BSN to Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

The following specialty in the BSN to DNP program is available as a distance learning or on-campus program:

• Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
• Family Nurse Practitioner
• Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

The following specialties of the BSN to DNP are available only as distance learning programs:

• Nurse Anesthesia (NOTE: there are a few on-campus components during this track)
• Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
• Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

All other specialties listed are only offered through on-campus study. If you select a campus-based specialty, you will be required to complete all of the specialty coursework by attending classes in person on our Columbus campus.

As a BSN to DNP student, you can complete the program in three years of full-time study or four years of part-time study. The first phase of the program combines the DNP Clinical Expert coursework with the requirements to earn your Master of Science degree to become advanced-practice certified. In the final two years of study, you will complete your DNP immersion experiences and final project.

Licensure/Certification Information

A professional license is required to practice in the field of this academic program, or to advance or specialize in that field. This program meets advanced practice registered nurse licensure requirements in the State of Ohio and is approved by the Ohio Department of Higher Education.

Ohio State academic programs are designed to prepare students to sit for applicable licensure or certification in Ohio. If you plan to pursue licensure or certification in a state other than Ohio, please review state educational requirements for licensure and certification and state licensing board contact information at go.osu.edu/disclosures for online programs and go.osu.edu/onground for on-campus programs.

If you are planning to seek a professional license or certification in a state other than Ohio, it is highly recommended that you contact the appropriate state licensing agency to seek information and guidance before beginning the program. In addition, online program availability may vary by state. For more information on state authorization requirements and disclosures related to online programs and state licensing board contact information, please visit online.osu.edu/state-authorization/disclosures.

Distance Learning

While the DNP coursework and the Masters-level coursework of these above mentioned specialties is completed through distance learning, most classes are offered synchronously. This means that there will be a designated time that you are required to log in and participate in class. Synchronous distance learning classes typically meet weekly on a Wednesday or Thursday, depending on your year in the program. You will not have to travel to campus to participate in DNP courses. We will hold an orientation on campus in August for newly admitted students, and you are strongly encouraged to attend. Students are also required to make a visit to campus at the end of the program to present and defend their final projects. Depending on the specialty, distance learning students may be required to visit the Ohio State campus up to three times throughout the Masters level of the program. Some specialties, though, do not require the student to visit campus at all. Typically, these visits are only a few days in length and students will be provided the dates far in advance to aid in preparing travel arrangements.

At this time, The Ohio State University College of Nursing is authorized to enroll distance learning students in many U.S. states. However, due to varying state laws and regulations, there are also many states in which we are not currently permitted to offer distance learning programs. Residents of these states are not able to participate in the programs. Applicants are strongly encouraged to visit the University’s Online Programs State Authorization webpage or email us at nursing@osu.edu to find out whether their program of interest is available in their home state. Please check back often, as the College and University are aggressively pursuing authorization in all 50 states. Residents outside of the U.S. are not able to participate in distance learning programs. Admission into a program is granted at the time of initial acceptance into the program and is dependent on program availability in the state where the student is physically located at the time of admission. If a student moves to a state other than the state where the student was physically present when admitted into the program, continuation within the program will depend on the availability of the program within the new state where the student is physically present. It is the student’s responsibility to notify the institution of a change in physical presence.

Application Deadline

We have two application windows for this program for Autumn 2025. The first application window, from August 1 - October 15, 2024, is for all specialties within the program. The second application window, which is open from February 1 - March 1, 2025, will accept applications for a few specific specialties that will be announced on January 23, 2025. 

*NOTE: The Nurse Anesthesia specialty only accepts applications during the first application window, which ended on October 15, 2024.