411 S. Nedderman Drive
Box 19407, Arlington, Texas 76019-0407
P: 817-272-2776 | F: 817-272-5006
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program builds upon the foundation of the master's degree in nursing and prepares nurses for advanced roles in leadership, focusing on problem recognition and resolution using an evidence and innovative approach. The DNP degree curriculum meets the American Association of Colleges of Nursing Essentials for Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice (AACN, 2006).
Demonstrate organizational and systems leadership in promoting interprofessional collaboration and quality improvement.
Appraise and synthesize the evidence for translation in advanced nursing practice.
Apply knowledge of information systems and technology in the evaluation and use of data to improve healthcare outcomes.
Analyze and advocate policy to improve healthcare outcomes.
Evaluate issues and trends in global and population health to improve healthcare outcomes.
The year-round program offers students the opportunity to complete the degree in as little as six semesters or two years.
See course list here.
Basic admission requirements must be met before a student can be accepted. Prospective students must apply to the university through the Office of Admissions, pay the application fee, and submit official transcripts to the UT Arlington’s Graduate Admission’s Office. The Graduate Admission’s Office is also responsible for calculating the admission GPA. All steps necessary to complete an application (i.e. submitting transcripts, paying fees) must be completed prior to progressing in the application process.
Prospective students should review of the College of Nursing and Health Innovation (CONHI) graduate program specific requirements. A CONHI Graduate Academic Advisor will review the application file for nursing specific requirements. Specific program requirements can be found in the University Catalog - Nursing, Graduate Programs.
If accepted, applicants will receive an acceptance form that must be signed and returned. If an applicant is denied, the option to appeal the decision is available.
Once the acceptance form has been completed and returned, an official email notification will be sent from the University to the student’s personal email. Accepted students with transfer credit should submit the transfer request form to the CONHI Academic Advisor during this time.
Note: Some graduate programs have required courses and events scheduled on Saturdays. Please consult with the director of the program you are interested in, before applying for admission.
Students are required to provide verification of an unencumbered license for acceptance into the Nursing program. The College of Nursing and Health Innovation uses NURSYS, a national database, to verify student license credentials. The NURSYS licensure and disciplinary database is the repository of the data provided directly from the Nursing Commission to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing’s (NCSBN) and is primary source equivalent. To learn more about NURSYS, please click or tap here.
To assist in expeditiously verifying your credentials, please ensure your information is available in this database.
We also encourage you to sign up for NURSYS e-notify. As a nurse you will enjoy receiving license expiration reminders, status updates to your license, and tracking your nurse license verifications for endorsement. Visit the link above to learn more about the benefits of e-notify.
The clinical requirements included in the MSN Nursing Education and MSN and Certification Nurse Practitioner programs at UTA are intended to provide students with experiential learning opportunities to enable them to transition successfully into the role of the nurse educator or nurse practitioner. An essential part of each clinical experience is active, hands-on practice, guided by a licensed preceptor with expertise in their advanced nursing practice specialty.
Clinical placement at The University of Texas at Arlington in the Department of Graduate Nursing is a collaborative process with each student. Students are asked to locate a preceptor which is aligned with their program requirements; however, the Department of Graduate Nursing will provide assistance with clinical placement when a student is experiencing difficulty. Clinical placement policies are available in the Graduate Nursing clinical management system, InPlace and are available to all students upon admission.
Applicants should be aware of expectations concerning Graduate Nursing Clinical Clearance Requirements.
A minimum of 1000 clinical/practice hours are required for the UTA Doctor of Nursing Practice program. Up to 500 clinical/practice hours obtained during the student’s master's program may be applied to the 1000 post-bachelors practice hours.
Board Certified APRNs may count a maximum of 500 clinical hours achieved in their APRN master’s program toward the 1000 post-bachelors practice hours. Students will need to submit a copy of active certification during admission as evidence of clinical hours.
If not an APRN, then students must submit a completed and signed practice/clinical hour verification form with school seal verifying the number of master's clinical/practice hours completed during the program of study. Students must submit the verification form to or obtain a certified letter on university letterhead from the master's program at which they completed their master's program and practice hours.
While University faculty and staff members give students academic advice and assistance, each student is expected to take responsibility for his or her education and personal development. The student must know and abide by the academic and disciplinary policies given in the catalog and DNP handbook, including rules governing quantity of work, the standard of work required to continue in the University, scholastic probation and dismissal, and enforced withdrawal.
Students will not be relieved of their responsibility to know the policies, deadlines and rules of the University on the grounds that they were not told. If students have questions regarding policies, it is the University’s expectation that the student will consult his/her academic advisor for guidance and resolution.
All students are expected to be familiar with the following sources of information.
Graduate nursing education requires students to have dedicated time to devote to studying, completing assignments, preparing for, and completing clinicals and other course work. Students are encouraged to consider their work schedules and commitments considering the demands of the DNP program and adjust accordingly. Commitments which compete with graduate study may result in suboptimal academic performance and place the student in academic jeopardy.
In general, for every-one graduate nursing semester credit hour of enrollment a student should allocate 5 hours of study time outside of class. For example, a 3 semester credit hours course, may reasonably require 15 hours of work, outside of class, plus anytime needed to complete clinicals.
Students are encouraged to evaluate their energy level, familial and personal obligations, and school commitments before starting their degree program.
Students seeking financial aid assistance, should contact the Financial Aid, Scholarships and MAV ScholarShop resources.
Students should review the academic calendar prior to enrolling and prepare accordingly.
Our dedicated faculty make every effort to assist students in meeting their academic goals across a wide variety of subject areas.
UTA CONHI is unique among many comparable universities for the remarkable amount of resources dedicated to student success. Learn more about our offerings on help with courses and writing/speaking.
Students in the MSN program are welcome to meet with an advisor. Once admitted to UT Arlington, students may enroll in their coursework using the degree plan provided by the academic advisor and proceed to registration. Students are encouraged to contact their advisor with any questions. Learn more about Graduate Nursing Advising.
UTA's Graduate Nursing Department is unique among many comparable universities for the remarkable amount of resources dedicated to student success. Learn more about our offerings on help with courses and writing/speaking.
411 S. Nedderman Drive
Box 19407, Arlington, Texas 76019-0407
P: 817-272-2776 | F: 817-272-5006