Online MSN to DNP Programs – 5+ Without GRE Options
Becoming an advanced practice nurse is a very strong career choice. The demand for advanced practice nurses is expected to surge by more than 20% by 2020. And, the salary for advanced practice nurses is high. Many nurse practitioners make $80,000 or more each year, and a nurse anesthetist can make as much as $140,000 per year!
At one time the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) was the top degree that was required for advanced nursing practice. However, in 2006, members of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, or AACN, decided to change the preparation level that is needed for advanced nursing practice. As of 2015, you will need to have a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree to practice in some advanced nursing professions, such as nurse practitioner. Other advanced nursing practices may require a DNP as well in the near future.
This does not mean that if you are an advanced practice nurse and you have an MSN that your credentials will suddenly be obsolete. If you are a licensed nurse practitioner, you will be able to practice beyond 2015 without your DNP. However, you may find that as more DNPs enter the marketplace that you are at a disadvantage in your profession. At some point, you may wish to consider entering an MSN to DNP degree program to stay at the top of your advanced practice nursing profession.
Many DNP programs have two components: for those who have completed their MSN with an advanced nursing practice component (nurse practitioner, nurse anesthetist, clinical nurse specialist or nurse midwife), and for those who just have an MSN without a specialized practice component.
The recommended DNP programs that you can complete online include these:
Featured MSN to DNP Programs
- MSN to DNP: With this advanced degree program from Walden University, you can build upon your nursing knowledge and expertise to strengthen advanced nursing practice, better delivery of healthcare and improve the outcomes for your patients. This strong DNP program covers health care policy and advocacy, quality improvement, evidence based practice, information systems and organization and systems leadership.
- MSN to DNP: You will be prepared to be a leader in the nursing field with this DNP from Capella University. This DNP program is focused on practical aspects of the nursing profession, so you will find that it can be completed more quickly than a Ph.D. that is more focused on research. This program focuses on administrative, organizational and systems leadership, so you will be ready for many types of nursing leadership roles.
- MSN to DNP: This program from Gonzaga University is designed to ready you to be a leader in the nursing profession after you already have great expertise in advanced nursing specialties. This program allows you to earn your online education almost completely online, either full or part time. All of the faculty that teach this program actively work in health care and will provide you with the information that you need to be up to date on policy issues, trends and the most recent challenges in the field.
- MSN to DNP: This online DNP degree from Nova Southeastern University is a strong terminal degree that will prepare you to practice at a high level in specialty practice or in leadership in the executive branch of your healthcare organization. The curricula for this DNP program focuses on building on current MSN programs, and provides strong education in evidence-based practice, systems thinking and quality improvement. yOu will be ready to lead and engage in strong scholarship after you graduate from this program.
- MSN to DNP: The DNP program from Wilkes University is designed for nurses who want to earn a practice-focused terminal degree that will prepare them for nursing leadership roles. You will be educated to apply scientific knowledge based upon research in many clinical settings, so that you are ensuring the achievement of the best patient outcomes. If you already have your MSN with an advanced practice component, you will need to take about 30 credit hours. If you have an MSN without an advanced practice component, be prepared to take about 46 credit hours to graduate.
- MSN to DNP: This program from the University of Massachusetts-Boston will provide you with the knowledge, skills and judgement that you need to be a leader in clinical nursing and in modern healthcare delivery systems. This DNP program will ready you for roles in health care leadership, policy development, and improving healthcare quality for all citizens.
- MSN to DNP: The practice-focused doctoral program at the University of Pittsburgh will prepare you, a nursing leader, for the highest possible level of clinical nursing practice. You will learn how to grow your clinical, organization, economic and leadership skills so that you can design and implement programs that will affect health care outcomes. This program can only be completed online and takes about 26 months to complete it full time.
- MSN to DNP: At the University of Alabama, you can earn this highly practice-focused degree to prepare you to function at the highest levels of advanced nursing practice. You will focus on providing care with a strong emphasis on quality improvement and providing better access to underserved areas. Most students need to take at least 34 credit hours, and this includes the development of a leadership focused project that will help you to synthesize what you learned.
- MSN to DNP: This online Doctorate in Nursing Practice from Drexel University is a unique degree that has a practice-focused educational slant, and also a great deal of innovative clinical research training and practicum. This DNP program requires you to complete a pilot practice dissertation that focuses on a specific area of expertise in the nursing field. The dissertation should be completed in a year and gives you experience in developing clinical questions and the ability to resolve them.
- MSN to DNP: As a graduate from the University of Colorado-Denver, you will be ready with the latest knowledge and leadership skills that you need to boost health and health care, through the linking of clinical practice to theory and evidence. After you graduate, you will be ready for an advanced practice role as a clinical nurse educator, clinician, care manager and more. If you have your Master of Science already, you can finish your DNP with 41 credits in less than three years.
