Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Doctoral Degree
Online Program
- Next Start Date
- April 07, 2025
2 specialties in Executive Leadership and Public Health and Policy
48–63 credits needed to graduate2
Take Your Nursing Degree to the Highest Level
Want to transform the healthcare world with further nursing education? Take the next step and earn your DNP degree. Online and affordable, our Doctor of Nursing Practice program is designed for those who are called to lead at the highest level of nursing practice.
Our DNP program offers:
- Expert faculty with vast community and clinical experience who are invested in your success and your future as a high-caliber thought leader.
- Clinical hour flexibility: Build on your prior clinical hours with practicums that help you meet the DNP clinical hour requirement.
- 24/7 tech support.
Focus on impacting healthcare outcomes through either direct or indirect care with a choice of specializations—Executive Leadership or Public Health and Policy. Rasmussen University is one of the few institutions to offer a DNP in Public Health and Policy as a combined specialization. Either DNP specialization can help prepare you to drive meaningful change.
Currently, this program is NOT eligible for participation in Title IV federal student aid programs.
Empowered Learning®: Built for Working Professionals
The way you learn is part of the journey. Rasmussen University understands life is unpredictable. Sometimes it’s a life-changing event, like a global pandemic. Other times, it’s the little things like a skinned knee or an unexpected load of laundry. That’s where Empowered Learning comes in.
Unlike most other nursing doctoral programs, our DNP online courses are built through Empowered Learning, or competency-based education. Empowered Learning puts you in the driver's seat and allows you to learn by doing real-world projects, manage your pace and stay connected with faculty and peers.
Empowered Learning features:
- No weekly deadlines
- Live and recorded sessions that can be listened to when convenient
- Access to online courses anytime, from almost anywhere
Two Nursing Specializations That Lead the Way
Do you aim for excellence as a nurse leader or want to work for the public good in the policy arena? Each specialization includes a common foundation of shared courses, along with specialization-specific courses. In addition, practicum courses allow you to attain the required post-baccalaureate clinical hours, based on the clinical hours you’ve earned prior to entering the program.
Built for Working Nurses
Our program is designed for busy nurses, so you can continue to work while you earn your degree. We offer a DNP online curriculum, complemented by local practice experiences that are convenient and relate to your community and interests.
Support at Every Turn
Your DNP support team helps you move through each step of the program, and includes a dedicated Graduate Services advisor, graduate program faculty, mentors and a project advisor. You'll also have access to 24/7 robust research and writing resources and tech support.
Stand Out in the Crowd
Professional identity development is built into the DNP degree curriculum, with a focus on becoming a resilient, practice-focused scholar in today’s changing healthcare environment.
Take the Next Step—Talk to Us!
Tuition & Savings
Do the Math:
We are committed to providing affordable tuition. Whether you attend full-time or part-time, our credits cost the same and our program credits flex up to help you meet clinical hour requirements. Currently, this program is NOT eligible for participation in Title IV federal student aid programs.
Full-time students can finish in as few as 21 months1 for an estimated $38,394.3 Students needing to complete the greatest number of clinical hours can finish for as low as $51,309.3
$738 cost per credit
x 48 total credits
_______________________
$35,424 total tuition
+ $2,970 total fees
_______________________
$38,394 estimated total program cost
(Assumes transfer of 450 clinical hours from the master's degree. Transfer hours will vary.)
Other Ways to Save
Higher education should be a manageable investment. Talk to an admissions advisor and learn how our Doctor of Nursing Practice online program can be more affordable. Military grants are available for those who quality. Your employer may also provide tuition support or reimbursement to help you fund your education.
We are also committed to helping members who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. We offer a 10% tuition grant to active duty service members, National Guard, Reserve, retired military and veterans.4 This program is NOT eligible for participation in Title IV federal student aid programs.
Entrance Requirements
Applicants to this program must hold a conferred master’s degree in nursing from an accredited nursing program or a baccalaureate degree in nursing from an accredited program and a master’s degree in a related field with a cumulative 3.0 GPA or higher and possess an active, unencumbered RN license from the state where the clinical hours will be completed. Please speak with an admissions advisor regarding additional entrance requirements.
Completed application packets will be reviewed to determine program acceptance and the number of total clinical/practicum hours earned at the post-baccalaureate level that will apply to the program. This will determine the remaining practicum course hours required to complete the program.
This program is not available to residents of all states. Please speak with an admissions advisor to determine your eligibility for enrollment.
What Should I Know Before I Enroll?
Help Paying for School
You’re not alone figuring out how to pay for school. Our admissions advisors can help you find ways to save through scholarships and more.
Support at Every Turn
You’ll find the support you need to grow as a nurse from mentors and faculty in this program. Our library services, academic support and career planning teams are ready to help.
Expert Nursing Curriculum
Our DNP curriculum design team brings over 100 years of nursing teaching experience and even more relevant work experience in settings such as national nursing agencies and clinical facilities—from acute care to academic hospitals.
Related Programs
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- Field Experience
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Accreditation
Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
Rasmussen University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
The Doctor of Nursing Practice program at Rasmussen University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
655 K Street, NW
Suite 750
Washington, DC 20001
202-887-6791