Program: Doctor of Nursing Practice in Executive Leadership - National University

Description of Program

The Doctor of Nursing Practice in Executive Leadership is a program specifically designed to foster the advanced practice of nursing leadership within a complex, highly regulated health care system. The target audience is nursing managers, directors and executives. Classes at Northcentral University are three credit eight week, three credit twelve week and a mixture of 1, 2 and 3 credit twelve week courses (difference due to number of practicum hours needed each for each course) offered online. The degree is 46 credits, in alignment with other regionally accredited DNP programs.

NCU’s DNP program will utilize both the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials and the competencies from the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) in the development of program and course outcomes. The program includes 500 practice experience hours, 100 of which are credited for planning and implementing the doctoral project. The experiential learning component is focused on the development of leadership competencies across a variety of healthcare settings and organizations.

.**Note: Program availability may vary by state - please contact the Enrollment Office for more information**

Learning Outcomes

Evaluate data to inform nursing practice, organizational health, and care delivery
Develop data-informed, literature based strategic plans for organizations
Interface with other nursing professionals with regards to the fostering of culture of accountability and responsibility for professional judgment and actions
Create new explanatory and predictive models to advance healthcare organizations and nursing care delivery in a global society
Recommend health policies which ensure stewardship of resources, promote social justice, and community partnerships in maintaining health

Basis for Admission

Admission to the Doctor of Nursing Practice in Executive Leadership requires:

Earned Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from a from a regionally or nationally accredited program (an institution accredited by either a regional accredition agency or an agency recognized by the Council for Higher Education (CHEA))
Students are expected to have completed 500 practice hours from their MSN program
- Students determined to have less than 500 upon entry will make up balance in program
- May include practice hours from Advanced Practice RN (APRN) MSN programs that are regionally or nationally accredited (CCNE or NLNAC/NCEA)
GPA 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale
Current, active, unencumbered licensure as a registered nurse (RN)
- License number and expiration date is required
Employment verification or verified access to an applicable healthcare environment for practice experience requirements and completion
Also required are: transcripts, current resume or curriculum vitae

Degree Requirements

The Doctor of Nursing Practice in Executive Leadership degree requires a minimum of 46 credit hours at the graduate level beyond the master’s degree. The University may accept a maximum of 12 semester credit hours in transfer toward the doctoral degree for graduate coursework completed at an accredited college or university while enrolled in a doctoral program with a grade of “B” or better.

The DNP degree program have the following graduation requirements:

A minimum of 34 credit hours of graduate instruction must be completed through NCU
Grade Point Average of 3.0 (letter grade of “B”) or higher
Complete required practice experience hours
Satisfactory completion of DNP Project
Submission of the approved final DNP Project
Official documents on file for basis of admission: a conferred master’s degree from an accredited academic institution
Official transcripts on file for all transfer credit hours accepted by the University
All financial obligations to the University paid in full

Time to Completion

NCU allows 7 years to complete all doctoral programs of 60 credits or less. Normal time to completion for this program is 28 months.

Time to completion varies depending upon the pace in which a student completes courses and the number of transfer credits accepted. As most NCU students are working adults, balancing educational, professional, and personal commitments, our academic and finance advisors will work with you to develop a program schedule that works best for your needs.

The normal time disclosed above reflects the experience of students who may have entered under different program requirements. In the quest for continuous improvement, academic leadership has revised the program to optimize curriculum and pace, facilitate student learning, and improve chances for success. Therefore, the program is now designed for students enrolling today to take advantage of these revised course structures, lengths, and schedules.

Course Sequence

The DNP program requires a minimum of 46 credits. Additional credit hours may be allowed as needed to complete the scholarly paper. If granted, additional courses will be added to the student degree program in alignment with the Satisfactory Academic Process (SAP) and Academic Maximum Time to Completion policies. Students who do not complete their program in accordance with these policies may be dismissed.