Doctor of Nursing Practice

Ball State University’s 100% online Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program is designed for nursing professionals who aspire to advance their careers and significantly impact healthcare and nursing practice. Our program is designed to fit the busy schedules of working nurses, offering a flexible and comprehensive online curriculum to help balance work, life, and education.

Learn from nationally recognized faculty members who are leaders in the nursing field. Our faculty are dedicated to providing personalized support and guidance throughout your educational journey.

The DNP program offers a rigorous curriculum that covers advanced clinical practice, healthcare policy, evidence-based practice, and leadership. You will gain the knowledge and skills needed to transform healthcare delivery and improve patient outcomes.

Contact Us

Have a question? Contact Melissa Matthews, Assistant Clinical Professor of Nursing and Graduate Programs Director.

Program Requirements 

The DNP program requires completion of at least 76-78 post-baccalaureate credits that also include clinical and practicum hours. While the DNP program requires completion of a scholarly project under the advisement of a nursing faculty member, a dissertation is not required. Clinicals and projects can be completed at your current workplace.

All DNP students, no matter the cognate, must complete the DNP Core Courses (24 credits), scholarship and research courses (14 credits). Family Nurse Practitioner and Nurse Educator Cognates must complete the 3 P’s courses (9 credits).

Family Nurse Practitioner Cognate

All DNP FNP Cognate students complete 31 credits within the DNP FNP Cognate Courses. In addition, all FNP cognate students will complete 1,000 clinical and practicum hours in these courses: NUR 634, NUR 781, NUR 782, NUR 783, NUR 785, and NUR 786.

Nurse Executive Cognate

All DNP Nurse Executive Cognate students complete 29 credits within the DNP Nurse Executive Cognate Courses. Also, Nurse Executive Cognate students must complete 750 clinical and practicum hours in these courses: NUR 618, NUR 787, and NUR 788.

Nurse Educator Cognate

All DNP Nurse Educator Cognate students complete 29 credits within the DNP Nurse Educator Cognate courses. Also, Nurse Educator Cognate students must complete 750 clinical and practicum hours in these courses: NUR 618, NUR 634, NUR 787, and NUR 788.

Learn More About the Course Requirements

To find out which courses are required for your chosen cognate, please visit the course catalog.

View Course Catalog

More about Online Learning

Ready to Apply?

Are you interested in pursuing this degree? Then you will need to meet our admissions criteria and apply.

Apply Now

State Authorizations

All students must reside in and complete all clinical hours in a state where the Ball State University School of Nursing is authorized to offer its programs. Students moving to a state where the master’s nursing program is not authorized will be unable to progress in the program.

Prior to applying, all prospective students need to visit the state authorizations website to determine if their state currently allows them to enroll at Ball State University for the master’s nursing program. The website and its links are updated on an as needed basis, so please check regularly for updates.