Nursing Practice: Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Track

The DNP Program curriculum is designed for both Post-Baccalaureate and Post-Master’s degree students. All students must fulfill the University of St. Thomas (UST) requirement of 72 credits for the doctoral degree. These credits are allocated to core courses, specialty courses (including those related to the DNP Project), and other relevant coursework.

Students who enter with a Master's Degree in nursing may transfer up to 30 credits, depending on their previous coursework completed at another accredited four-year institution. This transfer can be achieved through course credits or equivalency credits for post-Master’s students.

The DNP Program offers a full-time three-year study plan, which includes a minimum of 1000 hours of clinical practice. These hours may be accrued through clinical experiences or a combination of hours and clinical credit equivalencies, especially for students who hold a relevant Master’s degree. Therefore, degree plans are tailored individually for both Post-Master’s DNP Leadership (42 credits) and PMHNP (Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner) tracks (52 credits).