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Flexibility, Convenience for Working APNs

UNC’s online Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) empowers you to affect the future of nursing and health care delivery. Available to practicing MSN / APNs, this 2+ years part-time, online DNP program prepares you to be a clinical expert with a focus on the critical thinking, leadership and political policy skills needed to advocate and create changes in healthcare practice at the individual, population and organizational systems levels. The DNP curricula provides content in evidence-based practice, quality improvement, and systems leadership, among other key areas. 

As the terminal degree in nursing practice, the DNP provides an alternative to research-focused doctoral programs and brings you to the highest levels of scientific mastery and critical analysis. Critical to the DNP degree is the development of the doctorally prepared clinical scholarly project.

Degree Details

Credits Required:

44

Location/Delivery:

Online

Time to Completion:

2+ years (year-round, part-time)

Cost Estimator

Degree Option

Doctor of Nursing Practice (Post-Master's)

The post-master’s online DNP program requires 44 credit hours, which includes required practicum scholarship hours and 12 elective credits that can be chosen to better support your professional interests or to achieve a graduation certificate. The practicum scholarship hours will combine with the clinical hours logged in your master’s program toward the 1,000-hour requirement for the DNP credential.

Take the next step! Explore courses, contact information and admission requirements.

Degree Requirements

ONLINE PROGRAM

Your Future in Nursing Leadership 

The aging of the U.S. population, combined with changes in the health care system, has resulted in a critical demand for leadership in the nursing profession. Current health care trends have left nurses with more responsibility than ever. The post-master’s DNP degree empowers you to analyze the scientific, technological and policy factors that influence the profession. You’ll be equipped with high-level expertise to help you bring about positive change for colleagues, patients and the communities you serve.

Consider UNC’s DNP post-master's degree if you want to:

  • Exercise professional leadership
  • Raise standards of nursing practice and health care delivery
  • Improve communication within the discipline
  • Serve as a teacher and role model

You’ll learn:

  • Advanced scientific concepts
  • Advanced clinical practice
  • Translation of evidence and epidemiology
  • Policy formulation and analysis

Sample courses:

  • Epidemiology in Advanced Nursing Practice
  • Population Centered Health Care
  • Advanced Nursing Theory
  • Leadership in Health Policy

Where can your degree take you?

Nurse bag

Organizational leadership 

Clipboard

Health care policy

Heart in hand

Multidisciplinary care teams

Microscope

Translation of evidence to practice

Ready for what's next? Here's what you need to know.

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Still not completely sold? We understand. Here's more information on costs and funding and how to apply.

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