Elevate Your Nursing Practice to the Highest Level
Prepare to specialize and for leadership research, administration, and policy advocacy: go from Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) to Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) online with Herzing University. Our program features:
- Eight specialty areas, including six NP options
- Completion time of 20 to 24 months, depending on your choice of specialty
- 100% online coursework plus clinicals makes this DNP program accessible for working nurses
- Guidance from Herzing’s doctorally prepared, clinically experienced faculty
- Course content that aligns with American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials
- Demonstrate your skills – and contribute to solving a real-world problem – with our DNP practice project
- We pledge your clinical placement
Drive Meaningful Change as a DNP-Qualified Nurse
Build on the knowledge and skills you gained during your MSN with convenient, flexible doctoral-level coursework from Herzing. Our online MSN to DNP lets you grow as a leader, researcher and advocate while also helping you prepare for the advanced practice registered nursing (APRN) specialty of your choice.
As a graduate of this program, you will be able to:
Demonstrate competency-based judgement and holistic caring concordant with an advanced nursing practice specialty or role in diverse populations
Generate, synthesize, translate, apply and disseminate scientific evidence for advanced nursing practice
Apply ethical principles to shape the future of healthcare delivery with a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion; systems-based practice; team-based care collaboration, informatics and technology; career-long learning
Demonstrate a professional identity which includes accountability, perspective, collaborative disposition and comportment that reflects nursing's characteristics and values
Implement an advanced nursing practice specialty or role in selected practice settings
With our online MSN to DNP program, you can prepare for more autonomous practice, learn to conduct and apply new research, lead and motivate teams and improve healthcare for all by becoming a champion of systemic change.
Plus, you’ll stand out in the job market as one of the few nurses in the workforce with a doctoral-level degree. Research by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing indicates that from 2004 to 2023, only 73,000 nurses had earned a DNP. That represents a tiny fraction of the 3.3 million RNs who were working in 2023, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. [2]
Your Clinical Placement is Our Pledge
We understand that securing clinical placement is one of the biggest concerns graduate nursing students face. At Herzing, we offer guidance and support through our step-by-step Clinical Guidance Process to ensure you can get the clinical practice experiences you need. As a Herzing student, we’ll encourage you to find your own preceptor and clinical sites as there are many benefits to doing so. However, we provide extensive support should you find difficulty along the way. With Herzing, you are never on your own. Because of our strong relationships with healthcare providers across the U.S. and our comprehensive Clinical Guidance Process, we are confident in our ability to help you connect to clinical placement opportunities. So much so that if you are unable to find a clinical site on your own, we pledge to step in and help you secure clinical placement.*
*Subject to terms and conditions outlined in the enrollment documents.
About the Herzing Online MSN to DNP
The online DNP program consists of 53 to 65 credits, depending on the specialty you choose. Whichever area of practice you decide on, you’ll complete coursework online, pursue in-person clinical or practicum experience near you and complete a practice project residency.
The residency experience challenges you to apply principles of improvement science to solve a real-world problem in nursing. You can complete project hours at your place of work or in a different setting.
What Will I Learn in the Online MSN to DNP Program?
Courses in the 24-credit MSN to DNP core curriculum cover leadership technology, nursing research and advanced topics in population health. To prepare you for a future as an agent of change, the curriculum emphasizes strategic application of improvement science to help drive better-quality care.
After graduation, you’ll be equipped to pursue roles at the highest level of leadership in nursing practice and administration, as well as in policy development and patient advocacy. You can also pursue an additional area of practice with one of our Post Master’s Certificate programs.
Core course topics include:
- Knowledge for Nursing Practice
- Improvement Science
- Collaborative Practice
- Technology and Nursing Informatics in Advanced Practice
- Professionalism and Leadership for Advanced Practice
- Systems-Based Practice
- Scholarship for Nursing Practice
- Population Health
Specializations for the Online MSN to DNP
Herzing University offers eight specialty options for online MSN to DNP students including six nurse practitioner (NP) specialties.
Prepare for emergent care of patients from adolescence through the senior years.
- 62 total credits, 585 clinical hours
- 360 project residency hours
- Six semesters (24 months)
- Clinical Placement Pledge
Prepare to provide evidence-based primary care for adolescent and adult patients under the supervision of a physician or an independent practitioner depending on the state in which you practice.
- 59 total credits, 540 clinical hours
- 360 project residency hours
- Six semesters (24 months)
- Clinical Placement Pledge
Equip yourself to provide primary care to patients across the lifespan under the supervision of a physician or independently, depending on your state regulations.
- 59 total credits, 585 clinical hours
- 360 project residency hours
- Six semesters (24 months)
- Clinical Placement Pledge
Focus your practice on the healthcare needs of women and girls from adolescence through to the elder years.
- 65 total credits, 630 clinical hours
- 360 project residency hours
- Six semesters (32 months)
- Clinical Placement Pledge
Learn to lead teams, assess care quality and provide financial and administrative leadership that supports excellent nursing practice.
- 53 total credits, 135 clinical hours
- 360 project residency hours
- Five semesters (20 months)
- Clinical Placement Pledge
Prepare to make a difference for the health of whole communities as a leader in public health nursing. Develop healthcare strategies, asses policy impacts and more.
- 53 total credits, 135 clinical hours
- 360 project residency hours
- Five semesters (20 months)
- Clinical Placement Pledge
Support the need for primary mental health care with our PMHNP specialization option. Courses cover counseling, pharmacology and more.
- 62 total credits, 540 clinical hours
- 360 project residency hours
- Six semesters (24 months)
- Clinical Placement Pledge
Make a difference for the very youngest patients as a primary care provider supervised by a physician or in private practice, depending on your state.
- 53 total credits, 585 clinical hours
- 360 project residency hours
- Five semesters (20 months)
- Clinical Placement Pledge
The Herzing University Difference
At Herzing, we want to help you become the leader your community needs—and help you reach your nursing career goals. That’s why we provide:
- Convenient online education that gives you more control over your schedule
- Mentorship and guidance from nursing faculty with extensive clinical experience
- A step-by-step process for securing clinical placement, plus our clinical placement pledge if you can’t find a site on your own
You're Much More Than a Number
At Herzing, we believe that providing you with a caring, supportive community will have a positive impact on your learning experience. We know our students by name and are committed to your academic, personal, and professional success. Discover why Herzing's student-first approach, individual attention, and caring community set us apart from other colleges and universities.