We're here to help.
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree at Grand Canyon University can be an ideal option for nurse leaders, including nurse informaticists and advanced practice registered nurses, who wish to remain on the forefront of patient care. In this online DNP program, you can examine and expand upon the theoretical and scientific foundations of healthcare through engaging peer discussions and scholarly activities led by knowledgeable instructors.
According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), nurses who hold a DNP are “well-equipped to fully implement the science developed by nurse researchers” and are prepared to work toward better patient outcomes through evidence-based practices.1 This DNP degree, offered by the College of Nursing and Health Care Professions, is designed to empower nurse leaders to effect positive change within their healthcare facilities and for their patients.
The DNP program can stimulate personal and professional growth, allowing master’s-prepared RNs to position themselves to work toward the pinnacle of their career. Explore principles in organizational change leadership that you can apply to your current healthcare organization. Examine best practices in clinical solutions and have the opportunity to become a compassionate servant leader who inspires nursing teams to continually strive for healthcare excellence. Demonstrate your advanced knowledge and skills by identifying a health practice or organizational change leadership topic for your Direct Practice Improvement (DPI) Project.
GCU is committed to offering a flexible learning path for professional learners. Earn your Doctor of Nursing Practice degree via our online platform.2 This degree may enable you to fit coursework and practicum hours into your existing schedule, allowing you to continue to work while earning your degree. The DNP program requires 39 credits for graduation. Most courses are eight weeks in length, with the exception of the three project courses, which are 16 weeks in length.
Expand your healthcare knowledge and nursing skills as you participate in immersion activities designed to help you advance to a high level of nursing practice. Continue to meet your current professional commitments while progressing through an advanced nursing curriculum, which culminates in an evidence-based research Direct Practice Improvement Project.
Learners can develop core competencies in nursing science and consider ethical issues in health care research. There is an emphasis on the application of evidence-based nursing science to optimize patient outcomes. The Doctor of Nursing Practice program blends theoretical knowledge with clinical application, teaching nursing concepts and skills that are immediately applicable in your clinical practice.
This program covers a broad array of nursing competencies, including:
Graduates of GCU’s Doctor of Nursing Practice degree program are taught to effect positive change in healthcare organizations by applying research-based principles to nurture favorable patient outcomes. Some DNP degree holders prefer to continue working directly with patient populations while pursuing leadership roles. If you would like to continue working directly with patients, you might consider becoming an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN), such as a nurse practitioner (NP) or certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA). The pathway to becoming an APRN requires a graduate degree in nursing, such as a DNP, followed by obtaining board certification as an APRN.3
Alternatively, you may decide to become a nurse instructor or teacher. While a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) is generally the minimum requirement to become a nurse educator, earning a DNP can provide a pathway toward working at a research hospital, and conducting and leading clinical studies intended to expand the body of knowledge in the in the field.4
Some employment settings may include the following:4,5
Hospitals and clinics
Research facilities
Physicians’ offices
Outpatient care facilities
Academic settings
At GCU, we are proud to be an institutionally accredited university that prioritizes academic excellence and a comprehensive nursing curriculum. In addition, the Higher Learning Commission has continually accredited GCU since 1968. The College of Nursing and Health Care Professions shares the university’s commitment to upholding the principles and standards established by our accrediting bodies.
For more information on the accreditation of nursing programs and other university approvals, please visit our University Accreditation and Regulations page.
Take a few minutes to read through our frequently asked questions to gain more information on enrolling in a Doctor of Nursing Practice online program.
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree is a practice-focused program that confers a terminal degree, representing the highest pinnacle of academic achievement in the field. This program is designed to empower you to apply current research to improve healthcare systems and enhance patient outcomes.
DNP programs are intended to prepare you to work collaboratively as an interprofessional partner with any doctoral-level peer to participate in and/or translate research that can improve the healthcare system and population health outcomes. You will be taught how to serve as a nurse leader to properly implement evidence-based practices and quality improvement processes in healthcare settings.
Both the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) are considered the highest forms of education available for nurses; in other words, they are both terminal degrees.
However, there are some differences. The DNP is aimed at translating evidence-based research into clinical practice. DNP graduates seek to impact clinical settings and improve the health outcomes of patients. A DNP-prepared nurse typically continues to provide direct patient care, sometimes with greater autonomy than BSN-prepared RNs. In contrast, the PhD is a research-focused degree that may enable graduates to work in clinical research settings with the intention of advancing the body of knowledge in the field. Both the DNP and PhD are appropriate choices for aspiring nurse educators who wish to work in academia.6
A DNP can help prepare graduates to work as highly skilled nurses, step into healthcare management roles, or assume a role in academia within practice-based nursing programs. PhD graduates can be equipped to become nursing researchers, hold various health policy positions, or assume full-time teaching and administrative positions.
If you decide to enroll in a Doctor of Nursing Practice online program, you will complete coursework online via the university’s e-learning platform.2 Digital learning platforms generally provide learners with access to course materials, lectures and discussion boards for communicating and sharing ideas with peers and instructors. However, it’s not possible to complete this degree program entirely online. You will also be required to complete a minimum number of hours at a healthcare facility near you. This provides opportunities to put what you’ve been taught into practice.
Earning any terminal degree is a significant investment of time and resources. However, doing so may indeed be worth it for those who aspire to reach the height of academic achievement. Nurses who hold a DNP may be better prepared to contribute to better patient outcomes and to improve the overall healthcare system.1 They may be able to practice with greater autonomy, and they may decide to pursue board certification as an APRN.3,6 If you value the implementation of evidence-based practices for the sake of saving lives, then earning a DNP can certainly be worth the effort.
Take the next step in your journey toward pursuing clinical excellence in nursing. Fill out the form on this page to learn more about earning your Doctor of Nursing Practice at GCU.
§ MOU-Alumni 2000 Doctoral-July2025: The Alumni Scholarship for Doctoral Programs is only valid for those applicants who submit a complete application and begin a Doctoral program in July 2025. This scholarship cannot be used in conjunction with any other GCU scholarship or awards and only applies to online and evening programs. Please speak to a university counselor for complete details.
1 American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2023, June). AACN Fact Sheet – DNP. Retrieved Nov. 15, 2023.
2 Online courses exclude programs with residencies and field experience.
3 Bal, D., MS.Ed. (2023, Jan. 10). How to Fecome an APRN. Nurse Journal. Retrieved Nov. 15, 2023.
4 Nurse Journal. (2022, May 11). How to Become a Nurse Educator. Retrieved Nov. 15, 2023. >link to
5 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2023, Sept. 6). Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives, and Nurse Practitioners: Work Environments. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Retrieved Nov. 15, 2023.
6 Gaines, K. (2023, Nov. 7). DNP vs. PhD in Nursing – What Is the Difference? Nurse.org. Retrieved Nov. 15, 2023.
Online: $750 per credit [More Info]
Up to 3 doctoral credits
Credits: Fill out the Lopes Eval to find out what will transfer
Admission Requirements (Doctoral)
OR 2.5+ Unweighted GPA and
Admission requirements may differ based on degree level, program and modality, or transfer status. Some programs of study may require a higher GPA and/or other qualifying criteria for admission. Please review full admission and program requirements in the University Policy Handbook.
* Degree must be from an institutionally accredited school. Applicants with a GPA less than 3.4 may be accepted with specifications.
** Degree must be from an institutionally accredited school. Applicants with a GPA between 3.0 - 3.39 may be accepted with specifications. Applicants with a GPA below 3.0 will not be accepted.
