Graduates of a DNP program must achieve 1000 clinical hours from a combination of clinical hours in the master’s program and the DNP program. Each student will achieve a minimum of 500 clinical hours in the UHCON DNP program. To ensure students meet the required minimum 1000 clinical hours, students with an MSN degree that did not include 500 clinical hours must have a portfolio review to determine an action plan for achieving the required clinical hours. A plan will be developed to achieve any additional hours required. The portfolio may include a written description of the individual’s practice experience, participation in academic and specialized programs in the specialty area, national certification in specialty area, and/or additional activities and experiences that exemplify expert practice in nursing and healthcare leadership. The clinical hours accepted to meet the 500-hour requirement at the master’s level must be outside the individual’s normal scope of paid employment.