This is a named option with the Nursing Practice, DNP.
- The Adult-Gerontologic Clinical Nurse Specialist (AG-CNS) DNP track focuses on managing care of specialty patient populations, supporting nurses in providing best-evidence based care, and leading change at the organization/system level to improve patient outcomes.
- The Adult-Gerontologic Clinical Nurse Specialist program positions graduates to excel as clinical leaders working with adult patients in a multitude of clinical settings across the care continuum.
- Clinical Placement Coordinators organize clinical experience opportunities state based on students’ interests.
- Adult-Gerontologic Clinical Nurse Specialist students are also presented with the opportunity to complete the Global Health Certificate Program and/or the Nurse Educator Certificate Program which complements the curriculum and sets graduates up to succeed in a teaching career.
Admissions
Please consult the table below for key information about this degree program’s admissions requirements. The program may have more detailed admissions requirements, which can be found below the table or on the program’s website.
Graduate admissions is a two-step process between academic programs and the Graduate School. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements of the Graduate School as well as the program(s). Once you have researched the graduate program(s) you are interested in, apply online.
| Fall Deadline | December 1 |
| Spring Deadline | This program does not admit in the spring. |
| Summer Deadline | This program does not admit in the summer. |
| GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) | Not required. |
| English Proficiency Test | Refer to Graduate School: Minimum Requirements for Admission policy: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1241 and the Doctor of Nursing Practice's higher requirements:
|
| Other Test(s) (e.g., GMAT, MCAT) | n/a |
| Letters of Recommendation Required | 3 |
Additional Admission Requirements:
- Graduation from an accredited baccalaureate program in nursing or master’s degree from an accredited nursing program (if applicable)
- One year of professional nursing experience
- Minimum GPA requirements:
- 3.0 in the last 60 baccalaureate credits and/or
- 3.5 in master's degree credits (if completed master's degree)
- Grade of B or better in an approved graduate level statistics course within the last 5 years. (Note: The course does not need to be taken before applying, but must be successfully completed prior to the start of the fall term.)
- Unencumbered Wisconsin RN license (by the program start)
- Certification as an advanced practice nurse (if applicable)
- Application essay (see School of Nursing website for specific criteria)
- Curriculum vitae or resume
- CGFNS Certification (for international applicants only)
With program approval, applicants without an APN master's degree (i.e., nurse education) may apply prior coursework toward degree requirements.
Minimum Graduate School Requirements
Review the Graduate School minimum degree requirements and policies, in addition to the program requirements listed below.
Named Option Requirements
Mode of Instruction
| Face to Face | Evening/Weekend | Online | Hybrid | Accelerated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No | No | No | Yes | No |
Mode of Instruction Definitions
Accelerated: Accelerated programs are offered at a fast pace that condenses the time to completion. Students typically take enough credits aimed at completing the program in a year or two.
Evening/Weekend: Courses meet on the UW–Madison campus only in evenings and/or on weekends to accommodate typical business schedules. Students have the advantages of face-to-face courses with the flexibility to keep work and other life commitments.
Face-to-Face: Courses typically meet during weekdays on the UW-Madison Campus.
Hybrid: These programs combine face-to-face and online learning formats. Contact the program for more specific information.
Online: These programs are offered 100% online. Some programs may require an on-campus orientation or residency experience, but the courses will be facilitated in an online format.
Curricular Requirements
| Minimum Credit Requirement | 68 credits |
| Minimum Residence Credit Requirement | 32 credits |
| Minimum Graduate Coursework Requirement | 34 credits must be graduate-level coursework. Refer to the Graduate School: Minimum Graduate Coursework (50%) Requirement policy: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1244. |
| Overall Graduate GPA Requirement | 3.00 GPA required. Refer to the Graduate School: Grade Point Average (GPA) Requirement policy: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1203. |
| Other Grade Requirements | A student may not receive more than one grade below a B (or a U grade) in any 12 month period. |
| Assessments and Examinations | Students must complete a scholarly project, which represents the culmination of a student's doctoral education. This project is a paper of publishable quality. Students must deliver an oral presentation to faculty, students, and the community. |
| Language Requirements | No language requirements. |
| Graduate School Breadth Requirement | DNP students are not required to complete a doctoral minor or graduate/professional certificate. |
Required Courses
For students with a master's degree in nursing, a personalized program plan will be developed and some of the following courses may be satisfied with previous master's coursework.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NURSING 601 | Advanced Health Assessment | 3 |
| NURSING/PHM PRAC 605 | Pharmacotherapeutics for Advanced Practice Nurses | 3 |
| NURSING 702 | Health Promotion and Disease Prevention in Diverse Communities | 3 |
| NURSING 703 | Health Care and Public Policy | 3 |
| NURSING 704 | Leadership in Advanced Practice Nursing I | 3 |
| NURSING 706 | Nursing Research | 3 |
| NURSING 708 | Ethics for Advanced Practice in Health Care | 2 |
| NURSING 722 | Advanced Practice Nursing Theory: Adults and Older Adults | 3 |
| NURSING 726 | Foundations for APN Clinical Practice I | 3 |
| NURSING 727 | Foundations for APN Clinical Practice II | 3 |
| NURSING 728 | Advanced Practice Clinical Application and Role Development I | 3 |
| NURSING 729 | Advanced Practice Clinical Application and Role Development II | 3 |
| NURSING 761 | Health Program Planning, Evaluation, and Quality Improvement | 3 |
| NURSING 764 | Nursing and Health Informatics | 3 |
| NURSING 772 | Leadership and Organizational Decision-Making in Health Care | 3 |
| NURSING 806 | Evaluation and Application of Evidence-Based Practice | 3 |
| NURSING 811 | Advanced Pathophysiology | 3 |
| NURSING 826 | Foundations for APN Clinical Practice III | 3 |
| NURSING 828 | Clinical Leadership III | 3 |
| NURSING 829 | Clinical Leadership IV | 3 |
| NURSING 906 | Scholarly Project 1 | 6 |
| Nursing Elective | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 68 | |
- 1
Six total credits required; 10 credit maximum. Taken for two credits per term (other credit amounts allowed only via faculty approval).
Three-Year Program Plan
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| NURSING 704 | 3 | NURSING 601 | 3 | NURSING 708 | 2 |
| NURSING 706 | 3 | NURSING/PHM PRAC 605 | 3 | NURSING 764 | 3 |
| NURSING 722 | 3 | NURSING 703 | 3 | ||
| NURSING 811 | 3 | NURSING 806 | 3 | ||
| 12 | 12 | 5 | |||
| Second Year | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| NURSING 702 | 3 | NURSING 727 | 3 | NURSING 772 | 3 |
| NURSING 726 | 3 | NURSING 729 | 3 | NURSING 906 | 2 |
| NURSING 728 | 3 | NURSING 761 | 3 | ||
| 9 | 9 | 5 | |||
| Third Year | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| NURSING 826 | 3 | NURSING 829 | 3 | ||
| NURSING 828 | 3 | NURSING 906 | 2 | ||
| NURSING 906 | 2 | Elective (can be taken any term)1 | 3 | ||
| 8 | 8 | ||||
| Total Credits 68 | |||||
- 1
See pre-approved elective options. Additional options may be approved by program director.
Four-Year Program Plan
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| NURSING 704 | 3 | NURSING 703 | 3 | NURSING 708 | 2 |
| NURSING 706 | 3 | NURSING 806 | 3 | ||
| NURSING 722 | 3 | Elective (can be taken any term)1 | 3 | ||
| 9 | 9 | 2 | |||
| Second Year | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| NURSING 702 | 3 | NURSING 601 | 3 | NURSING 764 | 3 |
| NURSING 811 | 3 | NURSING/PHM PRAC 605 | 3 | ||
| 6 | 6 | 3 | |||
| Third Year | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| NURSING 726 | 3 | NURSING 727 | 3 | NURSING 772 | 3 |
| NURSING 728 | 3 | NURSING 729 | 3 | NURSING 906 | 2 |
| NURSING 761 | 3 | ||||
| 6 | 9 | 5 | |||
| Fourth Year | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| NURSING 826 | 3 | NURSING 829 | 3 | ||
| NURSING 828 | 3 | NURSING 906 | 2 | ||
| NURSING 906 | 2 | ||||
| 8 | 5 | ||||
| Total Credits 68 | |||||
- 1
See pre-approved elective options. Additional options may be approved by program director.
Pre-approved Elective Options
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| COUN PSY 650 | Theory and Practice in Interviewing | 3 |
| NURSING 657 | Clinical Psychopharmacology | 3 |
| NURSING/PHM PRAC 674 | Seminars in Interprofessional Mental Health Care | 2 |
| NURSING/MEDICINE/POP HLTH 705 | Seminar in Interdisciplinary Clinical Research Evidence | 2 |
| NURSING/PHM PRAC/SOC WORK 746 | Interdisciplinary Care of Children with Special Health Care Needs | 3 |
| NURSING/LAW 768 | Health Justice Clinic | 1-7 |
| NURSING 785 | Foundations of Curriculum Development and Evaluation for Healthcare Professions | 3 |
| NURSING 786 | Teaching and Learning Strategies for the Classroom and Online Environments in Healthcare Professions | 3 |
| NURSING 787 | Teaching and Learning in Healthcare Professions Practicum | 3 |
| NURSING 847 | Health Policy Practicum | 3 |
| OTM 753 | Healthcare Operations Management | 3 |
| POP HLTH 650 | Special Topics | 1-6 |
| POP HLTH/SOC 797 | Introduction to Epidemiology | 3 |
| POP HLTH 915 | International Health Systems and Policy | 2 |
| PUBLHLTH/NURSING/PHARMACY/PHY ASST/PHY THER 758 | Interprofessional Public Health Leadership | 1 |
| PUBLHLTH 780 | Evidence-Based Decision-Making | 3 |
| SOC WORK 875 | Health, Aging, and Disability Policy and Services | 2 |
Graduate School Policies
The Graduate School’s Academic Policies and Procedures serve as the official document of record for Graduate School academic and administrative policies and procedures and are updated continuously. Note some policies redirect to entries in the official UW-Madison Policy Library. Programs may set more stringent policies than the Graduate School. Policies set by the academic degree program can be found below.
Named Option-Specific Policies
Prior Coursework
Graduate Credits Earned at Other Institutions
With program approval, students are allowed to transfer graduate coursework from other institutions. Graduate work should be less than five years old to be considered; additional justification and/or documentation are needed for work taken between five and ten years. Coursework more than ten years old will not be considered unless students are board certified advanced practice nurses (APN) and have continuous practice as an APN.
Undergraduate Credits Earned at Other Institutions or UW-Madison
No undergraduate coursework will be allowed to transfer toward DNP requirements.
Credits Earned as a Professional Student at UW-Madison (Law, Medicine, Pharmacy, and Veterinary careers)
Refer to the Graduate School: Transfer Credits for Prior Coursework policy.
Credits Earned as a University Special Student at UW–Madison
With program approval, students are allowed to transfer no more than 9 credits of coursework numbered 300 or above taken as a University Special student. These credits are considered part of the total allowable credits available for a student to transfer. Coursework should be less than five years old to be considered; additional justification and/or documentation is needed for work taken between five and ten years. Coursework more than ten years old will not be considered.
Probation
Students meeting any of the following conditions will be placed on Academic Probation and will receive written notice of their status:
- Achieving less than a 3.0 GPA in a term (fall, spring, or summer).
- If a student is already on Academic Probation based on the prior term GPA and
- The term GPA for the next term of enrollment is below a 3.0, the student will be dropped from the DNP program.
- The term GPA for the next term of enrollment is a 3.0 or higher, the student will be returned to good academic standing.
- If a student is already on Academic Probation based on the prior term GPA and
- Earning a cumulative GPA less than a 3.0.
- A student has two (2) semesters to raise their cumulative GPA above 3.0 or the student will be dropped from the DNP program.
- Once the cumulative GPA returns to at least a 3.0, the student will be returned to good academic standing.
- Earning one grade below a B or one Unsatisfactory (U) grade.
- A student must repeat a required nursing course if a grade below a B or a U is earned.
- The student will be eligible to retake the course at the next available offering; if the course is a prerequisite for another course, the student cannot progress into the subsequent course until a grade of B or higher is earned. The program’s Leave of Absence policy may be triggered if the student does not have a fall or spring term enrollment.
- If the grade below a B is in a clinical course, the student must petition to be eligible to retake the clinical course and the timing of the subsequent enrollment will be based upon availability of clinical resources.
- A student cannot repeat more than one course and a course may not be repeated more than once.
- A dropped course and/or coursework for which a student enrolls and then withdraws from the term counts as a course enrollment. Therefore, if a student drops/withdraws from a course, their next enrollment in that course is considered a repeated enrollment. (A course transcripted with a DR/WD notation per the Office of the Registrar’s enrollment deadline calendar applies to this policy.)
- A student will be returned to good academic standing once the course is repeated and a grade of at least a B (or Satisfactory) is earned.
A student placed on Academic Probation for any reason must meet with their respective DNP Population Lead and faculty advisor to devise a written action plan to be submitted to the DNP Program Director and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. (Note: If the Population Lead is also the faculty advisor, the student will meet with their Population Lead/advisor and a second Population Lead.)
Advisor / Committee
Within the DNP Program, each student will have an assigned faculty advisor as well as an assigned academic advisor, which is the Graduate Advising Manager. Below are descriptions of these advising roles in addition to other faculty and staff that work to advise students. Descriptions of advising roles can be found on the Student Site.
Credits Per Term Allowed
15 credit maximum. Refer to the Graduate School: Maximum Credit Loads and Overload Requests policy.
Time Limits
Post–BS: Students must complete the requirements within six years of admission. Upon the advisor’s recommendation, the associate dean for academic programs may grant a one-year extension.
Post–MS: Students must complete the requirements within four years of admission to the program. Upon the advisor’s recommendation, the associate dean for academic programs may grant a one-year extension.
Grievances and Appeals
These resources may be helpful in addressing your concerns:
- Bias or Hate Reporting
- Graduate Assistantship Policies and Procedures
- Hostile and Intimidating Behavior Policies and Procedures
- Employee Assistance (for personal counseling and workplace consultation around communication and conflict involving graduate assistants and other employees, post-doctoral students, faculty and staff)
- Employee Disability Resource Office (for qualified employees or applicants with disabilities to have equal employment opportunities)
- Graduate School (for informal advice at any level of review and for official appeals of program/departmental or school/college grievance decisions)
- Office of Compliance (for class harassment and discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual violence)
- Office Student Assistance and Support (OSAS) (for all students to seek grievance assistance and support)
- Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards (for conflicts involving students)
- Ombuds Office for Faculty and Staff (for employed graduate students and post-docs, as well as faculty and staff)
- Title IX (for concerns about discrimination)
Student Appeals, Petitions, and Grievance Procedures
Section One: Appeals
Appeals are limited to requests to continue in the curriculum after being dropped from the program and/or course grade appeals.
Drop Appeals
Any undergraduate or graduate student who feels they should not have been dropped from the program has the right to file an appeal. The appeals procedure is available for students to provide additional information regarding their circumstances which have contributed to their dropped status. The appeal procedure is described below. Throughout the appeal process, the student (hereby referred to as appellant) may be accompanied by a support person.
Course Grade Appeals
A student who believes a grade received in a Nursing course was an error or not consistent with guidelines outlined in the syllabus or campus standards has the right to appeal the grade.
The student should first speak with the course faculty member in an effort to resolve the issue informally. This must be done within 10 business days of the grade posted to the students record. During this informal process both student and faculty may consult with the Associate or Assistant Deans for Academic Affairs to seek resolution of the issue.
If the student remains dissatisfied with the grade, the student has the option to initiate the formal appeal procedure. To do this, the student (hereby referred to as appellant) must submit the appeal, as outlined below.
Filing Appeal
- The student must submit a petition for special consideration form to the Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs within 10 business days of notification of academic status or grade posting. The appeal must include:
- Precise grounds on which the appeal is based.
- Circumstances associated with the need to appeal.
- Arguments supporting the appeal.
- Description of proposed remedial actions to be taken to improve the student's academic performance.
- The appellant may also submit letters of support from persons knowledgeable about the appellant's current and/or past academic work and/or other matters related to the appellant's academic performance. Any such letters must be submitted to the Assistant Dean via email by the same deadline.
- Within 15 business days after receiving the appeal, the Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs shall arrange for a committee meeting. The committee may request additional information from the appellant and/or request them to appear before the committee. The appellant may bring a support person to the appeal meeting and must notify the Assistant Dean for Academic affairs at least three business days prior to the meeting. The appellant's chosen support person is limited to providing advice and support to the appellant.
- Within 60 calendar days after the committee receives the appeal from the Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs, the committee shall send a written report of the committee's recommendations to the Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs.
- The Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs will consider the committee’s recommendation and issue a decision on the appeal. The decision will be communicated by email to the student within 10 business days after the receipt of the committee’s recommendation.
- If the appeal is granted, the Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs will discuss with the appellant any stipulations (binding) and recommendations (non-binding) for continuation in the program.
- If a student chooses to appeal the decision, the appeal will be directed to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. The student must submit a written appeal, by email, to the Associate Dean within 10 business days upon being sent the decision from the Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs. The written document must include specific justifications regarding the grounds of the appeal, which are limited to:
- School policies were incorrectly applied;
- Decision is contrary to state or federal law;
- Proper appeal procedures were not followed; or
- Unfounded, arbitrary, or irrelevant assumptions of fact regarding the appellant's performance were made by the Appeals Committee. Appellant must also identify the specific aspects of the decision that they believe meet the criteria cited as a basis for appeal.
The Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs will provide the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs with a copy of the initial grievance, the committee's recommendation, and the Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs’s decision. No new information relevant to the grievance may be introduced to or considered by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs shall notify the student and the committee of the decision in writing within 30 business days. The Associate Dean’s decision is final.
Section Two: Petitions
If a student in the School of Nursing wishes to request an exception to a School of Nursing academic policy or regulation they should first consult their academic advisor. Then, the student must formally submit their request using the Petition for Special Consideration form. Exception requests could be related to academics (i.e. dropping a course or withdrawing after the deadline etc), clinicals/compliance (i.e. waiver for specific compliance requirement), or admission to one of the School of Nursing’s academic programs.
Exceptions to established policies, regulations, and/or program requirements should be rare and will be considered on an individual case by case basis. They will be reviewed by the School of Nursing’s Academic Affairs office.
Section Three: Grievances
The following School of Nursing Student Grievance Policy and associated procedures are designed for use in response to individual student grievances regarding faculty or staff in the School of Nursing.
Any individual student who feels they have been treated unfairly by a School of Nursing faculty or staff member has the right to file a grievance and receive a timely response addressing their concerns. Any student, undergraduate or graduate, may use these grievance procedures, except student employees whose complaints are covered under other campus policies. The grievance procedure is available to resolve student concerns regarding inequitable treatment that have not been satisfactorily resolved through the informal resolution process or where the student believes that informal resolution would not be productive. The grievance procedure is described below. Throughout the grievance process, the student may be accompanied by a support person. The use of this grievance procedure shall not prevent the student from seeking redress through another administrative or legal process.
For grievances regarding discrimination based on protected bases (i.e., race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, etc.), contact the Office of Compliance (https://compliance.wisc.edu/eo-complaint/).
For grievances or concerns regarding sexual harassment or sexual violence (including sexual assault, dating/domestic violence, stalking and sexual exploitation), contact the Sexual Misconduct Resource and Response Program within the Office of Compliance.
For grievances that involve the behavior of a student, contact the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards in the Dean of Students Office at https://conduct.students.wisc.edu/.
For grievances about, or directed at, faculty or staff in the School of Nursing, students should follow these steps:
Informal Resolution
Any student in the School of Nursing who believes they have been treated inequitably is encouraged to resolve the matter informally. The student should first talk with the person or group at whom the grievance is directed in an attempt to resolve the issue informally. The student may contact the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for assistance in resolving the matter informally. If students are unable to resolve concerns directly or without additional support, please see step two.
Formal Grievance Procedure
- Any student in the School of Nursing who has attempted to informally resolve a grievance but has been unsuccessful, may submit a formal grievance to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
- The student must submit a written grievance by email to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs within 20 business days of the alleged unfair treatment. To the fullest extent possible, a formal written grievance needs to contain a clear and concise statement of the issue(s) involved as well as the relief sought.
- Within 30 business days after receiving the grievance, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs shall arrange for a committee meeting. The committee may request a written response from the person or group at whom the grievance is directed, may ask for additional information from any or all parties involved, may request that the parties involved appear before the committee, and/or may take other steps in attempting to resolve the grievance.
- Within 60 calendar days after the committee receives the grievance from the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, the committee shall send a written report of the committee's recommendations to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
- The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs will consider the committee’s recommendation and issue a decision on the grievance. The decision will be communicated by email to the student within 10 business days after the receipt of the committee’s recommendation.
- If a student chooses to appeal the decision, the appeal will be directed to the Dean of the School of Nursing. The student must submit a written appeal, by email, to the Dean within 10 business days upon being sent the decision from the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. The written document must include specific justifications regarding the grounds of the appeal. The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs will provide the Dean with a copy of the initial grievance, the committee's recommendation, and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs’s decision. No new information relevant to the grievance may be introduced to or considered by the Dean. The Dean shall notify the student and the committee of the decision in writing within 30 business days. The Dean’s decision is final.
Other
n/a