All DNP courses are offered online. Students are also required to participate in DNP immersion weekends held at the beginning of every semester and at the end of the spring semester of graduation. Some DNP immersion weekends are conducted virtually, and some are conducted face-to-face with required on-campus attendance. During the on-campus weekends, students meet with their faculty advisors and peers in the program. While on-campus, students practice formal presentation skills with a progress report of their research projects. The on-campus weekends are held at the Virginia Beach campus.

The graduate school admission requirements are described on the website: https://www.odu.edu/admission/graduate. Applicants to the BS-DNP Nurse Executive program should have relevant healthcare management experience and be seeking an opportunity to advance to an executive level position.

Students entering the Advanced Practice DNP program must either have a master's degree (MSN or MS). Those interested in the Nurse Executive DNP program also require a master's degree or if not, can enroll in the BS-DNP program that provides MSN courses to meet the academic requirements. MSN courses with a clinical component will be accepted toward the total clinical hour requirement of 1000 hours to obtain the DNP degree. The DNP program provides 560 clinical hours within the planned curriculum. Students who do not enter as a Nurse Practitioner may need additional clinical hours in addition to the DNP courses. A review of your transcript will be helpful in determining this.

Students may enroll in the DNP program either full-time or part-time. Part-time students typically take two courses per semester (6 credit hours) and the courses are sequential. A curriculum plan outlining the specific courses needed for each program of study is provided upon enrollment. Program completion depends on whether or not you need additional coursework to meet the clinical requirements for a DNP degree (as noted above).

ODU has a list of clinical preceptors who have worked with students in the past and are willing to be assigned students. However, if you have a particular interest in working with someone or in a specific clinical site closer to your home, we can work with you to obtain a clinical agreement with that site. Students may complete their clinical practicum hours within their own work setting, but the activities completed to meet practicum goals and objectives must be different from the student's work role and responsibilities.