Post-Master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice
Earn your CCNE-accredited post-masters DNP at a university known for nursing excellence.
Total Credits 39
Cost per Credit $995
- Earn your DNP online in as few as 3 years
- A practiced-focused curriculum
- 100% online coursework
- Qualify for roles with a median annual income of $113,930 and 26% projected growth rate through 2028.1
As the health care industry evolves, the need for leaders who can stay ahead of the curve is greater than ever. Lead the transformation with an online Post-Master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice degree.
What Makes Us Unique?
Nursing expertise at every level. Sacred Heart University is known for its excellence in nursing education. With programs at all levels of study, from BSN to a Post-Masters DNP, Sacred Heart has the resources, expertise, and pathways that can propel you to continued career advancement and longterm success.
The Human Journey. Sacred Heart believes in a whole-person approach to patient treatment and nurse leadership. We call it The Human Journey. You’ll explore what it means to be a human being through literature, philosophy, religion, sociology, and more.
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Earn Nursing’s Highest Credential With a Top-Ranked University
Maximize your career potential and prepare to take on advanced clinical and leadership roles and enhancing your ability to design, implement, manage and evaluate health care delivery systems.
With a focus on clinical practice, this program is ideal for those with a desire to improve patient and population health outcomes, combined with a passion for solving systemic problems. You’ll train specifically for advanced clinical and leadership roles and gain a competitive advantage over master’s-educated nurses.
Ranked #218 among national universities by U.S. News & World Report for 2020,2 as well as one of The Princeton Review‘s Best 385 Colleges, Sacred Heart University offers you a doctorate that is truly unique in the market.
Career Outlook: Unlock Multiple Opportunities
Maximize your career opportunities in advanced clinical practice and executive health care leadership with the DNP program. You’ll qualify for roles with a median annual income of $113,930 and projected growth rate of 26 percent through 2028.1
Positions such as Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist and Certified Nurse Midwife allow you to continue to work with patients, while positions such as Director of Nursing and Executive VP of Healthcare let you step back and manage a team from a higher level, focusing more on management-related challenges.
CAREERS AND SALARIES
Curriculum: Practice-Focused Degree
Accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, the online Post-Master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program consists of 14 courses and 39 credit hours; 12 of these 39 credit hours will focus on the selection and completion of the post-master’s DNP scholarly project.
Explore the interrelationship between policy, advocacy and ethics on clinical practice, learn to identify key processes involved in optimal patient safety, examine methods for describing disease rates and other vital statistics, and much more.
The DNP curriculum includes a scholarly practice project in which you’ll use your research to improve critical care delivery and patient outcomes.
PREVIEW COURSESProgram Outcomes: Enhance Your Leadership Potential
Through the online Post-Master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program, you will be prepared to:
- Assume complex leadership roles in clinical practice areas
- Lead teams that focus on improving health care quality
- Develop strategies to translate research into practice regimens
- Expand your knowledge base to improve nursing practice and patient outcomes
- Evaluate, determine, and implement the best evidence for practice
- Help define advanced nursing care in the ever-changing healthcare system
Admission Requirements
The following are some of the essential admission requirements for the online Post-Master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program:
- Completed application
- 3.2 minimum GPA
- Master of Science in Nursing or a master’s degree with a concentration in nursing (including an undergraduate statistics course)
- Current U.S. licensure as a registered nurse in your state of residence
- Current advanced practice nursing licensure and certification documents
- Proof of individual and professional liability insurance
Tuition Details
The DNP program from Sacred Heart University costs $995 per credit and features 39 total credit hours. Affordability and transparency are priorities at SHU. We want you to have everything you need in order to make a decision about investing in a high-quality education.
TUITION AND FEESFaculty: Side-by-Side Support
Highly focused on leadership and practice, the faculty at Sacred Heart University consists of doctorally prepared professors who will work side-by-side with you as you complete your degree.
Accommodate your busy schedule and learn when and where it’s convenient for you. As an online student, you’ll work with the same accomplished faculty, receive one-on-one support and benefit from the same opportunities as our on-campus students.
ONLINE AT SHUAt Sacred Heart University, we strive to keep our programs affordable and encourage you to explore all of your financial aid options, including federal aid, military benefits and available scholarships.
FINANCIAL AIDFrequently Asked Questions
If you have a question we don’t cover here, request more information or call 877-791-7181.
The DNP program requires 1,000 clinical hours minus any credit given for your MSN clinical hours. You can receive credit for up to 470 prior graduate clinical hours.
Nurses can transfer up to six credits from a regionally accredited university. You will need to submit syllabi for any coursework to be considered for transfer.
You can earn a DNP degree in three years.
You may take as many as six years to complete the program.
Sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2019 September 4). Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives, and Nurse Practitioners. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Retrieved October 16, 2019, from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/nurse-anesthetists-nurse-midwives-and-nurse-practitioners.htm
- U.S. News & World Report (2020). Sacred Heart University. Retrieved November 6, 2019, from https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/sacred-heart-university-1403.