Purdue Global University

What you'll study

The curriculum comprises nine graduate-level courses (700–800 level) totaling 50 quarter credits and concludes with a practice-focused final project completed over the last four terms under faculty and site mentorship. Sample course topics listed by the program include:

• Professional Role Development of the DNP-Prepared Nurse
• Epidemiology and Social Determinants of Population Health
• Ethics, Policy, and Advocacy for Population Health
• Clinical Decision Making for Practice Doctorate
• Transforming the Health Care Organization

Students integrate practice and theory within their specialty area and work with a DNP consultant and a practice-site mentor during the scholarly project.

Entry requirements

Applicants must hold a master's degree with an upper-level major in nursing from a program accredited by CCNE, ACEN, or CNEA and have a cumulative GPA of 3.0. Applicants with only a bachelor’s degree are directed to enroll in the Master of Science in Nursing—DNP Path to obtain the required master’s before continuing to the DNP. Official master's transcripts are required for admission; unofficial transcripts may be submitted during the application process. Additional program-specific policies apply.

Career prospects

The program prepares graduates for advanced clinical practice and organizational leadership aimed at improving patient and system-level outcomes. Graduates should be equipped to analyze research and data to change nursing practice, lead quality-improvement initiatives, foster interprofessional collaboration, and engage in policy evaluation and advocacy.

Scholarships & funding angle (general)

Purdue Global describes several cost-reduction options: credit for prior coursework and prior military experience (ACE-evaluated training, CLEP, DANTES), transfer credits, federal financial aid, grants and loans, corporate partner tuition reductions, and military tuition discounts (graduate reductions cited for servicemembers and veterans). The program also provides tools to estimate how prior learning can shorten time to degree.