Antioch University

Programme overview

Antioch University’s DNP is a fully online, practice-oriented doctoral pathway that prepares nurses to lead clinical practice transformation, organizational change, and population-health initiatives with a focus on equity and social justice. Multiple entry routes are offered — BSN-to-DNP nurse practitioner tracks, MSN-to-DNP advanced practice or nurse executive tracks, and Masters-to-DNP nurse executive options — so students progress from their current professional preparation toward a terminal practice degree. The program culminates in a DNP scholarly project addressing a meaningful clinical or systems-level problem and aligns with Antioch’s mission of health and social justice. The program is pursuing initial CCNE accreditation.

What you'll study

• Evidence-based practice and implementation methods for translating research into clinical care
• Population health, health equity, and strategies to address healthcare inequities
• Organizational leadership, healthcare strategy, and executive systems-level skills
• Quality improvement, outcomes evaluation, and management approaches to improve care
• Interprofessional collaboration and policy influence to affect system change
• Applied scholarship via a culminating DNP scholarly project focused on a clinical or systems-level problem

Entry requirements

Antioch offers several entry pathways depending on prior preparation: BSN-to-DNP (nurse practitioner tracks with additional clinical coursework and supervised hours), MSN-to-DNP (for licensed advanced practice nurses or nurse leaders seeking doctoral preparation), and Masters-to-DNP nurse executive pathways. MSN-to-DNP pathways typically follow six semesters of part-time study with an available three-year pacing option; BSN-to-DNP plans require a longer program due to extra clinical requirements. The President’s Doctoral Fellowship requires a minimum prior GPA of 3.40 and full-time enrollment to maintain award disbursement and continuation.

Career prospects

Graduates are prepared for advanced clinical practice, executive leadership, and systems transformation across settings such as primary care, behavioral health, health systems leadership, community health, and healthcare innovation. Nurse practitioner pathways are designed to prepare graduates for national certification and eligibility for state advanced practice licensure; post-MSN DNP pathways support advanced leadership and clinical practice development but do not lead to initial licensure.

Scholarships & funding angle

Antioch awards the President’s Doctoral Fellowship to incoming doctoral students; the fellowship totals $12,000 distributed across the first two registered years and is contingent on meeting academic progress and full-time enrollment requirements. Prospective students can also consult Antioch’s admission and scholarships pages for additional funding and grant opportunities.