Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Doctoral Degree
Online Program
- Next Start Date
- April 06, 2026
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.
On this page:
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.
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Executive Leadership Specialization
You Bring
- A passion for leading at the highest nursing level
- Commitment to quality and excellence in nursing practice
- The ability to thrive in fast-paced environments
You'll Study
- Executive and inter/intra-professional team leadership
- Managing through change
- Cultural principles in healthcare
- Quality and safety across diverse populations and complex health systems
Career Paths
- Chief nursing officer
- Director of nursing
- Nurse administrator
- Nurse executive
- President/ vice president/ director of patient services
Specialization Courses
Executive Leadership I- Emphasizes transformative leadership through a focus on foundational professional skills. Topics include leadership and professionalism, relationship-building and communication, and business intelligence to thrive as a nursing leader. Practice experience required.
- Focuses on leadership strategies for change management, sustainable outcomes, quality and safety, and how to incorporate cultural principles across healthcare delivery. Topics include leadership strategies for change management and sustainable outcomes, high reliability theory for quality and safety, and processes for incorporating cultural principles into healthcare delivery. Practice experience required.
- As part of the DNP program, you will complete a culminating project in your area of specialization. The DNP project demonstrates the application of knowledge and skills to address ethical, legal, financial and organizational aspects through implementation of a practice change to improve health outcomes.
Shared Courses
Organizational and Systems Leadership- Focuses on collaborative leadership as an integral aspect of advanced nursing practice to eliminate health disparities and promote patient safety and excellence in practice.
- Focuses on professional identity development with emphasis on developing skills needed to function as a resilient, practice-focused scholar in today’s ever-changing healthcare environment. Practice experience required.
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Public Health and Policy Specialization
You Bring
- Commitment to advocate for change
- A genuine interest in health protection
- The ability to influence others and negotiate
- Project management and analytical skills
You'll Study
- Impacts of policy on health at the local, national and global level
- Policy design that impacts delivery, financing, regulation, quality, safety and access to healthcare
- Leadership and influence in the public health field
- Epidemiological principles in public health policy
- Use of evidence-based practice to improve healthcare outcomes
Career Paths
- Director of public health and policy
- Health policy specialist
- Government or policy activist
- Healthcare leadership roles
- Public health expert positions in academia, care facilities, health systems or insurance companies
Specialization Courses
Public Health and Policy I- Develops a comprehensive understanding of the application of epidemiological principles to the delivery of healthcare services and organizations to improve the health of people and their communities. Practice experience required.
- Provides catalyst to comprehend, formulate and disseminate healthcare policy through the development, implementation and evaluation of health policy. Practice experience required.
- As part of the DNP program, you will complete a culminating project in your area of specialization. The DNP project demonstrates the application of knowledge and skills to address ethical, legal, financial and organizational aspects through implementation of a practice change to improve health outcomes.
Shared Courses
Population and Global Health- Engages the practice of designing evidence-based programs and services to improve health outcomes through the use of epidemiological concepts, health promotion and disease prevention strategies and determinants of health.
- Examines the importance and interdependence of policy and healthcare with focus on analysis of healthcare issues and policy making, policy process and impacts of globalization to enhance ability to advocate the nursing profession's influence on healthcare policies.
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 representative 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 representative 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 representative 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 representative 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
- Online
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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