Military BenefitsDoctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Doctoral Degree
Online Program
- Next Start Dates
- April 05, 2021
- July 06, 2021
Take Your Nursing Degree to the Highest Level
Take the next step and earn your DNP degree. Choose Rasmussen University for your DNP because we know how to develop innovative, high caliber thought leaders who are grounded in the core values of nursing.
Innovative and affordable, our online Doctor of Nursing Practice program is for nurses called to lead at the highest levels in healthcare and public health and policy. You’ll be guided and supported by distinguished nurse faculty with vast experience in community and clinical settings, who are invested in your success and your future as a leader. 
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. Our curriculum brings relevant practice issues to life resulting in a dynamic advanced practice DNP program for those seeking preparation at the highest level of nursing practice.
Transformational healthcare leaders are needed more than ever before. Our DNP program inspires you to focus on impacting healthcare outcomes either through direct or indirect care with a choice of specializations — Executive Leadership and Public Health and Policy. Rasmussen University is one of the few institutions to offer DNP Public Health and Policy as a combined specialization. Either specialization can help prepare you to drive meaningful change in line with your interests and talent.
On this page:
Built for Working Professionals
- Flexible deadlines
- Live and recorded sessions that can be listened to when convenient
- Access to courses 24/7, anytime and from anywhere
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 competency-based education (CBE) comes in.
Unlike most other nursing doctoral programs, our CBE format is a true game-changer. CBE is an outcomes-based model that helps working professionals like you take control of the learning experience, giving you the opportunity to demonstrate all the skills and knowledge necessary to future success at a pace that fits your current schedule.
CBE features:
16,000 Nursing Alumni Join our thriving nursing network of over 7,500 Nursing students, 16,000 Nursing alumni and 750 Nursing faculty.3
Two Nursing Specializations That Lead the Way
Do you aim for excellence as a nurse leader or 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
- 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
- Genuine interest in health protection
- Ability to influence others and negotiate
- Project management and analytical skills
You'll Study
- Impact 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 comes 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.
"The healthcare industry is seeking nurses who have DNP degrees. Our DNP program provides the crucial reasoning, judgment, and innovative skills needed to solve the healthcare problems of today."
Dr. Joan Rich, DNP, RN, PHN, FCNI
Vice President, School of Nursing
Take the Next Step—Talk to Us!
Online for Convenience
Learn from Experts
Our experienced faculty understands what it takes to serve the nursing profession at the highest level.
Support Is Online, Too
24/7 tech support, robust writing and library research support—plus, the library itself is online.
Clinical Hours for Experience
Clinical Hour Flexibility
Building on your prior clinical hours, the practicums help you meet the DNP clinical hour requirement.
Put Your Learning To Work
Apply your advanced nursing leadership skills in your community through robust practice experiences.
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.
Full-time students can finish in as few as 21 months1 for as low as $36,110.4 Students needing to complete the greatest number of clinical hours can finish for as low as $47,150.4
$695 cost per credit
x 48 total credits
_______________________
$33,360 total tuition
+ $2,750 total fees
_______________________
$36,110 estimated total program cost
(with APRN license; assumes 500 clinical hours)
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 with loans and grants, scholarship opportunities, and military grants for those who qualify. Your employer may 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.
Find more about:
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.
- Completion time is dependent on the number of courses completed each term.
- Credits needed to graduate depend on practicum clinical hours needed to reach required minimum.
- As of July 14, 2020, Rasmussen University had 7,564 students enrolled in School of Nursing programs. As of June 30, 2020, Rasmussen University had 16,032 nursing alumni. This number represents the total number of those who graduated from a School of Nursing program between March 20, 2006, and June 30, 2020. For the spring quarter of 2020 (April - June), Rasmussen University had 767 full-time and adjunct nursing faculty.
- Estimated total program cost with no transfer of credit.