Program Overview
Expand Your Nursing Expertise With the Online DNP – Leadership Program
Advance your practice with the online Doctor of Nursing Practice – Leadership from Arkansas State University. Strengthen your abilities in leadership, clinical studies and theoretical models while simultaneously responding to the rising demand for nursing leaders and directors. Whether you are seeking specialized credentials and cutting-edge knowledge for a promotion, or if you’re aiming to excel in your current position, this doctorate empowers you to flourish as a healthcare leader in any professional setting.



Lead innovative solutions to systemic challenges in healthcare when you engage with the cutting-edge, accessible and 100% online coursework in the DNP – Leadership program from A-State. Examine models of leadership and ways they are effectively used in the healthcare setting; study quality improvements in healthcare management while learning about current regulation rationales; and understand applications of healthcare economics in the context of nursing practice, nursing leadership and healthcare delivery. Use your leadership skills, real-world experiences and advanced knowledge to effectively discover, address and solve challenges in healthcare organizations.
Personalize this ACEN-accredited doctoral leadership program and make it relevant to your professional goals when you identify your areas of interest for study and complete the clinical requirements—and correlating assignments—in the context of your workplace. From health informatics to alternate population health, this online DNP – Leadership program delves deeply into contemporary topics that will prepare you to pilot innovative change in a dynamic healthcare environment.

The Doctor of Nursing Practice – Leadership program in the College of Nursing & Health Professions at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Arkansas, is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). Contact ACEN by mail at 3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400, Atlanta, GA 30326, by phone at 404-975-5000, or visit acenursing.org.
In this online DNP – Leadership program, you will learn how to:
- Demonstrate impact of implementations of academic research results in a healthcare organization
- Understand the drivers of effective healthcare delivery and design/implement systems to address gaps within healthcare organizations
- 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 educator roles in healthcare, including:
- Nursing Director
- >Chief Nursing Officer
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.
Tuition
A-State’s Affordable Tuition Makes Advancement Easy
Our online DNP – Leadership program offers the same affordable, pay-by-the-course tuition to all U.S. residents. All administrative fees are included.


Per Credit Hour | Per 3 HR. Course | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
U.S. Resident Tuition | Required Fees | Total | U.S. Resident Tuition | Required Fees | Total |
$400.00 | $40.00 | $440.00 | $1,200.00 | $120.00 | $1,320.00 |
Calendar
Remember These Important Dates and Deadlines
Ideal for working nurses, Arkansas State online programs are delivered in an accelerated format with multiple start dates each year.
Next Start & Application Due Dates:


Term | Length | Course Begin | Course End | Application Deadline | Document Deadline | Registration Deadline | Payment Deadline | Last Day to Withdraw |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Spring 2023 | 7 wk | 03/06/2023 | 04/28/2023 | 02/20/2022 | 02/24/2022 | 03/02/2023 | 03/03/2023 | 04/15/2023 |
Summer 2023 | 7 wk | 05/08/2023 | 06/23/2023 | 04/24/2023 | 04/28/2023 | 05/04/2023 | 05/05/2023 | 06/09/2023 |
7 wk | 06/26/2023 | 08/11/2023 | 06/12/2023 | 06/16/2023 | 06/22/2023 | 06/23/2023 | 07/28/2023 | |
Fall 2023 | 7 wk | 08/21/2023 | 10/06/2023 | 08/07/2023 | 08/11/2023 | 08/17/2023 | 08/18/2023 | 09/22/2023 |
7 wk | 10/16/2023 | 12/08/2023 | 10/02/2023 | 10/06/2023 | 10/12/2023 | 10/13/2023 | 11/17/2023 |
Admissions
Being Admitted to Our Online DNP – Leadership 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 – Leadership program must have a Master of Science in Nursing degree from a CCNE, COA, ACEN or CNEA accredited program and a current unencumbered license.
- 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
- Graduate cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
- Official transcript(s) submitted by the registrar of any college/university you have attended. Official transcripts are sealed transcripts sent from the granting institution
- 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.
Additional Information
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
Request all official transcripts be sent directly to A-State from all colleges or universities attended. Save time by requesting transcripts be sent electronically or send all required documents to:
Submit all documents to:
A-State OnlineP.O. Box 2520
State University, AR 72467
Fax: 870-972-3548
Email: [email protected]
For Non-US Postal Mail Overnight Delivery Only:
Academic Partnershipsc/o Central Receiving
2713 Pawnee St.
Jonesboro, AR 72401
Courses
Combine cutting-edge theories with real-world experiences
To finish the online DNP – Leadership program, you must complete a total of 36 credit hours. There are nine hours of concentration courses.
NURS 881V may or may not be required depending on clinical hours needed.
NURS 8123: Leadership, Policy, and Healthcare Systems
Duration: 7 weeks | Credit Hours: 3
Analyze leadership and organizational theories, evaluate healthcare delivery systems, and examine the role of the DNP in influencing policy in health care delivery, outcomes and professional nursing.
NURS 8143: Healthcare Finance in Advanced Nursing
Duration: 7 weeks | Credit Hours: 3
This course 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.
NURS 8153: Healthcare Informatics in Advanced Nursing
Duration: 7 weeks | Credit Hours: 3
This course 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.
NURS 8213: Translational Research for Doctor of Nursing Practice I
Duration: 7 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.
NURS 8223: Translational Research for Doctor of Nursing Practice II
Duration: 7 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.
NURS 8263: DNP Project
Duration: 7 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.
NURS 8313: DNP Internship I (180 clinical hours)
Duration: 7 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.
NURS 8323: DNP Internship II (180 clinical hours)
Duration: 7 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.
NURS 8333: DNP Internship III (180 clinical hours)
Duration: 7 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.
NURS 881V: DNP Internship IV
Duration: 7 weeks | Credit Hours: 1-5
Internship is the 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.)
NURS 5113: Leadership in Health Professions
Duration: 7 weeks | Credit Hours: 3
This course examines models of leadership, both historical and contemporary, and how these models can be applied in the healthcare setting.
HP 6323: Healthcare Law and Quality Improvement
Duration: 7 weeks | Credit Hours: 3
A study of law and quality improvement in healthcare management that will consider an overview of the role and the primary regulation promulgated by public and private regulators of healthcare, and statistical process controls to improve the quality of healthcare services. Nursing administration students must take prior to enrollment in first clinical course.
NURS 6353: Budgeting and Financial Management
Duration: 7 weeks | Credit Hours: 3
This course will provide an understanding of theoretical and practical applications of healthcare economies and incorporate these concepts into nursing practice, nursing leadership and healthcare delivery. Emphasis is on financial planning, budgeting, and reimbursement. Nursing administration students must take prior to enrollment in first clinical course.