Post BS-DNP Program
A New UCLA Nursing Pathway
Become a leader in healthcare with a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree
This new three-year, Post Bachelor of Science to Doctor of Nursing Practice (Post BS-DNP) Program is designed to prepare registered nurses to become experts and leaders in advanced practice while completing a doctoral degree in nursing.
The Post BS-DNP Program provides a pathway for post-baccalaureate nurses who desire the role of a nurse practitioner (NP) with doctoral-level knowledge and skills in advanced nursing practice, organizational and systems leadership, quality improvement and evidence-based practice, healthcare policy, population health, ethics, interprofessional collaboration, and quality and safety of patient care.
Students may choose from four specialities – Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Adult/Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Dual Primary/Acute Care Nurse Practitioner – with the option of adding an Occupational and Environmental Health certificate to two of the tracks.
The UCLA School of Nursing Post BS-DNP Program will welcome its inaugural cohort in Fall 2025.
Specialities Offered:
*Occupational & Environmental Health Certificate option available
The Adult/Gerontology – Acute Care Advanced Practice Registered Nurse is educated at the master's or doctoral level with expertise in the care of the adult/gerontology population with high intensity nursing and medical needs, including acute, critical, and complex chronic health conditions. The population of interest is adults, from late adolescence through senescence, who have acute, critical and complex chronic health needs. The age and patient status, not the location of the patient, is key; students may care for patients in a variety of settings, including the patient's home, outpatient clinics, medical/surgical wards, critical care units, or emergency/urgent care units. Graduates assume an advanced practice role in the care of adult/gerontology patients with acute illnesses or with exacerbations of chronic illness and with high-intensity nursing and medical needs. While all students are expected to gain proficiency with care of adult/gerontology patients in acute care general medicine settings, students may also select an area of focus within the adult/gerontology population.
The Adult/Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGNP) is a Registered Nurse educated at the master's or doctoral level as a nurse practitioner. The focus of care for the AGNP is individuals across the adult age spectrum from late adolescence through older adulthood including comprehensive end-of-life care. Graduates of the UCLA School of Nursing Adult/Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner program assume an advanced practice role in the comprehensive care of patients with health promotion, disease prevention, chronic disease management and short-term illness or injury needs. Additional coursework in occupational health and environment can be added to prepare graduates in providing care to adults in work settings.
Occupational and Environmental Health certification option available: Students enrolled in the Adult/Gerontology Primary Nurse Practitioner or Family Nurse Practitioner specialties can elect to take additional courses in the UCLA School of Nursing and School of Public Health to prepare them for a role on interdisciplinary teams addressing worker health and safety in today’s global economy with increasingly complex and diverse work settings. With this option, students are educated to provide continual and comprehensive wellness and illness care to adults by providing preventive health services, patient education, disease management and illness prevention with emphasis on occupational and environmental hazard identification and control, screening, surveillance and rehabilitation of workers.
The Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) is a registered nurse educated at the master's or doctoral level as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse. The focus of care for the FNP is children and adults of all ages, in the context of the family unit. The FNP is educated to provide high quality, continual and comprehensive wellness and illness care to children and adults by providing preventive health services, patient education, disease management and illness prevention. The FNP implements evidence-based practice guidelines and critically analyzes and adapts health care interventions based on individualized assessments of individual/family needs. The FNP practices in the context of community, with broad knowledge, sensitivity and awareness of the specific needs of people from diverse populations and cultural backgrounds. Family nurse practitioners practice primarily in ambulatory care settings. Graduates of the UCLA School of Nursing Family Nurse Practitioners program assume an advanced practice role in the care of patients within the context of family, culture, and community. Understanding social determinants of health, Family Nurse Practitioners provide care to patients across the lifespan with a focus on health promotion, wellness, chronic disease management, and short-term acute injury and illnesses.
Occupational and Environmental Health certification option available: Students enrolled in the Family Nurse Practitioner specialties can elect to take additional courses in the UCLA School of Nursing and School of Public Health to prepare them for a role on interdisciplinary teams addressing worker health and safety in today’s global economy with increasingly complex and diverse work settings. With this option, students are educated to provide continual and comprehensive wellness and illness care to adults by providing preventive health services, patient education, disease management and illness prevention with emphasis on occupational and environmental hazard identification and control, screening, surveillance and rehabilitation of workers.
The Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Primary Care (PNP-PC) and the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Acute Care (PNP-AC) is a Registered Nurse educated at the master's or doctoral level as a nurse practitioner. The focus of care for the PNP is newborns to young adults up to 21 years of age. The PNP-PC is educated to provide continual and comprehensive wellness and illness care by providing preventive health services, patient education, disease management and illness prevention. The dual-certified PNP is prepared to implement evidence-based practice guidelines and to critically analyze and adapt health care interventions based on individualized assessments of child/family needs. The PNP-PC practices in the context of community, with broad knowledge, sensitivity and awareness of the specific needs of people from diverse populations and cultural backgrounds. The PNP-AC practices in the context of high-intensity nursing and medical needs, including acute, critical, and complex chronic health needs. Graduates of the UCLA School of Nursing dual PNP program assume an advanced practice role in the care of newborns to young adults. The dual PNP will be able to provide comprehensive wellness and illness care through preventive health services, patient education, acute and complex illness, and chronic disease management.
Admissions
NOTE: Application opens in September with an expected deadline of December 1
Application Opens in September – Expected Application Deadline of December 1
Degree-Specific Admissions Requirements
In addition to the University's minimum graduate admissions requirements, all applicants are expected to submit a statement of purpose and personal statement. When writing the statement of purpose and personal statement, applicants should refer to the Evaluation Criteria Form on the School of Nursing website.
Since written and oral communication skills are basic to the practice of nursing, it is essential that applicants read, write, and speak English well. International applicants from a country in which English is not the first language and medium of instruction, whether a licensed registered nurse in the U.S. or not, are required to submit TOEFL or IELTS scores prior to consideration for admission.
Registered nurses who are not licensed in the United States must, prior to consideration for admission, submit verification of a passing score on both the nursing and the English sections of the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) examination.
Post BS-DNP Program
The Post BS-to-DNP program is intended for RNs with baccalaureate degrees in nursing or Entry Level Master’s (ELM) degrees in nursing who wish to assume advanced practice nursing roles as Nurse Practitioners at the doctoral level.
- Graduation from a recognized college or university having an accredited baccalaureate or entry level master’s nursing program acceptable to the School of Nursing and to the Graduate Division, or graduation with a baccalaureate degree in nursing from an international institution with a nursing program acceptable to the School of Nursing and to the Graduate Division. Some applicants may be required to enroll in certain undergraduate nursing courses which generally may not be applied toward requirements for advanced degrees.
- Status as an active licensed registered nurse in the State of California is mandatory.
- An undergraduate, graduate, or equivalent statistics course within 5 years of matriculation.
- An undergraduate upper division, graduate, or equivalent nursing research course, taken at an accredited institution.
- An undergraduate upper division, graduate, or equivalent physical assessment course in nursing from an accredited institution before matriculation.
- An undergraduate, graduate, or equivalent human physiology course. Pathophysiology is not an acceptable substitute.
- Minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 for prior course coursework. For inquiries about this requirement, contact the School of Nursing Admissions Director.
- One year of experience as a RN strongly recommended, and two years within the specialty area of interest is preferred.
- A resumé or curriculum vitae detailing work history, professional and volunteer activities in leadership, advocacy, teamwork, and collaboration roles that are appropriate to the advanced practice role.
Letters of Recommendation
- Three letters attesting to professional and/or academic competence in nursing
- Critically appraise and translate research evidence into clinical practice
- Evaluate organizational and systems impact on practice change and health policy
- Carry out quality improvement and safety measures across diverse populations
- Provide leadership within the nursing profession and in healthcare with cultural competence and attention to ethical decision making
- Influence and contribute to healthcare change and policy within an inter-professional team focus
- Educate patients, nursing staff, and nursing students applying learning principals and evaluation criteria
- Utilize information technology to improve care delivery and clinical practice
- Assume leadership roles across healthcare settings