The DNP is a practice degree designed to prepare nurse leaders and advanced practice nurses for evidence-based practice in patient care, leadership, and educational roles. The culminating experience for this program is a doctoral project, rather than a dissertation. This program is designed for working professionals and will be offered in an online format with occasional intensive sessions held alternately on the Fresno State and San José campuses. The program follows the cohort model, there is no part-time option. This is a 5 semester, 37 unit program that can be completed in 21 months of full-time study. Program Requirements: Students in the DNP program move through the coursework as a cohort. A minimum of 37 units are required for completion of the degree. Students must maintain a 3.0 grade point average and demonstrate professional behavior to progress in the program. In order to achieve the DNP competencies, students must complete a minimum 1,000 hours of practice post-baccalaureate as part of a supervised academic program. Students shall be required to pass a qualifying assessment within two attempts in order to continue in the program and prior to advancing to candidacy. The qualifying examination will be administered at the end of the first year, when the student's mastery of essential elements of the core advanced nursing concepts can be fairly evaluated and when the student is considered ready to begin the doctoral project. The Doctoral Project: The Doctoral Project consists of three interrelated scholarly manuscripts which are developed in conjunction with the student's Project Committee. The project will relate to advanced practice and focus on a potential or existing health problem or issue affecting a group or community, rather than an individual. The project is developed, implemented, and evaluated in the second year of the program with guidance from a Project Committee selected by the student. The project will be presented to the Project Committee in a public forum, and the final paper submitted for publication to an appropriate peer-reviewed journal.

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