DNP vs. PhD in Nursing: What’s the Difference?
Learn about DNP vs. PhD programs to take your nursing education to the next level. Start a career improving healthcare by earning a DNP degree at GCU.
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02/13/2025
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When it comes to advancing your nursing education, it’s important to explore all the options available to you. If you’re looking to achieve the highest level of nursing education, you may be wondering about the differences between a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program vs. a PhD in Nursing. Although there are similarities, it’s essential to understand the differences so you can effectively choose the degree program that fits your career aspirations.
Although DNPs and nursing PhDs both work with research, there are differences within each program that may make one a better fit for your goals.
A DNP program is extremely practice-focused. This degree is meant to guide nurses to apply current research to improve healthcare systems and thereby enhance patient outcomes. Students will learn many valuable skills and information pertaining to nursing practice through a rigorous curriculum, including courses such as:
These courses and the hands-on learning aspects of a doctorate in nursing program prepares students to pursue leadership roles within the nursing field and at the forefront of patient care. Specialization options for graduates may include:
Depending on the school and program, a PhD in nursing is often rooted in research instead of clinical practice. In this program, nurses learn to conduct original research to add to the body of academic theory and nursing knowledge. As you might expect, a PhD in Nursing may likely lead to a career that is heavily focused on research and academics rather than directly into the field of patient care.
Graduates may specialize in a multitude of careers in nursing with this degree, which may include careers in nurse education, teaching the next generation of nurses and working as a nurse researcher, conducting research to advance the profession of nursing in a variety of subject matters. Because those who earn a PhD in Nursing create new knowledge through their findings, they are more likely to work with information rather than directly with patients.
Completion time for a DNP vs. a PhD in Nursing will differ depending on the learner’s academic goals and the way in which they pace their learning, so there is no way to predict how long it will take to complete a DNP or a PhD.
Regardless of whether you choose to pursue a DNP or a PhD in Nursing, some form of a final project will be required to complete the degree. For most doctorate in nursing programs, this is an extensive project presenting an issue and describing how addressing it will improve patient care. This final project may involve an array of different elements, depending on the chosen program. Ultimately, the goal of this project is to include patient care through real-world solutions that can be carried out in the field. Those in a DNP program will also need many hours of practicum/field experience to complete their program.
For a PhD in Nursing student, a dissertation is usually the final project of the program. Like any other dissertation, this final project adds to the existing body of knowledge through original research done by the learner rather than finding a solution to an existing issue, which is the goal of a DNP final project.
While deciding whether to choose a DNP vs. PhD in Nursing, the most helpful tool is to consider your career goals and what type of nursing profession you want to pursue. If you are passionate about conducting research or teaching the next generation of nurses, then a PhD in Nursing may be the right fit for you.
However, if you enjoy working with others, making a positive difference in the lives of patients and want to be a leader in your field, then consider pursing a DNP. This may allow you to advance to the top of your field in patient care within a variety of different settings such as hospitals, clinics, public health offices and even independent practice.
It may also be helpful to take a look at career growth and salary within these fields. For example, as of May 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Outlook Handbook estimates job growth for nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives and nurse practitioners to increase by about 45% from 2020 to 2030 — faster than the average for all professions — accounting for an estimated increase of 121,400 jobs in the field.4 According to the BLS, these professionals have a median annual wage of $123,780.5
Also, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook estimates job growth for medical and health services managers to increase by about 32% from 2019 to 2029 — faster than the average for all professions — accounting for an estimated increase of 133,200 jobs in the field.6 As of May 2020, these professionals have a median annual wage of $104,280 as of May 2020.7
In addition to considering the type of career you want to have, be sure to explore the options available when it comes to earning your education. For example, earning your nursing degree online may be a great option if you’re already a busy professional. This can allow you to gain the knowledge necessary to take your career farther without having to sacrifice your current occupation to pursue higher education online.
Grand Canyon University aims to provide an exceptional academic experience for every student. The College of Nursing and Health Care Professions offers a variety of terminal degrees, including the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree to help you reach the top of your field.
Retrieved from:
1 American Association of Nurse Practitioners, What’s a Nurse Practitioner (NP)? in October 2022
2 O*NET OnLine, Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary in October 2022
3 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, What Medical and Health Services Managers Do in October 2022
4 COVID-19 has adversely affected the global economy and data from 2020 may be atypical compared to prior years. The pandemic may impact the predicted future workforce outcomes indicated by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics as well. Accordingly, data shown is based on September 2021, which can be found here: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives and Nurse Practitioners.
5 The earnings referenced were reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (“BLS”), Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives and Nurse Practitioners as of May 2021, retrieved on 7/15/2022. Due to COVID-19, data from 2020 may be atypical compared to prior years. The pandemic may also impact the predicted future workforce outcomes indicated by the BLS. BLS calculates the median using salaries of workers from across the country with varying levels of education and experience and does not reflect the earnings of GCU graduates as nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives and nurse practitioners. It does not reflect earnings of workers in one city or region of the country. It also does not reflect a typical entry-level salary. Median income is the statistical midpoint for the range of salaries in a specific occupation. It represents what you would earn if you were paid more money than half the workers in an occupation, and less than half the workers in an occupation. It may give you a basis to estimate what you might earn at some point if you enter this career. You may also wish to compare median salaries if you are considering more than one career path. Grand Canyon University can make no guarantees on individual graduates’ salaries as the employer the graduate chooses to apply to, and accept employment from, determines salary not only based on education, but also individual characteristics and skills and fit to that organization (among other characteristics) against a pool of candidates.
6 COVID-19 has adversely affected the global economy and data from 2020 may be atypical compared to prior years. The pandemic may impact the predicted future workforce outcomes indicated by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics as well. Accordingly, data shown is based on 2019, which can be found here: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Medical and Health Services Managers.
7 The earnings referenced were reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (“BLS”), Medical and Health Services Managers as of May 2020. Due to COVID-19, data from 2020 may be atypical compared to prior years. The pandemic may also impact the predicted future workforce outcomes indicated by the BLS. BLS calculates the median using the salaries of workers from across the country with varying levels of education and experience and does not reflect the earnings of GCU graduates as Medical and Health Services Managers. It does not reflect the earnings of workers in one city or region of the country. It does not reflect a typical entry-level salary. Median income is the statistical midpoint for the range of salaries in a specific occupation. It represents what you would earn if you were paid more money than half the workers in an occupation, and less than half the workers in an occupation. It may give you a basis to estimate what you might earn at some point if you enter this career. You may also wish to compare median salaries if you are considering more than one career path.
Approved by the Dean of the College of Nursing and Health Care Professions.
