FAQs
UNCW – Doctor of Nursing Practice
If you have additional questions, please email chhs@uncw.edu or call 910-962-3208.
General Questions:
Am I a competitive student?
• Admission decisions are based on several factors, including a strong overall graduate academic record;
however, other indicators of success may be considered for admission.
What financial assistance is available to DNP students?
• The following opportunities are available through the School of Nursing: North Carolina Foundation for
Nursing, Forgivable Education Loans for Service, North Carolina Nurse Education Scholarship Loan Program,
Department of Health and Human Services Rural and Urban Family Nurse Practitioner Traineeship Grant
Program. The following opportunities are available through the State of North Carolina: The North Carolina
Nurse Scholars Program. The M-NSP application deadline is May 1st.
• The Nurse Scholars Commission meets in mid-June to select M-NSP recipients. For information, please
contact: NC Nurse Scholars Commission, North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority, PO Box 14223,
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709; (919) 549-8614.
• Contact the Financial Aid office for additional questions.
Can I start the DNP program in the Spring Semester?
• No. Students are admitted during the fall semester only.
Is a part-time DNP program available?
• Yes. Each student must complete an approved course of study within five years of the date of the first
registration for graduate study to be eligible for graduation.
Can I take DNP courses in the summer?
• Some DNP core courses and elective courses may be offered in the summer.
The DNP program is primarily online. How many times would I be expected to come to the UNCW
campus?
• During most semesters, students are required to come to campus 1-2 times. These dates are usually established
prior to the beginning of each semester.
Is there a final presentation/exam?
• The final course will be a scholarly clinical project presentation. Students will come to campus on the final
day to present . the findings from their project.
Can I take DNP courses out of sequence?
• Yes, some courses may be taken out of sequence.
How many clinical hours must I complete during the program?
• Students are required to complete a total of 1,000 clinical hours to complete the program. These are divided as
follows: clinical hours from MSN clinical practicum and DNP clinical practicum.
Where can I do my clinical practicum?
• Clinical practicum hours are completed wherever the appropriate site exists to offer the best experiences for
the program of study.
What is the cost of the DNP program?
• Tuition rates can be found on the Student Accounts & Cashier Services link.
Application/Admissions Questions:
How do I apply to the DNP program?
• The application is completed online through the UNCW graduate school:
https://app.applyyourself.com/?id=uncw-grad. The online application will walk you through the process and
provide you an opportunity to list email addresses for potential references, upload your resume or CV, and
upload your writing sample. The only document submitted to the School of Nursing is the demographic data
form which can be accessed on the web site. Everything else is submitted to the graduate school. The online
application is the only way to submit an application—NO PAPER APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED.
What are the minimum admission requirements?
• A completed Graduate School application; official transcripts of all college work; three recommendations (one
each from a former nurse faculty member and a current or former employer, preferred); current unrestricted
registered nurse license in the state in which practice will occur; graduate degree in nursing from a nationally
accredited program; graduate GPA 3.0 or greater; academic credits in nursing research, and statistics; computer
competency; a comprehensive interview may be requested; and additional items as needed.
Can I transfer into UNCW’s DNP program credits from another institution’s DNP program?
• Yes, but only six hours of transfer credit can be accepted into the UNCW DNP program.
When is the deadline to apply?
• April 1 is the application deadline for fall admission. All completed applications received by the graduate
school by the April 1 deadline will be reviewed first. Applications that are incomplete on April 1 may not be
reviewed by the School of Nursing Ggraduate Aadmission Ccommittee. Admission decisions will be finalized
and students will be notified of admission by May 15.
Does work or volunteer experience influence admissions?
• Admission decisions are based on the entire application so work experience, volunteer experience or
community/professional service, leadership experience, and scholarly works (research, publications, or grants)
will be considered as part of the entire application.
Reapplying to the Program Questions:
If a student did not get accepted, can they resubmit their application to the program for another cohort?
• They will need to resubmit their application to reapply.
What are the re-application instructions:
1. Please contact Ms. Kimberly Harris at harrisk@uncw.edu if you have additional questions.
2. Create a new account/application https://app.applyyourself.com/?id=UNCW-GRAD
3. Click ‘CONTINUE’ if you wish to start a new application.
4. Complete the graduate application.
5. Upload a Word document outlining which documents you wish to recycle from your previous application.
6. Submit prior to the published program deadline & pay the application fee (UNCW faculty/staff/dependent
submit waiver through HR).
Updated: 0112/220/2015