Nursing Practice (DNP): Online Program
Visit the program page to learn about the curriculum, faculty, career options, and more. You may also review the course descriptions. To request more information about this degree, fill out the form.
Apply to the Simmons Online DNP Program
Simmons partners with 2U to deliver the online DNP program. Please visit the online website for details on application requirements, application instructions, and more.
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Eligibility Requirements for the Doctor of Nursing Practice
You must be a US citizen or permanent resident and meet the educational, licensure, and experience requirements below. You also must have a current, unencumbered, and unrestricted US registered nurse (RN) license in an approved state.
BSN-DNP
- You must have earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or a Bachelor of Science with a nursing major from a regionally accredited US institution with a preferred GPA of at least 3.0. In rare cases, if your bachelor’s degree is from a nationally accredited university, you may be allowed to complete your application for review if approved by program leadership.
- You must have completed a 3-credit statistics course with a grade of C+ or better within the last seven years. If you do not meet this requirement, contact an admission counselor to discuss other options.
- There is no clinical hours requirement.
MSN-DNP
- You must have earned a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree from a regionally accredited US postsecondary institution with a preferred GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
- You must have successfully completed (with a grade of C+ or better) a 3-credit course in statistics. If you do not meet this requirement, please contact an admission counselor to discuss other fulfillment options.
- You must have at least two years of professional experience as a licensed registered nurse (RN). It is preferred that you also have either:
- Clinically focused experience: clinical excellence in their area of nursing expertise.
- Leadership-focused experience: progressive professional leadership experience.
- If you are a Simmons alum, you will be considered for the DNP program even if you have less than two years of RN experience.
- You must have completed at least 500 clinical hours in your master’s program. Verification is required if the MSN was not earned at Simmons.
Application Requirements
To be considered for admission to the BSN-DNP pathway or MSN-DNP program, you must submit the following:
- An online application
- An up-to-date résumé
- Statement of purpose
- Official transcripts from all institutions attended, whether or not a degree was earned.
- Two letters of recommendation
- English language proficiency exam result (if your primary language is not English)
| Fall (September) | Spring (January) | Summer (May) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing Practice (DNP): Online | Rolling | Rolling | Rolling |
Graduates of Simmons’ Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program are eligible for certain benefits as DNP applicants and students. Simmons MSN alumnae/i:
- May complete a streamlined application with fewer requirements
- Will have the $50 application fee waived
- May have up to 5 credits waived from the standard 30 program credits once accepted.
To receive these benefits, you must first connect with our admission team.