2025-2026 Catalog

 
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Program Requirements

Transfer Credits

Students may transfer up to nine hours of post-baccalaureate credit from a regionally accredited college or university provided that:

  • The course is clearly comparable to one of the BDNP course offerings based on course description and learning outcomes.
  • The course is at the 500 or higher numbering system (600 or higher for any doctoral level courses) and was not part of the baccalaureate degree requirements.
  • A grade of “B” or higher was earned in the course.
  • The course was completed within the past five years.
  • The course reflects current knowledge and best practice.
  • The course reflects higher order thinking, study, and assessment requirements of the scholarship of discovery.
  • Courses containing practicum requirements may not be met by transfer course (NP practicum courses, graduate level health assessment, graduate level healthcare policy, cultural healthcare and all DNP project courses). All DNP project work must be original and accomplished exclusively during IWU DNP enrollment.

Attendance Policy

The doctoral program is a blend of onsite residencies, onsite workshops, and interactive online workshops. Students are required to attend all onsite residencies and substantively engage in all interactive, online and prescribed learning activities.

  • Residency Attendance - Three residencies are held on the Marion campus during the program. Residency dates will be posted in advance. Attendance at all residency sessions is mandatory. Transportation to and from campus is at the student’s expense.
  • Nurse Practitioner Practicum Courses Attendance - The Nurse Practitioner Practicum courses combine onsite and online workshops within a single course. Students enrolled in these courses are held to a more stringent attendance standard due to the nature of the knowledge presented and its relevance to safe advanced nursing practice. Missing more than one onsite or online workshop during a practicum course will result in a grade of “F” for the course.
  • Online Attendance - Attendance is determined by activity during a workshop, either through discussions or assignments. A student is reported absent for a workshop if there is not at least one submission or posting of an assignment or in a discussion forum assigned during that workshop. A student may be allowed one online absence per course. 
    • Excessive Absences - If a student exceeds the allowed absences and does not contact the Office of Learner Success to officially withdraw before the first day of the last workshop, the professor is directed to issue the grade of "F" and the student will be withdrawn from the program.
    • Temporary Leave - Students are expected to take courses in the predetermined sequence. Students who are unable to participate in a course due to unavoidable circumstances must arrange for a temporary leave with the Office of Learner Success prior to the beginning of the course and/or block. Students who withdraw while in a course may do so with permission of the Associate Dean of Doctoral Programs or designated academic leader and by arrangement with the Office of Learner Success prior to the start of the first day of the last workshop of the course, but the regular refund and academic withdrawal policies apply.

Residency

Residency for the Bachelor to DNP - FNP program is satisfied by attending three onsite residencies. Students are expected to be in attendance throughout the residency and are not allowed an absence from required workshops, events, or class sessions that are scheduled during the residency. If a student does need to withdraw from a residency, and the withdrawal date is after fees have been spent, residency fees are non-refundable. Business casual is the expected attire. Students are expected to follow the community lifestyle statement of the university while on campus. This includes refraining from the use of alcohol, tobacco, illegal drugs, use of firearms, and unethical or illegal activities. 

Progression Requirements

  • All courses must be successfully completed in the sequence prescribed by the program's requirements. Failure to successfully complete a course will result in an administrative withdrawal from the program.
  • Each course must be satisfactorily completed with a grade of “B” or above before progressing into the next course.
  • Doctoral Nursing Students will be academically dismissed upon receipt of a second unsatisfactory grade.
  • Students must maintain an RN license that is active and unencumbered at all times during enrollment in the program. Students must have a valid unencumbered RN license in the state(s) of the practicum sites. If students have multiple state licenses, all must be unencumbered. It is the student’s responsibility to notify the School of Integrated Health if the status of his or her RN license changes. Students will be administratively withdrawn from the program at any point if this status is not maintained.
  • A transcultural healthcare experience is required.
  • Any student found to have falsified practicum hours will be immediately dismissed and not allowed to re-enter any graduate nursing program at IWU.
  • Students who maintain continuous enrollment, who make normal progress toward a degree, and who earn their degree within the major program's maximum time from the date of enrollment may meet the graduation requirements as stated in the catalog under which they enrolled.

Clinical Compliance Documentation

  • Before beginning any clinical or practicum experiences, students must meet all practicum agency requirements (at the student's expense). All Advanced Practice Registered Nursing students, and as required other students, must complete a second criminal background check and a drug screen, and submit documentation of health clearance, immunizations, and meet any other requirements of the practicum site before any client contact. In addition, random drug testing (ex. annually) or drug testing based on reasonable suspicion can be implemented at any time and without prior notice. Students who do not comply will be dismissed from the program. Progression in the program is dependent on the results of the reports. 
  • Upon request, documentation of required health information, background check reports, drug screening results, and other required information may be provided to healthcare facilities where the student will be completing clinical/practicum requirements as part of their required course of study.

Re-enrollment

A student who wishes to re-enroll in the Bachelor to DNP - FNP program must first contact the appropriate advisor to complete a Request for Re-enrollment form and forward to the designated academic leader for approval. Following approval, the student may re-enroll in the program through the Office of Learner Success and will agree to follow the prescribed plan of study. Students sitting out of a core program for more than 90 days are subject to current tuition rates upon returning. Students re-entering after six months are subject to any changes made in curriculum in the intervening time as well as current catalog policy. 

A student may re-enroll in the Doctoral Nursing a maximum of two times without an appeal. A request for a third re-enrollment must be accompanied by a petition to the Program Leader. Re-enrollment will be dependent upon the decision of the Program Leader or the CAPS Appeals Committee if the Program Leader determines a higher level of appeal is required. 

Re-enrollment Policy for Nurse Practitioner Specialization

Any Nurse Practitioner student who is out of class for more than six months must meet the following criteria to continue in the program: 

  • If a student is out of a nurse practitioner specialization for more than six months, the student must take and achieve an 87% on the track specific competency exam(s) for advanced pharmacology, pathophysiology, and physical assessment.
  • The student will be required to submit a video performing a complete history and physical on a client.  
  • If the student does not pass the appropriate competency exam(s) with a minimum score of 87% after two attempts, s/he will be required to audit the pertinent course(s) and satisfactorily pass the appropriate competency exam(s) before being allowed to re-enroll in the graduate nursing program.
  • The student requesting re-enrollment is responsible for payment of each competency exam and course audit. 

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Students enrolled in the Bachelor to DNP - FNP program are regarded as members of the academic community of Indiana Wesleyan University. Students are responsible for conforming to the standards of conduct for adult learners. Continued enrollment in the program is subject at all times to review of the student's academic record and actions with regard to observance of university policies and regulations. Policies and regulations can be found in the DNP Student Handbook (located within each course).

Incomplete Grades - Students are expected to complete the course requirements by the last day of the final workshop. There may be instances when crisis circumstances or events prevent the student from completing requirements in a timely manner. In these rare situations, a grade of "I" (incomplete) may be issued after completing the following process:

  • The student must request an "I" from the instructor via email.
  • The instructor must obtain approval via email from the program leader.
  • The student must have completed at least 75% of the course.

A grade of "incomplete" may be granted only for extenuating circumstances. The length of time a student has to complete and submit the requirements to the faculty is determined by the faculty member for the course and may not exceed 10 weeks. If, at the end of the extension, the student has failed to complete the course requirements, the faculty will enter the grade the student earned. An incomplete cannot be issued if the student fails to meet the attendance requirements.

Probationary Status - Students enrolled in the Bachelor to DNP - FNP program will be placed on probation if their GPA falls below 3.25.

Students are given the opportunity to satisfactorily raise their GPA by the completion of two consecutive courses or six consecutive credit hours, whichever is greater. The GPA is reviewed after the set time frame, and if it has been successfully raised, the probationary status is removed. Academic suspension will result if the student's GPA is not successfully raised.

Academic Suspension - Academic suspension will result if:

  • A student fails to clear the academic probationary status within the probationary period of two consecutive courses or six consecutive credit hours, whichever is greater.
  • A student with more than one incomplete on record is subject to academic suspension.

In all cases, the suspension will occur once the grades have been recorded in the Registrar's Office. Students will be notified of the academic suspension in writing. Application for readmission may be made after six months. The application must be made in writing to the Dean of the School of Integrated Health.

Academic Dismissal

  • Upon a second academic suspension in the same program, students are not eligible to reapply to Indiana Wesleyan University.
  • Upon a second unsatisfactory grade, students will be academically dismissed and ineligible to reapply for admission into the DNP program.
  • Students dismissed due to academic dishonesty are ineligible for readmission to the program.
  • Students who fail to complete the program within six years will be administratively withdrawn.

Practicum Hours

A minimum of 1000 graduate level practicum hours are required to be eligible for graduation. Practicum hours will be a culmination of practicum hours completed during the Bachelor to DNP - FNP. 

Practicum hours may be accrued by completion of work or projects as approved by the course faculty or designated academic leader. Further explanation of practicum hours can be found in the DNP Project Manual and NP Clinical Guidelines.

Degree Completion Limits

The Bachelor to DNP - FNP program is designed as a lock-step curriculum to be completed in approximately 51 months. Students who do not maintain continuous enrollment will be required to reenroll (as space is available), meet all catalog requirements, DNP Scholarly Project Manual changes, NP Clinical Guideline changes, and incur any changes in program charge or cost. Any exceptions to this policy must be requested in writing to the Program Leader or designated academic leader.

DNP Project Continuation

Doctoral students who do not complete the DNP Scholarly Project by the end of program course work, will be required to enroll in a one-hour DNP Scholarly Project Continuation course continuously until the DNP Scholarly Project is successfully defended. Students will pay the one-credit-hour course tuition, $500 additional DNP Scholarly Project Advisor fee, and any other required fees to maintain continuous enrollment. Each continuation course will be ten weeks in length. The maximum number of continuation courses will be seven.

Student Professional Performance Policy

Students are expected to maintain the ethical standards of practice established by American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements. Students whose professional performance affects their ability to be licensed as a registered nurse or advanced practice registered nurse, and/or who do not meet the ethical standards established by ANA, may be recommended for a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) or other sanction up to and including dismissal from the School of Integrated Health. It is the responsibility of each student to be aware of policies regulating academic and professional conduct found in the IWU Catalog, student handbooks, and clinical guidelines, possible sanctions, and the appeals process.

Progressive discipline: The School of Integrated Health promotes a policy of progressive or corrective discipline; however, serious infractions may warrant immediate removal from clinical or academics setting, imposition of a written reprimand, suspension, or dismissal. Performance concerns may include, but are not limited to the following:

  • Fails to meet generally accepted standards of patient safety, professional conduct, personal integrity, or emotional stability required for professional practice;
  • Fails to demonstrate the effective interpersonal skills necessary to perform professional helping relationships;
  • Fails to adhere to the ANA Code of Ethics;
  • Has been found guilty of criminal misconduct that affects the student’s ability to be licensed as a registered nurse (RN )or advanced practice registered nurse (APRN); or

  • Displays inappropriate or disruptive behavior toward clients, other students, faculty, or staff, which interferes with professional judgment or jeopardizes the best interest of those to whom the student has a professional responsibility.

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