Doctor of Nursing Practice at NMU
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree prepares graduates to provide the most advanced level of nursing care for individuals, families, groups, and communities. This includes direct care of individual patients, management of care for individuals and populations, administration of nursing systems, and development and implementation of health policy. The program includes post-baccalaureate and post-master's tracks. The population focus for the post-baccalaureate track is families and individuals across the lifespan (Family Nurse Practitioner). Courses are delivered on a part-time basis, using a low-residency model, which includes online coursework with occasional on-campus visits. Clinical practicum hours may be completed in the student’s community with an approved preceptor.
The DNP curriculum is 72 credit hours for the post-baccalaureate track and 33 credit hours for the post-master's track. The post-baccalaureate curriculum includes 1,000 supervised clinical practice hours. Clinical coursework in the post-master's program is individualized, based upon prior coursework.
Pictured: DNP students during the fall 2020 semester.
Post-Master's Admission Requirements and Program Curriculum
Post-Baccalaureate Admission Requirements and Program Curriculum
School of Nursing DNP Application Dates
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program has adopted a rolling admissions process. Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and qualified applicants will be admitted on a first-come basis until the program reaches capacity. The deadline for applications for the next post-master's cohort is October 15, 2026, though admissions may close earlier if all seats are filled. Students will begin coursework in January, 2027.
The next post-baccalaureate DNP cohort will begin in August 2027; the deadline for applications for that program is April 15, 2027.
DNP Handbooks
The DNP student handbooks are listed below: