Doctor of Nursing Practice – Advanced Practice Nurse

A nurse practitioner sees a patient at her practice

Elevate Your Clinical Practice & Lead Healthcare Innovation

Brenau University’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) – Advanced Practice Nurse is tailored for students with a Master of Science in Nursing committed to advancing their leadership roles, transforming patient care, improving healthcare systems, and advancing nursing practice. This 7-semester, hybrid program blends online coursework, faculty mentorship, and a practice-based scholarly project to prepare graduates for expert-level clinical practice and leadership roles. This degree does not prepare students to sit for advanced practice certification exams.

Interested in pursuing a nurse practitioner certification along with your program?
Add one of the following in as few as two semesters:

  • Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP)
    • 2 semesters with an NP certification, 4 semesters without
  • Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)
    • 4 semesters
  • Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)
    • 4 semesters

Program Overview

  • Design and execute a DNP project grounded in evidence-based practice that addresses a real-world clinical or system-level problem, evaluates outcomes, and generates practice recommendations
  • Develop your capstone project with one-on-one faculty mentorship over a four-course sequence focusing on identification, development, implementation, and outcomes evaluation and dissemination
  • Receive personalized advisement from experienced nurse leaders and academic scholars to support project planning, implementation, and dissemination

What You’ll Learn

  • Deliver expert-level, evidence-based advanced practice and leadership  systems-level reasoning, planning, and decision-making in complex and evolving patient care environments.
  • Implement population health and genomics-informed interventions to assess risk, anticipate health priorities, and customize healthcare processes for health systems, individuals and communities.
  • Leverage health informatics and telehealth tools and apply digital health strategies, data analytics, and information systems to enhance chronic disease monitoring, patient safety, care coordination, and health promotion.
  • Function as expert clinician-leader who engages effectively with CEOs, physicians, public health professionals, pharmacists, and other stakeholders to optimize care delivery and transitions.
  • Execute a scholarly DNP capstone that translates research into practice, demonstrates measurable improvements in outcomes, and provides actionable recommendations for broader adoption.
  • Semester 1
    • NG 901— Bioethics in Advanced Practice Nursing 3
    • HS 901— Biostatistics 3
  • Semester 2
    • HS 902— Epidemiology 3
    • NG 903—Health Care Financing and Economics 3
  • Semester 3
    • NG 906—Project Identification 3
    • NG 907— Health Care Systems, Policy and Law 3
  • Semester 4
    • NG 905— Methods for Evidence-Based Practice 3
    • NG 908— Project Development 3
  • Semester 5
    • NG 904— Strategic Management and Leadership 3
    • NG 909— Informatics for Health Care 3
  • Semester 6
    • 902—Genomics and Population Health 3
    • NG 910A—Project Implementation 3
  • Semester 7
    • NG 911—Project outcomes evaluation and Dissemination 4

Admission Requirements

  • 3.0 minimum GPA on all college transcripts 
  • Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from an accredited university (master’s degrees in other disciplines are considered on a case-by-case basis.
  • Evidence of a statistics course 
  • One year experience as an advanced practice nurse in a direct care or leadership/management role
  • Current nursing license in the state of practice
  • Interview upon request

Related programs

  • Ivester College of Health Sciences, Nursing

    Doctor of Nursing Practice – Leadership & Management

    Doctoral / DNP
  • Ivester College of Health Sciences, Nursing

    Family Nurse Practitioner Post-Master’s Certificate

    Certificate, Graduate, Post Graduate / Certificate
  • Ivester College of Health Sciences, Nursing

    Master of Science in Nursing – Family Nurse Practitioner

    Graduate / MSN

Estimated Cost of Attendance

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Based on full-time enrollment (6 credits) and a 9-month period of enrollment (Fall & Spring semesters).

Tuition for Active Duty Military personnel, dependents and spouses is discounted. Information regarding Cost of Attendance for military, veterans and family is available on our Military and Veteran Student Admissions page.