and safety.
Graduate program objectives
The post-master’s DNP curriculum will prepare advanced practice nurses beyond current graduate education by preparing nurses to:
- Function as advanced clinical leaders in service and academic settings
- Function as practitioners at the highest level of nursing practice in at least one area of specialized advanced nursing practice: nurse practitioner, nurse anesthetist, nursing administrator, or clinical nurse specialist.
Application terms and deadlines
Before an applicant’s file can be reviewed for full program admission, all application documents must be received in Graduate Admissions by the semester deadlines listed below. Currently, students are admitted for the fall semester only.
- July 15, 2013 for the Fall 2013 semester
- July 15, 2014 for the Fall 2014 semester
International applicants: International applications are reviewed for fall admission only. To ensure adequate time for review, international applications must be completed at least six months before the desired date of intended enrollment to the University. All international application materials must be submitted by May 1 for fall admission.
Application requirements
To be considered for graduate admission, applicants must submit all of the following university and program application documents by the published application deadlines.
University graduate application requirements
- Online Application for Admission to Graduate Study
- Official transcripts providing evidence of an earned baccalaureate degree from an accredited U.S. institution, OR a degree equivalent to a four-year U.S. baccalaureate degree from a college or university of government-recognized standing.
- Official transcripts for all post-secondary educational institutions from which the applicant earned a degree (beginning with the first baccalaureate) and for all enrollment in graduate-level coursework beyond the bachelor’s degree. International university transcripts must be evaluated by a professional credential evaluation service.
- As part of the admission requirements, graduate programs may require official transcripts from post-secondary educational institutions from which the applicant earned an associate’s degree and all enrollment in coursework both pre- and post-bachelor’s degree.
- Two official and original Recommendation for Graduate Admission forms.
- Proof of English language proficiency
- International supplemental application and supporting documentation must be submitted before international applicants can be issued the Certification of Eligibility (I-20). This certificate is required to apply for a student visa from the U.S. embassy or consulate.
Program application requirements
- Completion of a master’s degree in nursing in a clinical area (includes nursing administration but not nursing education) from an institution accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education with a graduate cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or above
- Students who have a master’s degree in nursing in a non-clinical area may still apply to the DNP degree program, but may have to complete a post-master’s certificate program in a nursing clinical area.
- Licensed as a registered nurse in one of the 50 states or U.S. territories.
- School of Nursing Supplemental Application
- Copy of nursing license
- The two recommendation forms must include one from a faculty member familiar with the applicant’s graduate work and one from a person familiar with the applicant’s clinical practice
- Written goal statement of 500 to 1,000 words. The goal statement should focus on recent clinical experience, how the DNP will enhance the applicant’s professional development, and career goals following completion of the program. The goal statement will be evaluated on many areas, including content and appropriate use of grammar, spelling and punctuation.
- Individual interview with a School of Nursing faculty member will be scheduled after admission materials have been submitted.
Admission review and assessment
Admission to graduate study at Oakland University is selective. In making admission recommendations to Graduate Study and Lifelong Learning, each department assesses the potential of applicants for success in the program by examining their undergraduate records, goal statement, letters of recommendation, prerequisite courses and any other admission requirements established by the academic department.
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Degree requirements
The Doctor of Nursing Practice degree requires nurses with a clinical focus in their MSN program to complete a minimum of 32 credits post-MSN, depending on prior coursework taken for the master’s degree. Nurses without a clinical focus in their MSN program will complete the necessary coursework to obtain a post-MSN graduate certificate as either a Family Nurse Practitioner or Adult/Gerontology Nurse Practitioner plus the 32 credits of DNP coursework.
Transcripts of nurses with a non-clinical master’s degree in nursing or an MSN from another school will be evaluated for equivalency to the School of Nursing clinical programs. Any necessary additional coursework can be completed during the DNP program. All students graduating with a DNP will be eligible to take the appropriate certification exam, if they have not done so after their MSN program.
All post-MSN DNP students must complete a minimum of 32 credits of approved coursework, of which at least 24 credits must be taken at Oakland University. In the DNP program, graduate credit will not be awarded for courses in which a grade less than 3.0 is earned. All numerical grades earned are used in computing a student’s grade-point average. Students who have advisory committee approval of their DNP research projects must complete a minimum of 8 credits of NRS 899. b. Exit (research sequence)
The Oakland University School of Nursing DNP research sequence consists of three components:
The purpose of the research sequence is to prepare DNP students to evaluate current research, develop a research proposal, carry out the research process, and prepare a report that could take the form of a manuscript submitted for publication, a grant proposal submitted for funding, or a report that represents the outcomes of the research effort. The AACN DNP Essentials and the policies of Graduate Study and Lifelong Learning will be used as guides for what constitutes appropriate format for the final project.
DNP students must identify faculty who will serve as advisers on their DNP project and supervise the student’s progress in completing the project, ensuring that all human investigation requirements are met. It is permissible for students to work in pairs (no more than two students) on the final project, with permission of the advising committee. The Oakland University School of Nursing Doctor of Nursing Practice Student Handbook provides information and policies related to the project. Satisfactory academic progress
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is the term used to denote a student’s successful completion of coursework toward a certificate or degree. Federal regulations require the Office of Financial Aid to monitor Satisfactory Academic Progress for all financial aid recipients each semester. Students who fall behind in their coursework, or fail to achieve minimum standards for grade point average and completion of classes, may lose their eligibility for all types of federal, state and university aid. Contact the Office of Financial Aid for additional details. Good academic standing
All graduate students are expected to remain in good academic standing throughout the entire course of their graduate program. To be in good academic standing, a graduate student must make satisfactory progress toward fulfilling degree requirements, including the completion of critical degree milestones as set forth by the applicable program and maintain a minimum semester and overall GPA of 3.0.
Good academic standing is a requirement for:
- Holding a Graduate Assistantship
- Receiving a fellowship or scholarship
- Advancing to candidacy for a graduate degree
- Going on a leave of absence
- Obtaining a graduate certificate or degree from Oakland University.
Additionally, graduate students must meet all department academic standards which may be more stringent than the minimum set forth by the University.
School of Nursing requirements: Students are required to follow university policies and procedures for graduate students, as described in the Oakland University Graduate Catalog. In addition to the university requirements, specific School of Nursing policies and procedures are outlined in the School of Nursing Doctor of Nursing Practice Student Handbook.
Students are expected to earn a grade of 3.0 or above in each course in the DNP program. In courses graded Satisfactory/ Unsatisfactory (S/U), students are expected to earn a course grade of satisfactory.
Students who are not making satisfactory progress in the program may be placed on probation with conditions imposed for retention in the program or may be recommended for dismissal from the program.
Graduate students who are not in good academic standing for any reason are subject to probation and/or dismissal from further graduate study. Related program information
Plan of study
All accepted applicants, in consultation with their assigned faculty program adviser, must develop a plan of study that details specific courses the students will use to satisfy their degree requirements. The plan of study must be approved by the faculty program adviser and submitted to Graduate Study and Lifelong Learning.
Master’s and graduate certificate students must submit a department-approved plan of study by the end of their first semester of graduate coursework. Doctoral students must submit an approved plan of study prior to completion of the first year of coursework.
Advising
Students are responsible for requirements and policies stated in the School of Nursing Doctor of Nursing Practice Student Handbook and each course syllabus. Every student admitted to the DNP program is assigned to an academic adviser who is available to assist with the interpretation and implementation of relevant policies and procedures.
Continuous enrollment
The continuous enrollment policy for doctoral students requires continuous registration of graduate students for at least 1 credit each semester in the academic year to maintain an active graduate student status. This includes semesters in which the comprehensive, preliminary or qualifying examination is taken, defense, and each subsequent term (fall and winter) until the degree requirements are met and the dissertation is submitted to Graduate Study and Lifelong Learning.
Some agency and graduate assistantship eligibility may have course-load requirements that exceed the minimum registration requirements of the Continuous Enrollment Policy (e.g., Veterans Affairs, Immigration and Naturalization for international students, and federal financial aid programs). Therefore, it is the student’s responsibility to register for the appropriate number of credits that are required for funding eligibility and/or compliance as outlined by specific agency regulations under which they are governed.
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