Q. How long is the program?
A. Six semesters as a post master’s DNP student taking 2 courses a semester and completing in 2 years. You may also elect to take one course per term the first two years and finish the program in 3 years.
Q. What are the course formats?
A. Courses are online with one or more required virtual meetings in the late afternoon or evening. There is a required all day face to face meeting the first summer term for orientation. The project proposal and final project presentation are generally held on campus and in person as well.
Q. Will I get credit for any of my master's clinical hours?
A. Otterbein has adopted the recommendations from the ACCN on clinical hours. Students must complete 1000 preceptor-supervised clinical hours post-baccalaureate. If the post-master’s student has completed national certification, some of these hours may be credited. Other students may be asked to submit a portfolio to help plan an individualized experience that includes the appropriate number of clinical hours.
Q. Can I get transfer credit for any of my other graduate work?
A. Limited transfer credit may be available. Generally at the graduate level not more than two courses can be transferred.
Q. Are there any courses I need to take prior to the program?
A. Post master’s students should have completed a graduate level research course in their master's program. We also recommend taking a graduate level statistics course.
Q. Can I hold a RN in license in a state other than Ohio?
A. Yes, you should hold an active unencumbered RN license in the state in which you will conduct your practice project.
Q. Does my work experience need to have been in a clinical environment in the last 3 years?
A. If pursuing the advanced practice track, recent clinical experience will be helpful. We require 1 year of full-time(or part-time equivalent to full-time) direct care experience in the last 3 years.
Q. What if I have been most recently working in administration?
A. We do offer a nurse executive focus. You should have 1 year of full-time(or part-time equivalent to full-time) experience in a nursing administration position in the last 3 years.
Q. When is the admission deadline?
A. Feb 15 yearly and the program begins the summer term.
Q. How should I prepare for the admission interview?
A. The faculty will be interested in your career goals, your planned academic trajectory, and your ideas for your clinical project, and any concerns you may have. This will help them to aid you in developing an individualized course of study.
Q. How many are admitted to each class?
A. A limited number generally 10-15.
Q. What are some examples of the final project?
A. Samples of our DNP graduate projects are listed on our website.
Q.How much time does a final project generally require?
A. It is of course dependent on the project selected. It is reasonable to expect the clinical project to be completed within the two years of study.
Q. How many hours should I plan to dedicate to my studies per week?
A. Students will take approximately six credits per semester, with a recommendation of 3-4 hours per credit hour of outside class study time.
Q. For what kind of jobs does this prepare me?
A. The DNP is an expert clinician educated for transformation leadership and project development.
Q. What can I expect as an increase in salary with a DNP?
A. Salary is determined by individual employers. Average national salary figures are available at the ACCN website at www.aacn.nche.edu.
Q. If I need to drop out for any reason, how long do I have to complete the program?
A. Students must complete the program within six years. We have a Leave of Absence policy in case of emergency.
Q. Are you offering a BSN to DNP program?
A. Not at this time. We plan to offer this program in the future.
Q. What is the cost for the program?
A. See the cost grid on the Tuition and Financial Aid page.