Doctor of Nursing Practice

All DNP program applicants are admitted on a rolling basis throughout the year. One cohort will be accepted annually for a Fall/August start.

• The Post-MSN DNP application deadline is June 15.

• The Post-BSN DNP application deadline for our CNS and NP tracks is May 15.

• The Post-BSN DNP application deadline for our CRNA track is April 15.

  • Interviews for the CRNA program will begin February 1 and continue the first week of each month up until the cohort is filled.

DeSales, in partnership with St. Luke's University Health Network, is excited to introduce a new program in Nurse Anesthesia, beginning Fall 2025, designed to prepare you for a critical role in healthcare.

*The program is pending review for initial accreditation by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA). Please note, no students can be enrolled until initial accreditation has been awarded. Below is contact information for the COA:

Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA)
10275 W. Higgins, Suite 906
Rosemont, IL  60018
Phone: 224-275-9130
Email: accreditation@coacrna.org
www.coacrna.org

To apply to the DNP Executive Leadership or Clinical Leadership tracks, you must have:

• A baccalaureate degree in nursing from an ACEN or CCNE accredited institution.
• Master of Science in nursing (MSN) degree from an ACEN or CCNE accredited institution with a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
  • Executive Leadership track requires that this be in one of five concentrations: Health Administration, Health Policy, Clinical Informatics, Clinical Leadership/Clinical Nurse Leader, or Public Health.
• Completion of a master's level statistics course with a grade of "B" or better within the last 5 years.
• Current licensure as a registered nurse in the United States.
• Evidence of the equivalent of 12 months of full-time nursing practice within the last three years.

Additional Executive Leadership track requirements

• National certification strongly recommended but not required.

Additional Clinical Leadership track requirements

• National certification as an advanced practice nurse (NP, CNS, CNM, CRNA).
• Evidence of a minimum of 500 precepted/supervised clinical practicum hours during the applicant’s advanced practice program.

Upon acceptance, the Director of the DNP Program will perform a gap analysis of all post-Master’s applicant transcripts to determine the amount of hours of practice post-baccalaureate is required in order to achieve the DNP competencies.

The DeSales DNP Program will provide up to 1,000 hours of practice post-baccalaureate as part of a supervised academic program that aligns with the corresponding DNP Essential(s) and to verify that standards specific to advanced practice have been met.

New graduates of the Clinical Leadership track are expected to obtain APN certification and an APN position within the first six months of program matriculation.

To apply to the BSN-DNP Nurse Practitioner or CNS tracks, you must have:

• Baccalaureate degree in nursing from an ACEN or CCNE accredited institution with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
• Students admitted to BSN-DNP programs shall be currently licensed as a registered nurse (RN) or, if enrolled in an RN to Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or RN to Nursing Doctorate (ND) program, shall complete all competencies for undergraduate requirements prior to taking graduate courses.
  • New graduates are expected to obtain RN licensure within the first semester of program matriculation.
  • New graduates are expected to obtain a RN position within the first semester of program matriculation-specific to track option selected.
  • Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware RN licensures are also required prior to beginning the clinical sequence for all BSN-DNP track specialty curriculum.
• Completion of an undergraduate health assessment course with a grade of “C” or higher.
• Current Healthcare Provider CPR or ACLS certification.
• For the Family/Individual Across the Lifespan NP track
  • 24 months of care in the adult population prior to entering the clinical sequence.
• For the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care NP track
  • evidence of 24 months of adult acute care / ICU specialty area (i.e. medical/surgical ICU, trauma ICU, neuro/neurosurgical ICU, cardiac ICU, open heart unit, burn unit) experience prior to entering the clinical sequence.
• For the Psychiatric/Mental Health NP track
  • evidence of 24 months of psych mental health experience prior to entering the clinical sequence.
• For the Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist track
  • evidence of 24 months of adult gerontology RN experience prior to entering the clinical sequence.

To apply to the SLUHN/DSU Nurse Anesthesia program, you must have:

• A minimum of 1 year (preferably 2 years) of full-time ICU/critical care experience.
• ACLS/BLS/PALS certification.
• Documentation of 15 hours of shadowing and submission of CRNA Shadow Form provided by DeSales University.
• Letters of recommendation (Three total)
  
  • Nurse Manager, Nursing Supervisor, or Unit Charge Nurse
  • Physician
  • Secondary Supervisor
• DNP Vision Statement
  • The DNP vision statement is a 250–500 word description of the applicant’s future intentions and goals upon completion of a particular BSN-DNP track as a DNP graduate. The Statement should clearly express the applicant’s reasons for applying to the SLUHN/DSU Nurse Anesthesia Track and future professional and leadership goals as a doctorally-prepared Advanced Practice Registered Nurse.

• Electronic official transcripts can be sent to: 
  gradadmissions@desales.edu
• Paper official transcripts can be mailed to:
  DeSales University Admissions Office
  ATTN: Graduate Programs
  2755 Station Ave.
  Center Valley, PA 18034
• All transcripts from any degree-granting institution outside the United States must be evaluated by a NACES-approved evaluation service, such as World Education Services, Inc., with the resulting report submitted directly to the Division of Nursing. Visit www.naces.org for more information. DeSales University’s institutional reporting code is 002021.

Upon completion of Year 3 of the BSN-DNP curriculum, students are eligible to take the specialty track specific Certification Examination” offered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). The required 60-hour advanced pharmacology course exceeds the minimum 45 hours required for prescriptive authority in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

International applicants must contact Leslie Bartholomew, Designated School Official, at 610-282-1100, ext. 1859 or Leslie.Bartholomew@desales.edu to inquire about international admission requirements.

Applicants for whom English is a second language must submit English proficiency test scores (TOEFL, iBT, IELTS, or CAE) as part of their application. An official copy of test results must be sent by the testing agency directly to the Division of Nursing at DeSales University, 2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley, PA 18034. Visit the following websites for up-to-date information:

• The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
• The International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
• The Cambridge English Proficiency (CPE)

* All exams must have been taken within two years of application to a DeSales program.

DeSales University accepts students from most states, however, applicants outside of Pennsyvania should check with the School of Nursing to confirm eligibility.

DeSales University cannot admit students from the following states at this time: Alabama, Colorado, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, North Carolina, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

In addition, residents of New York may be admitted, however, they may not complete clinical preceptorships in the state of New York. Prospective students should contact the licensing board of their specific state of residence to determine if the program meets state requirements for NP licensure.

As a DNP student, you are expected to have your own laptop computer and are responsible for the maintenance of your personal hardware. However, DeSales provides support for required DeSales software and networking systems as well as free instructional workshops and support to help you get the most out of your learning experience.