Doctor of Nursing Practice Postbaccalaureate

The Doctor of Nursing Practice - Postbaccalaureate (PB-DNP) program at Wichita State University is a terminal degree in nursing that offers an alternative to PhD research-focused doctoral programs. The DNP is a degree that meets the need of nurses who would like to pursue doctoral study, and focus on clinical practice, leadership, and quality improvement in their profession.

The  has promoted the DNP degree as the highest level of nursing education in response to the increased complexity of healthcare, the disparity among healthcare disciplines, and the vast amount of knowledge needed for advanced practice nurses.

Key Program Features

  • Learn patient and practice management. Students receive education in evidence-based practice, quality improvement and healthcare system leadership.
  • Preparation for national certification. Students are provided a practice-focused degree emphasis that prepares them for national certification.
  • Expert and individualized instruction. The DNP program offers selected online courses and ample face-to-face interactions with expert faculty.
  • Systematic approach in course completion.
  • Guided clinical practicums in a variety of settings.
  • State of the art simulations to enhance learning.
  • Students lead a quality improvement project in their community to assess, evaluate and improve outcomes.

Program Facts

  • Program entry point is in the Fall semester
  • Average program length is 3.5 years
  • Study plan options include sequenced curriculum with the majority of courses online.
  • The application deadline for the DNP-Postbaccalaureate application is May 1st.
  • Class size is 10 to 20 in each specialization
  • The application ratio varies
  • GPA to apply is 3.5
  • A registered nurse licensure is required.
  • Prior to enrolling in practicum coursework, students must have professional liability insurance coverage; minimum required $1,000,000 single incident /$3,000,000 aggregate.
Note: All post baccalaureate DNP applicants request entrance to a specific specialization upon admission (either family nurse practitioner, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, or acute gerontology-acute care nurse practitioner).