Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

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Earn Your Degree as Early as:
Admissions Requirements
Courses
Ways to Save on Tuition
Career Outcomes
9
Total Courses
$700
Cost per Credit
1.5 years
Average Completion*
15–18 Hours/Week
Course Effort

Online DNP Program Overview

This is your time. Meet the ongoing call for nurses with DNPs. Earn your next degree and be ready to perform at the very highest level of nursing.

  • Add a terminal degree to your existing RN and MSN credentials to stay competitive in the rapidly changing health care environment.
  • Complete your courses online while balancing the demands of your nursing career.
  • Prepare to practice in clinical and leadership roles with a focus on improving patient and health care system outcomes.

Gain the Expertise That Employers Need

  • Analyze data and scientific research to improve nursing practice.
  • Provide organizational and system leadership to continuously improve quality of health care and foster interprofessional collaboration.
  • Evaluate ethical, legal, and societal factors in shaping and developing health policies.

Scholarly Project

Complete a practice-focused final project over the course of four terms. Work under the mentorship of a DNP consultant and in collaboration with a mentor at practice site.

Practice Experience

Integrate practice and theory in the delivery of complex health care within your specialty area. You’ll need to complete a minimum of 1,000 postbaccalaureate practice hours to graduate.

Review College Scorecard data for this program.

View Program Degree Plan and Policies

Note: At this time, residents of the following states and territories may not enroll in this program: Hawaii, Louisiana, New York, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, Guam, and Virgin Islands. In addition, international students are not eligible to enroll in this program.

See Notes and Conditions below for important information.

CCNE Accredited logo

CCNE Accredited

The Doctor of Nursing Practice program at Purdue Global is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (www.CCNEAccreditation.org).

Learn From Expert DNP Faculty

100% of faculty are doctorally prepared and many have decades of nursing experience. They bring real-world knowledge to the classroom and understand what it takes to succeed in the field.

Purdue Global Is Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission

The HLC (HLCommission.org) is an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

The DAISY® Award for Extraordinary Nurses

The DAISY Award partner logo

Purdue Global School of Nursing proudly partners with The DAISY Foundation™ to recognize and celebrate extraordinary nursing students.

Calculate Your Time and Cost

Estimate how much your prior learning credits can reduce your tuition and time to graduation.

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What Courses Will I Take?

The Doctor of Nursing program consists of nine 700–800 level courses, concluding with a practice-focused final project over the last four terms.

A minimum of 1,000 postbaccalaureate practice hours are required to successfully complete the DNP.

Sample Courses

  • Professional Role Development of the DNP-Prepared Nurse
  • Epidemiology and Social Determinants of Population Health
  • Ethics, Policy, and Advocacy for Population Health
  • Clinical Decision Making for Practice Doctorate
  • Transforming the Health Care Organization
See All Nursing Courses

Program Requirements

9
Core Courses
9
Total Courses
50
Total Quarter Credits

1 semester credit hour = 1.5 quarter credit hours

Admissions Requirements

Students with a bachelor's degree will need to enroll in the Master of Science in Nursing—DNP Path to earn a master's degree before continuing on to the Doctor of Nursing Practice program.

A master's degree with an upper-level major in nursing and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 from a program accredited by CCNE, ACEN, or CNEA is required. You will need to provide an official transcript that shows completion of your master's degree from an accredited institution, though an unofficial copy may be provided during the application process. Additional requirements apply. Refer to the program-specific policy page in the University Catalog or speak to an Advisor to learn more.

View Admissions Requirements

Upcoming Start Dates

We offer multiple start dates to give you flexibility in your education, life, and work schedules.

Ways to Save on Time and Tuition

Purdue Global works with students to find ways to reduce costs and make education more accessible. Contact us to learn about opportunities to save on your educational costs.

Transfer Credits

Earn credit for prior coursework completed at eligible institutions.

Financial Aid

Learn about federal financial aid programs available for many of our degree programs.

Grants and Loans

Learn about federal and state grants and loan programs that may be available.

Corporate Partner Benefits

Employees of Purdue Global partner organizations may be eligible for special tuition reductions.

Military Tuition Reduction

Graduate tuition savings for military include a 17–30% reduction per credit for current servicemembers and, 14% per credit for veterans for graduate programs.

Prior Military Experience

Earn credit for your military training. We offer credit for ACE-evaluated training and CLEP and DANTES examinations.

View the total cost of attendance for your program.

Career Opportunities

With the shrinking number of primary care providers, the nursing shortage, and the increasing complexity of patient care, the field of nursing needs clinical experts and leaders with the highest level of scientific knowledge and expertise. The Doctor of Nursing Practice online program is designed to prepare graduates to pursue clinical and leadership positions as advanced nurses in a variety of roles.

Average Salary

Range

General labor market and salary data are provided by Lightcast and may not represent the outcomes experienced by Purdue Global graduates in these programs. Purdue Global graduates in these programs may earn salaries substantially different or less than the amounts listed above. Salary and employment outcomes vary by geographic area, previous work experience, education, and opportunities for employment that are outside of Purdue Global's control.

Purdue Global does not guarantee employment placement, salary level, or career advancement.

See Notes and Conditions below for important information.

Take a Career Assessment

Discover your work interests, and use them to chart your ideal career path.




Learn More

Download the Program Brochure

Download our brochure to learn more about the Online Doctor of Nursing Practice and the benefits of earning your degree at Purdue Global.

Prepare yourself for success with a doctoral degree in nursing practice.

View Brochure

Get to Know Our Faculty

Purdue Global faculty members are real-world practitioners who bring knowledge gained through the powerful combination of higher learning and industry experience.

99%

Faculty members who have advanced degrees

54%

Faculty members who hold a doctorate

484

Faculty publications in 2022–2023

More Than 40,000

Professional development hours logged by faculty in 2022–2023

Statistics include all Purdue Global faculty members and are not school- or program-specific calculations. Source: Purdue Global Office of Reporting and Analysis, July 2023. 2022–2023 academic year.

Your Path to Success Begins Here

Connect with an Advisor to explore program requirements, curriculum, credit for prior learning process, and financial aid options.

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NOTES AND CONDITIONS

*Estimated Graduation Date and Average Completion: Estimated graduation date is based on the assumption that you will enroll in time to begin classes on the next upcoming start date, will remain enrolled for each consecutive term, and will maintain satisfactory academic standing in each term to progress toward completion of your program. Completion time is based on a full-time schedule. Programs will take longer for part-time students to complete.

Demand for Nurses With DNPs: American Association of Colleges of Nursing, Fact Sheet: The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/0/PDFs/Fact-Sheets/DNP-Fact-Sheet.pdf and NONPF, Reaffirming the Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree: Entry to Nurse Practitioner Practice by 2025, https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.nonpf.org/resource/resmgr/dnp/04_12_23_reaffirming_the_dnp.pdf.

Jobs—Advanced Practice RN Nursing Roles: This program was not designed for initial certification and licensure for advanced practice registered nurse roles. Refer to Purdue Global's State Licensure and Certifications page for state-specific licensure information.