BSN to DNP Pathway
**Please note: The summer 2025 BSN-DNP cohort is at capacity. Any new applications will be considered for a waitlist.**
We do have the option for you to apply as a Nursing Graduate Non-degree student and then apply for the summer 2026 cohort. This option would allow you to take up to six credit hours prior to admission to the DNP program. The courses students may take are limited to NURS 808 Advanced Statistics and NURS 872 Informatics in Healthcare Systems. Registration in these courses is based on seat availability. See additional information below under ‘Optional Courses Prior to Admission.’ Completion of the courses as a non-degree student does not guarantee acceptance into the DNP program.
Please contact Dr. Michelle Van Der Wege (mlvanderwege@fhsu.edu) for questions prior to beginning your application.**
Fort Hays State University Department of Nursing offers a full-time plan of study for those students who have graduated from an accredited school with a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing degree. The BSN-DNP Pathway is a hybrid program. The majority of the BSN to DNP Pathway is available online, with only a few semesters requiring minimal visits to campus. On-campus requirements are dependent upon course requirements. On-campus days are published for students at a minimum of 6 weeks prior to the start of classes. The BSN-DNP requires all preceptored clinicals to be performed in Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. Nurses seeking the BSN-DNP Pathway will take the Family Nurse Practitioner tract for a total of 75 credit hours. A Family Nurse Practitioner provides primary care across the life span. Accepting applications from Kansas, Oklahoma, and Nebraska.
FHSU Department of Nursing BSN to DNP - 4 Year Plan:
BSN to DNP Plan of Study
Students progress through the BSN-DNP Pathway in cohorts. All cohorts begin in the summer. Please click the link below for additional information about the Plan of Study. The plan of study is the same for all students in a cohort and cannot be changed.
If you wish to take courses prior to the summer, we do have the option for you to apply as a Nursing Graduate Non-degree student and then apply for the next summer cohort. This option would allow you to take up to six credit hours prior to admission to the DNP program. The courses students may take are limited to NURS 808 Advanced Statistics and NURS 872 Informatics in Healthcare Systems. Registration in these courses is based on seat availability. See additional information below under 'Optional Courses Prior to Admission.' Completion of the courses does not guarantee acceptance into the DNP program. Please contact Dr. Michelle Van Der Wege (mlvanderwege@fhsu.edu) for questions prior to beginning your application.
BSN to DNP Plan of Study (for cohorts admitted Summer 2022 and after):
BSN to DNP Plan of Study (for cohorts admitted Summer of 2022 and after):
BSN to DNP Plan of Study (for cohorts admitted Summer 2020 and Summer 2021):
Clinical Experiences
Students must complete all clinical clearance requirements the semester prior to beginning clinical courses. Vaccinations and/or titers may be required in order to be clinically cleared. Additional costs may be incurred, including but not limited to the clinical tracker, drug test, lab work and/or immunizations. Students will not be able to participate in clinical and/or project courses if clearance is not obtained. This may delay or prevent progression in courses and the program.Students in the BSN-DNP Pathway will be required to obtain the Department of Nursing's approved preceptors and clinical sites. The Department of Nursing has agreements with multiple sites and preceptors across Kansas. Students may seek out additional preceptors as approved by course faculty. Requirements for clinical preceptors include:
Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN)
- Doctor of Nursing Practice or Master's Degree in Nursing from an accredited university
- Current RN and APRN license in Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma
- Proof of National Board Certification
- Experience: minimum of one year experience in an advanced clinical practice role
- Expertise and practice as relevant to the course objectives
Physicians
- Doctor of Medicine or Osteopathy from an accredited university
- Currently licensed in Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma
- Proof of National Board Certification
- Experience: minimum of one year experience in family practice or internal medicine
- Expertise and practice as relevant to the course objectives
Benefits of the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program
Doctor of Nursing Practice Academic Programs
Applying to the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program
Admission Criteria
Tuition
DNP Project Information
DNP Program Outcomes
Contact Information
Accreditation
Handbook
The Doctor of Nursing Practice program at Fort Hays State University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, (202) 887-6791.