Questions

The University of New Mexico College of Nursing believes New Mexico deserves high-quality health care providers who are prepared at the highest level. Our DNP program provides graduate nursing students with increased breadth and depth of system-level knowledge and the administrative, clinical and leadership skills necessary to meet and address the growing and increasingly complex healthcare needs of our state, especially in diverse, rural, and under-resourced communities. 

With your DNP from The University of New Mexico, you’ll be prepared to meet the needs of your patients and communities, everywhere.

Contact our Office of Admissions & Recruitment to connect with faculty to learn more about the benefits of our DNP program. 

The program begins in the fall semester and will take 8 consecutive terms, just under 3 years, to complete. 

The post-bachelor’s DNP program requires a minimum of 1,000 clinical/practice hours, however, most concentrations will have more hours in order to meet concentration-specific learning outcomes and accreditation requirements and to ensure you get the most out of your clinical experiences. 

For specific hours, please review the program of studies for your intended concentration. 

We have found the intensity and clinical requirements of the program make it challenging for students to work full-time while attending the program. Many students reduce their work time with their employers to allow them to keep their benefits.

We understand the financial investment in your education can feel daunting without a full-time salary. We have kept our program costs reasonable, and the majority of our students receive some form of financial aid to help with the expenses of graduate school. Explore our financial aid website and reach out to our Financial Aid Officers to discuss options available to you.

Students are not required to live in Albuquerque to complete this program, but they are encouraged to in order to benefit from all that the University and College of Nursing have to offer. Students are required to have a New Mexico RN license. 

The program is a hybrid model, with some core courses taking place online and concentration-specific courses and simulation experiences occurring in-person/on campus. Students are expected to be on campus when required for in-person classes and simulation experiences. 

Our dedicated Office of Clinical Affairs team works to find and secure your clinical placements for you. Our sites are located throughout the state, and many of our dedicated preceptors are program graduates. UNM College of Nursing faculty make an effort to identify student needs and preferences before assigning clinical sites.

The College of Nursing is committed to providing you with experiences in rural and underserved committees.  As such, 2/3s of your clinical rotations may be outside of Albuquerque in rural and underserved areas across the state. Students are responsible for travel costs associated with clinical experiences. 

Contact our financial aid office to explore additional options to help pay for expenses related to out-of-town clinical experiences.  

Our Office of Clinical Affairs will work directly with you and your clinical sites to ensure all of your documents are up-to-date. The on-boarding process at different institutions can be complex, and we help you to navigate what you need to be successful at your clinical site. 

Applicants must submit an application through NursingCAS and a supplemental application to UNM.  Visit our application webpage for information on how to apply and program-specific requirements.

January 15

Yes! Please visit our Admissions Events page for dates and to RSVP. 

Letters of recommendation to graduate school should come from a supervisor, health care provider (such as an NP, PA, MD, DO, etc.), a faculty member or nurse educator in your clinical setting, or another individual in the healthcare field who can speak to the quality of your work, or someone from the broader community with whom you have done significant community service. Letters of recommendation should not be from family members, co-workers or friends. 

There are three essays that the DNP admissions committee would like you to prepare. Each essay should be between 200 – 400 words in length and uploaded to NursingCAS as separate documents. 

1. Describe your interest in becoming a DNP, why you are choosing your particular specialization, how you understand the role, and your professional goals as a DNP.
2. Completing a doctorate takes grit, creativity, and determination. Write about how you embody these characteristics in your current academic and/or professional work.
3. In New Mexico, our patient population is more rural, underserved, and diverse than in many other states. Please write about your experiences in these communities and how you anticipate working with these communities after you graduate.

Yes! Selected candidates will be required to complete an interview with members of our admissions committee prior to receiving a final admission decision. You will be contacted by the Office of Admissions & Recruitment via email if selected for an interview. Interviews may be conducted virtually or in person. 

Admission to the Doctor of Nursing Practice program is highly competitive. Depending on the number of qualified applications and the size of the incoming class, some applicants may be placed on a waitlist.  Applicants on this list are notified via email if and when a seat becomes available.

The Office of Admissions & Recruitment will notify you of the status of your application via email using the email address you provided in your NursingCAS application.