Doctor of Nursing Practice
The Doctor in Nursing Practice (DNP) program has been approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing and is pending accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) in March 2026.
Applications for Fall 2026: October 1, 2025- April 1, 2026.
Prospective Doctoral Student Information Sessions
Application dates: October 1, 2025 - April 1, 2026
Prospective Doctoral Student Information Sessions
Zoom link: https://SDSU.zoom.us/j/81638829387
- September 23, 2025 from 5pm-6pm
- October 7, 2025 from 5pm-6pm
- October 21, 2025 from 5pm-6pm
- November 4, 2025 from 5pm-6pm
- November 18, 2025 from 5pm-6pm
- December 9, 2025 from 5pm-6pm
If unable to attend Group Information session, please contact [email protected] to set up an individual Zoom meeting.
Nursing graduate level courses are primarily held in-person. Certain core courses may be held in an executive/hybrid format.
Post-Masters DNP courses are held in an executive/hybrid model with pre-scheduled class dates that require in-person attendance.
For More Information Please Contact: [email protected]
Admissions and Applications
- Application to the SDSU School of Nursing Graduate Programs is a two part process.
- Applications must be submitted to both SDSU Graduate Admissions and the SDSU School of Nursing.
- For assistance or questions during the application process please contact [email protected]
Complete the Cal State Apply application for DNP admission
- All applicants must complete the Cal State Apply application and pay the required fee
- A SDSU RED ID Number will then be assigned which allows tracking of application status online.
Send official test scores and transcripts Graduate Admissions – Must be received by Graduate Admissions Document Deadline.
- GRE (and if applicable, TOEFL) test scores must be sent directly from ETS. (Institution Code: 4682)
- Send official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
- Send to:
Graduate Admissions
San Diego State University
5500 Campanile Drive
San Diego, CA 92182-8225
Complete the Program Online Application via Slate – Must be completed by Program Application Deadline.
Within 72 hours of submitting your initial application to Cal State Apply, you will receive an email with a personalized link to Slate to submit your program application.
Degree Learning Outcomes
- Use knowledge from nursing and other disciplines to generate, appraise, synthesize, translate, and disseminate best evidence to inform and guide clinical judgements and innovations in advanced nursing practice.
- Design, implement, and evaluate evidenced based and patient centered practice change to improve health and address social determinants of health, health inequities and disparities from public health prevention to disease management of individuals, communities, and populations.
- Demonstrate excellence, innovation, and autonomy in advanced nursing practice and systems-based leadership to coordinate interprofessional teams to provide safe, compassionate, quality, efficient and equitable care to individuals and diverse populations.
- Foster interprofessional collaborative efforts to evaluate and influence health policies to improve health care delivery and facilitate knowledge transfer through the development of innovative instructional designs at multiple levels (institutional, local, state, federal or international).
- Integrate effective communication, patient care technology and information systems to expand knowledge and drive decision making to manage and improve healthcare services in alignment with professional and regulatory standards.
- Demonstrate professional and ethical advanced nursing accountability, identity, and leadership integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion and fostering personal health, resilience, well-being, and lifelong learning.
Contact Us
SDSU School of Nursing
San Diego, CA 92182-4158