DNP and PhD in Nursing Programs
(found programs from 198 schools)

Listed below are all of the schools offering PhD/DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice) programs. These two types of programs are quite different. The PhD tends to be more focused on research and preparing nursing faculty, whereas the Doctor of Nursing Practice, created in 2004, is focused on preparing advanced practice nurses to be clinical leaders in a variety of healthcare settings. You can also take a look at our directory of online DNP and PhD in Nursing programs.

The vast majority of these programs require you to be a licensed RN (Registered Nurse) in order to be admitted. The "post-masters" programs (ones which also require that you have a Masters degree before applying) typically also require you to be an advanced practice nurse (Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Anesthetist, Nurse Midwife, or Clinical Nurse Specialist). There are a couple of programs we came across that accept people who are not yet RNs. These are called Direct Entry DNP/PhD programs, and the schools that offer them include the University of South Carolina, and the University of Texas at Austin.

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Basics

The DNP role was formally created in 2004, by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. There are a couple of useful background documents on their website: a FAQ concerning the DNP, and The Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice. The AACN’s vision is that the DNP will replace Masters in Nursing programs in preparing advanced practice nurses. MSN programs will continue to exist, but in the future they may be more generalist-focused, whereas the DNP will provide the specific training required for roles as a Nurse Practitioner, CNS, CRNA, and so on. The target date for this transition is 2015, but current advanced practice nurses with Masters degrees will not have to go back and get a DNP - they will continue to be allowed to practice. The requirement will only apply to RNs who are trying to become advanced practice nurses.

The programs can take as little as 18 months to complete, depending on whether you enter as a Bachelors or Masters prepared RN, and whether you attend classes part-time or full-time. As you can see below, there are a number of online programs, which make the DNP more convenient for working nurses to pursue.

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Are we missing any schools or programs? If so, please let us know! We appreciate your help in making this the best directory of Nursing Degree Programs on the web. You can send us an email at schools@bestnursingdegree.com.