DNP Early Assurance Program
Highly motivated undergraduates may apply to the DNP Early Assurance Program.
The Early Assurance Program offers the opportunity for early acceptance to UB’s DNP programs in Adult-Gerontology, Family and Psychiatric/Mental Health for well-qualified undergraduate students focused on becoming nurse practitioners.
The Early Assurance Program allows motivated students to begin working on their DNP while simultaneously obtaining work experience as an RN. Undergraduate students (at UB and other nursing schools) can apply to the nurse practitioner Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs after the fall semester of their senior year. Accepted applicants must complete the remaining degree requirements to attain their bachelor's degree in nursing and pass the NCLEX-RN before entering the DNP program on a part-time basis the following fall.
Eligibility Requirements
Applications to the cohort starting in 2024 will open on December 15, 2023 and are due on April 1, 2024.
Minimum GPA
Applicants must have progressed to the final semester of undergraduate study in nursing and achieved a minimum nursing GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale. Minimum GPAs are strictly enforced in the application review; no rounding and no exceptions.
Program
Applicants must be enrolled in the final semester of a nursing BS/BSN program (traditional, accelerated or RN to BS/BSN).
Progression
Applicants must have completed at least 100 credit hours of undergraduate study prior to application to the program.
Students must work full time as a nurse starting in their fall semester after graduation.
Please Note
Students who graduate from their baccalaureate nursing program in December can still apply for Early Assurance, but they will have to apply for the following fall semester, as we do not accept Early Assurance students in the spring.
The application process is now entirely online. In order to be considered for fall or summer admission all of the following must be uploaded by the deadline:
- A completed graduate application with $75 fee (select the DNP application for your chosen specialty)
- Copies of transcripts from all colleges or universities attended by the applicant. Transcript must include final fall grades. Transcripts must be clear and legible. Please do not provide screenshots or photos of transcripts.
- Personal statement
- Resume
- Three (3) letters of recommendation from faculty and/or clinical preceptors. At least two of these letters must be from clinical course faculty.
Qualified applicants being considered for DNP acceptance through the Early Assurance Program may be invited for an admissions interview with School of Nursing faculty.
Applicants not accepted through the Early Assurance Program will not be precluded from applying to the School of Nursing through the standard application process, nor will it disadvantage the candidate in any way.
