Doctor of Nursing Practice

Three Start Dates Per Year

Online, Low Residency

Graduate in as Few as 15 Months

CCNE-Accredited

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Quick Facts

28-36

Total Credits

Includes transfer credits, scholarly project and clinical hours.

8

Nursing Core Courses

Study relevant nursing topics in our core curriculum.

16-Week

Course Length

Complete your degree faster with 8-week classes.

Become a Doctor of Nursing Practice and Transform Healthcare

Patient outcomes are better when highly educated and compassionate nurses have a seat at the table. Transitioning from an MSN to DNP online offers a unique opportunity to move into leadership roles without disrupting your current nursing career.

Our interactive online classroom with synchronous components allows you to earn your DNP in as few as 15 months and begin making a difference in the lives of patients and nurses. Perfect for working professionals, our online, low residency program provides flexibility and convenience. Our rigorous curriculum prepares you to lead the profession ethically through opportunities and challenges and toward a just and merciful world.

The support of our faculty will help you change nursing practice to impact healthcare, even before you graduate. Through clinical hours and a scholarly project, you will build upon online classroom hours and impact nursing practice as you learn. Carlow offers students various forms of tuition assistance through employer partnerships, a nursing faculty loan forgiveness program and graduate assistant positions.

Graduate from the CCNE-accredited program empowered to advocate for patients and the nursing profession competently and compassionately.

HRSA Nurse Faculty Loan Repayment Program

Level of study: Masters or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

The Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP) is a loan cancellation program with a service obligation for recipients of the loan.

To be eligible to receive an NFLP loan, a borrower must:

  • Be a citizen or national of the United States
  • Be enrolled (full-time or part-time) in an eligible nursing program at the time the NFLP loan is established and must complete the education components to prepare qualified nurse faculty
  • Maintain enrollment for a minimum of two terms/semesters during an academic year while receiving the NFLP loan
  • Maintain a 3.0 GPA and be in good academic standing
  • Have no judgment liens entered against him/her based on default on Federal debt, 28 U S C 3201
  • Loan recipients must complete the education program and, following graduation, may cancel up to 85% of the NFLP loan over a consecutive 4-year period while serving as full-time nurse faculty at a school of nursing (i.e., baccalaureate or higher degree, associate degree or diploma schools of nursing) or obtain the equivalent, thereof, in several part time or adjunct positions. NFLP loans are available to eligible students for the cost of tuition, books, fees, and lab expenses

Additionally, recipients who are non-MSN NCEL majors may be required to complete a minimum of 75 hours of teaching residency supervised by a nurse faculty member of her/his respective program.  

NFLP borrowers are limited to a 12-month time frame to establish employment as full-time nurse faculty at a school of nursing following graduation from the program. If employment verification is not submitted within the 12-month period, the loan will revert to a full term student loan and the borrower will NOT be eligible for the loan cancellation provision.

Grantees agree to serve in the stated faculty role of an accredited health professions school for a minimum of four years. Individuals selected to participate are granted cancellation of 20% of the principal and interest on the amount of the unpaid loan balance upon completion of each of the first, second, and third year of full-time nursing faculty employment, and 25% of the principal of and the interest on the amount of the unpaid loan balance upon the completion of the fourth year of full-time employment. Therefore, a maximum potential of 85% of the outstanding principal and interest can be canceled and paid by the Federal government. If the participant ceases employment after two years, the repayment schedule will be established for the remainder of the unpaid loan. To apply for the HRSA Nurse Faculty Loan Program, please contact Dr. Renee Ingel rmingel@carlow.edu.

Advance Your Nursing Career

28%
Growth

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of advanced practice nurses is expected to grow much faster than the average.

118,600
New Jobs

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts thousands of advanced practice nursing positions will be added between 2021 and 2031.

Core Courses

CourseCredit Hours
Scholarly Writing3 Credit Hours
Evidence-Based Quality Improvement3 Credit Hours
Transforming Systems-Big Data, Innovation and Quality3 Credit Hours
Critical Appraisal of Evidence3 Credit Hours
Population Health3 Credit Hours
Transitioning Evidence into Practice3 Credit Hours
Interdisciplinary Leadership for Practice Excellence3 Credit Hours
Executive Decision Making in Complex Systems: Policy, Politics and Advocacy3 Credit Hours

Succeed with a Unique Online Experience

Flexibility

Carlow’s online programs offer the ultimate flexibility through courses that fit into your schedule, coursework that aligns with your passions and concentrations tailored to your interests.

Expert Faculty

Each instructor brings diverse experiences to the classroom to provide a more well-rounded, multi-perspective, ethical view of the world.

Support

Our diverse community welcomes and empowers. We work to help you achieve success on your terms through a tight-knit community of accessible instructors and fellow students who support their peers.

Student Resources

Our helpful advisers work hard to help you navigate our transfer credit policies and financial aid. We also offer technology support and the Center for Academic Achievement, which offers academic coaches and other resources to enable your success.

About Carlow University

Carlow is a private, co-educational, Catholic university located in the heart of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1929, Carlow’s curricula and partnerships reflect its strong commitment to social justice, along with ethical, forward-thinking and responsible leadership and service to the community. Rooted in its Catholic identity and embodying the heritage and values of the Sisters of Mercy, Carlow offers educational opportunities for a diverse community of learners. Transformational coursework and experiences at Carlow empower learners to excel in their chosen work as compassionate, responsible leaders in the creation of a just and merciful world.