Students who attend UVA are mentored by faculty members who are experts in their field as educators, clinicians, researchers. Their experiences are additionally enriched by access to other disciplines across the University, including religion, ethics, contemplative sciences, mindfulness, and medicine. All graduate nursing students are required to have a laptop. 

Though it depends on the degree with which students enter the program (whether it's a BSN or MSN), as well as the specialty area DNP students choose, core courses typically include:

DNP Core Courses (29 credits)

• GNUR 8180: Healthcare Data Analysis (3 credits)
• GNUR 8620: Quality and Safety in Healthcare Systems (4 credits)
• GNUR 8645: Ethics and Leadership in Interprofessional Practice (3 credits)
• GNUR 8650: Information Systems and Patient Care Technology (3 credits)
• GNUR 8660: Evidence-Based Practice (3 credits)
• GNUR 8680: Culturally Sensitive Care/Population Health (3 credits)
• GNUR 9026: Health Policy, Economics & Finance (3 credits)
• GNUR 9027: Practice Change Management (2 credits)
• GNUR 9710: Implementation of Practice Change (3 credits)
• GNUR 9720: Dissemination of Practice Scholarship (2 credits)
• Electives (9 credits)

BSN to DNP Program Specialty Track Concentration Courses

Specialty track courses (22-26 credits)

BSN to DNP students may choose from one of seven concentrations:

• Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Clinical Nurse Specialist specialty
• Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner specialty
• Family Nurse Practitioner specialty
• Neonatal Nurse Practitioner specialty
• Pediatric Nurse Practitioner - Acute Care specialty
• Pediatric Nurse Practitioner - Primary Care specialty
• Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner specialty

A dual-track Adult Gerontology Acute Care CNS + NP specialty is a full-time program and for military students only.

APRN Clinical Practicum 

All BSN-to-DNP students complete  750 hours (14 credits) of direct care practicum.

Clinical requirements do not need to be met at the UVA Medical Center; the School has existing clinical contracts across the Commonwealth and in Washington DC and Maryland. We guarantee practicum placements within the state of Virginia; however, there are certain sites within Virginia that we are unable to secure due to factors such as site capacity, affiliation limitations, or specialty availability. While we cannot guarantee out-of-state placements at any point during your program, over the past three years we have successfully arranged practicum experiences both within Virginia and in nearby states, including North Carolina, Washington, D.C., and Maryland.

Clinical placement is a collaborative process that considers your professional connections in conjunction with program requirements and available clinical opportunities.  Professional connections may help identify potential clinical sites or preceptors; however, the program will work with you to evaluate and finalize the clinical placement to ensure all requirements are met.

No. Our DNP program is offered in a hybrid modality. We combine face-to-face and online learning experiences to allow students to engage with course content, faculty and peers through both in-person and virtual learning environments.

In-person class requirements vary by semester and APRN specialty. For example, in semesters with lab and APRN practicum requirements, students may be required to come in-person to UVA School of Nursing for 2-4 consecutive days for intensive labs.

In semesters without lab and practicum requirements, students have in-person classes on average 4-5 times a semester.

In person requirements are published up to 4 months prior to the semester.

For the BSN-to-DNP pathway, the full-time program takes 3 years to complete. The part-time program, only available to a limited number of students, takes 5 years to complete.

For the MSN-to-DNP pathway, the full-time program takes 2 years to complete, and the part-time program takes 3 years to complete. 

No. To ensure progression, we ask that students follow the published plan of study.

Students enrolled in the full-time program should carefully consider the demands of maintaining employment while pursuing their degree. Full-time study, specifically in the final year of the program, requires significant engagement in coursework, clinical experiences, and group projects. Course schedules, clinical placements, and academic requirements may vary by semester.

Although some students successfully maintain employment during the program, doing so can present challenges related to time management, academic performance, personal wellbeing, and work-life balance. Students are encouraged to evaluate their professional and personal commitments and develop a realistic plan to support their academic success.

Students enrolled in the part-time program often have greater flexibility to work while in the program. However, the final year of the part-time program is full-time (9 credit hours) as students are enrolled in practicum and completing their DNP project.

DNP students may be eligible to transfer a maximum of 12 credits total from other academic institutions or from other UVA programs prior to admission if they meet the criteria outlined in the transfer credit policy. All transfer credit requests are reviewed and approved by the Graduate Program Lead after the student has matriculated.

Clinical placement is a collaborative process that considers your professional connections in conjunction with program requirements and available clinical opportunities.  Professional connections may help identify potential clinical sites or preceptors; however, the program will work with you to evaluate and finalize the clinical placement to ensure all requirements are met.

Each student is responsible for identifying and developing an individual DNP project that addresses a documented practice-site need and aligns with their professional interests. The School may assist students in identifying potential project opportunities and facilitating connections with practice sites based on organizational priorities, project feasibility, academic appropriateness, and available site support. All proposed projects, whether independently identified or developed with School assistance, must meet established academic and organizational approval requirements.

A DNP degree is a doctorate of nursing practice. A PhD is a research doctorate.

Graduates of PhD programs are prepared to conduct independent research and disseminate their findings. PhD graduates are preferred for academic faculty positions, but DNP graduates are also recruited for academic and leadership positions emphasizing evidence-based clinical practice and teaching.

A DNP will provide graduates with the skills and tools necessary to assess the evidence gained through nursing research, evaluate the impact of that research on their practice and, as necessary, make changes to enhance quality of care.

Scholarship is an integral part of both doctoral degrees.