Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program is designed as the highest possible degree for nurses committed to clinical work. The DNP is an outgrowth of an increasingly complex healthcare system that requires advanced practice nurses to understand leadership, policy, economics, quality and safety issues, apply and translate research into practice, and to be leaders of multidisciplinary practice initiatives. Post-BSN and Post-MSN entry options are available. Full-time and part-time study options are available.

Program Outcomes

Upon completion of the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program students will:

1. Integrate nursing science, ethics, biophysical, psychosocial, analytical, and organizational sources to provide the highest level of specialty nursing practices.
2. Develop, implement, and evaluate healthcare practices in healthcare systems that ensure quality improvement and patient safety.
3. Use analytic methods and evidence based practices to improve practice outcomes and the practice environment.
4. Implement and evaluate ethical healthcare information systems and patient care technology to improve the quality of patient health outcomes and care systems.
5. Advocate for healthcare practices that advance social justice, equity, and ethical policies within all healthcare arenas.
6. Employ interprofessional collaborative teams to improve patient and population health outcomes and healthcare delivery systems.
7. Lead the integration and institutionalization of (evidence based) clinical prevention and population based health guidelines.
8. Use clinical judgment, systems thinking, accountability, and specialized knowledge to design, deliver, and evaluate evidence based, culturally proficient care to improve patient, population, and health systems outcomes.

Graduate Program Policies

General Information

Information about academic progression, policies, or procedures, as well as curriculum information, may be obtained from the Office for Academic Affairs.

Current Licensure as a Registered Nurse

Each graduate nursing student is required to maintain current licensure in good standing as a registered nurse in Texas, or a Compact State with multistate privileges, throughout the graduate program. Students must provide a copy of the license verification to the Office for Academic Affairs. Failure to maintain a current license in good standing or to produce proof of current licensure in good standing is grounds for dismissal from the program.

Advisement

Each student enrolled in the graduate program is assigned an advisor in the Office for Academic Affairs. 

Transfer of Credit

Students may, with the approval of the Committee on Graduate Studies (COGS), transfer from another accredited institution a maximum of six semester credit hours (9 quarter hours) of graduate credit applicable to their course of study leading toward the Master of Science in Nursing. 

Approval of any course for transfer, prior to registration for the course, is strongly recommended. 

Approval of transfer credit requires that the student be enrolled in the graduate program. The student must complete a Request for Transfer of Credit form and submit it to the Office for Academic Affairs with an official course description from the Catalog and must make certain that an official transcript, sent directly from the college or university attended, is in her/his file or request that a transcript be sent as soon as the course is completed. All courses must have been completed not more than five years before the degree is awarded. Courses in which a grade of C or less has been earned will not be accepted for transfer (see exception for students enrolled in the DNP Public Health Nurse Leader). The student may obtain additional information about materials that must be submitted with the petition from the Office for Academic Affairs. 

Teaching Assistants

Opportunities are available for graduate nursing students enrolled part-time to work as teaching assistants in the School of Nursing. Interested applicants should contact the Office for Academic Affairs in the School of Nursing for additional information.

Honors

A graduate nursing student whose grade point average is 4.0 is awarded her/his degree with High Honors.

Grades and Grade Point Average

The standing of students in their work is expressed by five grades: A (above average graduate work), B (average graduate work), C (below average graduate work), D (failing graduate work), and F (failing graduate work). D and F grades are not acceptable for graduate credit. Students may also register in certain courses on a pass/fail basis, in which case the grade is recorded as either Pass (P) or Fail (F) and no letter grade is assigned. 

Other symbols used in reporting the standing of students in their classes are: W=withdrawal from course; I=incomplete; IP=in progress (for selected courses); S=satisfactory; U=unsatisfactory; P=pass; F= fail; AU records an audited course. U is equivalent to a grade of F.

Courses in which a student receives a D, F, or U will not be counted toward the total number of courses and/or hours required for a graduate degree in the School of Nursing or the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. However, all grades (A to F) are included in the computation of the grade point average. In computing the grade point average, the following scale of points per semester credit hour is used:

A = 4 points (90-100)

B = 3 points (80-89)

C = 2 points (75-79)

D = 1 point (66-74)

F = 0 points (65 or below)

Note:  Final numeric grades are calculated to two decimal places and rounded mathematically as follows:

• Less than 0.50 – Round down to next whole number – (i.e.“89.49” would be rounded to “89”)
• 0.50 or greater – Round up to next whole number – (i.e. “90.50” would be rounded to “91”)

Progression in the Graduate Program

To continue in the graduate program, a student must:

• absolve any contingencies related to admission to the program within the time period stated in the letter of admission, or within the first semester if not stated;
• maintain satisfactory progress (B average in first 9 hours);
• receive no more than one C in any course;
• maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of B (3.0) for all courses taken while enrolled in the graduate program.

Scholastic Probation

A student whose cumulative grade point average falls below 3.0 will be placed on scholastic probation and warned that continuation in the graduate program is in jeopardy.

The progress of students on scholastic probation will be reviewed by the Committee on Graduate Studies (COGS) each semester. A student on scholastic probation will not be admitted to candidacy nor awarded a degree. Satisfactory progress toward the degree is required throughout the student’s enrollment. The Committee on Graduate Studies (COGS) may terminate a student’s enrollment at any time if the student does not meet the criteria for continuance in the program.

Probation Policy and Procedure

1. Definition: Probation is the status of the student whose progression in the program may be delayed, interrupted or conditional due to the criteria listed below.
2. Criteria for Probation in the Nursing Program includes any one of the following:
   1. Earning a grade of C in a graduate course
      1. The student will be on probation the remainder of their program
   2. Earning a grade in a  graduate course that drops the GPA below 3.0
   3. Failure to meet any of the School of Nursing Policies related to academic or professional conduct
   4. Failure to meet the terms of professional integrity standards defined in the current University Catalog, the Texas State Board of Nursing Nurse Practice Act, the Texas State Board of Nursing Rules and Regulations and the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics.
3. Probation Procedure
   1. Initial Review of Recommendation for Probation
      1. A student whom receives a final grade of C in a course will be notified of his/her probation status by the Office for Academic Affairs
      2. The student may present his/her case to the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies, if requested in writing, within 3 business days of notification of the probation recommendation. If the student wishes to bring a person outside of the School of Nursing to the meeting, he/she must indicate this in the request to the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies. If the person attending the meeting with the student is an attorney, the meeting will be held with the University attorney present.
   2. If a student is in validation of the criteria for probation one or more of the following actions will occur:
      1. Earning a Grade of C or a grade that drops the GPA below 3.0 
         1. A written “Probation Letter of Expectation” that determines the length and conditions of the  probation period which may include, but are not limited, any one of the following:
         • Referral of the student to resources and support services for academic success
         • Referral of the student to the faculty to devise a written plan for academic success
         • Referral of the student to the Associate Dean for Admissions and Student Services for non-academic support
      2. Failure to meet School of Nursing Policies or failure to meet the terms of professional integrity standards defined in the current University Catalog, the Texas State Board of Nursing Nurse Practice Act, the Texas State Board of Nursing Rules and Regulations and the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics
         1. The Associate Dean for Graduate Studies will present a recommendation for the “Probation Letter of Expectation” that determines the length and conditions of the probation to the Committee on Graduate Studies
         2. When indicated, the incident will be reported to the local law enforcement agency and/or other appropriate agencies, institutions, and/or regulatory bodies by the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies
         3. If the review of the recommendation for probation results in a recommendation for dismissal, the policy and procedure for dismissal will supersede the policy and procedure for probation

Dismissal Policy and Procedure

1. Definition: Dismissal is the removal of a student from the School of Nursing Graduate Program. A student who is dismissed from the graduate program may not continue in the graduate nursing program and is not eligible for readmission.
2. Criteria for Dismissal from the Graduate Nursing Program includes any one of the following:
   1. Earning a grade of D, F, or U,  in any graduate course
   2. Earning a grade of C in 6 or more credit hours of graduate coursework regardless of cumulative GPA or in two required graduate courses regardless of  the number of credit hours and cumulative GPA
   3. Failure to meet the conditions of the School of Nursing “Probation Letter of Expectation”
   4. Failure to meet the terms of professional integrity and ethical standards defined in the current University Catalog, the Texas State Board of Nursing Nurse Practice Act, the Texas State Board of Nursing Rules and Regulations and the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics. When indicated, the incident will be reported to the local law enforcement agency and/or other appropriate agencies, institutions, and/or regulatory bodies.
   5. Failure to notify the school of non-matriculation for two consecutive semesters (excluding summers)
3. Dismissal Procedure
   1. A student whom receives a grade of D, F, or, U in a course will be notified of his/her dismissal status by the Office for Academic Affairs
   2. When a student meets criteria in provision 2 above, he or she will be dismissed from his or her program. The student will receive notification of dismissal via a certified letter from the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies also sent to the Dean of the School of Nursing, the student's file in the Graduate Office and to the Registrar for the student’s permanent record. The Associate Dean for Graduate Studies has full authority to proceed autonomously according to policy, but may choose to seek input from the Committee on Graduate Studies (COGS).
   3. A student who is dismissed from his or her program is not eligible to register for additional courses. If the student has already registered for subsequent courses, the student will be required to unenroll.
4. Student Appeal of Dismissal
   1. In the event of extenuating circumstances, a student may choose to appeal dismissal from his or her program. All appeals are presented to and reviewed by the Committee on Graduate Studies (COGS).
      1. A request for appeal of dismissal and presentation to COGS must be sent by the student in writing to the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies within 3 business days of receiving the certified letter of dismissal. The   student must indicate in the request if he or she wishes to bring a person outside of the School of Nursing to the meeting. If the person attending the meeting with the student is an attorney, the meeting will be held with the University attorney present. The student may also request to bring other appropriate faculty to the meeting with COGS. The Committee on Graduate Studies may request University employees or supervising clinical agency personnel attend the appeal or meet with them prior to deliberating. A review of the student’s records may also be conducted.
      2. The Associate Dean for Graduate Studies will notify the student, in writing via email, that his or her case will be presented to the Committee on Graduate Studies. The written communication will include the date and time of the presentation.  Student presentations are limited to a maximum of 15 minutes.
   2. After the student presentation is concluded, and any additional information deemed appropriate to the situation is obtained, the Committee on Graduate Studies will review all information related to the criteria set forth in provision 2 for adherence to process and outcome actions. The faculty voting members of the Committee on Graduate Studies, in closed deliberation with the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies can recommend one or more of the following actions:
      1. Uphold the decision to dismiss the student from the School of Nursing Graduate Program
      2. Amend the dismissal decision to probation in the Graduate Nursing Program per explicit terms and expectations deemed appropriate by COGS and the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies
      3. Reconsideration of dismissal due to adherence concerns with process; including next steps
   3. A written recommendation from the Chairperson of the Committee on Graduate Studies will be made to the Dean of the School of Nursing.
   4. The final decision will be made by the Dean and will be delivered to the student in writing by certified letter to the student’s address of record. A student who receives probation in the Graduate Nursing Program is not eligible to re-enroll in courses the semester immediately following the semester in which the student originally met criteria for dismissal. A student who is dismissed from the School of Nursing may not continue in the Graduate Nursing Program and is not eligible for readmission.

Petition

Students may petition the Committee on Graduate Studies (COGS) for the consideration of relevant issues influencing program progression and/or completion. Students who wish to petition COGS should consult with the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies, and then complete the Student Petition Form that is available from the Office for Academic Affairs. Decisions regarding the petition will be communicated in writing to the students.

Petitions for reconsideration of the decision of COGS are reviewed by the Dean of the School of Nursing. The Dean’s decisions are final.

Repetition of a Course

Students cannot retake nursing courses for a grade in which they have already received a passing grade.

The Semester Credit Hour

The unit of measure for credit purposes is the semester credit hour. One semester credit hour is given for each one clock hour of class or one clock hour of seminar for didactic courses.   Four clock hours per one semester credit hour of laboratory/practicum/computer lab experience per week, per semester is given in the Nurse Practitioner majors, Nursing Education major, Administrative Management and Clinical Nurse Leader majors and all tracks in the DNP Program.  For selected sessions and summer sessions during which the class, seminar, and practicum hours are concentrated, equivalent clock hours are provided.

Dissertation Course Report

Dissertation courses may be reported as In Progress (IP) until the work is completed. Dissertation courses are not counted in the grade point average.

Examinations

Examinations must be taken on the date and time scheduled. If extenuating circumstances prevent the student from taking an examination, prior approval must be granted by the course instructor to postpone the examination. If a student misses an examination without prior approval by the instructor, a grade of F will be recorded for the examination.

Readmission

Individuals who have previously been enrolled in graduate nursing courses should complete an Application for Readmission. Transcripts from any colleges or universities attended since the time of the previous enrollment in the graduate programs must be submitted. Applicants may be requested to provide recent professional references. Proof of current licensure as a registered nurse in Texas is also required.

Individuals who have not registered in three consecutive terms, including summers, must apply for readmission unless they were previously granted official permission for leave of absence. Students who do not return from leave of absence within the three consecutive terms limit will be withdrawn from the nursing program and will have to apply for admission as a new student.

Those seeking readmission are subject to all requirements, procedures, and acceptance considerations outlined in this Catalog.