DNP: Post-Master's Option

For financial aid purposes, there are credit minimums for full-time status that may differ from the plans of study. See details.

The program requires 37-47 credits. Full-time or part-time options are available.

Sample Plans of Study:

• 3-Year Plan of Study
• 4-Year Plan of Study
• Practicum Hours

Plans of Study Prior to Fall 2022:

• Download the PDF

3-Year Plan of Study

4-Year Plan of Study

Practicum Hours

Practicum hours ensure that students can put theory into practice. The hours are described in the AACN Essentials for Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice (2006), and refer to 1,000 post-baccalaureate hours that must be completed in practice environments. 

• Students are required to provide official verification of hours completed in their master's/post-master's in nursing program and must complete any remaining hours to meet 1,000 hours.
• A total of 495 hours are built into the DNP plan of study, with an additional five hours allotted for DNP Project proposal presentation and dissemination.
• Two hundred fifty practicum hours will be granted to nurses who hold a national certification in advanced nursing practice that requires a graduate degree. The applicant must provide evidence/documentation of the national certification. 
• Regardless of the number of master’s/post-master’s hours completed, at least 500 hours must be completed at the doctoral level to demonstrate doctoral competency.

Practicum hours are acquired through a core course within the plan of study and/or through the practicum course, NDNP 890.

• The hours in NDNP 890 must be approved and academically supervised by the DNP Practicum course faculty and advisor.
• Students are required to document the hours.
• Elective courses that have associated practicum hours may be taken to satisfy some of the practicum requirement, with permission from the director of the program.

Please refer to the Student Handbook for additional practicum information. Some students will need to complete more credits (over and beyond the 37 credits) to meet the practicum hours required by AACN.

Your nursing education is an important investment. Financial aid and scholarships can help make your goals a reality.

UMSON offers multiple opportunities to help you afford your graduate education.

Learn More About Financial Aid and Scholarships

All students receiving funds through the University must:

• be enrolled at least half-time (6 credits) in a degree-seeking program
• complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year by UMB's award priority deadline
• FAFSA Submission period: Oct. 1 (of the previous year) through Feb. 28
• FAFSA School code: 002104

The UMB Office of Student Financial Assistance & Education is available to guide prospective and current students through the FAFSA application process and the financial aid award package.

Contact Us:

UMSON Scholarships and Grants Office
410-706-0489 | nrsscholarships@umaryland.edu

UMB Student Financial Assistance and Education Office
410-706-7347 | aidtalk@umaryland.edu

The Nurse Anesthesia specialty accepts applicants for the summer session only and has different deadlines and requirements. 

All other specialties and the Post-Master's DNP option accept students for fall admission.

In this section:

• Deadlines
• Qualifications
• Application Materials and Instructions
• Applicants without a High School Diploma or College Degree in the U.S

Deadlines:

For best consideration, applicants are encouraged to have all required application materials submitted by the deadlines listed below.

Should the deadline fall on a weekend or holiday, applications will be accepted through the subsequent business day.

• After the admissions committee file review, applicants may be invited to an on-campus interview.
• Applicants not selected for an interview will not be advanced to the next stage of applicant review.  

Qualifications:

• bachelor’s degree with a major in nursing from:
  • an ACEN- (formally known as NLNAC), CCNE- or NLN CNEA- accredited college or university
    or
  • an equivalent degree from a comparable foreign institution
• an undergraduate cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0

Work experience requirements, if applicable, are included under the Required Work Experience dropdown on each DNP specialty page.

Application Materials and Instructions:

An interview with selected applicants will be arranged after the applications are received and reviewed.

Applicants without a High School Diploma or College Degree in the U.S:

• If you do not have a degree from a U.S. high school, college, or university, you are required to demonstrate English proficiency.
• If you have completed coursework outside of the U.S., you must have your transcripts evaluated.

More information.

This program is not eligible for F-1 or J-1 student visa sponsorship by the University of Maryland, Baltimore, due to the amount of online courses.

If you have questions regarding the admissions requirements or process, contact the Office of Admissions and Student Scholarships to avoid errors that could delay the processing of your application.

The questions below relate directly to the post-master's DNP option. You may also want to refer to our general FAQs regarding the DNP.

I am in the last semester of my master's degree program and will be graduating in May. Can I apply for the Post-Master’s DNP prior to graduation?
Yes.

Do you allow for specialty or concentration in the Post-Master’s DNP?
Nurses with a master’s degree who want to pursue a DNP with a specialty should apply for the Post-Master’s DNP with Specialties.

Is there a residency, clinical, or practicum requirement?
Yes, there is a practicum requirement. Please see information under “Plans of Study.”

Could clinical or practicum time be set up in my home state?
Yes. Students with contacts for clinical or practicum hours may work with course faculty to arrange a contract to participate in out-of-state learning in states participating in SARA (National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements). 

I am a nurse who holds a master’s degree in a field other than nursing. May I apply to the Post-Master’s DNP without a Master of Science in nursing?
Yes, nurses who work in areas of health services leadership management, nursing informatics, or community and public health AND hold a master’s degree in a relevant field such as an MBA, MPA, MPH, etc., may apply to the Post-Master’s DNP Program
Nurses who have a Bachelor of Science in Nursing should apply to the Post-BSN to DNP option.

Is the program full-time or part-time?
There is a full-time plan of study and a part-time plan of study. Please see information under “Plans of Study.”

What is the education format for the Post-Master’s DNP?
The Post-Master’s DNP is delivered in a blended format. This highly accommodating format offers tremendous flexibility and efficiency for busy professionals. The blended program consists of classes that are offered online, including synchronous and asynchronous Web conferencing. Students will have synchronous Web conferencing five times per semester at scheduled class times.

How many days are students required to be on campus or available?
Students are required to participate in synchronous learning/teaching via Web conference approximately five days per semester. Students are informed of the specific Web conferencing dates prior to the beginning of each semester.
On-campus orientation is mandatory only for the first semester and is scheduled in the summer.

I have a master’s degree in nursing. Will any of my credits transfer into the DNP (Post-Master’s) option?
No, the program is a post-master of science option. The number of credits and the curriculum is designed to follow a master’s degree in nursing and builds upon that curriculum.

I have taken non-degree-earning post-master’s coursework. Will any of my credits transfer into the program?
Students may apply to transfer up to six credits into the program. Courses will be reviewed to ensure that they are appropriate doctoral-level courses and are consistent with the objectives of the DNP program. A coursework audit will be completed for all admitted students identifying those courses eligible for consideration for transfer or waiver.  Students will submit the necessary paperwork for approval.  

Can practicum hours be obtained at my place of work
Practicum hours may be completed within the facility in which you work but may not include hours used toward your official employment obligations. For example, you may be employed as a manager in an emergency department but have identified an executive leader within the same facility with whom you would like to partner in a practicum experience.

A qualified applicant to the Post-Master’s DNP program is required to have an area of specialty. In 2015, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) re-affirmed their position on the discipline of education, citing that the "discipline of education encompasses an entirely separate body of knowledge and competence (AACN, 2004, p.13) and is not an area of advanced nursing practice."

If you hold a Master’s in Nursing Education and want to be considered for the Post-Master’s DNP program, you'll need to declare an area of specialty.  This can be fulfilled by:

• Applying as a Post-Master’s DNP student and electing an APRN specialty.
• Concurrently enrolling in and completing one of UMSON’s Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC)-approved post-baccalaureate certificate programs:
  1. Environmental Health
  2. Global Health
  3. Nursing Informatics
• Enrolling in and completing a University of Maryland Baltimore (UMB) Graduate School certificate with approval from the Director of the Post-Master's DNP program.

You'll need to maintain enrollment until completion of the certificate. Graduation from the DNP program and awarding of the degree is dependent upon successful completion of the certificate and the DNP curricula.