Doctor of Nursing Practice degree (DNP) in Advanced Clinical Care

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree program admits Advanced Practice Nurses who are masters prepared and board certified.

The DNP program is designed to meet health care workforce needs and to provide education at the highest level of clinical nursing practice.

Eligibility

• Master's degree transcript(s) documenting a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.25 on a 4.0-point scale.
• Two recommendation letters from individuals who can attest to the applicant’s potential to succeed in doctoral study. A letter from your employer in a leadership role and graduate professor is preferred. The recommendation must address the applicant’s clinical performance, professional acumen, and academic ability.
• Recent Curriculum Vitae/Professional Resume
• Current and unencumbered RN and APRN license to practice in New York State (or respective out-of-state license).
• Zoom Interview with Admissions Committee
• A well written personal statement that serves as an illustration of the applicant's ability to write as a professional.
  Instructions: Your personal statement should be 600-900 words, approximately 2 to 3 pages in length total, double-spaced with one-inch margins, in 12-point font. Content may include:
  • We want to know more about you – your life and goals, your challenges and strengths, and the clinical path that you have chosen that has led you to this point in your career. 
  • Required: What quality improvement project ideas from your practice might you study during your DNP degree?
  • Describe an example from your nursing career where your clinical leadership fostered a successful outcome for one or more patients.
  • Describe why you selected this course of study.
  • How has advanced practice nursing impacted health care delivery in the USA?
  • What are your personal goals as a Doctor of Nursing Practice student and future graduate?
• National Board Certification from the following APRN Specialties, including at least 2 years experience working with adult populations:
  Specialties include:
  • Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
  • Adult/Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
  • Family Nurse Practitioner
  • Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
  • Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner
  • Clinical Nurse Specialist – Adult-Gerontology.

+ Other APRNs may be considered for admission after a gap analysis of coursework and work experience is evaluated.

Apply Now:

Applications will be evaluated on an individual basis when all official transcripts and supporting documents have been received. 
Application deadline: April 15th for September Admission, March 1 for Early Application 

1. Use theories of nursing, other sciences, and humanities to provide the highest level of culturally competent advanced nursing practice in population health
2. Engage effective organizational and systems leadership principles for safety and quality initiatives through a variety of care delivery approaches
3. Implement evidenced-based clinical scholarship to improve health outcomes in diverse populations 
4. Demonstrate skills to improve and transform culturally competent healthcare for diverse populations through use of information systems and technology 
5. Propose policy changes related to advocacy, quality healthcare, and the elimination of health disparities in the local, state, national and/or global arena 
6. Employ effective communication skills to establish interprofessional and intra- professional collaboration and scholarly projects aimed at improving patient and population health outcomes 
7. Develop broad evidenced-based practice and organization plans (when indicated) for population health, promotion and disease prevention for diverse populations
8. Implement the highest level of advanced practice through a personal philosophy that includes professional values, lifelong learning, advocacy, and mentorship to optimize population health interventions and outcomes. 

In the DNP, The Scholarly Project serves as the final evaluation of all end-of program student learning outcomes. The clinical requirement of 500 hours is fulfilled with the completion of this project.

The Doctor of Nursing, Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner/Clinical Nurse Specialist at The College Staten Island/City University of New York is accredited by the: 

Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). 
3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400 
Atlanta, GA, 30326

The most recent accreditation decision made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners  in 2025 is:  Continuing Accreditation with Conditions for two years

View the public information disclosed by ACEN regarding this program on the ACEN website.

For questions about the DNP program

H. Michael Dreher, PhD, RN, FAAN, ANEF 
Deputy Chair, Graduate Studies
Department of Nursing
Michael.Dreher@csi.cuny.edu

Academic Policies 

The DNP program follows Academic Policies as set forth by the College. Policies on Academic Standards, Academic Integrity, Registration, Appeals, Graduation and more can be found on the Graduate Catalog. 

Progression in the DNP

Students must maintain a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 (B) to be retained in a graduate program. Students whose GPA falls below 3.0 are on probationary status. 

Transfer credits

Graduate courses taken within the last five years at an accredited college or university may be accepted at the discretion of the coordinator of the graduate program.

Student Services

The College offers many student services. The Division of Student Affairs describes many of these services and can be located on the following link: 

www.csi.cuny.edu/campus-life/student-services

The  counseling center is free to students. Professional counselors provide support and assistance in developing skills for success in and out of the classroom. 

www.csi.cuny.edu/students/counseling-center

Veterans, LGBTQ+, International Students, Accessibility Students

The center for career and professional development provides many services to students and can be viewed on the link below. 

www.csi.cuny.edu/campus-life/student-services/center-career-and-professional-development/veterans-lgbtq-international-students-accessibility-students