Contact Name: Tyke Hanisch, DNP, RN, DNP Program Director

Contact Name: Maeve Howett, PhD, APRN, CPNP-PC, CNE, FAAN, Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives

Contact Name: Marlene Huff, Ph.D, MSN, BSN, CNS, RN, Interim Associate Dean/Interim Director

Contact Name: Aimee Holland, DNP, WHNP-BC, FNP-C, FAANP, FAAN, Associate Dean for Graduate Clinical Education

Contact Name: Darlene Showalter, DNP, CNS, DNP Program Coordinator

The UAH DNP program has very competitive tuition with no additional fees regardless of residence. A Nurse Faculty Loan Program is available for students who plan to teach after graduation. Loans supports tuition, books, software, and other reasonable educational expenses.
The MSN portion of the BSN-to-DNP is hybrid. DNP courses are fully on-line.  
Eligible students include nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, nurse midwives, and individuals certified in leadership/administration or informatics. Part-time and full-time enrollment is available.

Contact Name: Vickie Samuel, BA Communication Studies Graduate Recruitment & Retention Liaison

Two pathways to the DNP degree are available, the post-baccalaureate to DNP (BSN to DNP) and the post-master’s to DNP (MSN to DNP). The BSN to DNP pathway admits BSN-prepared nurses. The MSN degree will be awarded concurrently with the DNP degree at the conclusion of the program. The MSN degree offers one of the following concentrations associated with it: Family Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, dual Psychiatric Mental Health and Family Nurse Practitioner or Nurse Administrator. The BSN to DNP pathway for Nurse Practitioner concentrations is currently available to Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi residents only.

The MSN to DNP pathway admits those with a minimum of a Bachelor’s in Nursing and a Master’s in Nursing or another relevant field. Those with a Master’s in a field other than nursing may be required to complete additional courses. The program of study offers the opportunity for a focus in education or executive administration through additional elective coursework if desired.

The DNP curriculum includes the development of a clinical practice project. This DNP project is designed to synthesize scholarship in an advanced nursing practice specialty or an area of health care leadership. Practice immersion experiences provide the context within which the project is completed. Students develop the project under the direction of a team, including program faculty, the student, the clinical advisor, the faculty advisor, and alumni mentors. All courses are offered in a distance accessible format.

Amy Lee, DNP, ARNP, WHNP-BC

DNP Coordinator

Clinical Associate Professor

Adlee5@ua.edu

205-348-6798

Contact Name: Megan Volkov DNP, APRN, NP-C, Assistant Professor - DNP Program Chair

Contact Name: Allen Prettyman, PhD, FNP-BC, FAANP, FNAP, Associate Professor, Director DNP Program

Contact Name: Debbie Shirey, Graduate Program Coordinator

Contact Name: Leonie DeClerk, DNP, APRN, FNP, Director

The BSN-to-DNP program is designed to prepare nurses for advanced specialty practice in leadership nursing roles. The College of Nursing offers a nurse anesthesia specialty and six nurse practitioner specialties: adult-gerontology acute, adult-gerontology primary, family, pediatric acute, pediatric primary, and psych-mental health. The nurse anesthesia specialty is 95.5 credits, 36 months long, and requires full-time enrollment. Students in the nurse anesthesia specialty will take a mix of on-campus, hybrid, and online courses. The nurse practitioner specialty courses are offered in a hybrid format, with some courses offered totally online. Students may enroll in the three years, full-time plan of study or enroll in the extended, 4-year plan of study. All BSN-to-DNP students must have 2,000 hours of employment as a registered nurse prior to starting the advanced health assessment course. The post-masters DNP program with a leadership focus prepared individuals with graduate nursing degrees in nursing administration or APRNs for leadership roles. This program is offered online as either a part-time or full-time plan of study. The Nurse Anesthesia specialty in the DNP Program at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Nursing is accredited through the fall of 2025 by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs The DNP program at UAMS was granted continuing accreditation through December 31, 2030, by CCNE.