Post-Master’s Doctorate in Nursing Practice (DNP) Program

Program Director: Susan Houde, (978) 934-4426 Susan_Houde@uml.edu

Purpose of the DNP Program

The purpose of the DNP program is to educate nurse practitioners who not only provide quality primary care to patients, but who assume leadership roles in the health care system, and have the knowledge and skills necessary to propose solutions to improve patient care and health care outcomes. This can be achieved by nurses who have strong patient care knowledge and skills obtained at the MS level, and also knowledge and skills in evaluation research, health policy, organizational leadership and financing, evidence-based practice and health care informatics. The DNP is expected to have a positive impact on the sustainability of the health care system by having advanced education in areas necessary to improve health care delivery using an evidence-based approach.

The curriculum in the Post-Masters DNP program will be two academic years full-time in length, adding 41 credits of post-masters education. Part-time study is available. In addition to classroom and on-line experiences, students will complete 512 hours in health care settings as part of practicum experiences where they apply course content in practice settings.  A scholarly project is completed that includes an evidence-based intervention to improve practice or patient outcomes and an evaluation of the evidence-based intervention.

Program Objective

The objective of the DNP program at the University of Massachusetts Lowell is to prepare nurse leaders who propose, implement and evaluate positive evidence-based changes in health care.

The graduate of the post-MS DNP program in Nursing will build on the foundation of nursing achieved by Master’s prepared nurse practitioners who are board certified clinicians.

Program Requirements

See the graduate catalog for program requirements and a course of study.