Doctors of nursing practice

Doctor of Nursing Practice – General Online

Prepare to lead innovative improvements in the healthcare system at the micro and macro levels.

Next Apply Date: 6/16/25
Next Class Start Date: 6/30/25
Apply Now
Next Apply Date: 6/16/25
Next Class Start Date: 6/30/25

Program Overview

Expand your nursing expertise with an online Doctor of Nursing Practice program

This affordable, flexible and practical online Doctor of Nursing Practice – General from A-State empowers you to both strengthen your patient-centered nursing practice and positively impact healthcare policy when you gain access to leadership positions.

Master nuanced elements of nursing with a dynamic curriculum composed of foundation and concentration courses, demonstrative evidence-based projects, and hands-on internships. Supported by the same distinguished A-State faculty you would work with on-campus, you will examine contemporary topics including healthcare informatics, alternate population health, ethical healthcare and the rapidly evolving study of diseases. Then, practice applying these newly acquired competencies through clinical opportunities where you will work with experts in nursing and other relevant disciplines.

This ACEN-accredited Doctor of Nursing Practice – General program is built especially for working nurses. Choose to be a full-time or part-time student, complete the 100% online coursework on your schedule and personalize your doctorate to your professional goals when you select your areas of interest to study. Additionally, complete your clinical requirements—and correlating assignments—in the context of your workplace to ensure your degree is relevant to your professional goals.

For state approvals, please consult the Program Map.

In this online Doctor of Nursing Practice – General program, you will learn how to:

  • Implement and evaluate the impact of quality improvement projects in a healthcare organization
  • Learn to translate research findings into programs that improve patient and healthcare outcomes
  • Develop expertise in a specialty area that is of interest to you
  • Identify system or organizational gaps in patient care or organizational effectiveness and develop/implement solutions to solve for those gaps
In this online Doctor of Nursing Practice – General program, you will learn how to:+
  • Implement and evaluate the impact of quality improvement projects in a healthcare organization
  • Learn to translate research findings into programs that improve patient and healthcare outcomes
  • Develop expertise in a specialty area that is of interest to you
  • Identify system or organizational gaps in patient care or organizational effectiveness and develop/implement solutions to solve for those gaps

Prepare for a variety of healthcare leadership roles, including:

  • Clinical Director
  • Nursing Director
Prepare for a variety of healthcare leadership roles, including:+
  • Clinical Director
  • Nursing Director
+

DNP – General Online FAQS

The DNP student will be assigned a student advisor. The advisor will contact the student to discuss the individual degree plan designed to fit the student’s part-time or full-time plan.
Yes, you will complete either a quality improvement or policy change project. This project is based on a needs assessment at your predetermined project site. Most students complete their projects at their place of employment. Others complete a project elsewhere, which will require an affiliation agreement. A needs assessment and project proposal begin in NURS 8123: Leadership, Policy, and Healthcare Systems. The project has three parts: writing of Section I and approval in NURS 8213: Translational Research for Doctor of Nursing Practice I; writing of Section II and methodology and project implementation in NURS 8223: Translational Research for Doctor of Nursing Practice II; and writing of Section III and dissemination in NURS 8263: DNP Project. The course faculty will discuss the process during the first week of the leadership course.
Yes, all of the online DNP programs are accredited by ACEN.
Yes, while this program is accelerated, the program at A-State is designed to be completed alongside your full-time career. The DNP program is offered part time and full time to better fit your lifestyle and work commitments.
A-State offers three (3) concentrations for the online DNP program. Choose from the DNP – General, DNP – Leadership, and DNP – Education, depending on your career aspirations and interests. 
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is the highest level of nursing, and this program prepares nurses for leadership roles in clinical practice, healthcare systems, and policy making. This advanced degree will provide the nurse with skills to translate research into practice with the emphasis of utilizing evidence-based practice to make positive changes, thus improving patient outcomes in various settings, healthcare quality, and workplace efficiency.
The DNP students do not complete traditional clinicals, but they are responsible for completing practice experiences. These experiences are not precepted; the hours come from a combination of course assignments and asynchronous learning experiences approved by the course faculty. The student must achieve 1,000 clinical hours as a combination of MSN hours, three DNP internship courses, and, at times, variable courses when students had less than the required MSN hours at the time of application. A gap analysis will be completed to determine hours. All students will complete 540 total practice experience hours between the three internship courses. A DNP Practice Experience Requirement packet will be provided in the first DNP Internship course.
Yes, the program accepts transfer credits up to nine (9) credit hours. Transfer courses must be evaluated by the nursing department for approval. You must provide the complete syllabus from the institution for each course you would like considered for transfer. Courses taken more than six (6) years ago cannot be transferred, according to the Graduate School policy.

Also available:

A-State offers a variety of post-graduate programs in a convenient online format. Explore our full range of online post-graduate programs.

Total Tuition: $19,800
Program Duration: As few as 12 months
Credit Hours 36

Accreditation

Apply Now

Need More Information?

Call 866-621-8096

Call 866-621-8096

Tuition

Achieve your degree with A-State’s affordable tuition

Our online Doctor of Nursing Practice – General program offers the same affordable, pay-by-the-course tuition to all U.S. residents. All administrative fees are included. Tuition may be subject to change on a yearly basis.

Tuition breakdown:

Per Credit Hour: $550
Total Tuition: $19,800

Calendar

Save these important dates and deadlines

Ideal for working nurses, Arkansas State University online programs are delivered in an accelerated format with multiple start dates each year.

View full calendar  + 

TermProgram Start DateApplication DeadlineDocument DeadlineRegistration DeadlinePayment DueLast Class Day
Summer 15/12/254/28/254/28/255/1/255/9/256/27/25
Summer 26/30/256/16/256/16/256/19/256/27/258/14/25
Fall 18/20/258/4/258/4/258/7/258/15/2510/3/25
Fall 210/13/259/29/259/29/2510/2/2510/10/2512/4/25

Now enrolling:

Next Apply Date 6/16/25
Start Class 6/30/25

Have questions or need more information about A‑State online programs?

Ready to take the next step toward earning your degree online from A-State?

Apply Now

Admissions

Review the admission requirements for this online DNP – General program

We know you’re busy, so we’ve streamlined the A-State admission process to help you get started quickly and easily. Students who are interested in the online DNP – General program must have a Master of Science in Nursing degree from a CCNE, COA, ACEN or CNEA accredited program and a current unencumbered license.

Admission Requirements:

  • Online application
  • MSN degree
  • Current unencumbered RN license
View all admission requirements +

DNP Admission Guidelines

  • Complete online application and submit application fee
  • Master of Nursing (MSN) from a CCNE, COA, ACEN or CNEA accredited program of nursing from a regionally accredited college or university that includes at least 40 faculty-supervised clinical hours
  • Graduate cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
  • Official transcripts from the registrar of the colleges/ universities where the graduate degree (MSN) was earned and courses taken for transfer credit into the graduate program
  • Current unencumbered RN license

Graduates of an MSN program with a specialty option that did not include the required certification eligibility requirements from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and/or the American Associated of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) (Advanced Physiology/Pathophysiology; Advanced Health Assessment, including diagnostics and disease management; Advanced Pharmacology; and/or a minimum of 500 faculty-supervised clinical hours) are also eligible to apply. A request for a curriculum “Gap Analysis” to determine an individual plan of study will be requested from the program coordinator prior to starting the program.

This program requires a high level of English proficiency to meet academic and clinical objectives, along with meeting the criteria for licensure. You may be required to provide proof of English proficiency per A-State School of Nursing English Proficiency Standards. Additionally, if you’ve ever attended a professional program in the past, you may be required to provide a letter of good standing.

Request all official transcripts be sent directly to A-State from all colleges or universities attended. Save time by requesting transcripts be sent electronically.

International Students

Students from non-English speaking countries or for whom English is not a native language must take one of the following tests:

  • Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a score of 83 on the preferred internet-based test (iBT), 570 on the paper-based test, or 213 on the computer-based test
  • International English Language Testing System (IELTS) with a score of at least 6.5 and a spoken band score of 7
  • Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE) with a score of 56


    • Submit all documents to:

    A-State Online
    P.O. Box 2520
    State University, AR 72467

    Fax: 870-972-3548
    Email: [email protected]

    For Non-US Postal Mail Overnight Delivery Only:

    A-State Online
    c/o Central Receiving
    2713 Pawnee St.
    Jonesboro, AR 72401

    Additional information

    Close Additional Required Documents [ – ]

    As part of your file, the following information is required to be completed prior to starting the first course (or the applicable course):

    • Satisfactory background check completed through Verified Credentials
    • Completion of the Verification of Clinical Practice by the institution where you earned your MSN (applies to non A-State MSN graduates)

    Note: These documents are not required to render an admissions decision.

    Also, the following information is required to be completed by the completion of your first semester:

    • Current CPR Records
    • Current TB Skin Test
    • Hep B Vaccinations
    • MMR 1 and 2
    • Professional Liability Insurance

    DOCTORAL PROGRAM SUPPORT

    From the first course to graduation, students have A-State’s full support. Our experienced faculty will teach, mentor and collaborate with you as you progress throughout the doctoral program.

    Recognized as a Leader in Nursing Education

    A-State is ranked among the "Best Nursing Schools in Arkansas" by U.S. News & World Report, 2024

    Courses

    Take a look at the Doctor of Nursing Practice – General curriculum

    To finish the online Doctor of Nursing Practice – General program, you must complete a total of 36 credit hours. There are nine hours of concentration courses. The practicum/clinical hours must also be done in a state in which Arkansas State has State Operating Authority. Please consult the Program Map for state approvals.

    Visit the Course Registration page to view the course schedule for this degree.

    Expand All
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    Analyze leadership and organizational theories, evaluate health care delivery systems, and examine the role of the DNP in influencing policy in health care delivery, outcomes and professional nursing.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    Provides advanced economic, financial, and business knowledge required for leadership in financial planning and decision making in healthcare delivery systems. Evidence based models of practice, financial frameworks and theory are applied to practice-level, system-wide problems, including inter- and intra-professional teams.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    Examines the complexities involved in managing resources in our healthcare system. Students will learn to use management theory ad informatics applications to increase efficiencies in various functional areas of healthcare services.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    This course provides the student with the foundation for the DNP evidence-based practice project. The emphasis of this course is on problem identification, information retrieval, critical appraisal, and synthesis of a body of evidence
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    This course focuses on translating evidence into practice, identifying practice outcomes, sustaining evidence-based practice changes, and creating an environment to support evidence-based practice. Prerequisite, Admission to the Post-Masters DNP Program Option or admission to the DNP in Nurse Anesthesia Program Option. Prerequisites for the Post-Masters DNP program option, NURS 8213;
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    A culmination of the two translation research courses where students implement a translation project, including the analysis and dissemination of the results.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    Practice opportunities, including in-depth work with experts from nursing and other disciplines. Emphasis is on the preparation for the DNP project.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    Practice opportunities, including in-depth work with experts from nursing and other disciplines. Emphasis is on the preparation for the DNP project.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    Practice opportunities, including in-depth work with experts from nursing and other disciplines. Emphasis is on the preparation for the DNP project.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 0-3
    Application of the DNP competencies through clinical practice activities. Required for students needing additional clinical hours to meet the AACN 1,000-hour requirement based on the number of MSN clinical hours completed. Each credit hour requires 60 clinical practice hours. *(Only required for students who need additional clinical practice hours based on the number of clinical hours completed in the MSN. The clinical hours are variable.)
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    Examination of processes underlying development of models and theories from nursing and health-related disciplines for practice. Analyze application in advanced practice to solve problems and improve outcomes. Theoretical knowledge from sciences is integrated with nursing science to guide APRN.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    Evolution and history of methods of epidemiology. Quantization of morbidity and mortality within populations. Overview of study design, data analysis, and inferences. Specific areas of acute and chronic disease epidemiology illustrate epidemiologic methods such as risk factor analysis, surveillance systems, and etiology of disease.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    Focuses on theories of ethics and implications for practice, including principles of genetics for individuals, families and populations at risk for genetic disorders. Topics in ethics and genetics are presented.

    Program Coursework Rotation Online (.PDF)

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