Nursing Practice, DNP

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program is a professional degree designed to create practice-ready advanced practice registered nurses (APRN) to lead the transformation of healthcare and provide evidence-based, holistic, innovative, and fiscally responsible healthcare. The APRN is prepared to deliver care that is diverse and inclusive of the determinants of health to positively impact individuals and communities in which they practice, particularly the Inland Empire region.

This three-year (nine-semester) BSN-DNP Program utilizes a hybrid synchronous and asynchronous approach. Students complete online didactic courses and 1,000 clinical hours; three on-campus advanced clinical skills development immersions (135 on-campus clinical hours), DNP Project implementation (70 hours), health assessment lab (45 hours), and direct patient care clinical rotations within assigned clinical sites (750 hours of in-person). Students apply the knowledge gained throughout the program to develop and implement a DNP Scholarly Project.

Upon completion of the DNP Program, students will have accomplished the requirements to be eligible to complete the national certification exam in the family nurse practitioner (FNP) specialty.

Program Coordinator: Dr. Renee Gregg
Phone: 909-537-7238
Email: Renee.Gregg@csusb.edu
Location: HP 221
Department Page | Bulletin Page
 
Application Requirements:

• $70 Application fee
• Prior college transcripts (unofficial accepted)
• A personal statement of professional goals
• A current version of CV/Resume
• A registered nurse (RN) license
• A document showing a minimum of 2,000 hours of work as a registered nurse
• A current American Heart Association BLS certification
• Two (2) satisfactory letters of professional recommendation
   

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program Application Deadlines:

• Priority Application Deadline: February 1, 2026
• Final Application Deadline: Once slots are full and before June 1, 2026

The priority deadline for applications to the DNP Program is February 1 of each year. Applications completed by this date will receive full consideration for admission.

After February 1, applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and offers of admission will be extended until the cohort is full. The final application deadline is June 1.

Admission is highly competitive, and applicants are encouraged to apply by the priority deadline to ensure the strongest consideration.

Application Details:

Admission shall be granted on a competitive basis; meeting the following minimum requirements qualifies an individual for but does not guarantee admission to the program. In addition to the general university admission requirements, specific requirements for admission to classified graduate status include:

1. A baccalaureate or master’s degree in nursing from a CCNE-accredited program, or a regionally-accredited baccalaureate or master’s degree in nursing. The applicant has completed equivalent academic preparation as determined by the Department of Nursing (DON) Graduate Affairs, including official transcripts.
2. A cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 in an acceptable bachelor’s degree in nursing or master’s degree in nursing, as determined by the appropriate campus authority.
3. Active registered nurse (RN) license, unencumbered, unrestricted, with no disciplinary action pending or imposed from the state in which the applicant will complete direct clinical hours.
4. Meet eligibility requirements for credentialing or certification as a family nurse practitioner upon graduation. These can be found at www.aanp.org or www.nursingworld.org.
5. Hold a current American Heart Association BLS Certification.
6. A minimum of 2,000 hours of documented work history as a registered nurse.
7. Two (2) satisfactory letters of professional recommendation. These must be dated and signed within the past six months. You should request recommendations from those who can speak to your professional and academic readiness to attend a rigorous graduate program. At least one letter must be from a direct supervisor.
8. A satisfactory written personal statement that describes what the applicant expects to accomplish in the DNP program and how the DNP program will advance the applicant’s nursing career and practice.
9. Successful completion of a personal interview.
10. Successful completion of a college-level statistics course equivalent to MATH 1201 – Introduction to Statistical Thinking.
11. Preference will be given to applicants who reside in the Inland Empire and Southern California service areas and those with military service.

Applicants may consult the Department of Nursing webpage for details on how to apply for admission to the DNP Program. To be considered for admission, applicants must submit a complete application with all required documentation during the application period. All eligible applications are reviewed by the graduate admission committee using a holistic and inclusive review process.