Doctor of Nursing Practice

The Doctor of Nursing Practice at Northeastern University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

• Students complete a scholarly DNP project
• A minimum of 500 practicum hours during the course of the program
• Opportunities for interdisciplanary study and research
• This program is appropriate for licensed nurses who possess a master’s degree in nursing. In some cases registered nurses holding a master’s degree in a related health field may be acceptable

With strong program offerings in Charlotte since 2011, the Charlotte campus unveiled the new Northeastern Center for Health Sciences in 2023. The center anchors a growing number of graduate-level programs targeted to the increasing need for talent in healthcare and the life sciences.

The Charlotte campus works with employer partners to co-design academic degrees, workforce development solutions, and research collaborations—and we equip learners and organizations with the knowledge, experience, and resources to take on new challenges in their professions. The Charlotte campus includes a specialized local focus on social justice and health equity, which is interwoven throughout our curriculum.

The DNP program culminates in the successful completion of a DNP scholarly project that demonstrates mastery of expert practice knowledge and is completed over three semesters (nine semester hours). The scholarly project must be a significant, evidence-based contribution to existing nursing knowledge and be suitable for publication in a peer-reviewed journal or a book. This DNP scholarly project could be a program needs assessment with program development and evaluation, evaluation of an existing program, development of an assessment instrument/protocol, a cost/benefit analysis of program models, or another scholarly project as approved by the student’s advisor.

Students will apply knowledge and skills obtained in the didactic and integrative courses in order to address the ethical, legal, financial, and organizational aspects of the scholarly project. The DNP student will discuss his/her topic of interest, the development of the project and how it addresses the needs of a selected population; and evaluate the implementation and outcomes of the project. Each student will have a scholarly project advisor and expert mentor working with them on the project. In addition, you will have the opportunity to study with faculty from other Northeastern departments and research centers and with others in Boston’s nursing community whose work addresses clinical and organizational problems.

Our close ties with the university’s Institute on Urban Health Research; School of Social Science and Urban Affairs and Public Policy; the Center for Community Health Education, Research, and Service; and other organizations provide opportunities to work across disciplines and access populations and sites for the DNP scholarly project.

Application Deadline for fall entry: August 1

• Application

• Application fee

• Three letters of recommendation

• Official transcripts from all institutions attended

• Personal statement

• Resumé

• TOEFL or IELTS for applicants who do not hold a degree from a U.S. institution and whose native language is not English

  • TOEFL – A 1–6 banded score scale will be introduced in January 2026 for the iBT TOEFL test. Please see the below score breakdowns for test takers before and after the updated score scale takes effect on Jan. 21, 2026:

    • For exams taken before January 21, 2026: We prefer a minimum TOEFL iBT score of 100.

    • For exams taken on or after January 21, 2026: We prefer a minimum TOEFL iBT score of 5.

• Current U.S.nursing licensure

• Two years of advanced nursing experience

• Master's degree in nursing. In some cases registered nurses holding a master's degree in a related health field may be acceptable

• Master’s GPA of 3.50 or above

• 1,000 scholarly practice hours are required for program completion. A gap analysis upon admission will determine how many, if any, practice hours from a previously completed Master of Science in Nursing practicum qualify toward this practice hour requirement