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Post-Master’s DNP Completion
The Doctor of Nursing Practice Post-Master’s DNP completion program is designed for practicing advanced practice nurses or nurse leaders who want to complete a clinical doctorate degree.
Program at a Glance
- Time to complete: 2 years with full-time study
- Entry options: Full-time or part-time study
- Application deadline: Apply by June 1 for a fall start
- Format: Hybrid program.
- Courses are online with several on-campus clinical intensive workshops and standardized patient exams in Kansas City.
- Credit hours: 32-34 total
- Practice experiences: 1,000 hours
- Already have your DNP? Specialize with one of our certificates.
Need more information? Join a 30‑minute info session for an overview of KU graduate nursing programs, admissions, and the application process.
Can’t join us at these times? Email soninfo@kumc.edu to schedule a one-on-one conversation with a nursing academic advisor.
Post-Master's DNP completion program courses
Those in the Post-Masters DNP completion program take these courses, and we participate in the Nursing Education Xchange program to further tailor your learning. .
| Course Number | Post-Master's DNP Completion Course Name | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| NURS 700 | Principles of Nursing Scholarship | 3 |
| NURS 701 | Population Health & Epidemiology | 3 |
| NURS 800 | Leadership & Professionalism | 3 |
| NURS 808 | Health Policy & Advocacy | 3 |
| NURS 809 | Informatics, Technology, & Communication | 3 |
| NURS 901 | Quality Improvement Methods and Evaluation | 3 |
| NURS 902 | Systems Change Management | 2 |
| NURS 909 | DNP Immersion | 1-3 |
| NURS 980 | DNP Project Development | 2 |
| NURS 981 | DNP Project Implementation | 3 |
| NURS 982 | DNP Project Evaluation and Dissemination | 3 |
| NURS 983 | Transition to Doctoral Leadership | 3 |
What Post-Master's Completion Students Learn
During these courses, students in the DNP completion program will learn to:
Build strong skills in combining nursing knowledge, history, research, and new AI‑powered technologies to think more critically, make better decisions, and lead improvements in healthcare.- Understand how population health is changing by learning about disease patterns and health strategies and build the skills to assess and respond to the health needs of different communities.
- Develop strong communication, leadership, and teamwork skills to help move the nursing profession forward, while setting an example of respect, ethics, and effective collaboration with other healthcare professionals.
- Learn how to use health technology and digital tools to improve patient care and outcomes, while building skills to use, assess, and protect information systems so clinical work is efficient, and data is secure.
- Prepare to lead quality improvement by using healthcare data to spot problems, track patterns, and create plans that make care safer and more effective.
- Study what drives change in today’s complex healthcare systems by learning how systems work, how to plan strategically, and how policy shapes care, and build the advanced skills needed to guide and support improvements in many types of healthcare settings.
- Learn how policy decisions at all levels affect patient care and health outcomes, while building the skills to advocate for change, influence policy, and work with others to improve health.
Students should refer to the Course Catalog for full course information. Contact Student Affairs if you have questions.
Ready to take the next step?
All applications must be received by June 1, 2026 for fall 2026 admission.
Not sure you’re ready to apply? Request information to receive details about admissions requirements, program format, and upcoming info sessions.
Clinical Practice Preceptors, Sites and Experiences
Clinical practice sites are generally located in the Kansas City metropolitan area but may extend across the state of Kansas and to other communities where students are located.
In academic year 2024-2025, KU School of Nursing had at the graduate level:
- 98 clinical sites
- 156 preceptors
During your clinical experiences you’ll pull together everything you’ve learned in the DNP completion program to show you’re prepared for the Doctor of Nursing Practice role and reflect on your growth as a clinical scholar, leader, mentor, advocate, and lifelong learner.
Accreditation & Recognition
The KU School of Nursing is nationally accredited and state approved. See accreditation details.
Accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
Approved by the Kansas State Board of Nursing