BS to Doctor of Nursing Practice FAQs

You can fill out and submit an online application for the BS to DNP program.

More information about the application procedure can be found here at the Apply Now page

The application fee is $65.

All nurse practitioner specializations have a Fall or Spring start term.  We operate on rolling admission basis.

Yes, the process of registering as a non-matriculated student is handled by the Registrar’s Office. You can find the instructions and forms available on the Non-Matriculated Students page

Letters must come from a professor/faculty member, a manager/supervisor, or an advanced practice licensed professional. One letter must be from your current supervisor or someone able to evaluate your clinical experience. The committee does not accept letters of recommendation from a friend/colleague.

Applicants submit their reference's information when filling out the application for admission. Upon submission of the application, references will receive instructions on how to submit letters of reference through MyUpstate.

After you apply, you will receive access to an online status checker.

We consider deferrals on a case-by-case basis.

If you'd like to speak with an Admissions Officer, please call 315-464-4570 during normal business hours (weekdays from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM). No appointment is necessary. You can also schedule an appointment for Zoom Virtual Chat.

If your application was placed on hold, the Admissions Committee will conduct a second review of your file when more applications are collected. At that time, you will receive another decision: admitted, denied, or waitlisted.

Information about tuition can be found on the Costs & Tuition page of our website.

Financial aid is available to all College of Nursing students, including DNP students. For more information please contact the Office of Financial Aid at 315 551-2057.

Yes, register for an information session on the Virtual Events page of the Admissions website.

Yes, you're welcome to reapply the following cycle. We encourage reapplicants to update their resume, personal statement, and/or letters of recommendation.

You may apply to only one degree at a time within the College of Nursing. If you are unsure about the degree best fits your needs, please discuss this with the program director of the specialization that interests you. Contact the College of Nursing to be put in touch with the program director of your chosen program.

A doctorate is the highest level of preparation for nursing. The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is a clinically-focused doctorate degree for nurses.

Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) - 85

Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) - 85

Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (FPMHNP) - 88

A baccalaureate-prepared RN can complete the program in 3 years of full-time study.

The program is offered as a full-time option in Fall and part-time option in Spring. Depending on the program track you choose, the schedule may vary. Additional schedule variations may be based on the number of transfer credits you bring into the program. 

200 project hours

We will work with you to make sure you stay on track. If your project is disrupted we will work to find an alternative that will still fulfill the CCNE requirements.

You select your own project based upon your interest, clinical foci, and practice experience.

Yes

You will disseminate findings to the Upstate University community as well as at your project site. 

You do not need a clinical preceptor. You will need a project mentor at your site. Ideally, that person will have a doctorate but if not, we can provide a doctoral-level support faculty member.

Yes

You are encouraged to do so.

Yes, we have a great variety of faculty with diverse experience and backgrounds. We will match you with one who will mentor you through your project.

900 clinical hours

Students are encouraged to complete their clinical hours at organizations that are outside of their employment, although it is not prohibited and is addressed on a case-by-case basis.

At the Upstate College of Nursing, the responsibility for securing clinical placement is a collaboration between the College and the student. We work together to identify clinical placement opportunities that are appropriate based upon educational needs, aspirations, and preferences whenever possible. Students should never cold-call or visit sites without a preexisting relationship. The most important part of this collaboration is communication, and we strive to work together to ensure all students can start their clinical course placements in a timely fashion at the most appropriate site offering the best experience. Students who do not identify a placement within established guidelines may be assigned to a clinical site and preceptor at the discretion of faculty.

All clinical programs are classified as hybrid and not fully online programs. As such, students in clinical programs should always plan to have a presence on campus. While some courses are online, the program itself is not, and as such, there are requirements for on-campus responsibilities.

Upstate Medical University uses Brightspace. To access this system and your courses, go to d2l.upstate.edu and log in using the username provided for your Outlook email account (the part before @upstate.edu).

If you have questions about your username or password, please call our Upstate Helpdesk at 315-464-4115, Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Your computer will need to meet minimum requirements to access online course information.

Courses begin officially on the first day of the term, unless otherwise stated in the course information in MyUpstate. Online courses go live (open for students to come in and get familiar with the course) one week before the official start date. Check the Academic Calendar online for start dates of each term.

Online courses are mostly asynchronous. There will be deadlines for learning activities, but the days of the week, and time of day you log in to participate are the times that are convenient for you.

You can browse through the courses based on the specialization you are applying for on our BS-DNP Curriculum page