The Post-MSN DNP degree requires a minimum of 38 credit hours and 1,000 total clinical practicum hours. You may transfer up to 475 clinical hours from your MSN into the DNP. Those with fewer than 475 clinical hours from their MSN degree program can take additional credits to earn needed hours prior to starting the program.

Courses are offered in online and hybrid-distance formats that combine the flexibility of online learning with meaningful, real-time interactions with peers and faculty. Most core courses are offered in eight-week formats to help busy professionals better manage their responsibilities by being able to focus on fewer classes at a time.

The Post-MSN DNP features a peer-cohort model with a two-year full-time or three-year part-time plan of study in which students move through coursework together, allowing students to support each other throughout the program and develop into a professional network of leaders post-graduation. 

There are no required campus visits in the Post-MSN DNP program, however, students are invited to participate in on-campus experiences such as the Health Policy Intensive which includes a visit to the Indiana Statehouse, and Scholar Day, a day of sharing scholarship with peers, faculty, clinical partners, and undergraduate nursing students.

All students complete a DNP project under the guidance of faculty and nurse leader mentors. For Advanced Clinical track students, projects may focus on improving outcomes through evidence-based guidelines, implementing quality and performance improvement initiatives, policy analysis, or the design of new practice models.