Nursing DNP

• Translate, integrate, and apply evidence from nursing science and the arts, humanities, and other sciences into advanced specialty clinical practice.  
• Establish a caring relationship with the individual that demonstrates effective communication, assessment, and diagnostic skills to develop a holistic plan of care which applies current and emerging evidence and ensures accountability throughout the healthcare continuum.  
• Advocate for social justice, equity in healthcare, and the protection of public health through leading redesign of regulatory, legislative, and public policy.  
• Engage in the generation, synthesis, translation, application, and dissemination of nursing knowledge to improve health and transform healthcare.
• Demonstrate the use of established and emerging quality and safety principles as core values of nursing practice to enhance quality and minimize risk of harm to patients and providers through both system effectiveness and individual performance.  
• Facilitate intentional collaboration across professions and with care team members, patients, families, communities, and other stakeholders to optimize care, enhance the healthcare experience, and strengthen outcomes.  
• Effectively respond to and lead within complex systems of healthcare utilizing multidisciplinary collaboration to create effective healthcare delivery systems.
• Demonstrate informatics and healthcare technology competencies to enhance outcomes for clients and populations.  
• Demonstrate formation and cultivation of a sustainable, ethical professional nursing identity, accountability, perspective, collaborative disposition, and behavior that reflects nursing’s characteristics and values. 
• Demonstrate a commitment to participation in activities and self-reflection that foster personal health, resilience, and well-being, lifelong learning, and support the acquisition of nursing expertise and assertion of leadership.  

Will I need to come to campus for this program?

• All graduate (MSN, BSN to DNP) and postgraduate (MSN to DNP, post-graduate certificate) students are required to attend an on-campus onboarding and orientation during the first semester of classes. During this time students will meet their faculty and fellow students and be provided with training that supports and encourages successful completion of the program. Examples of topics that are covered include but are not limited to how to use the library system, how to connect to your online classroom, how to navigate the online learning system, how to meet virtually with classmates and faculty outside of class time, how to develop an electronic portfolio, how to ensure your technology is up to date for class meetings. 
• To enhance the practical learning experience and ensure comprehensive skill development, students enrolled in our BSN to DNP program will be required to participate in on-campus labs and simulations approximately once per semester, with the duration spanning between 1 to 3 days. These hands-on sessions are designed to provide students with valuable opportunities to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world scenarios, fostering a deeper understanding of the subject matter. Students will be notified of specific dates well in advance of the required campus visits.

How will I attend classes?

• Didactic classes are held on Thursdays and are structured in a variety of formats aimed at engaging the learner and making learning possible for all students. 
• Class formats include:
  • Synchronous – Interactive live lecture and discussion held in an online environment at the time designated in your course list.
  • Asynchronous – online modules and recorded lectures that can be accessed on your schedule. 
• It is reasonable to assume that your courses will be synchronous online unless otherwise indicated by your instructor. 

•    BSN to DNP: Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) - Full-Time
•    BSN to DNP: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) - Full-Time
•    BSN to DNP: Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP) - Full-Time
•    Post MSN to DNP APRN 
•    Post MSN to DNP Non APRN
 

The Doctor of Nursing Practice program accepts degree-seeking students once per year. The application deadlines are located in the table below. Please note that students MUST first be accepted to the University Graduate School (Graduate Admissions Application Window) before they can apply to the School of Nursing (SON Application Window). Classes begin in the summer semester and students are admitted as a cohort and progress through the program together. The Graduate Admissions link is found on the right side of this page. Once admitted to the University, students will receive instructions about application to the School of Nursing and the program. 

Please note that for Summer 2025, we are only accepting applications for the Nurse Educator and Professional Enrichment programs. All other MSN and DNP program cohorts are now full, and we are no longer accepting applications for these programs.

However, applications for our Summer 2026 cohort across all MSN and DNP programs will open on July 15, 2025. Admissions are limited to the most qualified applicants. 

*Students have two weeks to accept the offer of admission once notified of acceptance. 

Eligibility Criteria

• Educational Requirements
  • A baccalaureate degree in nursing from an Accredited Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) accredited program (completion before the first day of class).
  • A grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.75 on a 4.0 scale for the last 60 undergraduate hours required in the nursing major.
  • Successful completion of an undergraduate-level statistics course.
  • Students applying to the post-graduate DNP program must also provide proof of a master’s of science degree in nursing from an Accredited Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) accredited program. 
• Licensure Requirements
  • A current unencumbered Georgia RN License or Compact License that permits practice in the state of Georgia. 
  • For those just graduating, you MUST obtain a license before the end of the first semester of the BSN to DNP program. 
• Practice Requirements
  • At least one full year of full-time clinical practice is required before a student can begin precepted clinical courses. 

Application Criteria

• Must first pay the application fee and apply to the Graduate Programs at Georgia College & State University.
• Once admitted to Georgia College & State University, instructions for applying to the School of Nursing will be sent you the email address you provided. The SON application will include the following:
  • Three letters of reference from professionals who can speak to the applicant’s experience and potential for success in graduate studies
  • Official transcripts from all previous colleges/universities attended.
  • Current resume or curriculum vitae
  • Copy of the Georgia RN license or Compact RN license
  • Participate in an in-person, online, or recorded interview.
  • Submit a writing exercise.  

• DNP Student Handbook - 2017 Cohort (.pdf)
• DNP Student Handbook - 2018 Cohort (.pdf)
• DNP Student Handbook - 2019 Cohort (.pdf)
• DNP Student Handbook - 2020 Cohort (.pdf)
• DNP Student Handbook - 2021 Cohort (.pdf)
• DNP Student Handbook - 2022 Cohort (.pdf)
• DNP Student Handbook - 2023 Cohort (.pdf)
• Nursing Graduate Handbook - 2024 Cohort (.pdf)

The undergraduate nursing program at Georgia College & State University has full approval from the Georgia Board of Nursing (237 Coliseum Dr., Macon, GA 31217-3858; Phone: 478-207-2440). The BSN, MSN, and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs are fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC, 20001, 202-887-6791). The nursing program at Georgia College & State University was previously accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing.