Doctor of Nursing Practice — Family Nurse Practitioner Degree Program
The postbaccalaureate Doctor of Nursing Practice — Family Nurse Practitioner (DNP-FNP) degree program at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing prepares advanced practice providers to lead change, promote health equity and deliver patient- and family-centered primary care.
Through a flexible hybrid format that combines online coursework, in-person immersions and clinical rotations near local communities, this three-year doctoral program equips new family new practitioners with the tools to practice at the highest level of clinical nursing.
Fast facts
- Type (full vs. part-time): full-time
- Duration: 3 years (36 months)
- Format: Integrated, hybrid
- Objective: to prepare new family nurse practitioners as leaders who promote health care innovation and advance health equity and policy
- Outcomes: advanced practice providers who will work with patients, as nurse educators or other leadership roles in health care
- Application period: Mid-September – January 5
About the DNP-FNP program
Designed for working registered nurses with a bachelor’s degree, the DNP-FNP program offers a pathway to becoming a primary care provider and health system leader. The hybrid curriculum blends asynchronous online instruction, live class sessions, immersive on-campus experiences and supervised clinical training.
Students complete the program over three years (12 quarters) and engage in four in-person immersion experiences in Sacramento. Clinical rotations are coordinated by the School of Nursing and take place in California-based primary care settings, ideally near the student’s place of residence.
What we're looking for
We seek students who are ready to lead in today’s evolving health care environment, who are motivated to expand their scope of practice, committed to advancing health equity, and prepared to serve diverse communities across California. Ideal applicants demonstrate:
- Academic readiness for doctoral-level coursework
- Alignment with the school's values of belonging, innovation and system transformation
- A desire to provide holistic, evidence-based primary care across the lifespan
What we provide
Students in the DNP-FNP program at UC Davis benefit from:
- Curriculum that integrates clinical excellence, leadership development and system-level thinking
- Faculty and mentors who support student success throughout their journey
- Clinical placement support for rotations in primary care settings across California
- Four immersive on-campus sessions that emphasize collaboration, professional identity, and hands-on skill development
- A culminating scholarly project that reflects each student’s unique interests and impact
Watch the September 2024 recording of the information session webinar for an overview of the DNP-FNP program.
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Vision
The Doctor of Nursing Practice — Family Nurse Practitioner Program equips graduates to promote optimal health, well-being and health equity across populations and the lifespan.
This program reflects the core values of the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis:
- Health equity: Committed to addressing health disparities and improving access
- Innovative practice: Leveraging technology, creativity, and evidence to transform care
- Bold leadership: Equipping students to advocate for patients, influence policy, and lead system-wide change
- Interprofessional collaboration: Engaging with other health disciplines to improve outcomes
The DNP-FNP program is a three-year hybrid doctoral degree designed for working nurses. The structure combines asynchronous online coursework, scheduled live sessions, in-person immersions, and supervised clinical rotations.
Course delivery
- Asynchronous learning: Most didactic content is delivered in a flexible, self-paced format to accommodate working professionals.
- Synchronous sessions: Live sessions are scheduled weekly at consistent times to foster peer and faculty engagement.
- Concept-based curriculum: Online learning is intentionally aligned with clinical experiences and immersion content.
On-site immersions
Students attend four required in-person immersions at the UC Davis Sacramento campus. Immersions are typically 3-5 days long, focusing on clinical skill-building, collaboration and professional development.
Clinical rotations
Clinical training begins in year two and continues through year three. Students will complete their scholarly project practicum in their final year.
The School of Nursing coordinates clinical placements, prioritizing locations near students' California residences. This model supports students in serving, and ultimately prating in, their own communities.
Upon completion of the DNP-FNP degree program curriculum, and consistent with American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) expectations and standards, the DNP-FNP graduates are able to:
Clinical practice & judgement
- Demonstrate advanced levels of clinical judgment, systems thinking and accountability in designing, delivering and evaluating evidence‐based care to improve patient outcomes.
- Integrate nursing science, science‐based theory and systems knowledge into the development and evaluation of new practice approaches to care
Evidence-based practice & quality improvement
- Apply analytic methods to the critical appraisal of literature and other evidence to develop and support best practice.
- Support and effectively lead quality improvement initiatives that enhance safe, high quality and evidence‐driven care.
- Effectively synthesize data from research, practice evidence and other credible sources to drive care recommendations and policy (AACN, 2022).
- Disseminate data from evidence‐based practice and research to support improvements in health outcomes.
Leadership & communication
- Employ advanced communication skills and processes to lead quality improvement and safety initiatives.
- Convene and lead interprofessional, collaborative stakeholder teams to create change and advance positive health outcomes.
- Generate, evaluate and articulate innovative solutions to complex care issues.
Health policy & advocacy
- Analyze the impact of local, national and global health policy on determinants of care decisions.
- Support cost and resource efficiency, quality and accessibility of health care for diverse client groups.
- Advocate for nursing, as well as socially and ethically relevant, policy in health care design and delivery.
- Full-time enrollment (8-13 units per quarter) is required
- Required courses include a combination of DNP core, FNP core and elective courses
- Culminating requirements include a comprehensive FNP exam and a DNP Scholarly Project
- DNP-FNP students are expected to complete the program in 36 months
- Essential abilities and technical standards for students
- DNP-FNP degree program requirements
