
AE-DNP Program Overview
Application Deadline: October 1
Application Available: August 1
Program Start: Summer once a year only
Length of Program: 4 years full-time
Degree Awarded: Doctor of Nursing Practice
Part-Time Study Available? After the foundation (first) year
Distance Learning Available? Not at this time
AE Information Sessions
Ranking

Ranked #8 among public schools and #14 among all schools in Best Nursing Schools: Master's Programs
(U.S. News & World Report 2024)
Note: If you have a bachelor's degree outside of Nursing, an Associate’s Degree in Nursing and you are a licensed registered nurse please visit the Masters of Science in Nursing (MSN) Program. Additional Alternate Entry (AE) programs include AE Master of Science in Nursing (AE MSN) Leadership in Diverse Settings (LeaDs), and the AE Doctor of Philosophy (AE PhD).
About the AE-DNP
The Alternate Entry Doctor of Nursing Practice (AE-DNP) program is designed for people holding baccalaureate or graduate degrees in disciplines other than nursing and who are interested in pursuing both their Registered Nurse (RN) License and Doctor of Nursing Practice degree.
The AE DNP program prepares student for the highest level of advanced nursing practice blending theoretical knowledge with clinical application. The DNP is a terminal degree that prepares graduates to meet the needs of complex and changing healthcare systems. The program prepares nurse leaders who will improve patient outcomes and translate research into practice.
After successfully completing the rigorous academic and clinical training, the AE DNP will be able to test for national certification and assume entry-level advanced practice positions. The expectation is the doctoral-prepared advanced practice nurses will be a voice at the table to improve quality of care and patient safety, train the next generation of nurses, and address healthcare through interdisciplinary teams.
AE-DNP Concentration Areas:
Adult - Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist
The Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist includes perspectives of both health-restoration and health-promotion, while developing skills in case management. This concentration area focuses on physiological and psychosocial theories, concepts, and research underlying self-care and growth needs of individuals age 15 and up. Other commonly emphasized themes include: holism of clients, family relationships, environmental influences, conceptual thinking, and independent nursing actions.
Faculty assist students in individualizing their education by facilitating work in hospital or non-hospital clinical areas in the specialization courses. Practicum experiences provide opportunities for testing new approaches and developing advanced skills.
Graduates are eligible to take the national certification examination offered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) for recognition as a Clinical Nurse Specialist. The curriculum also includes coursework required by the Texas Board of Nurse Examiners (TxBON) to be qualified as an Advanced Practice Nurse (APN). Additional requirements and experience for APN status are available from the TxBON.
Degree Plans
- AE-DNP Adult - Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist: Program of Work (PDF)
- AE-DNP Adult - Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist: Schedule (PDF)
Clinical Nurse Specialist: Visit NACNS: CNS Institute to learn more about the role of the Clinical Nurse Specialist.
Psych/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program (PMHNP)
The PMHNP concentration is a 48-credit hour program that prepares graduates to provide primary psychiatric-mental health care at an advanced level to individuals of all ages and their families. Graduates will be prepared to assume responsibilities including differential diagnosis and management of psychiatric and mental health disorders through medication management and psychotherapeutic interventions including individual, group and family therapies. Graduates will also engage in health promotion and illness prevention strategies with their population. Graduates will participate in and utilize research to improve patient care and patient care systems. Graduates are prepared to work in both inpatient and community based psychiatric/mental health settings, and may work in a variety of health care settings providing psychiatric-mental health care and consultation.
Degree Plans
Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PC-PNP)
The Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner concentration focuses on the delivery of primary care to children from newborns to young adults in a variety of settings. Emphases include child development, parenting, health promotion, disease prevention, and the management of common illnesses in children. Nurse practitioner skills are combined with community assessment, intervention, and management skills to broaden the scope of the clinical practice experiences. The graduate is prepared to assume leadership positions in pediatric-based healthcare agencies.
Graduates are eligible to take the Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner national certification examination through the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB). The curriculum also includes coursework required by the Texas Board of Nursing (BON) to be qualified as an Advanced Practice Nurse (APN). Additional requirements and experiences for APN status and prescriptive authority are available from the BON.
Degree Plans
- AE-DNP Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner: Program of Work (PDF)
- AE-DNP Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner: Schedule (PDF)
Advanced Practice Nursing (APN): Visit Advance Practice Nursing to learn about APN programs.
AE-DNP Resources
Course of Study
The Foundation Year: The AE program is designed to satisfy RN licensure requirements and train students in advanced practice and specialty nursing roles. The first year of the program is an intensive, full-time series of foundation courses. The Alternate Entry Foundation Year (Pre-Licensure) Courses (PDF) are accelerated, specially designed graduate courses. These courses include content and experiences that are required to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) and are required for graduate-level study in nursing. All foundation courses must be completed before students are eligible to take the NCLEX-RN licensure exam. The sequence of AE-MSN foundation courses begins in the first summer session of the program, and full-time enrollment during the foundation sequence is required.
Doctoral Coursework: After passing the NCLEX-RN and obtaining their RN license, students are eligible to work as an RN in Texas only. The third and third years of the program focus on the coursework required for the Doctor in Nursing Practice in the student's chosen concentration area. The DNP degree is typically awarded in the spring of the fourth year. After degree completion, the RN license can be endorsed outside of Texas.
AE-DNP Objectives
- Integrate nursing science with knowledge from ethics, the biophysical, psychosocial, analytical, and organizational sciences as the basis for the highest level of advanced nursing practice. (Domain 1: Knowledge for Nursing Practice)
- Systematically and comprehensively investigate complex issues encountered in nursing practice to promote person-centered care and optimal health outcomes for individuals, families, communities, populations, and systems. (Domain 2: Person Centered Care)
- Implement scholarly evidence-based processes and health policies to address population health from public health prevention to disease management for the improvement of health outcomes. (Domain 3: Population Health)
- Advance the impact of nursing scholarship by integrating best evidence into practice and promoting ethical conduct of scholarly activities. (Domain 4: Scholarship for Nursing Discipline)
- Lead quality and safety initiatives to improve health outcomes contributing to a culture of safety for patients, providers, and work environments. (Domain 5: Quality & Safety)
- Collaborate with stakeholders and interprofessional teams using advanced communication skills to optimize care delivery and strengthen outcomes. (Domain 6: Interprofessional Partnerships)
- Apply innovative and systems-based strategies to address complex health problems across the continuum of care. (Domain 7: Systems-based Practice)
- Use information, communication technologies, and informatic processes that inform advanced nursing practice to improve healthcare outcomes for individuals, families, communities, populations, and systems. (Domain 8: Informatics & Healthcare Technology)
- Formulate a professional identity in an advanced nursing practice and/or leadership role that reflects nursing’s characteristics, values, and ethics. (Domain 9: Professionalism)
- Engage in self-reflection and personal development activities, including dissemination of nursing knowledge, that contribute to lifelong learning, leadership development and resilience. (Domain 10: Personal, Professional, and Leadership Development)
Admission Requirements
All students interested in applying for graduate study in Nursing at the University of Texas at Austin must meet the admission requirements established by the University’s Graduate School and the School of Nursing. Applicants are expected to be graduates of accredited colleges or universities. Below are the minimum requirements for admission.
Below are the minimum requirements for admission:
- Degree: Bachelor’s degree in an area other than Nursing.
- GPA: 3.0 (4.0 scale) or comparable GPA in completed upper-division work (junior- and senior-level courses) and graduate work.
- Recommendations: 3 required and 1 reference must be from a healthcare professional. Written recommendations are not accepted.
- Prerequisites: Completion of AE Prerequisite Courses (PDF). See pdf for completion time requirements and policies.
- Statement of Purpose
- Curriculum Vitae/resume
*Applicants to the AE-DNP program are encouraged to have volunteer or work experience in a healthcare related field.
Application Procedures
Any person applying for formal admission to the AE-DNP program must submit the Graduate School Application for Admission and the following materials by the October 1 deadline.
Application for Admission
Complete the online application using the Graduate School Application for Admission and pay the application fee. The application is only open between August 1st and October 1st. The online application is data entry only. All supporting application documents are uploaded on the My Status page after the application is paid and submitted.
*Recommendation: Complete online application, at minimum, 2 weeks before the October 1 deadline ensuring all documents are provided by the application deadline.
Supporting Documents
- Official transcripts with a print day of one year or less, from all post-secondary colleges or universities attended, including community colleges.
See AE-DNP Application Checklist (PDF) for transcript upload procedures. - Curriculum Vitae: include educational background, professional experience, volunteer experience and other relevant information (e.g., publications, scholarship and awards, professional organizations, and community activities).
- Personal Statement: Maximum two (2) pages. Readable font, 12-point, double spaced, 1-inch margins
- Recommendation: 3 required / 3 maximum
- Using our secure, personalized form, three (3) professional recommendations that attest to the applicant's academic ability, professional competency and personal character must be submitted electronically by each recommender.
- One reference must be from a healthcare professional, a nurse, physician, nurse practitioner or clinical nurse specialist.
- Written recommendations are not accepted.
- Official TOEFL or IELTS scores taken within the past two years (for International Applicants only).
- See the International Students webpage for English language requirements.
- Alternate Entry Prerequisite Checklist (PDF) informs the admissions committee details regarding the applicant’s prerequisite courses. The form must be fully completed and signed.
Visit the Graduate Admissions webpage for additional information.
For additional details on how to prepare your graduate application materials and personal statement instructions, please view the AE-DNP Application Checklist (PDF).
All materials must be submitted electronically to the MyStatus page that is available approximately 48 hours after submitting the online application.
Prerequisite Courses
In addition to a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field, applicants must complete 24 credits (grade C- or better) of prerequisite coursework from an approved institution.
- Anatomy with lab (4 credits)
- Physiology with lab (4 credits)
- Microbiology (3 credits)
- Pharmacology (3 credits)
- Human Growth and Development Through the Lifespan (3 credits)
- Nutrition (3 credits)
- Statistics (3 credits)
Prerequisite Policies
- A grade of “C-” or higher must be earned in all prerequisite courses.
- Applicants MUST complete a minimum of 5 prerequisite courses by December 31st of the year applied.
- Human Anatomy and Microbiology must be two of the five courses.
- Final grades for any prerequisite courses in progress during the fall admissions semester must be provided by the second week in January.
- *Applicants MUST have completed Human Anatomy with lab, Human Physiology with lab, and Pharmacology courses within the past 6 years from the anticipated AE program enrollment date.
- All 7 prerequisite courses must be completed before ENROLLING in the AE program. Therefore, if admitted, one to two courses can be completed in the spring before starting the program.
- All prerequisite courses can be completed in a distance learning format.
- All prerequisite courses are subject to approval by the Graduate Student Services Office.
Review the common approved Prerequisite Course Equivalencies (PDF) for local and distance learning courses.
Prerequisite Transcript Evaluations are recommended. Contact Graduate Student Services at nugrad@nursing.utexas.edu, for additional information.
Acceptance to Graduate Programs in Nursing
The School of Nursing Graduate Admissions and Progression Committee (GAPC) begin preliminary admission reviews after the October 1st deadline. All application materials must be submitted by the program’s application deadline; files that remain incomplete will not be reviewed or acted upon by GAPC.
If admitted, applicants will be notified of the admission decision by early February. Decisions are communicated in the following ways:
- Offers of admission are sent via email by the School of Nursing.
- Official e-letters from the Graduate and International Admission Center notifying you of the admission decision of the Office of Graduate Studies are available on the application Status Check page.
Acceptance by the School of Nursing and the Graduate is necessary before enrollment is permitted. Please be aware, if admitted, completion of all compliance requirements is required at least one month before the first day of class.
NOTE: Email is the official means of communication for all university business.
If not admitted, applicants will be notified by the Graduate Admissions Office.
Please email Graduate Student Services Office for questions about the admission process.