This pathway allows BSN-prepared registered nurses to progress directly into doctoral-level nursing practice. Students complete competency-based coursework aligned with national advanced nursing education standards, choosing from a range of nurse practitioner and leadership specializations. Clinical placement support helps students secure preceptors and sites in their chosen specialty. The program concludes with a DNP Practice Project that applies scholarship to a real clinical or systems issue.

Program Outcomes:

Upon completion of this program, students should be able to:

• Advanced Practice Competency: Demonstrate specialty-specific advanced practice or leadership knowledge and skills.
• Clinical Reasoning: Apply population health and systems-based thinking to complex patient and organizational needs.
• Technology and Informatics: Use nursing informatics to support evidence-based decision-making.
• Practice Scholarship: Complete a DNP Practice Project addressing a real clinical or systems challenge.

Program Content:

The program is typically completed in 28 to 32 months of full-time online didactic study combined with guided clinical experience. Coursework builds toward a chosen specialization and concludes with a DNP Practice Project.