Combined Post-Masters Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate and Doctor of Nursing Practice

Students may wish to earn both a Post-Masters Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate and Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) simultaneously. The combined Post-Masters Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate and D.N.P. combined option will provide a solid academic and practical foundation for masters prepared nurses without current preparation as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse.

Admission, progression, and graduation requirements are a coordinated effort within the College of Health Professions graduate and doctoral programs. The combined Post-Masters Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate and D.N.P. program is 63 credits, 30 credits for the Post-Masters Certificate and 33 credits for the D.N.P. Students will be dual advised by the M.S.N.-NP Program Chair and the D.N.P. Program Chair.

Specific to the Post-Masters Nurse Practitioner Certificate, three courses (nine credits) may be accepted as transfer credit: MSN 6603: Advanced Pathophysiology, MSN 7702: Advanced Adult Health Assessment, and MSN 7703: Advanced Pharmacology. Specific to the D.N.P. program, a maximum of six credits may be transferred and accepted for doctoral credit in accordance with the Wilmington University catalog.

Students will complete requirements for the Post-Masters Nurse Practitioner Certificate prior to completion of the D.N.P. program, 24 months and 32 months, respectively. D.N.P. courses can be completed 100% online, although core Nurse Practitioner courses cannot. Admission to this combined program is open for students at the Wilson Graduate Center in New Castle, Delaware each January and September. Admission is open for students in Georgetown, Delaware each September.

The Family Nurse Practitioner track prepares students to care for patients in the primary care setting. Upon completion of the certificate, students will be eligible for APRN licensure and national certification through AANC or AANP board certification programs.

Admission Requirements

Students must meet admission requirements for both the Post-Masters Nurse Practitioner Certificate as well as the Doctor of Nursing Practice:

1. Graduate application
2. Resume/CV
3. Goals statement
4. RN licensure
5. Official transcripts from B.S.N. and M.S.N. programs with a GPA of 3.0 or higher
6. One letter of recommendation from a doctorally prepared professional

Current certification and licensure as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse will be waived as students will achieve this during the combined program.