The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program with a dual concentration in Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) and Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) is designed to prepare advanced practice nurses for dual population-focused practice. The program emphasizes integrated, lifespan-based care while developing doctoral-level competencies in leadership, evidence-based practice, and systems improvement across primary care and psychiatric-mental health settings.
All students are required to complete a minimum of 1,000 post-baccalaureate clinical and/or practice hours. Clinical experiences are intentionally structured and documented to ensure sufficient depth and breadth of preparation in both population-focused areas, with a minimum of 500 direct-care clinical hours in each role and limited overlap permitted when competencies appropriately align. Upon successful completion of the program, graduates meet the educational eligibility requirements to sit for both the Family Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner national certification examinations.
The maximum time to complete the DNP degree is seven years, calculated from the beginning of the first course in which credit is earned toward the DNP degree at Saginaw Valley State University.
Academic Regulations:
The following regulations will apply unless otherwise specified.
- In required graduate nursing courses, students must earn a grade of “B” or better to remain in good standing. If a grade of “I” is earned, course requirements must be satisfied prior to beginning additional required courses.
- A required course can be repeated only once. Failure of a repeated course or a second required course results in dismissal from the program. Candidacy status will be achieved with the appointment of the DNP project advisors and completion of the formative candidacy evaluation process as outlined in the Graduate Nursing Student Handbook.
- Completion of courses will be done as outlined in a plan of study as required in the Graduate Student Nursing Handbook.
Admission Requirements for BSN to DNP Applicants:
- Completed application for graduate admission to the DNP Degree program
- Graduated from an accredited BSN program with a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale on all nursing and prerequisite coursework with all official transcripts.
- Unencumbered RN license
- Curriculum vitae or resume
- College statistics course with grade of C or higher equivalent to approved SVSU courses.
- DNP Essay Goal Statement with literature support - 1000 to 1250 words in length following APA format including four scholarly references from the literature.
- Provide your reason(s) for pursuing a DNP practice degree.
- Identify your professional career plans and goals.
- Include potential interest areas for the doctoral project.
- Explain your understanding of the DNP degree and the purpose of a practice doctorate degree.
- Discussion with the Graduate Nursing Program Coordinator and/or Program Director
- Letters of recommendation are not required but may be requested at the discretion of the graduate nursing coordinator.
International Student Admission Requirement - Additional Requirements Include:
- Completed international application for graduate admission.
- An academic report is required from the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (http://www.cgfns.org/)
- Official TOEFL results with a score of 92 (Internet-based) or an IELTS score of 7.0. in each skill area
- Evidence of financial support.
Additional admission criteria may be required for any applicant based on record review.
The Nursing Department promotes an inclusive learning environment and will provide reasonable accommodations providing essential program/curriculum elements are maintained.
Prior to practice courses, a criminal background check, evidence of current immunizations, physical exam, CPR, and drug testing are required as described in the Graduate Nursing Handbook.
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