THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CSU DNP PROGRAM:
What are the unique features of the Southern California CSU DNP program?
What are the required courses for the DNP? How many units are required?
Where is the DNP program offered?
How are courses delivered?
How long is the program?
Is clinical practice required?
What will the doctoral project involve?
Can I work while attending the program?
What specialty faculty are available in the DNP Program Consortium?
What is the cost of the DNP program?
Are there financial aid and scholarships available?
How many will students be admitted?
Is the DNP program accredited?
Program Admission:
What are the admission requirements/prerequisites for the program?
Do I have to take the TOEFL?
Do I have to take the GRE?
How can I get an application?
What should I include in my Statement of Purpose?
How are prior practicum hours documented?
What National Certifications qualify for admission to the DNP Program for indirect care?
What is the application review process? How are applications evaluated?
Do I need a statistics prerequisite course?
What is the writing assessment?
Are interviews required for admission?
Do I need to submit transcripts from CSUF?
What is the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program?
Assembly Bill 867 (AB867) originally authorized the CSU to offer the post-master's Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) as a pilot program for five years. The consortium of CSU Fullerton, CSU Long Beach, and CSU Los Angeles is one program and admitted the first cohort in 2012.
The CSU DNP successfully completed the pilot, and in October 2017, Assembly Bill 422 authorized the CSU to continue offering the DNP. The Southern California CSU DNP Consortium Program continued to work together to offer the post-master's DNP until 2022 and will graduate the final Consortium cohort in Spring 2024.
For 2023 admissions, the post-master's program is offered through the CSU Fullerton School of Nursing.
Why is the DNP needed?
There are several factors that have created the need for advanced nursing education at the doctoral level. The changing demands of this nation's complex healthcare environment require the highest level of scientific knowledge and practice expertise to assure quality patient outcomes. The DNP is a practice-oriented doctorate, such as the Doctor of Pharmacy, Doctor of Medicine (MD), Doctor of Optometry, or Doctor of Physical Therapy, in contrast to the research-oriented PhD. The purposes of the DNP are to develop advanced competencies for increasingly complex practice, teaching, and leadership roles in nursing and to provide an advanced educational credential for those in practice.
When will the DNP be required for practice?
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing has set the standard that the DNP will be the entry into practice for advanced practice nursing as of 2025.
What are the unique features of the Southern California CSU DNP program?
Differences between other programs and the degree program offered by CSU Fullerton include the following:
- Inclusion of curriculum for preparation for faculty role, including courses in curriculum development and teaching methods, as well as an elective opportunity for practice teaching;
- A broader selection of advanced practice practicum courses, building on the existing strengths of the member schools; and
- A three-semester integrative clinical scholarship series, embedded in clinical practice as required by the accrediting body CCNE, to complete the scholarly project of the clinical doctorate.
What are the required courses for the DNP? How many units are required?
The program includes 36 units of required coursework. Please review the curriculum section of this website for more information.
Where is the DNP program offered?
CSU Fullerton campus
How are courses delivered?
CSUF DNP Post-Master's uses a hybrid format, offering courses onsite and online.
Students admitted to the DNP program will be required to be on-campus for coursework four Fridays a semester supplemented with synchronous and asynchronous online requirements. All on-campus sessions are held on the CSU Fullerton campus.
How long is the program?
The DNP program is a 5 semester program scheduled as Fall, Spring, Summer, Fall, and Spring.
Is clinical practice required?
Clinical practice is required and will vary based on the number of clinical hours documented as eligible through the master’s degree. Clinical hours are specific to your DNP role and can be completed in your place of employment. The DNP requires a total of 1,000 clinical hours upon graduation.
What will the doctoral project involve?
The doctoral project, the culminating experience, includes a three-semester Integrative Clinical Scholarship experience, embedded in a clinical setting, where the student prepares a scholarly doctoral product, such as a pilot study, translational research, program evaluation, consulting project or a quality improvement project. Students will accrue approximately 405 clinical hours during the doctoral project. Each student will work with a faculty team leader and doctoral committee.
Can I work while attending the program?
The program is designed so that the student can work full-time and, with permission of current employer, the doctoral project may be completed within the students’ work setting. However, this is a rigorous and demanding doctoral curriculum and many students may find it appropriate to cut back on hours or take release time during some portions of their doctoral studies. We have found that students do best when they arrange “Friday off” work schedules for the entire two years to allow weekly designated time for school work.
What specialty faculty are available in the DNP Program Consortium?
The consortium has faculty with specialization in the following areas:
- Anesthesia
- Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Management/Administration/Leadership
- Midwifery
- Nurse Practitioner: Adult, Adult/Geriatric, Acute Care Adult, Acute Care Pediatric, Family, Pediatrics, Psych/Mental Health, Women's Health
- Public Health Nursing
What is the cost of the DNP program?
CSU DNP program is $7,635 per semester for 5 semesters. With fees (vary by semester), the total program cost is approximately $40,842. Tuition and fees are subject to change. Current information about the doctoral program tuition and fees can be found on the University Student Business Services website: http://sbs.fullerton.edu
Are there financial aid and scholarships available?
Doctoral students are eligible for financial aid. Students must complete the FAFSA application (CSUF School Code: 001137). For further information, please visit the CSUF Office of Financial Aid.
Scholarships/Grants available for DNP students:
CSU DNP Tuition Grant: Provided by the CSU Chancellor's Office; the grant reduces tuition for eligible students with financial need. To be eligible, students must complete a FAFSA each year.
CSUF ENRICH Scholarship: Enriching Nursing Representation to Impact Community Health (ERICH) is a federally funded program to increase retention and graduation of full-time graduate/doctoral nursing students from disadvantaged backgrounds, including students from racial and ethnic minority groups.
How many will students be admitted?
For Fall 2023, between 12 to 18 students will be admitted. Cohorts begin only in the fall semester. Admitted students are expected to complete the degree within 5 consecutive semesters of admission.
Is the DNP program accredited?
Yes! The Southern California CSU DNP Consortium is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Additionally, each member school of the Southern California CSU DNP Consortium is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and each of their existing nursing programs is accredited by CCNE. The Southern California CSU DNP Consortium enrolled its first DNP student cohort in fall 2012 with approval from the CSU Chancellor’s office and WASC. The DNP program hosted an accreditation visit from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education in the fall of 2013 and again in the fall of 2018. DNP was granted accreditation in the spring of 2014 and spring of 2019.
What are the admission requirements/prerequisites for the program?
A full list of admissions requirements and prerequisites can be found by reviewing the admission requirements page.
Do I have to take the TOEFL?
All applicants, regardless of citizenship, whose preparatory education was principally in a language other than English, must demonstrate competence in English by taking the TOEFL test. A minimum score of 550 (paper) or 80 (internet-based test) on the TOEFL test is required. A score of 7 or above on the IELTS exam is also acceptable. Questions should be directed to Admissions and Records. Generally, if the applicant has subsequently earned a bachelor’s or master’s degree from an accredited institution within the United States, the TOEFL requirement will be waived.
Do I have to take the GRE?
No, you do not have to take the GRE.
How can I get an application?
See Apply Now page. Applications are generally accepted October - June each year for admission to the following fall cohort. Cohorts begin each Fall. Please check Program Overview for information updates.
What should I include in my Statement of Purpose?
Your statement of purpose (no more than 500 words) should describe your reason(s) for pursuing the Doctor of Nursing Practice and your reason(s) for selecting the CSUF DNP program in particular. You should identify at least one clinical problem or issue you might like to address in your DNP Project. Indicate the employment setting in which you plan to implement your project (should be your current employment setting or one you will obtain prior to beginning the program) and the specialty area (should be your current specialty) in which you will continue preparation (i.e., FNP, CRNA, CNS, nurse leader, etc.).
Your Statement of Purpose is an opportunity for you to show the admission committee that you are a good fit with our program. This statement is an essential part of your application. You should review the Southern California CSU DNP projects and familiarize yourself with the role of the DNP before writing your Statement of Purpose.
Position statements published by the American Association of Colleges on Nursing (AACN) are valuable sources of information. They clarify the differences between Ph.D. and DNP education and discuss the collaborative and synergistic nature of Ph.D. and DNP knowledge generation to improve health outcomes.
How are prior practicum hours documented?
Documentation of prior practicum hours in an advanced practice program will be reviewed for acceptance towards clinical hour requirements in the DNP program. Examples of official documentation of nursing practicum hours include a copy of the form submitted to take national boards, a letter from the nursing school were master’s level clinical hours were completed, or a copy of certificate showing national certification (500 hours max is awarded for this option).
What National Certifications qualify for admission to the DNP Program for indirect care?
For those applicants in the indirect care track, national certification perferred in a specialty area prior to beginning the program. Acceptable national certification should require a master's degree. Those that require an associate's degree in nursing are typically not accepted by our DNP consortium. Some acceptable national certifications by specialty are:
-
Nurse Leaders:
Nurse Executive, advanced certification through ANCC
or the Certified in Executive Nursing Practice (CENP) through AONE
. Indirect care applicants should choose Nurse Executive or Nurse Executive, Advanced certification based on eligibility. If the applicant is eligible for Nurse Executive, Advance, that is the expected national certification. Despite "Executive" being in all of these titles, these certifications are appropriate for managers who have a master’s degree and experience in leadership/management. The questions are not aimed towards Directors of Nursing, but rather to any leader in nursing. -
School Nurses:
National Board for Certification of School Nurses
(NBCSN)
-
Community/Public Health Nurses: You may apply for initial Advanced Public Health nursing certification through ANCC
via portfolio assessment method in 2014.
- Additional national certifications can be found through other organizations and may be accepted as well. If you have questions about acceptance of a specific certification, please contact our office.
What is the application review process? How are applications evaluated?
Admissions staff will review your application to ensure that all required pieces have been submitted. You will be contacted if pieces are missing or outdated. We will review your transcripts to verify that all prerequisites have been met and to calculate GPA. Completed applications will be forwarded to a faculty committee for review. A faculty committee will review, evaluate, and score the application including your transcripts, personal statement, and letters of reference. The highest scored applicants will be invited to attend an on-campus interview and writing assessment. Admission staff will notify applicants of dates for writing assessments and interviews.
Do I need a statistics prerequisite course?
No, a statistics prerequisite course is not required for admission. .
What is the writing assessment?
The highest scored applicants will be invited to attend an on-campus writing assessment.
The purpose of the assessment is to demonstrate the ability of the DNP applicant to critically analyze an advanced practice issue/scenario, formulate a plan/stance, organize, and write a coherent, succinct, graduate-level essay response. Writing assignments will take place in a computer lab setting at one of the consortium universities with all applicants attending at the same time. The body of this type-written essay paper shall be no more than two double spaced pages, not counting the title page.
Are interviews required for admission?
Faculty from all of the consortium campuses will meet with each applicant to talk with them about reason(s) for seeking a DNP degree and professional career goals. Students should be prepared to discuss their areas of practice interest, background preparation for doctoral education, and ideas about topics they are considering for a doctoral project.
Do I need to submit transcripts from CSUF?
If you have attended CSU Fullerton, you do not need to submit CSU Fullerton transcripts. Generally, you do not need to resubmit any transcripts previously submitted to CSU Fullerton. Any transcripts not already on-file at CSU Fullerton must be submitted. Please be aware that transcripts submitted more than 8 years ago may be difficult for us to retrieve and applicants are sometimes asked to resubmit these transcripts. The School of Nursing admissions saff will contact you if this is the case.
