Compare online DNP programs
Advance patient outcomes at the highest levels of clinical practice
Why pursue an online doctor of nursing program?
Prepare for a career in advanced nursing practice
Enhance your clinical expertise and gain the competence to improve patient care across the health system.
Specialize at the highest clinical level
Gain graduate knowledge in a flexible format that features a blend of live online classes, asynchronous coursework, and in-person clinical hours.
Become a nursing practice leader
Find a university that best aligns with your values and help shape process, policymaking, and the future of nursing.
Browse online DNP programs New
DNP vs PhD – what’s the difference?
A doctor of nursing program (DNP) is a terminal degree representing the highest level of education attainable in practice-focused nursing. It differs from a PhD in important ways. While both programs will equip you to become a thought-leader in the medical field, a DNP requires 1,000 clinical hours to specifically prepare you to continue patient care while achieving expertise in specialized advanced nursing practice. A PhD in nursing, by contrast, requires a dissertation and is focused extensively on advancing the type of research that someone with a DNP degree translates into practice.
Admission requirements for a DNP program
In order to pursue a DNP, you’ll need to have passed the NCLEX-RN (National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses) and be a registered nurse licensed to practice in at least one jurisdiction. Depending on the program you want to pursue, you will need an RN license, a bachelor’s degree in nursing or a master’s degree in nursing.
How to apply
The type of program best suited to you depends on your career goals, the time investment you want to make, and the types of jobs you see yourself doing. Most program applications require you to provide a statement of purpose, several professional letters of reference, a résumé, and to have completed a certain amount of RN patient care hours. Browse our programs for more information on individual application requirements.
Online DNP curriculum
Our online DNP programs combine clinical expertise with leadership concepts to equip nurses to lead through practice, advance patient care, and improve population health and health equity. Though every DNP curriculum is different, all accredited nursing programs follow the framework provided by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), and as such, most DNP curricula will cover: advanced health assessment and measurement, advanced healthcare policy, clinical information systems, clinical pharmacology, evidence appraisal, health policy, organizational theory, economics and finances, policy, evidence-based practice, informatics, and more. Find out more about general learning nursing programs, as well as online acute care nurse practitioner (ACNP) programs which specialize in acute care, online psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) programs which train nurses to provide advanced mental health care to individuals, and online family nurse practitioner (FNP) programs, designed for those interested in providing primary care services to individuals and families.
Doctor of nursing practice jobs
Here are five distinct jobs you can pursue as a doctor of nursing:
Health care executive: Play a key role in the success of healthcare organizations like hospitals, clinics, and medical practices by leading strategy and managing operations.
Nursing faculty: Shape the next generation of nursing professionals by pursuing the academic side of this profession. You can work in nursing schools, colleges and universities, or other healthcare educational institutions.
Advanced practice registered nurse: Put your advanced, highly-specialized clinical training to use by diagnosing, treating, and managing the healthcare needs of patients independently and comprehensively.
Health care policy specialist: Play a crucial, policy-shaping role in healthcare by focusing on the development and analysis of laws and regulations.
Chief nursing officer: An executive-level role in charge of creating and overseeing a big picture strategic plan for organizations that includes equal effort in managing clinical and administrative matters.
Need to consider a master’s program before a DNP? Explore these master’s programs first.
Promising job outlook for DNP graduates
Between 2022 and 2032, employment for advanced practice registered nurse professionals will see enormous growth, almost 40%, which is much higher than the average for all occupations.Footnote 1Advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), since they perform many of the same services as physicians, will be increasingly employed in hospitals, physicians offices, and clinics, to provide preventive and primary care. As states change their laws governing APRN practice authority, they’ll be recognized more widely as a primary healthcare source.
Doctor of nursing practice salary information
One of the main considerations for pursuing a doctor of nursing degree is the high earning potential of DNP graduates. For example, the median annual salary for nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners was $125,900 in May 2022.Footnote 2The top industries in which they work are outpatient care centers, hospitals, the offices of physicians and other health practitioners, and education.
Frequently asked questions
An online DNP program is a flexible, self-paced way to earn the highest level of education attainable in practice-based nursing. It will equip you to become a thought-leader in the medical field, enable you to translate important medical research into practice, gain expertise in specialized advanced nursing, advance patient outcomes, and save lives.
Pursuing an online DNP is an investment in your education in a field that is ensured to grow and provide job and salary stability for years, whether you want to be a healthcare executive, an APRN, or a policy specialist.
There is a consistent, growing need for highly qualified nurses at all levels, and both a DPN and a master of science in nursing (MSN) degree will provide a graduate-level education that will give you a high earning potential. Salaries will be comparable for a certain segment of graduates of both programs, as the average annual salary for an advanced practice nurse is $125,900.Footnote 3If your career goals include being a healthcare executive or a policy specialist, then a DNP could be a better fit.
Many online DNP programs are self-paced and offer the option of full- or part-time study, which means that, depending on how quickly you’re able to move through it, a program can take anywhere between one and five years to complete. In addition, you must take into account an individual program’s credit hour requirements and your own management of completing the required clinical hours.
Yes, the AACN requires that all DNP students complete a minimum of 1,000 in-person post-baccalaureate practice hours.Footnote 4 These in-person hours include time spent attaining and demonstrating advanced nursing practice competencies and meeting the requirements for all areas of nursing practice.
The total cost of a DNP program is highly variable and depends on the university offering it, the duration, whether you’re a resident of the state where the school is located, and the number of credit hours required by the school. On average, a single credit hour for full-time tuition can cost anywhere between $280 and $2,000, which means the total cost of a program can range from $28,000 to $150,000.Footnote 5
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