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Nurse Leaders in Population Health
The UAB School of Nursing provides support and assistance to MSN and DNP students in securing appropriate clinical placement sites and qualified preceptors from among more than 5,000 clinical affiliates.

The Population Health concentration is designed to prepare nurses to lead initiatives that target and improve the health outcomes of risk populations and to reduce their use of expensive health services that increase the cost of care.

Nurse leaders in population health develop and use strategies designed to improve the management of chronic conditions and self-care while also focusing on primary and preventive care. Population health guides approaches to assisting risk populations to attain and maintain health with an increased focus on shared accountability for the upstream environment, social, and community factors that contribute to chronic disease and drive health care cost.

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Talk with our faculty and staff.
Next Open House: February 20, 2025
From 6 to 7 PM Central Time

Program Information

  • Admission Requirements

    Prospective students must meet the following requirements for admission:

    • A master’s degree in an area of advanced nursing practice (nurse practitioner, clinical nurse leader, nurse anesthesia, nurse midwife, clinical nurse specialist, nursing administration, or nursing informatics) from a regionally accredited institution, equivalent to that offered in the UAB School of Nursing.
    • Licensure as a registered nurse and advanced practice specialty certification or eligible to sit for advanced certification and pass their specific certification exam prior to completing 12 credit hours of coursework. Admission is conditional until advanced certification is achieved.
    • A graduate grade point average of at least 3.0 overall (based on a 4.0 scale) or in the last 60 hours of earned credit.
    • Applicants should submit an official transcript from every college or university they have ever attended (even if for only one semester). Transcripts may be emailed electronically by the issuing institution to the UAB Graduate School at gradschool@uab.edu or mailed to:
      • UAB Graduate School
        LHL G03
        1720 2nd Ave. S.
        Birmingham, AL 35294-0013
    • Three favorable references from persons who have knowledge of the applicant’s potential for success for graduate nursing studies.
    • Evidence of an unencumbered/unrestricted license as a (1) registered nurse, and (2) advanced practice nurse or eligibility for licensure.
    • Submission of a personal goal statement that is congruent with NP outcomes (300 words or less).
    • Submission of a curriculum vitae/resume.
    • If admitted to the DNP program, students must show proof of completion of a descriptive statistics course, equivalent to UAB’s MA-180, before starting the program.
    CORE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
  • State Regulations Governing Distance Programs

    Out-of-state applicants to any of our distance-accessible programs should become familiar with their state’s regulations governing distance accessible programs. Prospective students residing in states other than Alabama should contact their state’s Board of Nursing and Department of Education for specific rules and regulations pertaining to students enrolled in out-of-state programs and are planning to conduct UABSON distance education in their home state. Only those students who reside in Alabama or those states where the UAB School of Nursing programs are available will be eligible to receive an offer of admission.

    More information is available at the State Approval Website for Online Degree Programs at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

  • Application for Admission/Application Deadlines

    Application Deadlines

    Entry Date: Fall 2025
    Deadline: May 1, 2025
  • Sample Program of Study

    Sample Program of Study1,2

    Year 1
    SemesterCourse TitleCredit Hours
    FallNHP 701Q Essentials of Population Health Science3
    NUR 745Q Foundation of Scholarly Writing3
    SpringNUR 729Q Evidence Based Practice Design and Translation3
    NHP 703Q Principles of Epidemiology and Population Health Analytics3
    SummerNUR 740Q Health Policy and Politics: Implications in Health Care3
    NHP 702Q Population Health: Organization, Delivery and Financing3
    Year 2
    SemesterCourse TitleCredit Hours
    FallNHP 706Q Population and Consumer Health Informatics3
    NUR 742Q Improvement and Program Evaluation Strategies3
    SpringNHP 705Q Population Health: Program Design and Evaluation3
    NUR 743Q Evidence Based Practice Strategies3
    SummerNUR 738Q DNP Project Planning3
    NUR 739Q DNP Project Implementation and Evaluation2
    Year 3
    SemesterCourse TitleCredit Hours
    FallNHP 707QL Population Health Practicum I3
    NUR 739Q DNP Project Implementation and Evaluation5
    Total Credit Hours43

    1Program of Study is subject to change.
    2All students are required to attend an on-campus orientation and annual intensive.

  • DNP Program Outcomes

    Upon completion of the DNP Program, students will be able to:

    • Synthesize scientific evidence for the development of clinical interventions for practice.
    • Evaluate policy, healthcare delivery, and organizational systems for current and future health care needs.
    • Translate scientific, theoretical, and ethical principles into healthcare for individuals, families, and populations.
    • Incorporate knowledge of current and emerging health technologies to improve healthcare delivery and organizational systems.
    • Advocate for social justice, equity, and ethical policies in healthcare.
    • Demonstrate intra- and inter-professional collaboration to address health disparities and to improve the quality of healthcare across diverse populations and cultures.
    • Assume complex leadership roles to advance clinical practice and healthcare delivery at the organizational and systems level and to improve health outcomes of individuals and populations.
  • Tuition and Fees

    The following tuition and fees are valid for the 2024-2025 academic year. Tuition and fees and are SUBJECT TO CHANGE annually based on approval from the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees and/or university.

    The estimates below are based on the costs listed at the UAB Office of Planning and Analysis website.

    Each student’s costs will vary depending upon a number of factors including state of residence, the number of credits taken in a semester, or whether the student attends class live or through a distance-accessible format. Fees vary by program and course.

    Tuition and Fees
    UAB School of Nursing 2024-2025
    Resident
    Charge ($)
    Non-resident
    Charge ($)
    DNP Coursework (in classroom per semester hour)6101,505
    DNP Coursework (distance-accessible format per semester hour)702702
    Fees - UAB School of NursingCost ($)
    Educational Support and Technology Fee (per course)235
    Other Related Expenses (Estimated)Cost ($)
    Travel/Lodging for Attending Annual On-Campus DNP Intensive (annual estimate)800
    Books and supplies (estimate per term)600
    Student Hospitalization Insurance Fee (estimate per month) 1270
    Background Check (annual estimate)92
    1 Estimate based on one student. May be waived with documented proof of equal or greater coverage.
  • Funding Your Education

    University Scholarships and Financial Aid

    Information on Financial Aid, University Scholarships and other funding opportunities are available on UAB's Cost & Aid website.

    UAB School of Nursing Scholarships

    The UAB School of Nursing offers many scholarships, both need and merit based, to support nursing students across all programs. Scholarships are awarded twice a year, during the spring and fall semesters and requires just one application to be considered for all undergraduate or graduate scholarships. For more information or to start the scholarship application process, visit the SON Scholarship Application webpage.

    Graduate Fellowships and Traineeships

    There are a limited number of Graduate Fellowships and Traineeships that are awarded through the UAB School of Nursing that require students to meet specific requirements, and are only awarded when funds are available. When such funds are available in a particular program, students enrolled in the program will be notified and provided information on how to apply. Contact Katrina Staffney (email: KatrinaStaffney@uab.edu), for more information.

    Information Sheet

    Nurse Faculty Loan

    Federal Nurse Faculty Loan Funds are available to MSN students who intend to assume a faculty position in a school of nursing upon completion of the degree. These funds are limited to payment of tuition and fees and other reasonable educational expenses. Contact JoeAnn Kennedy (email: joeann@uab.edu), for more information.

  • Information for International Students

    NOTE: Prospective International students must first contact UAB International Admissions to determine eligibility to study in the U.S. and/or submit an application for admission to UAB.

    UAB International Admissions
    Email: IntlAdmin@uab.edu
    Phone: (205) 934-4686
    Fax: (205) 934-8664

    The table below provides information on eligibility requirements for the DNP Program.

     MSN-DNP
    F1 or J1 Visa AcceptableNot eligible for this program
    College Degree (MSN Equivalent or higher)Required
    Foreign Transcripts EvaluatedRequired
    English ProficiencyRequired
    Graduate Record Exam (GRE)Required
    Licensure as a Registered Nurse in the U.S.Required

    Application Requirements

    • Prospective students must have a master’s degree in nursing equivalent to that offered by a U.S. regionally accredited educational institution.
    • For Graduate Clinical Programs such as the Post-MSN to DNP Pathway, prospective students must also be licensed as a registered nurse in the U.S., in the state in which they will reside while completing the program.
    • International applicants must, as part of their application, provide a detailed course by course evaluation of their academic transcripts and verification of their academic credentials. Students may use one of the following firms for transcript evaluation; a report of the evaluation must be submitted directly to the UAB School of Nursing prior to admission decisions.
      • Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc.
        P.O. Box 514070
        Milwaukee, WI 53203-3470 USA
        Website: www.ece.org
      • World Education Services
        Bowling Green Station
        P.O. Box 5087
        New York, NY 10274-5087 USA
        Website: www.wes.org
    • Applicants must have a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale on prior college/university course work.
    • Applicants must complete and submit their scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) as part of the application process. If the GRE was completed prior to application, only scores completed within the previous 5 years are accepted.
    • Completion of a formal admission interview.
    • Meet English language requirements. Students must submit scores on Tests of English Language (TOEFL or IELTS) and achieve the following minimum scores.
      • TOEFL iBT 80 and minimum of 18 in each of the 4 test sections, or
      • IELTS 6.5 and minimum of 6.0 in at least 2 of the 4 test sections.

Contact

DNP Program Manager Jacqueline Lavier Office of Student Success
(205) 975-7529
Interim Assistant Dean, Graduate Clinical Education - DNP Tedra Smith DNP, CRNP, CPNP‐PC, CNE, CHSE
(205) 996-4193