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  • Post-Master's Doctor of Nursing Degree (DNP)
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Post-Master's Doctor of Nursing Practice

(D.N.P.)

Develop leadership strategies to have an even greater impact on the future of health care.

Be prepared for leadership in the nursing field and increase your impact on patient care. Our D.N.P. faculty members leverage their own professional experience to ensure you’re getting a degree relevant to the real challenges you’ll face as a nursing leader.

Program type:
Doctoral Degree
Format:
Online
Est. time to complete:
5 Semesters
Credit hours:
37
  • Requirements
  • Tuition & Aid
  • How to Apply

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Why earn your Post-Master's Doctor of Nursing degree online?

Application Deadline
Fall:
July 1

The field of healthcare is intricate. Its complexity continues to grow with the introduction of new technologies, diverse patient populations and the emergence of new illnesses. UND's post-master's Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) program will equip you with the skills and strategies to effectively navigate healthcare organizations through the ever-changing and unpredictable world of medicine.

UND's online D.N.P. program is designed for healthcare leaders. In addition to core D.N.P. courses, you'll take leadership-focused courses covering topics like:

  • Nurse education
  • Integrated leadership
  • Organizational systems focused practice
  • Safety and ethics

Nurses who complete D.N.P. programs are recognized for their ability to improve the nursing practice by reforming care delivery systems to be more cost-effective, locally acceptable and impactful on health care outcomes. You'll be prepared to:

  • Provide more efficient direct patient care
  • Manage the care of entire patient populations
  • Develop and implement health policy
  • Help shape health care policies and procedures
  • Provide enhanced levels of patient care management
  • Manage health care systems
  • Train the next generation of nurses
  • Be a leader in nursing and health care organizations

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UND's Post-Master's Doctor of Nursing Practice Online

  • Take courses designed for nurses who strive to achieve better outcomes for individuals, families and underserved or vulnerable populations.

  • Earn your credentials at a program accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

  • Complete your online D.N.P. in as few as five semesters.

  • Gain strong foundational competencies that are core to all advanced nursing practice roles by following the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) D.N.P.

  • Learn at a program recognized by Nursing Schools Almanac for its outstanding commitment to excellence in nursing education.

  • Ranked as a Best Online D.N.P. Program which reaffirms our dedication to delivering a high-quality education.

What can you do with a Post-Master's Doctor of Nursing Practice?

28%

Growth of employment of medical and health services managers to 2032

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

97K

Salary for Director of Nursing

Payscale.com

You'll graduate with advanced clinical care and leadership strategies that will prepare you to pursue a wide range of new career opportunities. Some top roles in the field include:

  • Director of nursing
  • Patient care director
  • Chief nursing officer
  • Hospital chief executive officer

When you specialize your D.N.P. in nurse leadership, you can prepare to make top-down changes in health care by forming policy and administering care within organizations of all sizes.

  • Executive nurse leader
  • Health care lobbyist
  • Health policy specialist
  • Informaticist
  • Nurse educator
  • Professor of nursing
  • Public health program director

Post-Master Doctor of Nursing Practice Online Courses

NURS 509. Foundations for Nurse Education. 3 Credits.

This course begins to compare and contrast multiple roles and responsibilities of nurse educators in various settings in academic and health service. It will build the conceptual foundation for educational processes with emphasis on ethics, learning theories, taxonomies of learning and current evidence necessary for development of competencies necessary for the practice of educating. Students will begin to formulate their individual philosophy of teaching and learning. Prerequisite: Admission to the Nursing Graduate Program or consent of the instructor. Prerequisite or Corequisite: NURS 500 or consent of the instructor. S.

NURS 602. Evidence Based Research I. 3 Credits.

This course focuses on the development of practice scholarship through the use of evidence to address clinical problems and inform future practice. Students in the class will define practice problems, evaluate evidence based methods to address those problems and design practice focused projects to measure outcomes. Middle range theories will also be explored and used as frameworks for study designs. Statistics and previous Evidence Based Practice course is highly recommended. Prerequisite or Corequisite: Admission to the DNP program. F.

NURS 604. Health Informatics. 3 Credits.

This course prepares the health care practice professional to use and evaluate emerging health care technology and data systems to support evidence-based practice. Prerequisite: Admission to DNP Program or consent of instructor. SS.

NURS 605. Health Policy. 2 Credits.

This course will prepare the health care professional to understand and apply knowledge of health policy to function as an advocate for populations and individuals. Prerequisite: Admission to the DNP Program or consent of instructor. SS.

NURS 608. Healthcare Economics, Finance and Leadership. 3 Credits.

This course focuses on healthcare economics, finance and practice leadership skills related to the role of the DNP prepared nurse within the complex health care system. Prerequisite or Corequisite: Admission to the DNP program or consent of instructor. F,S,SS.

NURS 612. Integrated Leadership DNP Core Concepts. 3 Credits.

This course provides an overview of the DNP advanced nursing practice roles. The AACN DNP Essentials is the framework used to explore practice leadership, clinical scholarship, and policy. Prerequisite: Admission to the DNP program. F,S,SS.

Online Post Master's D.N.P.

+160

online graduate programs

#1

best online college in North Dakota

Forbes

UND is a top choice for an online Post-Master's Doctor of Nursing Practice degree for flexibility and affordability. Graduates earn a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree with abilities based on the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) D.N.P.

Flexibility is important to our online students. That’s why we’ve designed the online Post-Master's Doctor of Nursing Practice degree to never require a campus visit.

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Flexible Online D.N.P. Courses

You will be able to earn the majority of your degree attending classes asynchronously, however at times there will be occasional synchronous (real-time) meetings for information sharing and student presentations.

With asynchronous classes, you do not attend class at a set time. If you need to balance work, family and other commitments, this flexible format allows you to learn anywhere at any time.

Depending on your instructor, you’ll learn online through:

  • Lesson modules
  • Streaming video content
  • Virtual libraries
  • Posted lectures
  • Online simulations

There will be times when you interact with your instructor and classmates through online discussion boards, polls and chat rooms.

Your learning revolves around materials that can be accessed on your own time within a set time frame. However, this is not a self-paced course. You’ll have structure and deadlines.

Online D.N.P. Leader

Over a third of UND's student population is exclusively online; plus, more take a combination of online and on-campus classes. You can feel reassured knowing you won't be alone in your online learning journey, and you'll have resources and services tailored to your needs.

No matter how you customize your online experience, you’ll get the same top-quality education as any other on campus student.

  • Same degree: All online programs are fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Your transcript and diploma are exactly the same as our on-campus students.
  • Same classes: You’ll take courses from UND professors, start and end the semesters at the same time and take the same classes as a student on campus.
  • Real interaction: You can ask questions, get feedback and regularly connect with your professors, peers and professionals in the field.
  • Your own academic advisor: As an invaluable go-to, they’re focused on you, your personal success and your future career.
  • Free online tutoring: We're here to help you one-on-one at no cost. Plus, get access to a variety of self-help online study resources.
  • Unlimited academic coaching: Need support to achieve your academic goals or feeling stumped by a tough course? We'll help with everything from stress and time management to improving your memory to achieve higher test scores.
  • Full online access: Dig into virtual research at UND's libraries. Improve your writing skills with online help from the UND Writing Center. Get online access to career services, veteran and military services, financial services and more.
  • 24/7 technical support: UND provides free computer, email and other technical support for all online students.
  • Networking opportunities: Our significant online student population means you’ll have a large pool of peers to connect with. UND has numerous online events and activities to keep you connected.

Best Online College

Our high alumni salaries and job placement rates, with affordable online tuition rates make UND a best-value university for online education. UND's breadth of online programs rivals all other nonprofit universities in the Upper Midwest making UND one of the best online schools in the region.

UND ranks among the best online colleges in the nation for:

  • Affordability
  • Student satisfaction (retention rate)
  • Academic quality (4-year graduate rate)
  • Student outcomes (20-year return on investment per Payscale.com)

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Explore More Options

Learn more about the Post-Master's Doctor of Nursing Practice program at UND and determine if it's the right program for you.

  • College of Nursing & Professional Disciplines
  • Explore other graduate programs
Department Contact
Mary Rivard, DNP, RN, NI-BC
Post-Master's D.N.P. Program Director
P 701.777.7450
mary.rivard@UND.edu

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