Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree-BSN to DNP
UF is the first in the state of Florida to begin accepting applications for the BSN to DNP (postbaccalaureate) program and the first program to be approved by the Board of Governors.
Beginning in fall 2009, the College of Nursing will no longer offer the master’s degree in selected advanced practice clinical specialties. Instead, postbaccalaureate (post-BSN) study in these areas will be the DNP degree program. This is a part of the College’s transition to offering only DNP degrees as preparation for all advanced practice roles.
The BSN to DNP program will be 93 credits and last 2 1/2 years for full-time study and 4 1/2 to 5 years for part-time study.
Note: The BSN to DNP Program is not a Web-based program. All clinical nursing specialty courses require on-campus attendance on a weekly basis. A limited number of students are able to enroll in web-based BSN to DNP core courses. Priority for the Web-based sections will be given to students who live outside the immediate Gainesville or Jacksonville areas. Students who live within the Gainesville and Jacksonville areas and wish to enroll in Web-based core courses may request placement on a waitlist. Every effort is made to accommodate student request. However, due to limited resources,students cannot be guaranteed enrollment in the Web-based core courses.
The BSN to DNP program initially will be offered in the following specialties:
- Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
- Adult Nurse Practitioner
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
This doctoral program includes course work previously in the master’s degree program as well as additional classroom and clinical courses in leadership and role development, advanced statistics, epidemiology, outcomes research and evaluation, and advanced clinical practice.
Master of Science in Nursing only option
During the national transition from the MSN to the DNP, an option will be available for those students whose circumstances prevent completion of the DNP curriculum.
Students can elect to complete only the courses required to earn the MSN degree rather than complete the total DNP curriculum. This will require 5 semesters for full-time study or 8 semesters for part-time study. All DNP students are encouraged to continue in the program and earn the DNP, but if some students elect to exit after earning the MSN, they can return as a postmaster’s student to complete the DNP at a later time.
Please note that the option to exit with an MSN is temporary.