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Students who hold an MSN degree may select one of two post-master’s DNP tracks:

• Advanced Nursing Practice, designed for advanced practice nurses and focused on the healthcare of individuals, and
• Executive Leadership, designed for those interested in leadership at the organizational and/or system level.

Total credit hours for the program range from 35 to 38 hours, depending on the track you select. The program is fully online and is ideal for students with professional or personal obligations during the typical work week. New students will participate in a mandatory technology orientation that may be completed in-person or by recorded video. Most courses will also offer once per-semester optional class meetings which will be available by recorded video as well.

Advanced Nursing Practice Clinical Leadership: The Advanced Nursing Practice (ANP) focus prepares ANPs to function more effectively as a clinical leader in the increasingly complex health care system. Given the expansion of scientific knowledge required for safe nursing practice and the growing focus on the quality of patient care delivery and outcomes, this track provides students with the specialized knowledge and skills needed by today’s practitioner. Students in this track will use their existing understanding of the practice context to document practice trends, identify potential systemic changes, and make improvements in the care of particular patient populations in the systems within which they practice.

Executive Leadership: The Executive Leadership focus prepares students for advanced specialty practice at the population, organizational, and/or system level. Given the increasingly complex health care environment, this track provides students with the specialized knowledge and skills needed by today’s nursing leaders. Students in this track will use their existing understanding of the practice leadership context to identify aggregate health or system needs, work with diverse stakeholders for inter- or intra-organizational achievement of health-related goals, and design patient-centered care delivery systems.

The BSN-DNP track is designed for BSN-prepared graduates seeking doctoral preparation for advanced practice as an organizational leader in a variety of health care settings. Students focus on financial and economic aspects of health care, human and resource management, and organizational leadership.

Given the increasingly complex healthcare environment, this track provides students with the specialized knowledge and skills needed by today’s nursing leaders to identify aggregate health or system needs, work with diverse stakeholders for inter- or intra-organizational achievement of health-related goals, and design patient-centered care delivery systems. Selected clinical, administrative, and evidence-based practice experiences provide the student with the opportunity to function as a nurse administrator within a healthcare organization and/or system.

This program includes a total of 68 credit hours. The program is fully online and is ideal for students with professional or personal obligations during the typical work week. New students will participate in a mandatory technology orientation that may be completed in-person or by recorded video. Most courses will also offer once per-semester optional class meetings which will be available by recorded video as well.