Doctor of Nursing Practice

Education Requirements

• Post-baccalaureate DNP applicants must have a bachelor’s degree in nursing from an accredited program
• Post-master’s DNP applicants must have a bachelor’s degree in nursing or another field AND:
  • A master’s degree in nursing from a program accredited by either the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education or the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission OR
  • A graduate nurse anesthesia degree from a program accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists OR
  • A graduate nurse-midwifery degree from a program accredited by the American College of Nurse Midwives Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education
• A minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher in a bachelor’s, and if applicable, master’s program
• Official transcripts from all previous college work

Practice & Professional Requirements

• 1 year of full-time nursing practice preferred
  • International students are strongly encouraged to have working experience in the field of nursing in the US
• Students must hold a current, unencumbered RN license in each state or United States territory where practice or clinical experiences occur.
• Vancouver DNP Students: Every effort is made to place you in a location which is convenient to you with a schedule that works with your current schedule; however, travel and adjustments to your schedule are often necessary. If you live in the greater Vancouver/Portland area, it is highly recommended that you hold a current and active license in both Oregon and Washington to open placement opportunities.
• Oregon placements for DNP PMHNP students: We can do Oregon placements with the caveat that your first clinical course placement will likely need to be in Washington. The reason for this is that all placements in Oregon need to be approved by the Oregon State Board of Nursing (OSBN). For NP programs, the only acceptable preceptors are NPs and MDs. For your first clinical course, your preceptor will likely be a master’s prepared therapist, rather than an NP or MD because of the course requirement. The OSBN will not approve this specific preceptor, so we generally place in WA for this course. After the first course, you are free to be placed in Oregon.

International students are eligible to apply if they are eligible to obtain a current, unencumbered RN license in each state or United States territory where practice or clinical experiences occur. International applicants must meet general Graduate School international applicant requirements.

• You will need to submit two applications, one to the WSU Graduate School and one to NursingCAS. To avoid problems, please read closely through all directions below before starting.
• The Graduate School has individual requirements, please refer to their application requirements.
• Your NursingCAS application will require the following documents by uploading them into the application:
  • Updated professional CV/Resume
  • Copy of RN License (optional)
  • Applicants who have attended a previous graduate nursing school or another health-related profession school must have a letter submitted from that school that includes a statement regarding the student’s standing at the previous school. Applicants who have been previously dismissed from a program or who are not in good standing will not be considered for admission. Admission will not be considered for anyone who earned a “NC”, or ”C” in any two graduate nursing courses or a “D”, “F”, “WD” or “WF” in any graduate nursing course.
• Note that a virtual interview through KiraTalent will be done online as part of the application process.

You may also be asked for additional items, so we encourage you to assemble these in advance:

• Determine three references willing to provide a letter of recommendation for you that discusses your leadership, academic standards, and skills as they pertain to your primary interest area. You will need to provide names, addresses, emails, and positions of your references on your application. We recommend (but do not require) your references include a current or past faculty member in a nursing program you attended and two professionals from a work setting (head nurse, provider, NP/PA etc.). They will be contacted directly by WSU via email after you have submitted your application. Each reference will receive instructions for submitting their recommendation through an evaluation form. Ask them to fill out the form and submit it within one week of receiving it.
• Prepare a 500-word statement of purpose to submit with your application. It must be well written, organized, and include your long- and short-term professional goals and how they fit with the health care needs of  your community.

Before Starting & Graduate School Application

• You will need to submit two applications, one to the WSU Graduate School and one to NursingCAS. To avoid problems, please read closely through all directions below before starting.
• Review the Application Requirements above to ensure you meet the requirements
• Ensure that you have applied to the Graduate School for the DNP program. After you prepare/gather your required application materials and list of references, you are ready to apply. The application fee is $75 and non-refundable. The Graduate School application is open from 8/1 through either 11/15 or 3/15 depending on your specialty track. Note that the deadline time is 11:59pm EST of that date
  • Create your online CollegeNET applicant profile.
  • When you get to the “Enrollment Plans” page, type “nursing” into the search box.
  • Select your PROGRAM based on the CAMPUS NAME (select one) you are applying to. This will be the campus where you will attend on-campus meeting dates as well as the area in which you will have clinical experiences if admitted.
  • Select the Term you are applying for.
  • Submit your updated professional curriculum vitae or résumé.
  • Submit your statement of purpose.
  • Provide information about your three references who will submit letters of recommendation for you.  Make sure you read the “before you apply” section above so you are clear on what your references need to do.
  • Submit your application.
  • You will receive an email from the College of Nursing Graduate Programs Office acknowledging application submission and what other application materials are outstanding.

Nursing CAS Application

• Review the application support documentation below.
  • Additionally, we have tutorial videos that were made for our prelicensure program. There are some exceptions to the DNP process but it may prove helpful to see how CAS works.  
• Select the ‘Apply Now!’ button at the bottom of this section and select the term that you are applying for (Fall 2023).  Click apply to set up your account. Check your junk mail and spam folder for the initial account confirmation to ensure that NursingCAS emails are safely going to your inbox. NursingCAS Application is open from 8/15 through 11/15.
• Use the following link to view all available WSU College of Nursing Applications.
  • There are multiple DNP application options so be sure to review the names of each to ensure you’re selecting the correct one. For example, you will see two FNP options – one is for post-baccalaureate and one is for post-masters. Make sure you have the correct one.
  • In NursingCAS, all WSU campuses are combined as Spokane/Tri-Cities/Vancouver/Yakima, WA. After you begin the application, you will be able to select the campus you want to apply for. The campus selection is a required question so you will have to answer it. Once you submit your application, your campus decision cannot be changed.
• Select the My Application tab to begin filling out your application
• The application fee is $80 and non-refundable. The NursingCAS application is open from 8/15 through either 11/15 or 3/15 depending on your specialty track. Note that the deadline time is 11:59pm EST of that date

Personal Information

• Fill out all 7 sections. Make sure you click “save and continue” at the bottom of each section.
• Ensure that your contact info is accurate – your email is what we use to contact you for issues and info.
• This section is run by NursingCAS – anything that is optional you are welcome to skip without it affecting your application.

Academic History

• Fill out all sections other than standardized test.
• For Colleges Attended, click “add a college” and input every college you have ever attended. Complete the questions asked for each college you added. This section will likely take you the most time, though our tutorial videos has an overview to assist.
• You will need to order official transcripts for every college/university you have attended, including for your undergraduate degree. We recommend ordering an electronic transcript if possible. If your school does not offer electronic transcripts through one of the 3 companies that NursingCAS uses, please follow the instructions for “Option 2: Order a Mailed Paper Transcript.”
• For Transcript Entry, input every course exactly as it appears on that institution’s transcript. NursingCAS will reject an application if the transcript entry does not match the transcript.
• We recommend pulling up an unofficial transcript so you can copy over the classes accurately.
  • Note: If you use the Professional Transcript Entry (PTE) function, please allow a large amount of time for CAS to finish that process. If you are late on a deadline or miss something due to PTE the responsibility is still with you. After you receive notification from NursingCAS that the PTE is complete, you must log back into your application and approve the coursework entry before your application will be submitted.
  • Note: do your best with the course subject drop-down. It will not cover every option possible, and as long as it is close enough we will know what you are going for. It is the other components that are blank fields (grades/credits) that are the most important to us.
• Once you have completed the transcript entry, choose to review and finalize your transcripts.
• Ensure that you accurately indicate repeated classes. Type out exactly what is on your transcript.

Supporting Information

• You can opt out of all of these sections, as you instead upload a resume/CV later on.

Application Questions

• Respond to all questions to the best of your ability following the directions provided for each question section.
• When you are completing the Written Interview Questions section you must limit your responses to 2500 characters, or about 500 words.
• If you are unable to fit your entire response into the box, you can send a complete version of your responses to nursing.admissions@wsu.edu.

Program Materials

• Review the home tab first, then fill out the remaining 3 tabs (Questions, Documents, Prerequisites).
• For Questions, thoroughly read through each and answer appropriately – if you answer yes to a question, and later it turns out you should have answered no, you risk ineligibility.
• For Documents, upload your CV/Resume. Also, if you have attended a previous graduate nursing school or another health-related profession school, you must upload a letter from that school that includes a statement regarding your standing at the previous school.

Submitting Your Application

• Navigate to “Submit Application” on the top of the page and pay application fee. Note that the deadline time is 11:59pm EST of that date.
• Wait – we will send updates via email.
• Remember – Email us early on if you anticipate any issues. Triple-check the checklist as well, particularly the red sections that cause the most ineligibilities.

Tips for submitting your application

• Select one campus (Spokane, Tri-Cities, Vancouver, or Yakima) you would like to attend. The campus you indicate on your application is where you will be expected to attend in-person classes. If you select one campus and intend to change later, you may lose your place in the program as we cannot ensure space for you at another campus location. Including your current home address will help us to verify you applied at the correct campus.
• Include an email address you check regularly. Most contact during the admissions process will be done via email. Failure to respond may jeopardize your chances for admission.
• Make sure your official transcripts are received by NursingCAS by the deadline. Please note that a copy of a transcript from every college and/or university you have attended will be required.

After you submit your application

• Make sure that you have also applied to the Graduate School, which was step 1 in this process. The Graduate School application is required alongside the CAS application to fully matriculate you into the program, following Nursing student recommendations.

General Application & Admissions Questions

1. How many students are admitted each year?
   1. Admission numbers are coordinated by specialty and by campus to ensure there are appropriate ratios between students and faculty. Typically, the FNP program admits approximately 50 students per year across all campuses, PMHNP 15 students per year across all campuses, Population Health 10 students per year across all campuses and post-MN DNP General 15 students per year across all campuses.
2. Is the GRE required?
   1. No, the GRE is not required.
3. Is an RN license required?
   1. Yes. Students must hold a current, unencumbered RN license in each state or United States territory where practice or clinical experiences occur.
      1. Vancouver DNP Students: Every effort is made to place you in a location which is convenient to you with a schedule that works with your current schedule; however, travel and adjustments to your schedule are often necessary. If you live in the greater Vancouver/Portland area, it is highly recommended that you hold a current and active license in both Oregon and Washington to open placement opportunities.
      2. Oregon placements for DNP PMHNP students: We can do Oregon placements with the caveat that your first clinical course placement will likely need to be in Washington. The reason for this is that all placements in Oregon need to be approved by the Oregon State Board of Nursing (OSBN). For NP programs, the only acceptable preceptors are NPs and MDs. For your first clinical course, your preceptor will likely be a master’s prepared therapist, rather than an NP or MD because of the course requirement. The OSBN will not approve this specific preceptor, so we generally place in WA for this course. After the first course, you are free to be placed in Oregon.
         
4. What should I include in my goal statement/statement of purpose?
   1. Prepare a 500-word statement of purpose essay that you copy and paste in to the application that is well written, organized, and includes both your long- and short-term professional goals and how your goals fit with the health care needs of your community.
5. Are references required?
   1. Yes. When you apply online, you will be required to provide contact information for three references. Your references will be contacted automatically through the online application system and asked to submit a recommendation form electronically; there is no need for a separate hard copy. We recommend your references include two faculty members in a nursing program you attended and a person from a work setting. Please contact references to ensure they are willing to respond to your recommendation request, and ask them to discuss your leadership, academic standards, and skills as they pertain to your primary interest area.
6. Where do I have my transcripts sent?
   1. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable for the application review process, but official transcripts will be required for all admitted students. Visit the requirements page on the Graduate School website for more information.
7. Who is the contact person at the College of Nursing if I have questions?
   1. Email nursing.grad.apps@wsu.edu.
8. How can I reach the Graduate School if I have questions?
   1. WSU Graduate School Admissions can be reached at gradsch@wsu.edu or 509-335-1446.
9. I am currently enrolled in a graduate nursing program at WSU College of Nursing but want to change my degree program. Do I have to reapply to the graduate school online and pay the application fee again?
   1. No, you do not have to apply online and pay the application fee again. If you are already a graduate student at WSU College of Nursing and want to change your degree plans, please submit the following materials: graduate program written or verbal interview responses, statement of purpose addressing why you want to switch or continue and a current résumé to nursing.admissions@wsu.edu. Faculty will review your file for an admission decision. If they approve admission, you must work with WSU College of Nursing Graduate Program Office to complete and submit a Plan and Degree Level Change Form to the WSU Graduate School. If you are already enrolled in a graduate nursing program at WSU College of Nursing and reapplied online and paid the $75 fee, contact Jenny Saligumba-Graham at saligum@wsu.edu to request a refund.
10. I want to get a master’s degree so I can take the Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP) exam sooner. Can I do that?
    1. The College of Nursing offers the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree for students accepted to the nurse practitioner tracks (family nurse practitioner or a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner). WSU does not offer a master’s degree exit option for NP students admitted Fall 2018 or later. National organizations such as the American Association of Colleges of Nursing support the completion of the DNP as the degree for entry to Nurse Practitioner practice.

NursingCAS FAQs – General

1. How will I hear about decisions or issues with my application?
   1. All communication happens through the NursingCAS webadmit tool. Make sure you create an account with an email you check regularly, and check spam and junk emails regularly as well. Verify your information is accurate in the Personal Information section as well. Both WSU and NursingCAS can/will contact you through the email you provided when applying.
2. What happens if I never get an email?
   1. Luckily for you, we also send you an email when you are fully reviewed! If you get an email saying that you have been reviewed, that means there were no errors in your application and you may rest easy until decisions go out.
3. What happens if I get an email about issues I have?
   1. If the issues with your application are minimal and not duplicitous, we will reach out via email and give approximately 2 business days to update your application with fixed information. Again, for that reason, regularly check for emails from NursingCAS itself and in all folders.
      
      Replying to that email will put you in contact with your reviewer, so if you do not understand what you need to fix, or have fixed what you needed to, please let your reviewer know. This will continue the review process of your application. There is often something called an Academic Update needed, which can take time. Letting us know you’ve seen what you need to do and are working on it is good practice.
4. I was asked a question on how COVID impacted my life, why was this asked?
   1. That was a question included by NursingCAS itself. We will not use the answer in our admissions process, so you may opt out of answering that if you so wish.
5. Why am I not able to submit my application?
   1. There could be a few issues. First, double check that everything is filled out (all 4 quadrant circles are green) to show you’ve completed everything. If that is the case and you still are not sure, contact your campus advisor who can look over it with you.
6. How do I reach out to NursingCAS?
   1. If you look at your name on the application, there will be a “?” icon next to it. If you click that you will be connected with the CAS helpdesk as well as find their contact email.
7. My entire response to the Written Interview Questions will not fit in the box. What do I do?
   1. Email a copy of your full responses to nursing.admissions@wsu.edu.

NursingCAS FAQs – Academic History & Transcripts

1. Do I really need to order official transcripts from everywhere I’ve been?
   1. Yes. We need CAS to verify your coursework before we can take a look as reviewers, and CAS only verifies once they have everything. We recommend ordering your transcripts as soon as you can to mitigate issues.
2. How do I order my transcripts then?
   1. For 99% of institutions, you will be able to order them through the application on NursingCAS. If your college is not listed within CAS, please contact us.
3. Where do my transcripts go to? What if there is a mail delay?
   1. You want to make sure your transcripts go to NursingCAS, and NOT to WSU. We are unable to pass them to CAS if you send them to us. Please make sure that transcripts are ordered at minimum 6 weeks before the start of the term as well.
      
      Additionally, we understand that life does happen, and tech issues may rarely occur. We recommend that you save ordering receipts for this reason. Further, you are able to submit your completed CAS application with pending transcripts if this does happen.
      
      Lastly, it can take a few days for CAS to process your transcripts. It is normal to get confirmation they were sent, then have a few days before CAS notes them as received on your account. If it has been more than a week between sending and receiving, please reach out, otherwise the timing is normal.
4. Do I need high school transcripts too?
   1. Luckily no! CAS will ask you where you attended, but you do not need to provide proof or transcripts for that section.
5. When I put in my classes, what do I pick for the status?
   1. You can do your best guess here. If you were taking it early on, it’s okay to put first year/freshman there. Same thing if it’s been about a year you can put sophomore. We do not look in detail at this section, so you do not need to worry about mistakes here.
6. I took a random class, what do I put for the subject area?
   1. Subject is another part that doesn’t matter as much to us. Use your best guess as to what makes sense, and when in doubt you can pick the “Special Topics” option without issue.

Select a plan below based on the program you’re interested in to see an example of how the program might look for you.

All DNP students will meet the DNP Program Mission and Outcomes at the successful conclusion to their program:

“The Mission of the DNP program is to prepare nurse leaders who are experts in evidence-based practice to provide the highest quality health care for patients, families, communities, and populations.”

Students who are adding a specialty will also meet the outcomes of their specialty track:

Which WSU College of Nursing campus sites offer the DNP program?

The DNP program is offered at WSU Spokane, WSU Tri-Cities, and WSU Vancouver. If you live outside of these locations and are interested in the DNP program, contact the graduate program coordinator for more information.

Is the program offered online?

The program is considered “hybrid” with most of the instruction offered online.  Most DNP courses have 5 synchronous Zoom class sessions per semester that can be attended from the student’s home – a reliable internet connection and a non-distracting environment are essential.   Some Nurse Practitioner courses will meet in-person on the campus of registration:  NURS 508 (FNP only) &  NURS 562 (FNP & PMHNP) will each meet 5 times per semester on campus for lab experiences, and NURS 514 (FNP only), NURS 516 (FNP only), & NURS 538 (FNP only) will each meet once per semester on campus for an intensive day (a hands-on clinical skills learning experience).  Class sessions typically are block-scheduled in a 1-2 day block (for example one of the class sessions might be scheduled Monday/Tuesday.) These blocked days may vary each semester.*

*Some nurse practitioner courses require labs or intensives that are scheduled separately from typical block scheduling.

How are classes delivered?

Class sessions are delivered by two-way, fully interactive videoconferencing, allowing for maximum interaction with the instructor and students from all participating campus sites.

What does it cost to attend the program?

Can I complete my clinical hours where I work?

Clinical/practicum hours in the workplace follow strict requirements. You may complete clinical hours within the organization where you’re employed but not within the same unit or the same supervisory area, and no reimbursement may be given for practicum hours.

What is the difference between “direct-care” and “non-direct care” practicum hours?

Direct-care practicum hours are clinical experiences where nurse practitioner students are working directly with individual patients to provide health care in a clinical setting.  Non-direct care practicum hours are leadership experiences or DNP project work that may involve healthcare organizations, community members, or patient populations but the student is not providing direct patient care.  DNP students must have 1,000 hours of practicum experiences.  For nurse practitioner students, these will be divided between direct-care and non-direct care practicum hours per our national guidelines for advanced practice nursing certification and the DNP degree.  For non-nurse practitioner DNP tracks, these will be composed of non-direct care practicum hours.

Where can I complete my clinical/practicum hours?

Practicum hours must be completed in the vicinity of the campus of registration.  WSU has clinical placement coordinators who place nurse practitioner students for direct-care practicum experiences, but DNP students must establish their own sites and preceptors for non-direct care practicum experiences – this gives students the opportunity to maximize their networking skills and existing professional connections to find a DNP project that aligns with their professional goals.

What is a DNP Project?

A hallmark of the DNP-prepared nurse is the ability to utilize the concept of practice inquiry to translate meaningful health research into practice. Students learn this process through the completion of a DNP project. Students investigate an area of nursing practice, the health care delivery system, or a health care policy issue to develop a project meaningful to the organization as well as one that meets the scope of doctoral level work. DNP projects may take the form of quality improvement, evidence-based practice, program evaluation, or policy change projects. See examples of DNP student projects: https://nursing.wsu.edu/dnp/student-projects/.