Post-Master's Doctor of Nursing Practice
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program empowers you to transform care, lead with confidence and shape the future of health.
Program overview
Whether you aspire to elevate your clinical expertise or drive change at the organizational level, our two tracks are designed to help you reach your goals:
- Clinical Expert Track — Deepen your clinical mastery and deliver care at the highest level to improve patient and population outcomes.
- Nurse Executive Track — Build the leadership, strategic and systems-thinking skills needed to guide teams, influence policy and advance organizational transformation.
Offered as both a post-master’s pathway and a post-baccalaureate pathway for those pursuing APRN roles, Ohio State’s DNP program builds on your professional foundation to prepare you for the highest level of nursing practice. Hallmarks of the program include evidence-based practice, advanced management of direct patient care, health systems leadership, innovation, wellness, ethical decision-making and more.
As the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) recommends the DNP as the entry level for advanced practice by 2025, now is the time to take the next step.
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Online
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38 - 45 credit hours
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2 years full-time or 3 years part-time
To be eligible for admission to the PM DNP program you must have:
Have a Master of Science in nursing from a nursing education program accredited through the CCNE, ACEN, CNEA or a master’s degree in another area as long as you also hold a BSN. Your master’s degree must be from an accredited graduate program. If you do not have an advanced practice registered nursing (APRN) certification you are eligible for the program’s Nurse Executive track, while those with certification can apply for either track. You may apply to the Post-Master's DNP program while your master’s degree is still in-progress but must receive the degree by August 1 prior to beginning enrollment.
International applicants must hold the equivalent Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution. All transcripts must undergo a course-by-course credential evaluation by an approved evaluation agency to verify program equivalency and calculate a Grade Point Average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale.
You must have an active, unencumbered license as a registered nurse in the state where you practice. You may apply before receiving your RN license, but must be in possession of a current, unencumbered RN license by August 1.
If you’re applying to the Clinical Expert track, you must be in possession of an active advanced practice registered nursing (CNS, CNM, CNP or CRNA) national certification. You may apply before receiving your APRN certification but must be in possession of a current certification by August 1.
GPAs are reviewed by Ohio State's Graduate and Professional Admissions Office. If your GPA falls below 3.0, you may still apply and be considered for admission.
To participate in the DNP program, you must reside in a state that authorizes The Ohio State University to offer this program through distance learning to its residents. Check the authorization of your state.
Must complete a prerequisite statistics course. See the Prerequisites for further details.
You must complete a college-level statistics prerequisite course prior to the posted application deadline. If you have not done so, even if prerequisite course is in-progress at the time of the deadline, you will not be considered for admission. A grade of B- or better is required in the prerequisite course. The course must have been completed within five years of the application deadline. Credit by examination (such as AP test scores) is not accepted towards the prerequisite requirement. No exceptions will be made.
The prerequisite statistics course should include:
- A review of basic statistical concepts
- A review of univariate statistical analysis
- A review of bivariate statistical analysis
- An overview of commonly used statistical tests
Completion of prerequisite course with a B- or higher. The following Ohio State courses fulfill the prerequisite course requirement:
- PSYCH 2220 Data Analysis in Psychology
- PSYCH 3321 Quantitative and Statistical Methods
- PUBHIBO 6210 Applied Biostatistics I
- STATISTICS 1350 Elementary Statistics
- STATISTICS 1450 Introduction to the Practice of Statistics
- STATISTICS 2450 Introduction to Statistical Analysis
For prerequisite coursework taken at another institution, Transferology can assist in seeing if the courses that you have taken or plan to take at another institution qualify. If you are unable to find results through these tools, then an evaluation of the courses will need to be done by the Office of Graduate & Professional Admissions.
As a prospective student, to submit courses for evaluation prepare the following information on each course taken outside of Ohio State: course number, course title, institution, semester of completion, number of credit hours earned and course description from institution’s course catalog.
Submit this information directly to ESUE-gpevaluation@osu.edu; clarify that you are submitting the courses in reference to the DNP program. Results for course evaluations can take up four weeks and the Office of Graduate & Professional Admissions may request further information on a course, such as a syllabus, and may refer you to contact an Ohio State transfer credit coordinator in the academic area for further review.
There are two specialties for this program: Clinical Expert and Nurse Executive.
The Clinical Expert track is the right choice for you if you want to reach the highest level of patient care expertise and have a significant impact on patient outcomes. Our program uses an inter-professional collaborative approach steeped in wellness and evidence-based practice. Our world-renowned faculty serve as mentors and advisors to help provide the tools to achieve your professional aspirations. To be eligible, you must hold a master’s degree in nursing and a national-level advanced practice nursing certification.
The Nurse Executive track is the right choice if you want to lead innovative, transformative healthcare organizations as well as organizational culture, advanced leadership training, and unique immersion experiences. To be eligible, you must hold a master’s degree in nursing or a BSN and master's degree in another field, such as a Master of Business Administration or Master of Public Health. A national-level advanced nursing certification is preferred but not required.
Online program availability varies by state. State authorization provides information on state authorization requirements and disclosures related to online programs and state licensing board contact information.
Time to degree: 2 years of full-time study or 3 years of part-time study, including summers
Number of credit hours: 38 – 45 depending on track
Educational delivery format: All DNP-level courses will be online. Most online classes will meet on a set day and time (ET) at least once a week. Program availability will vary by state. You must reside in an authorized state to be eligible to participate in this program through distance learning.
Our curriculum emphasizes the core competencies that define modern nursing leadership: quality improvement, informatics, health policy, systems thinking and organizational change. Graduates emerge prepared to create meaningful impact across patient care and health systems.
Sample schedules
Year 1
- Autumn
- Evidence Based Practice (2 credits)
- Quality Improvement (2 credits)
- Methods and Measurements (2 credits)
- Professional Seminar (1 credit)
- MINDSTRONG (1 credit)
- Spring
- Health Promotion, Theory and Population Health (2 credits)
- Implementation of Evidence Based Practice (2 credits)
- Leadership (3 credits)
- Specialty Coursework Systems Application I (2 - 3 credits)
- Summer
- Policy (2 credits)
- Health Informatics (2 credits)
- Systems Application II (3 – 5 credits)
Year 2
- Autumn
- Healthcare Economics and Finance (2 credits)
- Systems Application III (4 – 5 credits)
- Final Project (1 credit)
- Professional Seminar (1 credit)
- Spring
- Systems Application IV (5 credits)
- Final Project (1 credit)
Year 1
- Autumn
- Methods and Measurements (2 credits)
- MINDSTRONG (1 credit)
- Quality Improvement (2 credits)
- Specialty Coursework Spring Health Promotion, Theory, and Population Health (2 credits)
- Evidence Based Practice (2 credits) Professional Seminar (1 credit)
- Specialty Coursework
- Summer
- Implementation of Evidence Based Practice (2 credits)
- Policy (2 credits)
Year 2
- Autumn
- Leadership (3 credits)
- Healthcare Economics and Finance (2 credits)
- Spring
- Systems Application I (2 – 3 credits)
- Health Informatics (2 credits)
- Summer
- Systems Application II (3 – 5 credits)
Year 3
- Autumn
- Systems Application III (4 - 5 credits)
- Final Project (1 credit)
- Seminar (1 credit)
- Spring Systems
- Application IV (5 credits)
- Final Project (1 credit)
DNP immersion hours
As a post-master’s DNP student, you will complete immersion hours over the course of the DNP program. Immersion hour requirements toward the DNP degree can be completed at your place of employment, with approval from your advisor and employer.
Allow up to five business days for the status of materials to be updated on your applicant center.
March 1
October 15: If interested in being considered for a fellowship or other available funding opportunities.
The application and all materials must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. ET.
Late-April
You can track the status of your application through your applicant center. The application status will show as pending until a decision is posted. Ohio State graduate transfer applicants can track their application status by emailing OnlineEnrollment@osu.edu.
All applicants, including Ohio State graduate transfer applicants, will be notified of their admission decision via email.
Four weeks post decision
If admitted, you will have four weeks after the decision notification to accept your offer online. If you do not respond by the deadline your offer will be cancelled.
August 1
Admitted students must complete the following:
- A conferred master’s degree in nursing or a non-nursing master’s degree and a BSN
- A valid, unrestricted RN license in the state where they anticipate clinicals will be performed
- Clinical Expert students must also provide proof of an active, unencumbered advanced practice national certification
How to apply
Complete online application at The Ohio State University Graduate and Professional Admissions Office. A $60 fee is required at the time of submission of the application.
In the online application you will designate whether you are pursuing the Clinical Expert track or the Nurse Executive track, as well as whether you will attend full-time or part-time.
Internationally educated applicants can find additional information on Ohio State's Graduate and Professional Admissions website.
You must submit official transcripts from all colleges and universities that you have previously attended at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. This includes transcripts for any post-secondary courses taken during high school or of coursework that appears as transfer credit on another transcript. Transcripts from The Ohio State University do not need to be submitted.
Transcripts should be submitted directly by the sending institution by mail or electronic transfer to be considered official. Request that your transcripts be sent early so they arrive before the deadline. Transcripts can be sent to gpadocs@osu.edu or by mail to:
The Ohio State University
Graduate Admissions Office
P.O. Box 182004
Columbus, OH 43218-2004
You may upload a copy of an official transcript at the time of application or afterward on the admissions uploader. Documents submitted in this manner are considered unofficial but will suffice for the purposes of your application. Web based documents, online grade reports and related materials are not acceptable. If you are admitted, you will be required to supply official transcripts sent directly from your previous institution(s).
For details regarding these methods of submitting transcripts, visit The Ohio State University Graduate and Professional Admissions and direct all transcript related questions to their office at 614-292-9444 or to gpadmissions@osu.edu.
Your resume or curriculum vitae (CV) should be in a similar format as a job application. You should include your previous education, professional experiences, community service, volunteer activities, publications, research and leadership experiences. You may submit this document at the time of application or after on the admissions uploader.
The purpose and goals statement is the opportunity to introduce yourself, address the questions provided and demonstrate your writing skills. Consideration is given to both the quality of your writing and the contributions of your experiences and attributes toward your goals with your program. Lived experiences could include global or community service, leadership, collaboration, experience with the specific population of interest or evidence-based practice projects, evidence of growth, resilience, match with the specialty, ability to appreciate varying perspectives and commitment to nursing. Quality of writing includes proper grammar and spelling with appropriate punctuation. Your statement should not exceed 3 single-spaced pages.
- Why are you seeking education in the DNP program at this time in your career?
- What specifically are your academic and career goals for which the DNP will prepare you best?
- How have your life experiences prepared you for being a doctoral-prepared nurse?
- Identify a clinical area of interest and explain why this is an important issue to address in your area of expertise in nursing.
You are required to complete a recorded online video interview through an online portal called HireVue, during which you will be recorded answering a brief selection of questions regarding your interests and goals in nursing and the DNP program. This interview can be completed at any time during the application window. However, we ask that you do so only after you have completed and submitted your application. You must complete the recorded online video interview before the application deadline. Instructions for the recorded interview.
You will be asked to provide the names and email addresses of three (3) individuals who can speak to their clinical and leadership abilities. Once the application is submitted, an email will be automatically generated and sent to these recommenders with a link and further instruction on how to submit letters of recommendation. You are encouraged to submit your application far in advance of the deadline so that recommenders have ample time to upload letters of recommendation.
Letters of recommendation should be submitted from individuals who are familiar with the applicant’s academic ability, professional experience and potential to succeed in the highest level of nursing practice. Applicants should provide recommenders with information on the applicant’s intended degree and specialty and a copy of the submitted purpose and goals statement. Recommenders should address the applicant’s potential for success in a rigorous graduate program and what attributes and experiences they feel will allow the applicant to excel as an advanced practice nurse or nurse executive in the chosen specialty. Finally, applicants should make recommenders aware of the submission process and the application deadline by which letters must be submitted.
If you completed the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree or higher at an institution outside of the United States, you must submit a course-by-course credential evaluation that verifies U.S. degree equivalency and includes a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale.
The evaluation must be completed by an approved credential evaluation agency and sent directly to the university by the agency. Our preferred agency is TruMerit (formerly CGFNS International) as TruMerit credential evaluations are also required by the Ohio Board of Nursing for RN licensure.
You can find additional information on Ohio State's Graduate and Professional Admissions website.
We will also accept evaluations from the following approved agencies:
- World Education Services (WES)
- SpanTran (The Evaluation Company)
- Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE)
- International Education Evaluations (IEE)
- Josef Silny & Associates (JS&A)
- International Education Research Foundation (IERF)
- International Consultants of Delaware (ICD)
The course-by-course credential evaluation must include:
- Verification of U.S. degree equivalency
- A list of completed coursework with credit hours and grades
- Calculation of a cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale
If you are currently or have been previously enrolled in a degree granting graduate program at The Ohio State University for any length of time, you would be considered a Graduate Intra-University Transfer Student. Be sure to choose the appropriate application for "current or former" Ohio State students after clicking apply now. In addition to your online application, you must complete a Supplemental Application. This separate application must be submitted to the College of Nursing directly at CON-gradrecords@osu.edu. Choose any of the following options to access this application:
- MS Word Document: Supplemental DNP Application (To download, select "Save")
- PDF: Supplemental DNP Application
If you wish to pursue a DNP along with a certification in an advanced nursing specialty, you must apply to the BSN to DNP program by that deadline, instead of following the process detailed above. If this deadline has already passed, it is recommended that you wait and apply next year during the next application cycle or apply to the Post-Master's DNP program as detailed above, but without pursuing an advanced nursing specialty.
If you're a current Post-Master's DNP student and wish to pursue an advanced nursing specialty, you should refer to your student handbook and contact your program manager.
If you are admitted to the BSN to DNP program and accept your offer, you may then petition the program to have your completed, graduate-level, nursing coursework reviewed to determine how it can apply to the degree requirements of your curriculum.
Failure to complete all required steps by the deadline (11:59 p.m. ET) will result in your application not being considered for admission.
Contact
FAQ
Your application will be reviewed using a holistic approach, meaning all aspects of who you are as an applicant will be considered. This assessment will include academic preparedness and formative experiences in your professional background, education and life. We are also looking for applicants that demonstrate a preferred set of attributes, experiences and strengths described in the following list. This list is not all encompassing, but is meant to guide you in what you may wish to highlight in your written application materials and in your recorded online video interview:
- Clear understanding of the role of a DNP and the alignment with goals for the future
- Experience with evidence-based practice (EBP), quality improvement, innovation and scholarship
- Demonstration of leadership, interprofessional collaboration and teamwork
- Evidence of resiliency, ability to overcome obstacles, critical thinking and personal and professional growth
- Local to global community engagement, and diversity of thought, perspective and experience
- Written and oral communication skills, organization of ideas and emotional intelligence
- Overall commitment to nursing
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is a practice focused doctorate degree. Those who earn a DNP are experts in translating research into clinical practice. The PhD in nursing focuses on research and generating new knowledge to advance nursing science. PhD and DNP prepared nurses should work together to advance patient care.
Students who enroll in two graduate degree-granting programs concurrently are called dual degree students and you can learn more about this designation via the Graduate School. Dual degree students must satisfy the credit hour requirements for each degree program. There may be little overlap between the two sets of coursework, which can result in students being required to fully complete the degree requirements for both programs to graduate. This can extend time to graduation. Due to the rigorous nature of some of our graduate clinical programs, prospective students interested in a dual degree option with the College of Nursing are advised to closely examine the curriculum requirements of our programs before applying. For degree programs with clinical components, it is important to recognize that adjustments to the standard curriculum plan may not be possible.
After you have reviewed dual degree information, contact the director of the program in which you are interested in further discussion. This discussion should occur before you begin applying to gain a better understanding of program requirements. Applicants interested in applying to a College of Nursing graduate program as a dual degree student must follow the application process listed for that academic program and adhere to all deadlines. Email nursing@osu.edu if you have any questions about how to apply.
Yes, most online, graduate nursing courses will include a synchronous component, This means you are required to be logged in and participating in class. Most classes meet once per week, on a weekday, in the afternoon or evening. All times listed are Eastern time. There may be classes or times that differ from these norms.
No, you are not required to come to campus for this program.
No, you will follow your established course schedule, either full-time or part-time, to graduation.
Yes, you may take classes as a “Graduate Non-Degree” (GND) student. Graduate Non-Degree provides more information. You may apply up to ten credits of coursework taken as a GND student to the DNP program.
Possibly. Ohio State offers a tuition assistance program for employees. Eligibility is based on your employment status. You should consult with your Human Resources representative if you have questions about the program.
Students interested in pursuing an APRN specialty track leading to advanced practice certification while also pursuing their DNP can do so through Ohio State’s BSN to DNP program.
Students with international degrees are eligible to apply provided they meet all program admissions requirements, including holding a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing or National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation program or a master's degree in another field. The master's degree must be from an accredited graduate program.
Track Eligibility: Applicants without an advanced practiced registered nurse (APRN) certification are not eligible for the Nurse Executive track. Applicants with APRN certification can apply to either track.
Additional requirements for international applicants:
Review The Ohio State University’s English Proficiency Policy and other important information. For immigration documents and international student requirements, contact Graduate and Professional Admissions Office at gpadmissions@osu.edu or 614-292-9444.
This program admits students once-per-year for the autumn semester.