UConn’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program, the first DNP program in Connecticut, is designed to serve nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, clinical nurse leaders, certified nurse midwives, certified registered nurse anesthetists, nurse administrators, and nurse educators who are interested in a doctoral program focused on practice and leadership. The program prepares nurses at the professional doctoral level with courses focused on adding the highest degree of professional expertise in eight essential areas specified by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). Students have the opportunity to specialize in their area of scholarly interest.

UConn’s leading online DNP program will enable you to:

• Develop and evaluate new practice approaches based on theories from nursing and other related disciplines.
• Build a foundation of scientific and ethical knowledge you can apply and translate into clinical practice
• Participate in the development, implementation and dissemination of research that supports evidence-based practice.
• Become competent in the use of information systems technology to influence outcomes.
• Collaborate effectively on health care teams to enhance health promotion and risk reduction/illness prevention.
• Grow into a clinical scholar ready to take on leadership roles in the practice setting.
• Complete a DNP project in your area of interest that demonstrates practice scholarship.

The statement of mission for the University of Connecticut defines the institution as both the land-grant and the public research university of the State of Connecticut. As such, the potential range of university programs and activities is extremely broad. The mandate of the University is to be the center within the state for graduate and professional training, research, and public service. As a public university, the University of Connecticut must not only be responsive to the needs of society, but also be capable of anticipating such needs.

Within this context, the University has identified specific responsibilities associated with its mission. Among these is the concentration on the excellence of the graduate and advanced professional degree programs for which it has primary responsibilities in the public sector. These include doctoral degree programs in all fields.

The mission and goals of the School of Nursing mirror, complement, and enhance those of the University. The mission of the School of Nursing is to provide quality, public-university based nursing education at the undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education levels. The programs are designed to be responsive to the dynamic and changing health care needs of the people of the state, while using established nursing knowledge and creating and testing new nursing theory.