Doctor of Nursing Practice | New Degree for Advanced Practice Nurses

Advancing practice. Defining care.

The MGH Institute’s new Doctor of Nursing Practice program is at the forefront of educational change, preparing today’s advanced practice nurses for leadership roles in the increasingly complex management of health care delivery. The program was developed in response to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) 2004 decision that advanced practice nursing education should move from the master’s to the doctoral level by the year 2015.

Building on the MGH Institute’s current graduate-level nursing curriculum, the innovative DNP program provides an unmatched opportunity to build on your knowledge, expand your professional roles, and contribute to improved health care outcomes through practice, policy, and scholarship. Upon completion of your doctoral degree requirements, you will be prepared to provide leadership for health system change in a variety of settings—whether as a manager of quality initiatives, an executive in a health care organization, a director of clinical programs, or a faculty member responsible for clinical teaching and program delivery.

Applicants to the Doctor of Nursing Practice program, must be registered nurses who hold a master’s degree in nursing, or a BSN. (Applicants with a master’s or bachelor's degree in a field other than nursing must complete additional coursework.)

The curriculum includes 43 credits of instruction, with up to 18 credits that may be awarded for previous work through a post-admissions portfolio process. The curriculum includes an intensive, semester-long clinical residency culminating in an applied-practice capstone project.

As a pioneer in introducing the direct-entry master’s to nursing education in the 1980s, the School of Nursing continues to build upon nearly three decades of providing innovative career paths for advance practice nurses with this rigorous but flexible DNP program that offers:

• A resource-rich learning environment. As a member of the Partners HealthCare System, the MGH Institute draws on a rich diversity of teaching and clinical resources, such as Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham & Women’s Hospital, to provide you access to some of the best practitioners, researchers, and facilities in the region.
• A flexible program of study. To promote work/life balance for busy nursing professionals, the MGH Institute offers the option of full or part-time study, a mix of online and classroom instruction, and course schedules designed to accommodate the demands of career and family.
• Nationally recognized faculty. As an MGH Institute student, you are taught and mentored by educators who are actively engaged in practice, scholarship, or research, and are acknowledged experts in a variety of specializations.
• Unique electives. In addition to completing the core curriculum, you can choose from an array of elective courses in such areas as advanced clinical practice for nurse practitioners or clinical nurse specialists, teaching, global health, clinical investigation, informatics, and nursing administration.
• Exceptional practice opportunities. In addition to options at Partners HealthCare facilities, the progran has access to more than 600 clinical sites, including Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Network, and Newton-Wellesley Hospital, as well as regional health providers, such as Cambridge Health Alliance, Lahey Clinic Medical Center, and UMass Memorial Health Care.
• Real-world experience. In the residency phase of the DNP program, you will have the opportunity to apply your advanced interdisciplinary training by developing an independent capstone project that addresses a real clinical problem.

We invite you to join the small, select group of accomplished nursing professionals in the MGH Institute’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program.

View application deadlines for this program.

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To receive additional, detailed information about the Doctor of Nursing Practice, submit an online inquiry.

After you've reviewed the requested materials, if you still have program-specific questions related to applicability of certain prerequisite courses or the program's curriculum, please email the School of Nursing.