Doctor of Nursing Practice (BSN-DNP)

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

• Earn your BSN-DNP in a unique graduate program designed for students entering with a bachelor’s degree.
• Study online, and participate in once-per-semester weekend residencies on campus.
• Learn alongside a diverse cohort that includes post-master’s and post-bachelor’s degree students working together.
• Participate in simulation and lab experiences to develop your clinical skills and techniques.
• Conduct interdisciplinary research.
• Prepare for your certification examination with study support and mentoring.
• Engage in the School of Nursing’s innovative, inclusive, and collaborative culture.
• Complete your BSN-DNP program with a scholarly project demonstrating your expert practice mastery.

As a student in the Doctor of Nursing Practice (BSN-DNP) program, you will learn to:

• Lead the design, implementation, evaluation, and dissemination of evidence-based practice improvement initiatives.
• Critically analyze complex clinical situations and practice environments to catalyze change in the healthcare system.
• Translate evidence to develop new models for nursing practice that will transform healthcare.
• Direct the development and implementation of social, economic, political, and health policy to ensure quality of healthcare.
• Establish and evaluate cultural competency initiatives to promote equity in healthcare and health outcomes.
• Lead and diffuse interprofessional care coordination teams and collaborative efforts.
• Evaluate and analyze the impact of health information technology implementation on organizations and nursing practice.

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (BSN-DNP) program culminates in the successful completion of a scholarly project demonstrating mastery of expert practice knowledge. It is completed over three semesters (nine semester hours). The 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. Potential projects include a program needs assessment with program development and evaluation, an evaluation of an existing program, the development of an assessment instrument/protocol, a cost-benefit analysis of program models, or another scholarly pursuit as approved by the student’s advisor.

Students will apply the knowledge and skills obtained in their didactic and integrative courses to address the ethical, legal, financial, and organizational aspects of their project. Students will discuss their topic of interest, the development of the project, and how it addresses the needs of a selected population, and they will evaluate the implementation and outcomes of their work.

Each student will have a scholarly project advisor and expert mentor working with them. In addition, they 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.

Students have opportunities to work across disciplines and access populations and sites throughout their project work through Northeastern’s close ties with the Institute on Urban Health Research; the Center for Community Health Education, Research, and Service; and other organizations.

• NursingCAS application

• Application fee

• Official transcripts from all institutions attended

• Bachelor’s degree in nursing with a minimum 3.0 GPA

• Resumé or curriculum vitae

• 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

• Personal statement indicating applicant’s personal goals for obtaining a DNP and expectations of the program

• Two letters of recommendation

• Clinical experience

  • FNP: at least one year of steady employment in an adult or pediatric acute care setting, community health setting, outpatient primary care setting, or palliative care/hospice

  • PMH: at least one year of steady RN employment in an adult or pediatric acute PMH care setting, outpatient PMH setting, or detox center

  • AGACNP: at least two years of steady RN employment in an acute care setting, pre-operative/post-operative care setting, ICU, or prison services

  • Pediatric Primary Care: at least one year of steady RN employment in an acute or primary care pediatric setting

  • Pediatric Dual Primary/Acute: at least two years of steady RN employment in an acute or primary care pediatric setting

  • Neonatal Nurse Practitioner: at least two years of steady RN employment in the neonatal ICU environment

• Successful completion, with a grade of B or better, of a graduate statistics course that includes probability theory and hypothesis testing and that is taken within five years prior to entering the program