Post-Master’s Online Nursing Doctoral Degree
Preparing Healthcare Executives
UCF’s online Nurse Executive Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is a dynamic and engaging academic curriculum that prepares students for executive leadership and decision-making at the highest level by examining practice innovations and outcomes. The Nurse Executive DNP track extends and enhances the knowledge, skill and performance of healthcare system leaders in a wide variety of clinical and administrative environments.
The DNP Nurse Executive track meets the unique needs and taps the talent of nurse executives through experiential learning and leadership projects in a team-centered environment. It provides enrolled executives and managers the opportunity to interact with prominent healthcare experts who address emergent and challenging issues for nurse leaders, and encourages networking with colleagues across local, state and national healthcare and policy organizations.
No GRE requirement
| Deadlines: | Apply by May 1 for Fall and Sept. 1 for Spring |
| Program Length: | Part-time (9 semesters) |
| Program Type: | Online with intensives |
| Credit Hours: | 42 |
| Clinical Hours: | 1,000 * |
*A total of 1,000 clinical hours are required to award the DNP degree. Some clinical hours are transferred in from prior MSN coursework. 730 clinical hours are fulfilled during the DNP coursework. Additional credit hours could be required to satisfy the clinical hours requirement, depends on prior MSN curriculum. See Plan of Study and Verification of Clinical Hours Form.
High Quality. Low Cost.
Expertise of nationally recognized faculty.
Convenience and flexibility of UCF Online.
Now at a lower cost with reduced tuition through fee waivers for some campus-based amenities.
Distinguished UCF Faculty. Esteemed UCF Degree.
Options Designed for Working Professionals Like You.
- You fulfill the general UCF graduate admissions requirements (see Admissions section of the UCF Graduate Catalog).
- You have an MSN degree from a regionally accredited institution. (MSN in Leadership & Management is preferred, but applicants with MS or MSN in field other than Leadership & Management will also be considered.)
- You are a licensed RN in the State of Florida if taking clinical and practice coursework in Florida healthcare agencies and institutions. (Distance learners must be licensed in state or country in which they will practice.)
This track has a dynamic and engaging academic curriculum that prepares the nurse executive for the multiple dimensions of administrative responsibilities within varied healthcare environments. The Executive Nurse DNP track extends and enhances the knowledge, skill and performance of healthcare system leaders in a wide variety of clinical and administrative environments.
Students will take course work corresponding to the eight DNP essential competencies delineated by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN).
Didactic instruction is fully online and provided in an asynchronous format. However, the program does require on-campus participation in a DNP Intensive twice per year.
Out-of-state limitations apply to this program.
The DNP Intensive is a required on-campus two-day event in both the fall and spring semesters. Students will participate in enhanced learning opportunities related to individual courses as well as program specific competency education. It is intended to facilitate interaction with course faculty, program advisors and university-related services. In addition, there are opportunities for professional networking and continuing education credits associated with regional, national and international experts
No, students admitted to the UCF College of Nursing Executive DNP program are required to identify a practice site and an appropriate institutional sponsor for that site. The academically supervised practice hours must be related to practice, not academic preparation. Therefore, practice hours cannot be related to the role of a nurse educator in an academic setting. Typically practice hours are completed in the student’s place of employment, provided an affiliation agreement is in place or can be secured.
UCF College of Nursing maintains many affiliation agreements throughout the State of Florida. Please first check with your organization to determine if an affiliation agreement is in place.
If one is not in place or if you reside outside of Florida, please contact the Graduate Program offices at the UCF College of Nursing at 407-823-2744 immediately upon notification of admission to the Executive DNP program. Students may not complete practice hours without a UCF affiliation agreement in place prior to the start of the practice hours.
Practice hours for the Executive DNP are typically accrued by a student working independently in his or her organization related to course objectives and/or the DNP project. Students are asked to identify a sponsor within that organization to coach, mentor and guide the student related to those activities. It is not necessary for the sponsor to have a doctorate or be a nurse. Instead, the student is asked to seek a sponsor who is best able to support the student’s efforts in pursuit of the DNP degree.
No, there is currently not a full-time option for the Executive DNP program at UCF since students in the program are also working in a full-time position.
Graduate study requires a significant amount of dedicated time. Students are advised to set aside 3 to 4 hours per credit/per week. A part-time Plan of Study requires six credits in the fall, six credits in the spring, and three credits during the summer over the course of nine semesters
No, the post-master’s Executive DNP does not require the student to submit GRE scores.
No. The Executive DNP degree program at UCF College of Nursing has two options for admission:
- Nurses with a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) with a leadership and management focus, and
- Nurses in another nursing specialty or nurses who have earned a master’s degree in another related specialty.
For nurses with a master’s degree outside of nursing, additional credits can be built into the Plan of Study to reach the 1,000-hour requirement of academically supervised practice hours to award the degree.
Students admitted to the Executive DNP track will be required to submit documentation of their academically supervised practice hours. Academically supervised practice hours are practice hours completed as part of a master’s degree. Students who have completed a degree requiring advanced practice certification for practice (NP, nurse midwife, CRNA and CNS) may submit evidence of their certification. All others will be required to document the practice hours accumulated in completion of their degree, corresponding to courses listed on the transcript.
Visit our Doctoral Admissions page for details on the application process and requirements.
What Our Graduates Say
“UCF is committed to ensuring student success. The online format allowed me to complete my academic training while working full time as an executive.”
Julie Vincent, ‘16DNP, MBA, RN, CENP
Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer of AdventHealth, Central Florida Division – North Region
