Change Lives as an Empowered Nurse Leader
Gain the advanced nursing knowledge, strategic mindset, and leadership skills needed to make a positive impact in health care through Walsh University’s online DNP programs.
We proudly offer online DNP programs for BSN or MSN entry
With our specialized practice options, professionals can choose from these specializations:
Your courses and clinical experiences will equip you with the highest competency in nursing, preparing you to improve quality and outcomes on a larger scale.
Lead the way as an advanced practice nurse. Walsh University’s online DNP programs will help you develop:
- Leadership and advocacy skills
- Expertise in organizational and health systems
- Critical thinking abilities to drive quality improvement within your organization
Online DNP Programs: Fast Facts
- Choose a Convenient Pathway to Leadership
- Dedicated placement coordinators will identify preceptors and clinical sites for each of your clinical courses
- Choose from three intakes a year so you can start when it makes sense for you
- Balance your education while continuing to work full time
- Learn within a Supportive Community
- Join a community of nurses united by their passion for service through Judeo-Christian values
- Connect with a dedicated faculty of experienced nurses and benefit from small class sizes
- Receive support to help keep you on the path to success
Online DNP Programs: Clinical Placement
At Walsh, we understand the role support provides plays in a student’s academic success, which is why we’ve made the clinical placement process easy for students in our online graduate nursing programs.
As a student in Walsh’s online DNP program, you’ll work with a dedicated placement coordinator who will place you with clinical sites and preceptors for all graduate-level clinical rotations. We’ll also coach you on how to network and engage within your local clinical community, which encourages a stress-free placement experience and professional preparedness upon graduation.
Online Graduate Nursing Programs
DNP - FNP (BSN entry)
Our BSN to DNP - Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) track prepares you for your licensure and allows you to earn your MSN along the way and this program is ideal if you are looking to:
- Prepare for a rewarding career as a family nurse practitioner
- Earn the highest education level in nursing practice
- Build the systems knowledge and critical-thinking abilities needed to shape the future of health care
- Leverage information technologies to transform the patient experience and improve health outcomes
- Learn from didactic and clinical experiences with limited on-campus residency requirements
- Take advantage of 52% nurse practitioner job growth expected through 2030 and fulfill the growing need for primary care
DNP - PMHNP (BSN entry)
Our BSN to DNP - Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) track prepares you for your licensure and allows you to earn your MSN along the way. The online BSN to DNP-PMHNP program is ideal if you are looking to:
- Nurse practitioner jobs are expected to increase by 52% through 2030 - much faster than average (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
- Between 2010 and 2018, the number of employed nurses with a doctoral degree increased by over 235%
- In their Best Jobs rankings, U.S. News & World Report recognizes the role of nurse practitioners as #2 in the nation, #1 in health care and #2 in STEM
- Nurse practitioners earn a median annual salary of $117,670, depending on experience and location (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
DNP - Post Master's Cert MSN to DNP (MSN entry)
Our online MSN to DNP program is ideal if you’re an MSN-prepared nurse with an active RN license and you are looking to:
- Develop advanced knowledge to prepare for leadership positions in health care
- Gain a deeper understanding of nurse leadership within the context of topics such as organizational management, ethics, health policy, and information technology
- Position yourself as a mentor and leader in healthcare as you achieve the highest credential available for clinical nursing practice
Frequently Asked Questions
All entering students must have:
- Current, unencumbered Registered Nurse (RN) license
- Completion of an undergraduate or graduate-level statistics course
- Official transcripts from all academic institutions attended
- Two letters of reference
For those applying for the BSN-DNP program, a BSN degree from an accredited school of nursing is required.
For those applying for the MSN-DNP program, the following is required:
- MSN degree from an accredited school of nursing
- Confirmation from school of clinical hours completed in the master's program
All DNP students are required to submit 2 letters of recommendation as well as a personal statement. Standardized tests (GRE/GMAT) are not required.
The online BSN to DNP program can be completed in as little as three years. Part-time and full-time options are available to accommodate students’ work schedules.
The online MSN to DNP program can be completed in as few as 5 semesters (1 year and 8 months) for full-time students, or 8 semesters (2 years and 8 months) for part-time students. However, the length of time to complete the program can vary, based personal time management and prior clinical experience.
DNP-PMHNP: This program contains a total of 67 credit hours and can be completed in as little as three years. Part-time and full-time options are available to accommodate students’ work schedules.
MSN to DNP: This program can be completed in as few as 5 semesters (1 year and 8 months) for full-time students, or 8 semesters (2 years and 8 months) for part-time students. However, the length of time to complete the program can vary from student to student; examples include personal time management and individual DNP project progression to completion.
The clinical portion of this program will see you develop leadership skills and practical, hands-on competencies. As a Walsh nursing student, you’ll be paired with a dedicated clinical placement coordinator who will collaborate with you to secure clinical sites and preceptors for your clinical courses. Learn more about our clinical placement support services here.
The number of clinical hours required varies by program:
- BSN to DNP (Family Nurse Practitioner): 1,250 hours
- MSN to DNP: 500-1,000 hours, depending on prior clinical experiences
Walsh University collaborates with our nursing students to find suitable clinical placements. You are encouraged to network with potential preceptors and work closely with the placement coordinator to secure your placements.
Walsh University’s Financial Services department is committed to working with you to guide you to the assistance needed in order to pursue your studies. There are a variety of financial aid options available to students, including private scholarships, federal loans and federal direct plus loans. Learn more about the tuition and financial aid options available here.
As part of the online BSN-DNP PMHNP program, you’ll participate in one on-campus skills day (intensive).
Students undertake a systematic investigation of a clinical or administration-based problem selected by the student and supported by faculty. The student will identify the problem to be addressed, review and critique pertinent literature, and implement and evaluate the project. The designed and approved project will be implemented and within a mentored and supervised clinical immersion experience. The project uses an evidence-based practice model and is systematically developed in consultation with the student’s Doctor of Nursing Practice and scholarly project chair who evaluates each step of the process (200 clinical hours).
Students are encouraged to look at their own practice or a health system to determine any gaps in care, steps to improve the patient experience or patient outcomes, patient education, staff education, etc. Often, students collaborate with a health system on the needs already identified by the system. In fact, that is sometimes a very good DNP project because the health facility already recognizes the need so solve the identified problem/issue.
While it might be helpful to have ideas in mind for the project, it is not required. Topics are typically something you are passionate about and may have experienced firsthand, perhaps a quality control such as preventing readmissions, reducing no shows for appointments, improving compliance with plan of care, and bringing measures of chronic illness into control.
This will depend on your schedule and if you are a full-time or part-time student. Adjustments to your work schedule may be required to accommodate the clinical practice hours and project hours requirements. Please note, weekend and evening hours cannot be guaranteed and many mentors you may work with such as hospital administrators often work more traditional 9-5 hours.
A student may transfer up to 9 credits toward their DNP program, subject to approval post acceptance.
The Walsh online MSN to DNP program is designed to provide students with 500 practice hours toward their DNP. All students are expected to complete a minimum of 1,000 post-baccalaureate advanced nursing practice hours to earn their DNP. Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) typically accrue at least 500 hours in their master’s program. The applicant will need to have these prior hours verified by the university that conferred their MSN. Coursework is available to students who enter the DNP program with less than 500 clinical hours to help meet the minimum 1,000 clinical practicum hours mandated by the AACN for a DNP degree. It is recommended that any additional hours required be completed early in the program.
Walsh ensures students are adequately prepared throughout the placement process, understanding the required direct and indirect clinical hours necessary for graduation and certification. Due to the nature of the hours, DNP students must be highly involved in the process. Clinical placements and DNP project hours may be completed in your current place of employment; however, they must be outside of your current scope of work. Placements are centered around leadership, providing exposure to the delivery and improvement of quality outcomes within health systems and organizations. The clinical placement coordinators will collaborate with you to plan and source your clinical experiences.
