Want to become a nurse practitioner or Clinical Nurse Specialist? Choose the DNP - not an MSN.

Developed in congruence with guidance from advisory bodies such as the National Organization for Nurse Practitioner Faculty and the American Association for Colleges of Nursing, among others, UVA’s DNP program offers future nurse practitioners and Clinical Nurse Specialists an affordable, efficient format, and a choice of eight specialty areas and ample preparation for the national certification exam of their choice.

The DNP empowers nurses who want to practice at the highest clinical level: in addition to making treatment decisions, ordering tests, and prescribing medications, they also lead people and teams and improve systems and safety, occupying roles in academia, as nurse administrators, government affairs leaders, teachers and professors, and chief nursing officers. Available to students in two pathways, a BSN to DNP pathway and an MSN to DNP pathway, nurses who have earned DNPs are highly sought after by health systems across the country given the expanse of their strengths and capabilities.

"Here at UVA School of Nursing, we don't sit back and wait for the tide to change around us. We pride ourselves on being leaders in academic, leaders in healthcare. And to support that leadership and support that change, we are moving to the DNP program as the entry for advanced practice."

- Beth Quatrara, DNP, RN, CMSRN, ACNS-BC, associate professor, graduate program lead

The BSN to DNP offers an efficient plan of study that meets the needs of today's working nurses. Designed for nurses who have earned a BSN or generalist MSN degree who wish to become advanced practice nurses and achieve the highest level of nursing practice, the DNP offers all the personal, professional, and financial benefits a doctoral degree confers and a UVA association that opens doors.

The BSN to DNP pathway program offers:

• In-person class about 6x/semester, with the balance of learning completed through a blended instructional model, including synchronous and asynchronous courses
• 3-year plan of study requires less time and costs less than other DNP programs
• 750 clinical practicum hours, and guidance in finding clinical placements with qualified preceptors
• 8 specialty areas from which to choose (listed below), and ample preparation for the certification exam of your choice
• No clinical experience required: you can come right in after earning a BSN
• Guaranteed admission for UVA School of Nursing alumni
• Application deadline: January 5 

"Physicians, they have a medical doctorate. Pharmacists hold a doctorate in pharmacy. For our nurse anesthesia colleagues, it's now a requirement to have a doctoral degree to be licensed. It makes natural sense for nursing to follow this trend . . . and for our advanced practice nurses to enter the workforce with a clinical doctorate."

- Shelly Smith, PhD, DNP, APRN-BC, FAAN, FNAP, associate dean for graduate programs

Graduates of the BSN to DNP pathway are prepared for a national specialty certification exam of their choice in one of eight specialty tracks as advanced practice registered nurses (APRN):

• Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Clinical Nurse Specialist specialty
• Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner specialty
• Family Nurse Practitioner specialty
• Neonatal Nurse Practitioner specialty
• Pediatric Nurse Practitioner - Acute Care specialty
• Pediatric Nurse Practitioner - Primary Care specialty
• Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner specialty
• dual-track Adult Gerontology Acute Care CNS + NP specialty (full-time program is for military students only)

If you are interested in becoming a nurse practitioner, please consider applying to the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program, an affordable, efficient pathway to the highest clinical doctorate that includes ample preparation for one of eight national specialty certification exams. The School's generalist MSN programs, the direct-entry Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) for non-nurses and the leadership-focused RN to CNL program, are also available, as are the School's six post-master's certificate tracks.

As healthcare grows increasingly complex, the necessity for advanced practice nurses to coordinate and deliver stellar care has never been greater. UVA's graduate nursing programs draw upon the academic excellence of UVA, the clinical strength of UVA Health's University Medical Center, and a collective commitment to serve the needs of citizens of Virginia, the nation, and the world.

Please note: The School will not be accepting applications for the MSN nurse practitioner and MSN clinical nurse specialist programs for fall 2026 entry. 

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