You will find answers to our most frequently asked questions below.
For Additional Questions:
Trevor HeilmanAdmissions Specialist
Call or Text: (509) 313-6227
Email: heilman@gonzaga.edu
Meg Martens
Application Specialist
Call or Text: (509) 313-6243
Email: martens@gonzaga.edu
General Questions
Yes, by accelerating your career and starting the Post-Bacc DNP now, you have the following advantages:
- Gaining clinical experience while obtaining your advanced-practice degree
- Obtaining your terminal degree in 5 years
- Realizing the return on your investment sooner by entering the workforce at a higher level of pay
- Being prepared to meet the growing demand for doctorate-prepared practitioners
The DNP Program strives to prepare you to:
- Be eligible to sit for your nurse practitioner licensing exam at the end of your third year
- Provide exceptional 1:1 care while having the skills to positively impact communities
- Demonstrate advanced knowledge and skills to optimize health in a selected area of nursing
- Demonstrate humanistic, reflective practice, ethical reasoning and advocacy for a selected population
- Synthesize theory and evidence to create, implement and evaluate strategies to improve practice
Post-bacc DNP students have 5 years to complete their MSN, and 5 years to complete their DNP. They may also take a two year (6 semester) break between finishing their MSN and starting their DNP without needing to reapply.
The Course Experience
Yes, the program requires you to travel to Spokane, WA for on-campus weekend immersions which vary by track.
- PMHNP track requires 7 immersions.
- FNP track requires 8 immersions.
- Immersions occur between your fifth and twelfth semesters of study. You average one immersion per semester during this period.
The Student Services team is available to answer questions and connect students to the resources needed. Students are also assigned a faculty advisor to help meet their academic goals.
Online students have access to all of Gonzaga's resources including:
- Foley Library
- IT Help Desk
- Career Center
- Graduate Student Council
- Disability Access
- University Ministry
We are all here to help you succeed.
Practicum Requirements
We are committed to ensuring adequate and robust practicum experiences for our graduate students. Clinical placements are secured through a process shared by staff, program directors, students, faculty and clinical agencies.
Our Clinical Placement Team is dedicated to helping students secure sites and preceptors, as well as with processing contract/legal documentation required to clear students for clinical placement.
As an initial step in the process, students will proactively engage with their local providers to identify potential preceptors. The Clinical Placement Team will work with students to finalize clinical placements and preceptor experiences to meet course requirements.
The Department of Nursing maintains affiliation agreements with many facilities and providers across the western U.S. to support practicum learning experiences.
Students are responsible for their own transportation to clinical sites and should include this cost when calculating and planning for their educational expenses and scheduling demands.
Tuition & Scholarships
The cost is competitive at $1,170* per credit.
*Tuition rates are subject to change.
The School of Health Sciences offers scholarships every semester, funds permitting.
Gonzaga's Financial Aid Office maintains a database of scholarships for students to access, search and apply for awards.