Online Doctor of Nursing Practice in Advanced Nursing Practice – Education

Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00.

All applicants must submit:

• Graduate admission application and application fee
• Official transcripts
• Three letters of recommendation
• Personal statement/essay
• Resume

After an eligibility review, an interview will be required prior to admission.

To be eligible for this program, applicants must:

• Be able to verify U.S. citizenship or lawful immigration status.
• Hold a valid, unencumbered U.S. RN license.
• Live in or be able to come to an authorized state in the U.S. for any required clinical or practicum experiences.

Note: If an applicant is living in a restricted state at the time of application, but plans to move to an authorized state, they must:

• Update their address on file with ASU to an authorized state.
• Provide proof of a valid, unencumbered U.S. RN license from an authorized state.

• An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of current residency.
• Health and safety requirements – Students recommended for admission must meet health and safety requirements by established deadlines, including a passing disposition on a background clearance, satisfactory completion of a drug screening and other requirements, as a condition of admission.

State authorization:

We strongly recommend you visit our state authorization page to learn how ASU is authorized to operate in your state, policies for out-of-state students and program exceptions.

Coursework is delivered completely online, giving you the flexibility to study on your own schedule. However, the program includes only two required in-person experiences on ASU's Downtown Phoenix campus: an orientation at the beginning of the program and a scholarly project presentation at the end. You'll also complete up to 1,000 practicum hours in your local geographic area and the state where you're licensed as a registered nurse. This can be done at your current workplace, if approved by the faculty and the organization. Please note that you must live in or be able to come to an authorized state in the U.S. for the practicum experience.

No. This program is designed for registered nurses who want to advance into nursing education and educational leadership roles. It does not prepare graduates for nurse practitioner licensure or certification. While some graduates may choose to pursue nurse educator certification independently, the curriculum is not specifically designed as certification preparation.

A Doctor of Nursing Practice is a practice-focused doctoral degree that emphasizes applying evidence-based knowledge to improve nursing education and health care outcomes. This program prepares you to design curricula, evaluate educational programs, lead workforce development initiatives and implement innovative teaching strategies. A PhD is generally more research-oriented and prepares nurse scientists. For a deeper comparison, view a side-by-side breakdown of DNP vs. PhD from Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation.

Most students complete the program in approximately three years. If you've previously earned a qualifying master's degree, up to 30 credit hours may be applied toward your program of study, typically as elective credit, which can help speed up degree completion.

No. Teaching or educational experience is preferred but not required. The program is designed for master's-prepared nurses who want to advance into academic, clinical education and leadership roles, including those transitioning into nursing education for the first time.

The curriculum includes up to 1,000 practicum hours embedded throughout the program. You'll identify an appropriate practicum site and qualified preceptor in your local geographic area, subject to faculty approval. If applicable, this can be done at your current workplace, with approval from both the faculty and the organization. During your practicum experiences, you'll engage in teaching, curriculum development, learner assessment and educational leadership activities while working closely with both your preceptor and ASU faculty.

The Doctor of Nursing Practice programs at Arizona State University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. In addition, ASU nursing programs are approved by the Arizona Board of Nursing.