DNP — Apply Now

Application open for Fall 2024!

Application Procedure Students are admitted for the fall quarter only. The Admissions application available here.

The application for Fall 2024 admission is open. The extended deadline to apply is MAY 15, 2024.

Three faculty members evaluate each doctoral application file individually. Preference is given to applicants with experience in an advanced practice role and who have an identified interest in a clinical or system health care problem in which to focus the DNP Scholarly Project. Recommendations should reflect the applicant’s capacity for scholarly work and the Statement of Purpose should exhibit clearly defined career goals. Scholarly verbal and written communication skills are essential for success in the doctoral program. Those selected for the second round will be called for an interview. Items that you must submit as part of your online application:

1.  STATEMENT OF PURPOSE The goal of the DNP program is to prepare clinicians who will translate nursing research to the practice setting to enhance clinical practice and to optimize patient outcomes. Graduates will assume leadership positions in institutional settings or become faculty in academia. The purpose of this statement is for you to provide information about yourself as well as to demonstrate your ability to express ideas clearly and logically in a grammatically correct format. Each response should be 250-300 words — citations are not necessary. Please upload a typed, well-organized essay into the online Graduate Division application describing:

• Reasons for graduate study: Describe your reasons for wanting to enter the DNP program in nursing, any information about your background, training, and experience which you believe is relevant to your qualifications for doctoral study.
• Please provide a balanced assessment of your personal characteristics including strengths, weaknesses and areas you are working to improve. Describe how these characteristics influence your individual and group interactions, with particular emphasis on your interpersonal style, leadership and membership qualities, and those characteristics that influence the way others view you.
• Briefly describe a healthcare problem from a patient or systems perspective on which you would like to focus your DNP Scholarly Project.
• Why did you select the DNP program at UCLA? What contribution do you expect to make to the nursing profession after earning the degree?
• How do you expect doctoral study at UCLA to facilitate your career goals? Specify outcomes you wish from doctoral study in relation to your identified area of clinical focus.
• If you have had contact with UCLA Faculty about your application to doctoral study, please identify that faculty and describe the nature of the contact; for example, conversations at professional meetings, conversations over the telephone or email, and discussion of investigation for the DNP Scholarly Project.

2.  RESUME

Please upload your resumé to the online application.

3.  RECOMMENDATION FORMS

Three are required. You do not need to send your recommenders the form. Once you fill out their contact information in the online application, they will automatically be sent a link to complete the form.

4.  ADVANCED PRACTICE CLINICAL HOURS

Please send official paperwork from the school demonstrating that you completed a minimum of 500 clinical hours for your master's degree. 

5.  NATIONAL CERTIFICATION

Please send official documentation of national certification in an advanced practice role.

6.  TRANSCRIPTS

Please send one official transcript from the school at which you completed your master's degree(s), and one official transcript from the school at which you completed your bachelor's degree(s). We also require one official transcript from schools at which you completed prerequisite classes, such as statistics.   Please send official transcripts and any other supporting documentation to:

Student Affairs Office

Attn: Soo Kwon

2-147 Factor Building  

Box 951702  

Los Angeles, CA 90095-1702

Questions?

Email: dnp@sonnet.ucla.edu; skwon@sonnet.ucla.edu

Phone: (310) 267-5803

Updated 4/12/2024