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Advance your nursing practice and clinical leadership to meet the increasing need of highly-trained APNs.

Program Type

Doctorate

Semester Start

Fall

Study Options

Online, On Campus

Minimum Duration

2 Years

UMass Boston’s nursing doctoral program focuses on advancing your nursing practice and clinical leadership to meet the increasing need of highly trained advanced practice nurses to meet emerging health care system needs. It’s designed for nurses with a master’s degree in nursing with training as family, gerontological, or adult nurse practitioners; and nurses with an MS in nursing who are certified as nurse midwives and nurse anesthetists who want to hone their skills and add a doctorate degree to their résumé. Develop your leadership skills and gain knowledge and competence in health systems leadership, policy development, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Use these skills to improve health care quality and increase health care access for all populations.

U.S. News & World Report’s 2021 edition of Best Graduate Schools includes the Doctor of Nursing Practice at No. 86. in Best Nursing Schools: Doctor of Nursing Practice. The program enrolls highly skilled and motivated masters-level-prepared advanced practice nurses. Once enrolled, you'll be welcomed into a diverse community of students and faculty. You'll gain added insights and understanding through collaborations with the PhD program and other university programs.

UMass Boston’s Nursing DNP program has BS-to-DNP and MS-to-DNP options. The BS-to-DNP program is for nurses who have a BSN, and the MS-to-DNP program is for advanced practice nurses with a master’s degree in nursing.

Tuition

  • The Nursing BS-DNP program requires a total of 70 credits and 1,065 clinical hours.
  • BS-to-DNP students obtain an MS degree after 48 credits and 665 clinical hours in their program of study.
  • Students complete 31 credits to earn their (Post-Master’s) DNP.
  • Online tuition is $600 per credit.
  • On-campus tuition is:
    • $812.49 per credit for Massachusetts residents
    • $1,402.91 for New England residents
    • $1,561.87 for out-of-state/international students
  • College of Nursing Fee per semester is $700/Fall & Spring, $350/Summer & Winter.
  • Other fees as applicable.

Deadline

  • Applications to start in the fall are due March 31.

Application Checklist: BS-DNP

  • One year of clinical practice
  • A current RN licensure in the state of Massachusetts
  • Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
  • Personal statement: As a prompt, focus on the following: why you want to pursue graduate studies, why are you interested in pursuing the track (DNP AGNP/ DNP FNP) you are applying for, and how will the degree help with your professional and personal goals
  • Two (2) letters of recommendation
  • Current résumé or CV
  • A bachelor’s degree in nursing from an accredited program

Note: the BS-to-DNP program is a combined online and on-campus learning experience. The MS portion of the program (first three years) consists of a mixture of both online and on-campus coursework. All courses specific to the DNP (final 2-3 years) are online.

Application Checklist: MS-DNP

  • Official transcripts for all colleges and universities attended
  • Personal statement: As a prompt, focus on the following: why you want to pursue graduate studies, why are you interested in pursuing a DNP, and how will the degree help with your professional and personal goals
  • Two (2) letters of recommendation
  • Current résumé or CV
  • Bachelor’s degree in nursing from a nationally accredited program or equivalent coursework
  • Master’s degree in nursing or other health-related filed from an accredited program
  • Registered nurse license in the state or county of residence, advanced practice licensure in the state of residence with national certification

Please see the general graduate application requirements for more information. For questions about these requirements or the application process, contact the Office of Graduate Admissions at graduate.admissions@umb.edu or at 617.287.6400.

Students complete 10 required courses focused on leadership and management; quality improvement; population health; health policy; informatics; evidence-based practice; and project implementation, synthesis, and dissemination. Students will choose one nursing elective to round out their studies. Coursework for APRN students includes 400 clinical immersion hours focused on attainment of the DNP Essentials and non-APRN students are required to complete the 1000 hours of clinical practice hours if they did not complete clinical practice hours within their Masters of Nursing Program.

BS-DNP, AGNP Required Courses:

BS-DNP, AGNP Year 1:
NU601 Introduction to Advanced Practice Nursing: Knowledge for Practice in the Global Community
NU614 Advanced Pathophysiology (online)
NU616 Evidenced Based Practice I
NU634 Advanced Pharmacology (online)
NU618 Introduction to Health Policy, Economics & Ethics (online, Summer course)

BS-DNP, AGNP Year 2:
NU615 Advanced Health Assessment (65 clinical hours)
NU715 Informatics (online)
NU637 Mental and Psychosocial Health of the Urban Family (online)
NU640 Advanced Health Promotion: Practicum (Preceptor Required: 150 clinical hours. See CIPO for assistance with placement 6 months prior to course enrollment)

BS-DNP, AGNP Year 3:
NU639 Primary Care of the Adult (online)
NU670 Practicum in Primary Care Adult (Preceptor Required: 225 clinical hours. See CIPO for assistance with placement 6 months prior to course enrollment)
NU671 Primary Care of the Older Adult (online)
NU672 Primary Care of the Older Adult Practicum (Preceptor Required: 225 clinical hours. See CIPO for assistance with placement 6 months prior to course enrollment)

Masters Completed; Sit for AGNP/FNP exam; DNP STARTS in year 4

BS-DNP, AGNP Year 4:
NU765 Health Systems Leadership (online, take in the Summer of Year 4 or Year 5)
NU722 Improving Outcomes: Identification, Interventions, and Evaluation of Quality Improvement Activities
NU735 Clinical Inquiry Seminar/Immersion OR Elective (3 credits, 150 hours)
NU716 Evidenced Based Practice II
NU745 Population Health

BS-DNP, AGNP Year 5:
NU717 DNP Seminar: Project Implementation (200 hours)
NU718 DNP Seminar Project Synthesis (100 hours)

BS-DNP, AGNP Year 6:
NU719 DNP Seminar Project Dissemination (100 hours)

BS-DNP, FNP Required Courses:

BS-DNP, FNP Year 1:
NU601 Introduction to Advanced Practice Nursing: Knowledge for Practice in the Global Community
NU614 Advanced Pathophysiology (online)
NU616 Evidenced Based Practice I
NU634 Advanced Pharmacology (online)
NU618 Introduction to Health Policy, Economics & Ethics (online, Summer course)

BS-DNP, FNP Year 2:
NU615 Advanced Health Assessment (65 clinical hours)
NU715 Informatics (online)
NU637 Mental and Psychosocial Health of the Urban Family (online)
NU640 Advanced Health Promotion: Practicum I (Preceptor Required: 150 clinical hours. See CIPO for assistance with placement 6 months prior to course enrollment)

BS-DNP, FNP Year 3:
NU639 Primary care of Adults
NU670 Practicum in Primary Care Adult (Preceptor Required: 225 clinical hours. See CIPO for assistance with placement 6 months prior to course enrollment)
NU681 Primary Care of the Childbearing Family (online)
NU682 Primary Care of the Childbearing Family Practicum (Preceptor Required: 225 clinical hours. See CIPO for assistance with placement 6 months prior to course enrollment)

Masters Completed; Sit for AGNP/FNP exam; DNP STARTS in year 4

BS-DNP, FNP Year 4:
NU765 Health Systems Leadership (online, take in Summer of Year 4 or Year 5)
NU722 Improving Outcomes: Identification, Interventions, and Evaluation of Quality Improvement Activities (online)
NU735 Clinical Inquiry Seminar/Immersion OR Elective (3 credits, 150 hours)
NU716 Evidenced Based Practice II: Translating Evidence to Practice (online)
NU745 Population Health

BS-DNP, FNP Year 5:
NU717 DNP Seminar: Project Implementation (200 hours) NU718 DNP Seminar Project Synthesis (100 hours)

BS-DNP, FNP Year 5:
NU719 DNP Seminar Project Dissemination (100 hours)

Note: the BS-to-DNP program is a combined online and on-campus learning experience. The MS portion of the program (first three years) consists of a mixture of both online and on-campus coursework. All courses specific to the DNP (final 2 years) are online.

The program culminates in the DNP seminar project experience. Students are guided by faculty throughout the program in completing a DNP seminar project experience demonstrating the student’s ability to analyze and guide a change in health care delivery.

MS- DNP Required Courses:

Year 1: Summer
NU 765 Leadership and Management (3 credits)

Year 1: Fall
NU 722 Quality Improvement (3 credits)
NU 616 Evidenced Based Practice I (3 credits)

Year 1: Spring
NU 715 Informatics (3 credits)
NU 716 Evidenced Based Practice II (3 credits)

Year 2: Summer
NU 618 Intro to Health Policy (3 credits)

Year 2: Fall
NU 717 DNP Seminar: Project Implementation (3 credits)
NU735 Clinical Inquiry Seminar/Immersion OR Elective (3 credits, 150 hours)

Year 2: Spring
NU 718 DNP Seminar: Project Synthesis (2 credits)
NU 745 Population Health (3 credits)

Year 3: Fall
NU 719 DNP Seminar: Project Dissemination (2 credits)

At the end of this program, you’ll be awarded a Doctorate in Nursing Practice. The degree will demonstrate your expertise in the field on your résumé, as well as in interviews and workplace evaluations. Apply the skills learned in the program to become a health care leader and improve health care quality and increase health care access for all populations, especially those who are under-represented and underserved.


Why UMass Boston Online?

Value

Among the lowest online tuition rates of an accredited, public research university.

Flexibility

Study full-time to finish fast, or part-time to suit your schedule. Live sessions scheduled with the working professional in mind.

Authenticity

The same courses taught by the same academic departments as on campus. No third-party providers.

Learn More

Get the inside scoop on the program and connect with the people who run it.

Nursing DNP

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