You've mastered nursing practice. Now lead the systems that shape it. Florida Southern's online, post-master's DNP prepares experienced nurses to take on top leadership roles in healthcare policy, finance, systems, and strategy, empowering you to drive change across the profession.
This leadership-focused, post-master’s program prepares you in healthcare policy and advocacy, finance, information systems, project management, and organizational leadership, giving you the knowledge and skills you need for upward career mobility and broader opportunities across the healthcare continuum. Become an innovative nurse leader and shape the future of health care.
At Florida Southern, you're a colleague, not a cohort number. Our intimate program means faculty who know you, mentor you, and are genuinely invested in your success: the kind of close, responsive relationships that are hard to find in a large online program. As one graduate put it, she chose FSC because "a smaller college would provide a more involved faculty and dedicated staff. And that turned out to be true."
You've built a career. This program is designed to build on it, not interrupt it. The DNP is fully online, with a curriculum our graduates describe as "well suited to manage work/home life with school." You'll advance toward the highest level of your profession without stepping away from it.
There's no substitute for experience. Our DNP faculty bring diverse, real-world leadership backgrounds to prepare you for the challenges you'll actually face as a health systems leader, with the mentorship to match. Graduates consistently point to individual faculty by name as the difference-maker in their success.
Our graduates don't just finish the DNP; they move up. One was promoted to Regional Medical Director shortly after graduating. The program builds concrete, applicable expertise, from project planning and business plan development to systems improvement, that translates directly into higher-level leadership roles.
Through the DNP project and practicum, you solve real problems in real healthcare organizations, putting evidence into practice where it matters most. You leave not with a thesis on a shelf, but with change you've already driven in a working health system.
The DNP is competitively priced, out-of-state students pay the same rate, and the fully online format makes it an efficient, accessible path to nursing's terminal practice degree, wherever you live. And it's an investment that pays off: 100% of our DNP Class of 2025 were placed, and doctorally prepared nurses command among the highest salaries in the profession.
DNP students develop a broad set of advanced nursing and leadership competencies defined by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL). Upon completing the program, you will be able to:
Admission to the DNP program is open to nurses who already hold a master's degree in nursing. Here's what you'll need to apply.
International students must also submit the following:
** SpanTran (discount available), Academic Evaluation Services, Inc., Josef Silny, or World Education Services or another similar approved transcript evaluation agency.
*** A bank letter is a written statement on bank letterhead and signed by a bank official.
**** Must have completed an English language training program or at least one year at an English speaking institution to waive the TOEFL/IELTS testing requirement.
Fully Online. Our program offers fully online coursework.
|
Course Number |
Course Name |
|---|---|
|
DNP 7100 |
Evidence-Based Practice and Quality Improvement Models for Health Care Transformation |
|
DNP 7110 |
Leadership and Interprofessional Practice |
|
DNP 7120 |
Introduction to DNP Project |
|
DNP 7200 |
Scientific and Scholarly Writing |
|
DNP 7210 |
Health Care Business, Financial, and Quality Management |
|
DNP 7300 |
Research Principles and Concepts for Evidence-Based Practice |
|
DNP 7310 |
Data Analytics for Evidence-Based Practice |
|
DNP 7400 |
Population Health Assessment and Improvement |
|
DNP 7410 |
Health Policy and Advocacy in Health Care |
|
DNP 7420 |
Information Management and Technology |
|
DNP 7500 |
DNP Project and Practicum I |
|
DNP 7510 |
DNP Project and Practicum II |
|
DNP 7520 |
DNP Project and Practicum III |
|
DNP 7530 |
DNP Project and Practicum IV |
|
Base Required Fees |
Cost |
|---|---|
|
Tuition Per Credit Hour |
$775 |
|
Technology Fee per Semester (based on credit hours enrolled) |
$25 to $100 |
$500 Non-Refundable Enrollment Deposit (upon acceptance and applied toward your first semester tuition balance)
Tuition will be billed prior to the beginning of each semester based on credit hours. Tuition must be paid by the first day of class.
Florida Southern’s DNP is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), the national standard employers and certifying bodies expect.
Accreditation signals that the program meets rigorous standards for curriculum, faculty, and student outcomes. With CCNE accreditation, your degree is recognized nationwide, your credits transfer, and your credential is respected wherever your career takes you.
The Doctor of Nursing Practice program at Florida Southern College is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.
"I chose FSC for a number of reasons, primarily because of the reputation of the college. After speaking with other alumni students, I was sold. During my campus visit, I met such wonderful staff who made me feel accepted, even prior to applying. I truly love FSC, and the staff is amazing. The faculty were the main reason I remained at FSC to complete my BSN, MSN, and DNP! It was not an easy journey, but the journey was well worth it. Shortly after graduating from the DNP program, I was promoted to Regional Medical Director with my company."
"The DNP degree has elevated my ability to evaluate clinical practices, implement evidence-based improvements, and effectively lead healthcare teams. The program's multifaceted approach, focusing on clinical practice, leadership, and process improvement, has made me a more effective healthcare provider. Dr. Jenkins's leadership course was particularly impactful, enhancing my communication skills and ability to collaborate with colleagues. The program's emphasis on developing and evaluating DNP projects has also been crucial in refining my approach to healthcare delivery."
"FSC stood out to me because, for this degree, I knew a smaller college would provide a more involved faculty and dedicated staff. And that turned out to be true. The faculty was dedicated and attentive to our needs as students, and my program allowed me to drastically improve my ability to write and do research. I am forever grateful to FSC for a wonderful educational experience."
"The DNP curriculum is well suited to manage work/home life with school. The student-to-faculty ratio definitely enhances my learning. I now have a much better understanding of project planning, business plan development, and implementing systems improvements in the workplace. I found the faculty very supportive; my overall experience with Florida Southern was excellent!"
Earn your DNP from a nursing school ranked among the nation’s best. The Ann Blanton Edwards School of Nursing and Health Sciences develops leaders who deliver quality care for diverse populations, and its programs recently earned the maximum ten-year CCNE accreditation.
You'll learn from faculty who are leaders in their fields, including endowed chairs in pediatric nursing and nursing simulation, and join an alumni network of nurses making a difference at some of the country's most respected healthcare institutions. It's the foundation behind your degree, and behind the nurse leader you're becoming.
Yes. Florida Southern's DNP is a post-master's program. You'll need a master's degree in nursing from an accredited program, with the full eligibility details listed in our admission requirements.
The DNP can be completed in as few as two years. Because the program is fully online and built around a working nurse's schedule, you can progress at a pace that fits your life.
No, the DNP is fully online.
Yes. The program is designed for practicing nurses. Its fully online format and flexible scheduling let you keep working while you earn your doctorate, and your DNP project is completed within a real healthcare organization, often your own workplace.
Rather than direct patient practice, Florida Southern's DNP program focuses on nursing leadership, administration, healthcare policy and advocacy, and project management.
The DNP project is the capstone of your program. Rather than a research dissertation, it's an evidence-based practice project where you identify a real problem in a healthcare organization and design, implement, and evaluate a solution, applying what you've learned where it matters most.
While both are terminal degrees in nursing, the DNP focuses on practice in direct and indirect care roles, while the PhD focuses on nursing research. Indirect care roles include healthcare leadership or administration, health policy, and informatics.
No, we do not require the GRE for consideration for admission to our nursing programs.
Yes. Florida Southern's DNP is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), which ensures your degree is recognized nationwide and valued by employers.
Yes. The program is fully online and out-of-state students pay the same tuition rate. Nurses from across the country complete the FSC DNP.
Join us to learn more about our Doctor of Nursing Practice program and what sets it apart. Hear from our program director and your admission counselor about the course plan, next steps for admission, and the support you will have throughout your DNP project.
Join us to learn more about our Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program and what sets it apart...
Admissions
Join us to learn more about our Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program and what sets it apart...
Admissions
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Associate Professor of Nursing, Senior Director - Graduate Nursing Programs
You've built your career in nursing. Now take it to the highest level. Whether you're ready to apply or still have questions, we're here to help.
