NSU's post-master's DNP: online coursework, 600 project hours and the 500-hour rule
NSU's post-master's DNP is a 36-credit, five-semester doctorate delivered online, with Virtual Intensive days in each of its four project courses. Those courses, NSG 7431, NSG 7444, NSG 7445 and NSG 7451, carry 150 practicum hours each, and you also need 500 verified post-BSN clinical hours, topped up through NSG 7460 if your master's fell short. The practice site that hosts your project is the placement to plan early.
Find a site for your DNP project
Tell us your start term, your project idea and home ZIP area. We look for a practice site near you that fits it.
Who the post-master's DNP is for
This is NSU's practice doctorate for nurses who already hold a master's degree. You qualify with an MSN, or with a master's in a related field plus a BSN, and you need a current, unrestricted US RN license. NSU's web page sets the GPA at 3.0, while the 2026-27 graduate catalog also accepts 2.75 with 24 or more months of practice. A writing sample and an interview complete the file.
One admission document matters for the hours later on. NSU asks for official documentation of all supervised post-baccalaureate practice hours, stating the total number of preceptor-verified clinical experience hours, on the letterhead of the university where you earned the master's and from its program director. That letter is the natural starting point for the 500-hour question covered below.
The DNP is accredited by CCNE through December 31, 2029, and admission opens in fall and winter, with deadlines of August 1 and December 1 on the program page. Because it is not a licensure program, the DNP page carries no professional licensure disclosure table.
Five semesters, course by course
The standard plan runs five semesters. The project courses start in Semester II and run one per semester to the end, each combining didactic credits with 2 practicum credits worth 150 hours.
| Semester | Courses | Credits | Practicum hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | NSG 7300 D.N.P. Roles, Leadership, Collaboration; NSG 7400 Nursing Science for Clinical Practice; NSG 7020 Healthcare Policy and Advocacy | 3, 3, 3 | none |
| II | NSG 7350 Leadership in Complex Healthcare Systems; NSG 7131 Epidemiology Advancing Global Health; NSG 7431 Project I: Mentored Scholarship (3 didactic, 2 practicum) | 3, 3, 5 | 150 |
| III | NSG 7135 Healthcare Information Systems and Outcomes Management; NSG 7444 Project II: Project Plan (2, 2) | 3, 4 | 150 |
| IV | NSG 7040 Biostatistics I; NSG 7445 Project III: Implementation (1, 2) | 3, 3 | 150 |
| V | NSG 7451 Project IV: Evaluation (1, 2) | 3 | 150 |
| Bridge | NSG 7299 Transition to D.N.P., for a master's in a related field (fall only) | 6 | none |
| As needed | NSG 7460 Scholarly Inquiry in Clinical Practice, until 500 post-BSN hours are met | 3 each | 150 each |
| Total | Standard plan | 36 (38 to 40 with NSG 7460) | 600 |
NSG 7299 is the entry route for applicants whose master's is not in nursing. It is offered only in fall, which is why those students may start only in August.
Fully online, with one conflicting line in the handbook
NSU's DNP page and the 2026-27 catalog describe the program as delivered fully online. Every project course includes Virtual Intensive days, one to two days each, and the catalog pairs the online coursework with a face-to-face practicum experience that culminates in the DNP project. The 2025-26 catalog also describes virtual intensive days.
The 2025-26 handbook says something else. Its DNP description calls the program primarily online with a required one-time summer institute of three to four days at the Fort Lauderdale/Davie campus, attended until the project proposal is complete. An earlier catalog put that institute at two to three days.
The newer catalog and the live program page point to virtual attendance, but the handbook has not been reissued since. Before you book travel or plan around a trip to Davie, ask the DNP program director which applies to your cohort. The DNP orientation for fall 2026 was set for August 26, 2026.
The practicum is face to face even though the coursework is online: plan for a real practice site near you, not a virtual one.
The 500 post-BSN hours and NSG 7460
Before a certain point in the program you must have 500 clinical practice hours earned after your BSN, and they can come from your master's if that university verifies them. NSU's sources place the checkpoint at two different courses. The DNP web page says the hours must be verified by the program director before NSG 7431 Project I. The 2025-26 and 2026-27 catalogs say they must be complete before NSG 7451 Project IV. Plan for the earlier date unless your program director tells you otherwise.
If your master's hours fall short, NSU enrolls you in NSG 7460 Scholarly Inquiry in Clinical Practice until the gap is closed. The DNP page gives each NSG 7460 3 credits and 150 clinical hours, which is how the plan grows to 38 to 40 credits; an older catalog listed 170 hours per course. The 2026-27 catalog adds that students in aggregate, systems or organizational roles may earn hours through NSG 7460.
Add 500 prior hours to the 600 project hours and you reach 1,100 post-BSN hours by our count; NSU's post-master's pages do not state a separate 1,000-hour total. The mechanics, from the verification letter to how many NSG 7460 enrollments a shortfall means, are on the DNP 500 clinical hours page.
Project hours and the practice site
The 600 project hours run through the four project courses in order: mentored scholarship, a project plan, implementation and evaluation. The handbook expects the finished project to show advanced clinical judgment, systems thinking and leadership in health policy, which is why the site matters. A setting where you can plan a change, carry it out and measure it over four semesters is the backbone of the degree.
NSU does not publish who supervises DNP practicum hours, what qualifications a site mentor needs, whether students find their own site, or whether a site agreement is required. Ask your DNP faculty early in Semester I, since NSG 7431 begins in Semester II. If practicum objectives are not met, the handbook requires you to re-register for the course the next semester and pay its fees, so a stable site protects both your timeline and your budget.
Our DNP project practicum guide covers what each of the four courses asks of the site.
Grades, continuous enrollment and two time limits
Every DNP course requires a B or higher. The 2026-27 catalog requires continuous enrollment and dismisses a student at the second course failure, and the handbook adds that any failure brings academic probation and a Committee on Student Progress referral; NSU's B-minus rule compares the master's and doctoral scales.
The time limit is stated two ways in the same 2026-27 catalog: complete the program within five years as a graduation requirement, and, elsewhere, a maximum of 2.66 years or 8 semesters. The five-semester plan fits inside either, but NSG 7460 enrollments, a repeated project course or a leave of absence can push you toward the shorter one. Ask the program director which limit governs your plan, and get the answer in writing if you expect to need NSG 7460.
Why post-master's DNP students choose us
The degree turns on one placement: a practice site that can host your project from plan to evaluation. We find it with you. Your placement advisor starts from your project idea and your role, looks for a practice site near your home that fits it, and aims to have it settled before NSG 7431 starts. If you are short of 500 hours, we also look for a clinical setting for your NSG 7460 hours.
We prepare the details your DNP faculty will want about the site and the person who will mentor you there, keep your CastleBranch record and any site requirements on track, and stay on call if the site changes mid-project. Approval of the site and the project stays with NSU; we make sure what reaches your faculty is complete and in line with NSU's rules. Read how it works or send your details with the form below.
Questions NSU students ask
Is NSU's post-master's DNP fully online?
The coursework is. NSU's DNP page and the 2026-27 catalog describe fully online delivery with one to two Virtual Intensive days in each project course, plus a face-to-face practicum at a practice site. The 2025-26 handbook still mentions a one-time summer institute of three to four days at the Fort Lauderdale/Davie campus, so confirm with the program director.
What if my MSN had fewer than 500 clinical hours?
NSU enrolls you in NSG 7460 Scholarly Inquiry in Clinical Practice until you reach 500 post-BSN hours. The DNP page gives each enrollment 3 credits and 150 clinical hours, raising the program to 38 to 40 credits. The hours from your master's count only when that university verifies them in an official letter.
When do my 500 hours have to be verified?
NSU's sources differ. The DNP web page says the program director must verify them before NSG 7431 Project I, in your second semester. The 2025-26 and 2026-27 catalogs say they must be complete before NSG 7451 Project IV, the final course. Working to the earlier date keeps every option open.
Can I enter the DNP with a master's that is not in nursing?
Yes, if you also hold a BSN. Applicants with a master's in a related field take NSG 7299 Transition to D.N.P., a 6-credit bridge course offered only in fall, so they start in August. The rest of the admission file, including the RN license and the practice-hours documentation, is the same.
Do I need a preceptor for the DNP project courses?
NSU does not publish who supervises DNP practicum hours or what qualifications that person needs. What is clear is that the 600 hours are face to face at a practice setting that can host your project through all four courses. Ask your DNP faculty what they expect of the site and its mentor before NSG 7431 begins.
Related pages
Last checked 2026-09-24
We check these pages against NSU's own handbook, catalog and program pages. The graduate clinical guide, your course in Canvas, your clinical coordinator and your program director have the final word.
NSU lets you name your own preceptor. We make sure you have one, close to home and in time.
Tell us your NSU program, your home ZIP area and when your next clinical course starts. We find preceptors who fit the course and have everything ready for your clinical coordinator well before the two-semester notice.
- Preceptors matched to the course: primary care for FNP, acute care for AGACNP, psychiatric care for PMHNP, a practice site for DNP project hours
- Named early enough for NSU's two-semester notice, with license, credentials and site details ready for the coordinator
- Close to your home ZIP code, with clinic days we plan around your work schedule
Start your placement plan
Program, ZIP area and start term is all we need to begin.