DNP Core Program Requirements

Course Requirements

The DNP Program requires completion of core foundation and upper-level core courses, as well as courses in either the FNP, PMHNP, or PHNL role concentration (see sample plans of study). If a student already holds a master’s APN degree, an individually tailored Plan of Study will be created based on transcript review. A post-master’s student must complete a minimum of 30 semester credits to complete the DNP degree. The final scholarly requirement of the DNP program is the DNP project, which is a requirement for graduation.

Read on for information that pertains to all DNP students, regardless of concentration. View information for specific concentrations at the following links:

• DNP-FNP Concentration
• DNP-PHNL Concentration
• DNP-PMHNP Concentration
• DNP Post-Master's Completion

Faculty Advisors

All College of Nursing faculty members who have graduate faculty status are potential advisors for DNP students. Students will be assigned an advisor that is congruent with their area of interest whenever possible. DNP students are expected to meet regularly with their advisors to outline their plan of study, discuss academic coursework, and to prepare for the comprehensive exam and capstone scholarly project.

DNP Role Course Sequencing and Preceptor Selection

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program is focused on advanced nursing practice and requires a core of theoretical knowledge and a significant number of practice hours.  The UMass Amherst DNP program stipulates that all students engage in practicum experiences to fulfill the hours required of a practice doctorate. Post-master’s DNP students are required to document the number of practicum hours they obtained in their previous master’s degree program.

Practicum Preceptor Selection 

Preceptors should hold advanced (graduate) degrees in nursing or medicine. Nurse Practitioners (MS-prepared NP experts or DNP graduates) or physicians are preferred preceptors, but Physician Assistants (PAs) may be approved on a case-by-case basis. Preceptors should have at least 1-2 years of experience in their field. A student may choose to have two preceptors, if having two preceptors’ aids in achieving course requirements. Students and preceptors must be licensed in the state in which they are practicing / completing their clinicals. College of Nursing faculty instructors must approve all preceptors before a student can begin a practicum experience.

Preceptors and agencies are selected based upon their best fit with the course objectives and practicum focus for each course. Students must submit all required practicum documents well in advance of any experiences with an agency or community preceptor. View practicum guidelines in the Graduate Student Handbook.

DNP/FNP

Preceptors should hold advanced degrees (a graduate degree) in nursing or medicine. Nurse Practitioners (MS prepared NP experts or DNP graduates) or physicians are preferred preceptors, but Physician Assistants (PAs) may be approved on a case-by-case basis. College of Nursing faculty instructors must approve all preceptors before a student can begin a practicum experience.

DNP Psych/Mental Health

Preceptorship may take place with a licensed Psychiatrist and or a licensed Psychiatric NP/CNS, except for the psychotherapy rotation (summer II). PMHNP students may work with a psychotherapist during which time they may precept with be a Licensed and Independent (Psychologist (PsyD), Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) Social Worker (LICSW only- LCSW (Licensed Social Workers) not acceptable) Licensed Drug and Alcohol Counselor (LADC), Psychiatrist,  and / or advanced practice psychiatric nurse (PMHNP/PMHCNS).

DNP Public Health Nurse Leader

The preceptor(s) should be an expert in the field of public health practice who can assist the student in gaining access to the population of interest. The preceptor must be a master’s level or higher community health professional. The site must provide access to and authority for expanded scope of practice (for example: temporary entry into data systems, access to staff/patients for interviews/focus groups), which will allow students to practice at the highest level.

Please plan well in advance with the Graduate Clinical Placements. It often works best if a student plans for and secures an approved preceptor(s) for courses up to a year in advance. The College supports students who are looking for clinical placements. The College Clinical Placement Coordinator is available to assist with identifying sites and DNP staff can assist with establishing affiliation agreements and other clinical site requirements.

If a student has not been successful in securing an approved preceptor prior to the beginning of any practicum experience, the student may be required to withdraw from the course. Withdrawal from a course will affect progression through the specialty courses and a new Plan of Study will be required.

DNP Core Courses

All DNP students take the core courses in addition to their specialty courses (except for Post Master’s DNP Completion students who do not need specialty courses).

*Please note: The course Nursing 798W (Capstone 3) has now been absorbed into Nursing 798U and is no longer a distinct, separate course.

Course Descriptions

• N630 Research Methodology in Nursing
  Examines the use of quantitative and qualitative research methods with an emphasis on analyzing clinical problems and evaluating evidence for translation into practice (3 credits)
• N651 Nursing Ethics, Health Policy & Politics
  This course provides students with a framework for examining political and ethical issues that influence health care. Major elements of national health policy and politics will be analyzed. (3 credits)
• N701 Healthcare Quality
  This course will provide an overview of the history of quality of care, with particular attention to the evolution of quality assessment, assurance, improvement, measurement, management, finance and research (3 credits)
• N704 Health Disparities and Social Justice
  Using group discussion, research, and community-focused assignments, students will gain knowledge regarding the historical dimensions leading to health disparities, social injustice, and concepts of marginalization, poverty, race, class, and gender. (3 credits)
• N715 Intermediate Statistics: Computer Application and Analysis of Data
  This course focuses on statistical techniques frequently used in health sciences research and on the use of analytic software to create, manage and analyze data on personal computers (3 credits)
• N725 Leadership in Health Systems
  The course focuses on leadership theory, research, development, and practical competencies of contemporary leaders of health care systems. (3 credits)
• N735 Informatics for Nursing Practice
  This course provides students with essential knowledge and skills to utilize information systems/technology to improve and transform healthcare systems and provide leadership within healthcare systems and/or academic settings. (3 credits)

All DNP Students: DNP Final Project Description

The DNP Project begins with the student selecting a problem arising from clinical or public health practice. Graduates of the DNP program are uniquely prepared to help bridge the research-practice gap by appropriately developing, tailoring, implementing, and evaluating theoretically and evidence- based projects and programs and disseminating the results. Graduates are then able to deliver the intended benefit of the research evidence to the group, population, or community. The DNP project gives students a supervised opportunity to independently undertake this research translation process.

The problem under study in the DNP project must represent an identified need, as evidenced by a review of current literature, a community assessment, or other method of needs identification. For the project to be most effective, the stakeholders present at the site must agree that there is a need for the project and must be consulted and involved throughout the project. Indeed, the project may be done in partnership with the clinical agency, health department, College, church, government or community agency, voluntary organization, or community group.

The project literature review must support the need for the project and suggest an evidence base for the project. The literature review should include research studies on innovations that can be synthesized and developed into a program to address the practice problem. Further, the student must be seen as a credible authority on both the problem and the research-based innovation/program by stakeholders in the setting, thus, the focus of the problem and innovation/program must be on advanced nursing practice in the student’s specialty area. Finally, the student must be sufficiently familiar with the specific site in which the program will be implemented to tailor the program to the site’s organization, resources, and constraints. 

Project sites will vary depending on the track: 

• FNP: Students who are in the FNP track work directly with their course faculty to identify a project site and project mentor in an outpatient or primary care setting. Acute care hospitals / units are not acceptable.
• Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP): Most students complete projects in psychiatric community sites or hospitals.
• Post-Masters: Students often complete their work in outpatient, primary care, community or other similar settings.
• Public Health Nurse Leader: PHNL students complete projects in a variety of public health settings. PHNL students can choose to complete their projects in public health departments, community groups, federal agencies, faith based organizations, university health departments, homecare agencies, or similar settings.

DNP Project Team 

For the DNP Project, students will identify an appropriate project site mentor in Capstone 1 and are assigned by the DNP Director a College of Nursing faculty member to serve as project chair at the end of Capstone 2. Students are expected to work closely with their capstone course faculty, assigned faculty member/chair and project site mentor, throughout the process of completing the DNP project. Students must send their proposal to the assigned faculty member/chair after Capstone 2 for approval. Students should anticipate the need for multiple drafts before final approval of the proposal and final DNP project report. Students must alo send their completed DNP project write/evaluation up to their assigned faculty member/chair in Capstone 4 for approval prior to graduation. 

Purpose of the Team

The purpose of a project team is to support the student as they design and implement the DNP project. Your project committee includes the faculty of the respective capstone course you are enrolled in for that semester, the site mentor, and an assigned faculty member/chair. The assigned faculty member/chair will be assigned by the end of the second DNP capstone course by the DNP Director. The DNP project entails collaboration among the DNP capstone course faculty, assigned committee member/chair, site mentor and student.  

The student: The student is the leader of the project team. The student works closely with the capstone course faculty and assigned faculty member/chair, along with site mentor, as they identify ideas and develop, implement, and evaluate the DNP project.

DNP Project committee: The capstone course faculty member and the assigned faculty member/chair (whose interests / expertise aligns with the project topic), along with the project site mentor serve as the DNP Project committee to promote the scholarly thinking and intellectual curiosity of the student. This is accomplished through ongoing feedback to the student from capstone course faculty and the assigned faculty member/chair. The capstone course faculty member and the assigned faculty member/chair give final approval of the DNP proposal, which must be obtained before the project is implemented; they also provide approval of the final paper/project write up (which occurs in the final capstone course).  

Project Site Mentor: A project mentor is someone who works at the project site and agrees to support the student and help to navigate the site's system. The student will be asked to identify a project mentor at the agency's site and give the name and contact information to the faculty teaching the first capstone course.  

Advisor: Upon admission to the DNP program, each student is assigned an advisor. This individual is listed in Spire. The advisor is there to answer general questions about the DNP program. The advisor may or may not be involved with the student’s DNP capstone project.

DNP Project Completion Process

In preparation for the DNP project, students are assigned one College of Nursing faculty member and will identify an appropriate project site mentor. Students are expected to work closely with their capstone course,  faculty project chair, and project site mentor   throughout the process of completing the DNP project. Students should anticipate the need for multiple drafts before final approval of the proposal and final DNP project report.

he project site mentor must approve the proposal, the work, and final write-up along with the faculty members. A project site mentor can be a nurse practitioner, physician, and/or a public health leader within the facility or community depending on the DNP track the student is in and where the project will be actualized. The designated project site mentor may be from anywhere in the world, so long as they have consented to the position on the committee and expressed a willingness to guide from a distance. The DNP Project Chair has final approval authority on the Project. 

A student must receive a grade of C or above to pass the DNP Project requirement. Upon final completion and approval, the student should submit the DNP FORM, “Approval of DNP Scholarly Project” to the DNP office and their course instructor once the final approval is given.  

The project culminates in the submission of a final report that summarizes the project’s goals, methodology, results, and conclusions.  

The final requirement also includes posting your DNP Project on ScholarWorks on the UMass Amherst Library site Instructions are provided to the student on how to do this within the final capstone course shell. All DNP projects must be presented to a professional audience either at Scholarship Day, at the clinical site, or a professional conference.

Protection of Human Subjects

Students must complete the “Human Subjects Determination” form through the Kuali website. This occurs once the proposal is written and considered “ready” for this step in the project process by the course faculty. The UMass Amherst Institutional Review Board (IRB) will determine whether the project needs additional IRB review and notify the student with a memorandum of determination via email. More information is available at: https://www.umass.edu/research/compliance/human-subjects-irb 

NOTE: Students may NOT begin data collection prior to receiving IRB determination.

DNP Final Project Course Descriptions

• N742: Defining Evidence for Problems and Solutions - 3 credits
  This course focuses on discussions and assignments regarding health intervention planning, implementation, and evaluation for the refinement and approval of the DNP Project proposal. Evaluating the evidence (literature review) and completing a gap analysis are fundamental aspects of this course. Students need to secure a site, site mentor, identify a topic for the proposal in this course and complete a literature review of the topic of interest.
• N798U: Evidence Based Proposal Development - 3 credits
  This course is the second course in the sequence of four courses for the DNP, and the first of two courses designed to concentrate students’ efforts on a community of interest (COI) / organizational assessment and analysis to refine and solidify key concepts from the literature review completed in Capstone I: Nursing 742. There are 75 project hours required for this course.  This course requires obtaining a letter of support from the proposed project site. All students are required to submit through both site IRB review (if required by the site) and UMass IRB in this course. Data collection and project implementation should not begin until after IRB approval is obtained. Students must secure a letter of support from their site, as well as IRB approval, in order to progress to the next capstone course. A student may not progress to the next capstone course without a site, site support, IRB approval and proposal approval by the capstone faculty and the assigned faculty member/chair.
• N840: DNP Project Implementation and Monitoring - 3 credits
  This course involves the actual implementation of the planned proposal. You will implement and work on your project at the designated site with your preceptor or mentor. Data collection and analysis will occur during this course. There are 100 hours of project hours required for this course.
• N898A: DNP Project Completion, Evaluation and Dissemination- 3 credits
  This course is the  final course in the DNP Project sequence and culminates with an evaluation of the completed project. You will complete and evaluate your DNP project at the designated site with your preceptor / mentor. There are 75 hours of project hours required for this course.

The DNP Project focuses on the implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and dissemination of a theoretically based research translation project designed as a programmatic intervention to address a practice problem.

Successful progression depends upon completing required course work, according to the student’s plan of study, maintaining a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0, and working closely with your advisor. The advisor and student should be mindful of incomplete grades as this will inhibit progression in the DNP Program. Students whose CGPA falls below 3.0  will be in jeopardy of dismissal by the College of Nursing and the University.