Lead with UT Austin’s Doctor of Nursing Practice

Prepare to Lead with a Practical, Transformative Doctor of Nursing

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), developed by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), prepares nurses to navigate the evolving healthcare landscape, lead at the highest levels and advance clinical education. Our students pursue a DNP to enhance their expertise in patient care, technology and leadership in a rapidly changing field.

The hybrid DNP program at UT Austin delivers a flexible, high-quality education designed for working nurses who want to advance their careers without putting their professional responsibilities on hold. This program blends the convenience of online coursework with the essential hands-on training needed to develop clinical, leadership, and research skills.

Our program provides:

Flexible learning with online courses
Hands-on experience through in-person components
Leadership development with a focus on improving patient outcomes
Career advancement preparation, including higher-paying leadership roles, faculty positions, and advanced practice specialties
Technology-driven learning that prepares you for the evolving landscape of modern healthcare

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Program Delivery

The DNP program is delivered using a hybrid format. Classes meet on-campus once a month throughout each semester. These on-campus classes occur monthly on a consecutive Friday and Saturday with online assignments during the alternate weeks.

Curriculum

The DNP program curriculum is designed to provide the highest level of professional nursing education for nurses via a terminal degree in nursing practice excellence. The curriculum advances the education and leadership competencies of nurses and prepares graduates for increasingly complex practice and clinical leadership roles.

DNP Focus Areas:

Mentorship
- Development of an individualized area of clinical leadership specialization
- Dissemination of scholarly work via publications and presentations
Electives in nursing education and teaching

Practice-Oriented Education

More than half of the curriculum in schools of nursing is ‘practice oriented.’ Nurses with the terminal degree in nursing practice are often educators for the practice components of the curriculum. This program’s clinical teaching electives are designed to meet the growing demand for highly-prepared clinical faculty for schools of nursing.