9i¹û¶³ÖÆ×÷³§

1. Degree Requirement
   • Advanced Practice Focus
     Master’s degree in nursing with role preparation in Advanced Nursing Practice from an institution of higher education that is fully accredited by the appropriate regional accrediting agency and either Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) accreditation.
   • Nurse Executive Focus
     Baccalaureate degree in nursing from an institution of higher education that is fully accredited by the appropriate regional accrediting agency, and the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), or the National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (CHEA), and a Master’s degree in a health-related field or a Master of Business Administration degree, from an institution of higher education that is fully accredited.
2. A current valid and unrestricted license as a Registered Nurse in the U.S. In addition, an applicant must not have had a previous revocation, denial, suspension, or restriction of their license from any state or country. Current unrestricted licensure as a Registered Nurse in the state where the clinical experiences, as well as the practice project will be conducted.
3. Applicants for the Advanced Practice Focus must also have national board certification as an advanced practice registered nurse (certified nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, certified registered nurse anesthetist, or certified nurse midwife). National certification in nursing administration/executive preferred for applicants to the Nurse Executive Focus.
4. Minimum of one (1) year paid clinical work experience within the past three years as a Registered Nurse (which can include work at the advanced level of practice) before the application deadline, documented on the submitted resume.
5. Evidence of capacity for graduate study.
   • A blended cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale for all previous graduate course work on the submitted transcripts;
   • Positive professional recommendations; and
   • Completion of graduate-level research course. Completion of a graduate-level statistics course is recommended.
6. Ability to articulate one’s professional goals, evidenced by the Admission Essay and faculty interview, with applicant’s goals congruent with the objectives and resources of the 9i¹û¶³ÖÆ×÷³§ Department of Nursing.
   The essay should:
   • Summarize the applicant’s professional background;
   • Describe past experiences and reflections that have influenced these goals; and
   • Discuss professional and career goals, and how these goals can be achieved in the Doctor of Nursing Practice program, as well as ideas for the final scholarly project.

   The essay should be carefully planned, written, and edited by the applicant.

7. After review of the written materials, a selected pool of applicants will be required to participate in a faculty interview.

The following experiences are not criteria for selection, but are highly recommended:

1. Demonstrated facility with computer-based office productivity tools, including word processing, electronic mail, and spreadsheet manipulation. This may be achieved by completing one or more of several online tutorials and face-to-face workshops; and
2. Demonstrated facility with the most recent version of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (also referred to as APA style). This may be achieved by taking one of several available tutorials, including the APA Tutorial available at the .

1. . Include your entire list of colleges/universities attended, and have your nursing license number ready. You do not need to log back into this application once submitted.
2. Submit toÌýgradadmit@otterbein.eduÌýthe following documents, preferably as an MS Word or PDF file:
   • A resume with all professional experience documented. Also include leadership activities, scholastic awards, nursing organizational memberships, and community service, as applicable.
   • The Admission Essay.
   • Evidence of licensure and certification, if any. Include professional licensure numbers and licensing state, and a copy of the certificate issued by your national board certification body. The Graduate School will verify licensure and certification, which will be added to the student file.
3. Request from all institutions of higher education where you have earned credit, irrespective of number of courses taken, that an individual official transcript be sent to The Graduate School, 9i¹û¶³ÖÆ×÷³§. They may be sent directly from the institution electronically toÌýgradadmit@otterbein.edu.
4. Please give anÌý9i¹û¶³ÖÆ×÷³§ Graduate Nursing Recommendation FormÌýto three individuals that can support your application to pursue graduate studies. Please choose a clinical supervisor, a peer (RN), and another clinician to complete and submit this form. You will complete the front of the form; your recommender will complete the back. 9i¹û¶³ÖÆ×÷³§ reserves the right to contact persons providing recommendations and to contact a recommender to acknowledge receipt of a recommendation. Recommenders should email the form (required) and letter (optional) toÌýgradadmit@otterbein.edu.Ìý

Students must submit documentation of meeting health requirements – including completion of the American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS) curriculum – prior to starting classes, and must submit documentation of keeping health requirements current throughout their course of study.

Total of 32 graduate credit hours.

Note:ÌýA minimum grade of B minus (B-) is required in all courses. Students must also maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 out of 4.0 throughout the program.

Q. How long is the program?
A. Six semesters as a Master’s Degree to DNP student taking 2 courses a semester and completing in 2 years. You may also elect to take one course per term the first two years and finish the program in 3 years.

Q. What are the course formats?
A. Courses are online with one or more required virtual meetings in the late afternoon or evening. There is a required all-day face-to-face meeting the first semester for orientation. The project proposal presentation and final project presentation are generally held on campus and in person as well.

Q. Will I get credit for any of my master’s clinical hours?
A. 9i¹û¶³ÖÆ×÷³§has adopted the recommendations from the AACN on clinical hours. Students must complete 1,000 supervised clinical hours in an academic program after attaining the bachelor’s degree in nursing. If the student has completed national board certification, some of these hours may be credited. 9i¹û¶³ÖÆ×÷³§ requires students complete at least 300 of these hours while enrolled in 9i¹û¶³ÖÆ×÷³§ courses.

Q. Can I get transfer credit for any of my other graduate work?
A. Limited transfer credit may be available. Generally, at the graduate level not more than two courses can be transferred.

Q. Are there any courses I need to take prior to the program?
A. Students must have completed a graduate-level research course. We also recommend taking a graduate-level statistics course.

Q. Can I hold a RN in license in a state other than Ohio?
A. Yes, you must hold an active unencumbered RN license in the state in which you will conduct your clinical hours and your final scholarly project.

Q. Does my work experience need to have been in a clinical environment in the last 3 years?
A. If pursuing the Advanced Practice Focus, recent clinical experience will be helpful. Thus, we require 1 year of full-time (or part-time equivalent to full-time) direct care experience in the last 3 years for those students.

Q. What if I have been most recently working in administration?
A. We do offer a Nurse Executive Focus and it requires 1 year of full-time (or part-time equivalent to full-time) experience in a nursing administrative position in the last 3 years.

Q. When is the admission deadline?
A. Check each degree page to see application deadlines. First courses begin Summer Semester. See the published Academic Calendar for details.

Q. How should I prepare for the faculty interview?
A. The faculty will be interested in your career goals, your planned academic trajectory, your ideas for your final scholarly project, and any concerns you may have.

Q. What are some examples of the final project?
A. Samples of our DNP graduate projects are listed on ourÌý.

Q.How much time does a final project generally require?
A. The final scholarly project timeline depends on the project selected. Generally, the project can be completed in the final year of study.

Q. How many hours should I plan to dedicate to my studies per week?
A. Per 9i¹û¶³ÖÆ×÷³§â€™s Statement on Credit Hour Definition & Expectation for Student Work
“For each credit hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction, students are expected to engage in two hours of out-of-class work (e.g., readings, homework, studying, and project preparation). A four-semester credit hour course requires eight hours per week of out-of-class work.”

Q. What can I expect as an increase in salary with a DNP?
A. Salary is determined by individual employers. Average national salary figures are available at theÌý.

Q. If I need to drop out for any reason, how long do I have to complete the program?
A. Students must complete the program within six years. In the case of an emergency, see the Department of Nursing’s Leave of Absence policy in the Graduate Nursing Student Handbook.

Program Tuition Estimates

The following fees are for tuition only.ÌýAdditional lab, resource, and technology fees can be found on the fee schedule on theÌýBusiness Office website.ÌýAcceptance deposit fees that are credited towards tuition are: Nurse Anesthesia $1,000; all other degrees and certificates $500. Costs subject to slight increases each academic year.

Payment Options

To help you manage your graduate school expenses 9i¹û¶³ÖÆ×÷³§offers the ePay payment system and resources you may research for scholarship opportunities (see non-9i¹û¶³ÖÆ×÷³§Sources of Aid below). We recommend that you speak with the graduate financial aid counselor at 614-823-1379. See the Business Office site for information about ePay.

Graduate Nursing Financial Aid Options

Graduate students are eligible for consideration for a variety of scholarships and loans.

Non-9i¹û¶³ÖÆ×÷³§Sources of Aid

National Scholarship Opportunities

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  National organization with multiple scholarship and financial aid opportunities.
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  By joining AANA, members are eligible for multiple scholarship opportunities specific to pursuing a CRNA degree.
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  Scholarship and living stipend to support a master or doctorate level nurse practitioner student interested in pursuing a career in oncology.
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  Resource of national scholarship opportunities for nurses pursuing an advanced degree.
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  National organization dedicated to providing scholarships for nurses seeking an advanced degree. Application opens annually in the fall and closes early February the following year.
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  The American Cancer Society offers scholarships to support the training of advanced practice nurses, specializing in cancer and DNPs ranging from $10,000 to $15,000 per year.
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  National organization dedicated to providing financial aid to nurses pursing an advanced degree. Scholarship applications open in late August/early September annually.

Ohio Scholarship Opportunities

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  The websiteÌýlists multiple sources.
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  Master’s level and doctorate level opportunities available. Due annually in August, presented in October at annual conference.
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  The Ohio Nurses Foundation awards thousands of dollars annually in research grants and scholarships to notable nurses and future nurses.
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  Annual scholarship for members of the Mid-Ohio Nurses Association. Scholarship is due the 3rd Friday of February annually and announced mid-April annually.
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  By joining the Kappa Lambda chapter of the Sigma Theta Tau Honors Society, students will have the opportunity to apply for scholarships.
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  Check the Columbus Foundation web page periodically for additional scholarship opportunities!
  • 
    Local scholarship for a Columbus nurse pursuing an advanced degree with documented financial need.
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    Local scholarship for a Mid-Ohio Nurses Association nurse pursuing an advanced degree
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  Scholarship opportunity available for a member of WACC or is an employee of a WACC business enrolled in a master’s degree program at 9i¹û¶³ÖÆ×÷³§.

Loan Repayment Opportunities

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  Additional options available if joining the army reserves.
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  Provides for the repayment of educational loans for APRN & DNP students made in exchange for a commitment to work in a medically underserved area.
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  Health professions faculty from disadvantaged backgrounds can receive repayment of their student loans in exchange for educating tomorrow’s clinicians.
• Hospital system education repayment – check with your employer human resource department on tuition reimbursement opportunities.

9i¹û¶³ÖÆ×÷³§Financial Aid

For information about financial aid available from Otterbein, see theÌýOffice of Student Financial Services site.

*Rolling – Application decisions will be made monthly, while seats remain available.