DNP

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Implement Solutions to Improve Patient Care

Be an effective change agent for your healthcare organization and transform the quality of patient care in the process. The University of Texas at Tyler’s online DNP program builds on your previous experience by providing advanced education in evidence-based approaches to organizational change initiatives for best practices in healthcare.

Earn a terminal practice degree and create a lasting, positive impact on the field through our part-time, online program. Gain the expertise to improve direct patient care, upgrade healthcare delivery systems and influence the greater community through advocacy and education.

Why Earn an Online DNP From UT Tyler?

Build on your extensive professional experience and previous master’s degree education with a doctorate that focuses on improving healthcare delivery. The University of Texas at Tyler’s online DNP degree develops your leadership capabilities to effect change in clinical practice and move up the administrative ladder. Prepare to fulfill a larger role in the overall management of your organization, influence operating systems, design and execute healthcare initiatives, educate the community and shape healthcare policy.

UT Tyler provides you with the tools to be a change leader in a flexible yet academically rigorous program:

  • Part-Time, Primarily Online Format: Continue to meet your work responsibilities as you take an average of two courses per semester. Part-time students can complete the program in three years.
  • Collaborative and Interactive Program: Courses that include live webinars give you opportunities to connect with other classmates, have meaningful discussions with professors invested in your success and hone your team-working skills through group interaction.
  • Evidence Driven: Tackle complex healthcare challenges by applying research findings, change strategies and data analysis to healthcare initiatives.
  • Community Focused: Complete your clinical experience in a location of your choice. Apply your advanced knowledge to service-learning activities, such as working with the March of Dimes, Boys and Girls Club, Alzheimer’s Alliance and Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners Association.
  • Outstanding Faculty: Work under the guidance of distinguished nursing leaders and researchers. Our professors actively engage in their profession and are proud members of professional organizations like the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculty, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and the American Nursing Informatics Association.
  • Affordable: Achieve the highest educational level in nursing at a fraction of the cost of other comparable programs.

Curriculum

The DNP degree consists of 39 credit hours and a scholarly project. Courses focus on topics like evidence-based practice, leadership skills, organizational and systems change, healthcare finance and management, healthcare policy and healthcare delivery improvement. A key component of the program is the planning, development and completion of a final scholarly project centering on the implementation of evidence-based practice or quality improvement. Students who have completed the program have presented original reports on topics like prenatal electronic education programs, nurse burnout prevention, clinical deterioration and dementia care.

Our comprehensive curriculum prepares graduates to:

  • Address healthcare challenges by turning research into practice, basing solutions on data and scientific evidence and evaluating the latest healthcare innovations.
  • Design, implement and execute patient care initiatives, community wellness and education programs, and organizational improvements.
  • Be an effective policy advocate at organizational, community, state and national levels.
  • Utilize industry-standard software and healthcare technology to perform data analysis, visualization and system upgrades.
  • Maximize resources while maintaining financial considerations and staying on budget.
  • Lead change initiatives in a wide variety of healthcare settings through effective communication, negotiation and influencing skills.

Review All DNP Courses and Requirements

Careers as a Doctor of Nursing Practice

The Doctor of Nursing Practice is the highest-level nursing practice degree you can achieve and opens the door to advanced opportunities. Expanding your knowledge and practical expertise positions you for leadership roles in healthcare administration, direct patient care and research translation. Because of the healthcare industry’s increasing challenges, organizations seek out DNP graduates for their knowledge and expertise.

Graduates of UT Tyler’s DNP program embark on careers as consultants, administrators, professors, practitioners and policymakers, potentially commanding six-figure salaries. They work in clinical settings, academia, government agencies and healthcare organizations.

How to Apply

To apply, you must:

  • Hold or obtain a master's degree from a college or university approved by a recognized accrediting body before the first day of classes.
  • Have a current unencumbered license to practice professional nursing.

International Students

Applicants from countries other than the United States must also meet the admission requirements for international students seeking a graduate degree. Review all admission requirements for international students.

Applicants must submit evidence of English proficiency before UT Tyler grants admission. Applicants whose primary language is not English (the undergraduate degree is from a foreign institution) must submit results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language, Pearson Test of English or the International English Language Testing System. The minimum score requirements are as follows:

  • 79 TOEFL iBT (internet-based test)
  • 550 TOEFL PBT (paper-based test)
  • 53 PTE
  • 6.5 overall band score and 6.0 in each subsection of the IELTS

Other Admissions Considerations

The university also gives consideration for admission to one or more of the following:

  • Demonstrated commitment to their chosen field of study.
  • Socioeconomic background.
  • Involvement and level of responsibility in extracurricular activities, employment and community service.
  • First generation of family to graduate from an undergraduate program.
  • Family responsibility or raising children.
  • Multilingual proficiency.
  • Geographic region of residence.

STEP 1: Apply to the University

All applicants must apply to the university prior to applying to the nursing program. Go to The Graduate School to complete the application.

Current or previous UT Tyler students must complete a new application if applying for a higher level of degree (i.e., BSN to MSN, MSN to PhD, MSN to DNP, MSN to post-master’s certificate).

If you are an online, out-of-state applicant, please be aware of reciprocity agreements that may impact clinical hours: State Authorization.

How Much Does It Cost to Apply?

The application cost is $50 for domestic students; $75 for international students. The fee is nonrefundable and required before your application is processed. Make credit card payments at the time of application by Visa or MasterCard only.

The university waives fees for all UT Tyler alumni. Please select the “Pay by Check” option. The fee is waived once your application is processed. Please do NOT send a check, as no refunds are given.

STEP 2: Submit Official Transcripts

DNP Applicants: Official transcripts for a master's degree in nursing or a bachelor's degree in nursing plus a master's degree in another discipline from accredited institutions. You do not need to submit community or junior college transcripts. UT Tyler transcripts are available from the Registrar's Office; applicants need not forward them. GRE scores, while not required, may be requested by the Admissions Committee.

Transfer Students: You must submit an official letter of good standing from your previous institution’s nursing department stating you are in good standing and eligible to return to their program. To review individual transfer course eligibility, you must also submit course syllabi from the time of enrollment. The maximum allowed transfer credit hours is nine, subject to review for equivalency. Submit both the letter of eligibility and any syllabi to nursing-graduate@uttyler.edu with the subject line: “Transfer Student Application Documents.”

STEP 3: Submit Nursing Documents

DNP Applicants: Please submit documents via the Nursing Application Page:

  • A master's degree from a college or university approved by a recognized accrediting body.
  • A current license to practice professional nursing.
  • A three- to five-page paper describing your area of interest (e.g., advanced clinical practice, administration, education, informatics, etc.), why you want to pursue a DNP degree, the rationale for selecting the UT Tyler DNP program and how it may benefit you professionally. Identify a problem of interest that could be the focus of an evidence-based approach to healthcare issues emphasized in this program, and describe its relevance to current society, stakeholders with whom you would collaborate and rationale for why the problem needs an evidence-based practice change.
  • Three academic and/or professional letters of reference; provide your references with the following link: Reference Form. Once your reference submits their form, look for a confirmation email.

Doctor of Nursing Practice

  • Priority Deadline: April 1 (Fall)
  • Final Deadline: June 15 (Fall)

Applicants offered acceptance into a graduate nursing program may be assessed a nonrefundable seat deposit of $200 by the date indicated in the acceptance letter. Failure to pay the deposit results in forfeiture of the acceptance. The university applies the $200 toward the first semester of tuition. Applicants who accept an offer of admission but later decide not to attend forfeit their seat deposit.

Spotlight

Cheryl Garmon
“What I enjoy most about the program is the caliber of faculty, who are internationally known experts. Another benefit to me is that the program is a benefit to those whom I lead in the clinical nursing practice.”

Cheryl Garmon

RN, MSN, DNP, Inaugural Class of 2019

Next Steps

Chart the next phase of your career. Discover how a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from UT Tyler can open the doors to your future.