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Online DNP Program with Five 2-Day On-Campus Intensives

Doctorate in Nursing Practice, DNP

Elevate your nursing career and position yourself for success as a leader in today's ever-changing health care system.

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Please Note: Test requirements for most graduate applications have been temporarily waived. Learn more.

Lead the Future of Patient Care

Making a difference in the lives of patients has always been at the heart of nursing. Build on your foundation as a nurse and lead the future of patient care through UMass Lowell's online Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP).

With this 11-course DNP program, you will build your expertise in evidence-based health care and leadership skills, and become a clinical expert with the depth required to improve health care quality, formulate policies and teach others.

Designed for those who hold a master of science degree in nursing, this post-master's degree can be completed in two years when pursued full-time, or in three years when pursued on a part-time basis. While courses are delivered online, the program also features five 2-day on-campus intensives that offer valuable networking, mentoring and scholarship opportunities.

Quick 2 Years

Earn Your DNP in as Little as Two Years

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One of the Most Affordable Tuitions in the Nation

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Variety of Financial Aid and Scholarships Available

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Why Should You Choose UMass Lowell for Your Online DNP?

  • Earn a highly respected degree from a school that is ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the Best Nursing Schools for a Doctor of Nursing Practice
  • Get personalized teaching and support from distinguished nursing faculty with real-world industry experience
  • Pursue eligibility for the Nurse Faculty Loan Program, where 85% of tuition and fees are covered
  • Learn from an early pioneer in online education, with nearly 25 years of experience delivering online programs

Career Outlook

Current industry trends recommend that all APRNs be prepared at the highest levels of nursing practice with a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree by 2025. This industry shift prompted UMass Lowell to expand the DNP program to an online format, providing individuals with greater access to a high-quality DNP degree from a nonprofit public university.

Overall employment of nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives and nurse practitioners is projected to grow 26 percent from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations. The median annual wage for nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives and nurse practitioners was $115,800 in May 2019.
—U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2020

Transforming Health Care Through Leadership

The interdisciplinary curriculum in the online DNP offers in-depth knowledge in evaluation research, health policy, organizational leadership, financing, evidence-based practice and health care informatics. Graduates will also build advocacy skills that are essential in influencing governmental and organizational policy decisions.

Low-Residency On-Campus Intensives

Built into the online DNP program are five 2-day on-campus intensives that provide students with the opportunity for face-to-face interaction with peers and faculty. The first intensive is a comprehensive orientation introducing students to the university, faculty, online technology and fellow students. Later intensives include guest speakers, presentations, development of scholarly projects, networking events and more, along with optional tours and field trips.

CCNE Badge

A Fully Accredited Degree from a Name You Can Trust

Offered through UMass Lowell's Solomont School of Nursing, the Doctor of Nursing Practice is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN).

Have Questions?

For more information about the Doctorate in Nursing Practice, DNP, please contact Susan Parker, DNP, APRN, GNP-BC, ACHPN at Susan_Parker1@uml.edu.

Curriculum Outline

- 11 Courses / 33 Credits

  • PUBH.6070 Healthcare Information Systems (3cr) - Available Fall 2021!
  • NURS.7740 Scholarly Project Design* (3cr)
  • XXXX.XXXX Elective
  • NURS.7720 Scholarly Project Implementation* (3cr)
  • NURS.7730 Evidence Dissemination, Advocacy & Policy* (3cr)
*Courses for the scholarly project must be taken in sequence.

Program Requirements

To be recommended for a University of Massachusetts Lowell master's degree, candidates must satisfy all of the general requirements below, plus any additional requirements that may be required by the department through which the program is offered. Any additional requirements for this program are either listed below or may be found in the University's Graduate Program Catalog.

General Requirements:

  • Students must complete the program of study designed by the department in which he or she is enrolled and approved by the University.
  • Satisfactory grades in all subjects offered for the degree must be earned (See Academic Standing).
  • All financial obligations, including tuition, fees, and expenses, must be satisfied as evidenced by completion.
  • Upon completion of all their courses, graduate degree candidates must submit a signed Declaration of Intent to Graduate (DIG) form to their coordinator. The coordinator will apply them in SIS, Graduation Tracking.

Graduate Program Policies

In applying for a degree program or registering for courses, each student assumes full responsibility for knowledge of and compliance with the definitions, regulations and procedures of UMass Lowell as set forth on our website. For additional information, please refer to the Graduate Program Policies found within the UMass Lowell Graduate Catalog.

Course Descriptions

This course provides an in-depth exploration of the concepts and methods of epidemiological research. Students will critique the principles of epidemiology with an emphasis on health promotion research. Students will analyze and develop epidemiological approaches, which seek to promote health and prevent disease. 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

CSCE Graduate Restrictions

This course focus is on the basic concepts of evaluation research and their application to education, health and social programs. Specific design and analytic approaches that effect quality evaluation research will be reviewed. Students will design a mock evaluation study. Prerequisites: Completion of a graduate level research methods course 3 credits.

In this course the student will explore the role of the DNP in evaluating evidence to inform practice. The student will also identify a critical issue or influential trend within the health care system that impacts health care delivery. Methods relevant to reviewing, analyzing, synthesizing, and applying evidence from the scientific literature will be discussed. Models of systematic reviews of the literature will be explored and implemented. Decisions will be made relative to the student's topical area of interest and identification of the Scholarly Project Chair. 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

NURS.7070 Epidemiology of Health Promotion, and Must be a matriculating student in DNP program or needs permission of instructor.

This course consists of a seminar and leadership experience. The seminar will explore the major concepts in leadership and management and their application in the health care setting. The role of DNP will also be discussed in terms of leadership in the health policy, education, and clinical settings. A leadership project will be completed by the end of the semester. 3 credits.

In this course, students will implement their DNP Projects according to DNP Scholarly Project guidelines. Building on the course work of previous semesters, students will share progress on their projects and discuss issues related to implementation. Course work will guide students through the phases of implementation and evaluation. 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

Pre-Req: NURS.7700 Evidence-Based Practice.

this course will include a weekly seminar. The students will complete the scholarly project by undertaking dissemination activities. The student will analyze policies influencing DNP practice and quality, cost, and access to health care and participate in the policy making process. 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

NURS 7700 Evidence Appraisal, NURS 7720 Scholarly Project Implementation, NURS 7740 Scholarly Project Design.

In this course, the student will design and present the Scholarly Project proposal. Students will meet biweekly with the scholarly project chair to develop the DNP scholarly project using knowledge acquired in previous course work. Students will complete a University of Massachusetts Lowell Institutional Review Board application that considers ethical and cultural issues related to the scholarly project. 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

Pre-Req: NURS.7700 Evidence-Based Practice.

This course focuses on a multi-disciplinary approach to operations analysis, process redesign and quality improvement in health care. Focus is placed on the tools, methods and processes used for improving work flow processes, patient safety and performance in a variety of health care settings. Students study the history, development and principles of quality improvement in healthcare. 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

Graduate level or permission

This is a practical course in biostatistical methods for health research. Emphasis is placed on developing an understanding of the use and interpretation of standard biostatistical methods. Topics include probability and sampling distributions, regression and ANOVA, methods for analyzing rates and proportions, power and sample size calculations. Students will gain experience in using a statistical software package to apply and expand their data analysis skills. 3 credits.

This course provides a broad-range overview of the healthcare information systems industry, its history, recent developments and continuing challenges, as well as a practical understanding of healthcare information systems acquisition and implementation. Topics include EMR, Data, CMS Quality Programs, Clinical Integration and health information exchange. 3 credits.

Tuition & Fees

At UMass Lowell, we believe that students should have as much information as possible up front so they can make informed decisions before enrolling in a degree program or signing up for a course.

Tuition for all undergraduate courses offered through the Division of Graduate, Online & Professional Studies is the same for both in-state and out-of-state students. Tuition for all online graduate courses is also the same for both in-state and out-of-state students. Tuition is priced per credit. To calculate the tuition for a course, simply multiply the per-credit tuition by the total number of credits per course. Exception: If the total number of course contact hours is greater than the total number of credits, the per-credit tuition is instead multiplied by the total number of contact hours.

Fall 2021 Tuition

 Per Credit / Contact Hour
Graduate Online Courses
(Except Graduate Online Business*, IT, Engineering and Education Courses)
 $575.00
Graduate Online Business* Courses $655.00
Graduate Online IT and Engineering Courses** $590.00

*Applies to courses with the following prefixes: ACCT, BUSI, ENTR, FINA, MGMT, MKTG, MIST, POMS offered through the Manning School of Business

**Applies to courses with the following prefixes: CHEN, CIVE, EECE, ENGN, MECH, PLAS offered through the Francis College of Engineering. Applies also to MSIT courses in the Master's in Information Technology, Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity and the Graduate Certificate in Systems Models and Management.

The cost to audit a course will be charged the rates listed above.

Additional Fees
Registration Fee per Term $30.00
Late Fee for Nonpayment $50.00
Fee for Graduate Degree and Certificate Applications $50.00

Looking for Financial Assistance?

UMass Lowell offers a variety of financial aid and scholarship options.
Learn More »
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Registration

Current students can register using SiS Self-Service. New students who have not already applied and been accepted to a program must use the Non-Degree Registration Form.

You can take courses without being officially enrolled in a certificate or degree program, but you must meet course prerequisites. Registrations are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Class size is limited. We recommend that you register early to reserve your place in class.

For more information, please visit our Registration Page.

New Students

If you have not already applied and been accepted to a program.
Register with Non-Degree Reg. Form

Current Students

If you have applied, been accepted to and are currently enrolled in a program.
Register with SIS Self-Service

Questions?

Email our Advising Center for assistance, or call 800-480-3190 to speak with an advisor.

Please Note: While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information presented within this website, the Division of Graduate, Online & Professional Studies reserves the right to implement new rules and regulations and to make changes of any nature in its program, calendar, locations, tuition and fees. Whenever possible, appropriate notice of such changes will be given before they become effective. In applying for a degree program or registering for courses, each student assumes full responsibility for knowledge of and compliance with the definitions, regulations and procedures of UMass Lowell as set forth on our website. For additional information, please refer to the Graduate Program Policies found within the UMass Lowell Graduate Catalog.

Career Outlook

To help you make an informed decision about continuing your education, we access real-time labor market data to provide up-to-the-minute employment information including:

  • Job postings for the occupations this program will prepare you to pursue
  • Demand for specific positions within the industry
  • Salary information (nationwide and by region)
  • Expected career growth rate over the next 10 years vs. total labor market growth rate

With this information, you'll have a clear understanding of the return on investment you can expect from this program and which skills can help you to further increase your earning power.

Information provided by Burning Glass Technologies

Admissions Requirements

  • Master of Science in Nursing with APRN (Advanced Practice Registered Nurse) preparation with national certification as an APRN or board eligible for certification OR Master of Science in Nursing with a current RN license.
  • Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 in a nursing master's degree program (3.3 GPA preferred).
  • 500 master's or post-master's practicum hours. Applicants who are not APRNs must provide evidence of practice hour equivalents from their master's program or ANCC certification in their area of practice, which affords 250 hours.
  • Virtual interview with nursing faculty.
  • No GRE required.

Applying into a Graduate Degree Program

All applicants must submit:
Note: Students have up to five years to complete the program.

Applications can be completed and submitted at any time during the year. Each application is processed — and each applicant notified — as soon as all admissions materials have been received and reviewed. For additional details, please visit https://www.uml.edu/grad/.

Please Note: Test requirements for graduate applications have been temporarily waived. Learn more.
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Questions Regarding Your Graduate Application?

Email Graduate_Admissions@uml.edu or call 800-656-4723 (for U.S. students) or 978-934-2390 (for international students).

For General Assistance:

For general questions about registering for courses or to find out who the advisor is for your graduate program, call 800-480-3190. Our admissions and advising teams are here to help!

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