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MSN to DNP – Online Doctor of Nursing Practice Program
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Overview
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Advance to the Highest Level of Nursing Practice
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Already hold an MSN? Take the next step in your career with Hawai‘i Pacific University’s online MSN to DNP program, designed for experienced nurses who want to lead health system transformation, improve population outcomes, and shape future care delivery.
Our CCNE-accredited DNP program is delivered 100% online and offers flexible scheduling for working professionals. Through advanced coursework and a scholarly practice project, you’ll gain the skills to implement evidence-based initiatives and lead change at the systems level.
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CALENDAR
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Application Deadline:
December 5, 2025
December 5, 2025
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Program at a Glance
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100% online coursework with mobile-friendly delivery
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Small classes with accessible faculty who care about your success and well-being
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Earn your MSN to DNP in as few as 20 months
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Dedicated student support from first contact through graduation
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Diverse network of students representing 50 states and 65 countries
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Transfer up to 12 credits
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Why Choose HPU’s Online MSN to DNP Program?
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HPU’s online DNP program empowers you to make an impact beyond the bedside. The curriculum emphasizes population health, leadership, and clinical systems improvement, helping you grow as a practitioner, educator, or healthcare administrator.
DESIGNED FOR MSN-PREPARED NURSES
No need to repeat NP coursework or clinicals.
PRACTICE-ORIENTED CURRICULUM
Apply research to real-world challenges.
FLEXIBLE ONLINE DELIVERY
Learn on your schedule with asynchronous courses.
FACULTY MENTORSHIP
Work 1:1 with professors on your scholarly project.
SUPPORTIVE, COHORT-BASED LEARNING
Progress with a group of experienced peers.
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MEET OUR DNP FACULTY
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Member of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN)
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The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master’s degree program in nursing, post-graduate APRN certificate program, and Doctor of Nursing Practice at Hawai‘i Pacific University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).
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Member of the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF)
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Accredited by the Senior College and University Commission of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC/WSCUC)
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Participant in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) to offer distance education in member states
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MSN to DNP Career Outcomes
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The Doctor of Nursing Practice is the terminal degree for clinical practice in nursing. Graduates are prepared for advanced roles across clinical, leadership, academic, and policy domains.
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Career Paths
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- Nurse Executives or Clinical Directors
- Healthcare Administrators
- Clinical Program Managers
- Population Health or Public Health Leaders
- Academic Nurse Educators
- Policy Advocates and Change Agents
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Job Outlook
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- Median Salary: $116,000 (ZipRecruiter)
- Projected Growth: 40% growth from 2023 through 2033 (BLS)
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DNP Careers
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Increased strains on the health care system have revealed a shortage in primary and acute care providers. The United States is predicted to face a shortage of between 54,100 and 139,000 primary and specialty care physicians by 2033.* Skilled nurse practitioners are best positioned to help bridge this gap. Employment of nurse practitioners is expected to increase 45% between 2019 and 2029, generating 110,700 new openings.**
Nurse leaders are critical to protecting nurses, coordinating care, ensuring quality of care through research and process improvements, aiding in the delivery of cost-effective care, and more.
Graduates of Hawai‘i Pacific University’s online DNP program are expertly prepared to meet this growing demand for advanced nursing professionals and leaders. HPU DNP graduates are also prepared to work in a variety of settings including urban hospitals, rural clinics, schools, urgent care facilities, clinical research sites, community organizations, and more.
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Careers and median salaries for DNP graduates
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FAMILY NURSE PRACTITIONER
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$95,877
Provide primary care services for patients across their lifespan.
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ADULT-GERONTOLOGY ACUTE CARE NURSE PRACTITIONER
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$96,063
Care for adults/elderly patients with acute, chronic conditions.
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PSYCHIATRIC MENTAL HEALTH NURSE PRACTITIONER
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$128,671
Help patients of all ages better manage psychiatric conditions.
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NURSE EDUCATOR
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$83,160
Lead the continuing education and evaluation of nurses and caregivers.
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CHIEF NURSING OFFICER
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$130,489
Maintain and develop medical data and systems to support nursing practice.
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ADVANCED PRACTICE REGISTERED NURSE
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$98,269
Assess, diagnose, and manage patients’ health concerns and prescribe needed medications.
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DIRECTOR OF NURSING
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$90,056
Lead nursing departments to ensure a high standard of patient care.
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CLINICAL NURSE MANAGER
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$83,365
Oversee a nursing unit, take charge of staff, field patient complaints, and fix the issues.
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NURSE ENTREPRENEUR
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$60,000 - $150,000
These nurses use their business knowledge and medical expertise to develop their own businesses.
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Explore DNP Careers
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MSN to DNP Curriculum Overview
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This program is rooted in the AACN DNP Essentials and emphasizes systems leadership, health equity, quality improvement, and evidence-based practice.
You’ll complete coursework in population health, data analysis, and policy, along with a final DNP scholarly project tailored to your interests and career goals.
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Courses include:
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- Evidence-Based Practice for Advanced Nursing
- Leadership and Systems Management
- Informatics and Technology for Advanced Practice
- Optimizing Quality in Health Care Systems
- Business and Finance Essentials for the DNP
- Development and Implementation of Health Care Policy
- Analytical Methods for Evidence-Based Practice
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DNP Scholarly Project
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You’ll complete a final practice-based project focused on ideating, developing, and implementing an innovative product or service relevant to your area of practice.
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Ready for your next step?
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Program at a Glance
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MSN to DNP Curriculum
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Students in Hawai‘i Pacific University’s online MSN to DNP program are required to complete the following eight courses along with a doctoral project. Students may transfer up to 12 eligible credits from another college or university into HPU’s online MSN-DNP program.
30 total credits
$1,117 per credit hour
$33,510 total tuition
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MSN to DNP COURSES
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NUR 8000 Evidence Based Practice for Advanced Nursing / 3 Credits
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This course provides learners with the theoretical and practical foundation for evidence-based practice with an emphasis on evidence-based conceptual models, refining skills in searching and critiquing the literature for application to practice change, and synthesizing a body of literature to design interventions pertinent to a practice problem.
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NUR 8010 Leadership and Systems Management / 3 Credits
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In this course the doctoral student will prepare to assume complex and advanced leadership roles to guide change as a practitioner, clinical executive, educator, clinical scientist, and clinical scholar, among others.
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NUR 8020 Informatics and Technology for Advanced Practice / 3 Credits
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In this course the doctoral student will acquire competencies in using technology systems that capture data on variables for the evaluation of health care, integrating appropriate technologies to translate evolving technical and scientific information. The student will demonstrate information literacy skills in complex decision-making and ability to contribute to the design of clinical information systems that promote safe, quality, and cost-effective care.
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NUR 8030 Optimizing Quality in Health Care Systems / 3 Credits
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In this course the doctoral student will acquire competencies to continuously improve the quality of systems practices focusing on day-to-day responsibilities and realities of guiding change. The student will evaluate the impact of access, cost, quality, and safety of proposed change. The interaction of organizational structure, care processes, financing, marketing and policy decisions, and regulatory pressures will be examined in relation to quality improvement decisions.
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NUR 8040 Business and Finance Essentials for the DNP / 3 Credits
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The student will develop knowledge and skills toward the DNP essentials regarding organizational leadership and systems thinking. The topics of health care economics and the business of practice will be examined. Economic concepts and tools will be used to examine issues, costs, and solve problems pertaining to health care delivery.
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NUR 8050 Development and Implementation of Health Care Policy / 3 Credits
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In this course the DNP student will develop knowledge, skills, and tools toward the DNP terminal competencies related to policy, policy development, and change to maintain high-quality care while remaining accessible and using scarce resources wisely.
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NUR 8070 Clinical Scholarship and Scholarly Writing / 3 Credits
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This course is designed to introduce students to scholarly writing and dissemination for clinicians. The four areas of scholarly writing covered will be argument, evidence, paragraphs, and academic voice. The course provides students with practical information, exercises, and resources for successful clinical manuscript preparation, journal article abstract preparation, and clinical conference poster and oral presentation. This course prepares graduate students for a lifelong approach to integrating scholarship into clinical practice.
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NUR 8080 Analytical Methods for Evidence-Based Practice / 3 Credits
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This course is designed to provide the foundation for applying and implementing research by exploring the nature of inquiry and evaluating designs, methods, and measurements of evidence. Topics of validity, reliability, generalizability, rigor, and trustworthiness will be addressed in this course. Appropriate statistical analysis used to predict and analyze health care outcomes will be presented. Evaluating and using output from statistical computing software are also addressed.
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NUR 9010 Doctoral Project I: Development / 3 Credits
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In this course the DNP student will refine and prepare for implementation of the project proposal at a practice site in their state of licensure. The final project proposal will be submitted to the HPU IRB and the research review process of the project site.
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NUR 9020 Doctoral Project II: Implementation / 3 Credits
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In this course, the DNP student will refine and prepare for implementation of the project proposal at the practice site in their state of licensure. The final project proposal will be submitted to the HPU IRB and the research review process of the project site.
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NUR 9030 Doctoral Project III: Data Analysis and Dissemination / 3 Credits
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Under the guidance of their academic and external advisors, the doctoral student will analyze the results of their selected project by analyzing data, evaluating project outcomes, and disseminating results within the organization, the university, and the professional community. Findings will be disseminated in the form of a publishable scholarly paper and an oral community presentation.
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Admission Requirements
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This program is designed for MSN-prepared nurses who want to elevate their practice and lead meaningful change.
Applicants must hold:
- Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from an accredited university and national certification in an NP field of study (with at least 500 APRN practicum hours to meet minimum program requirement of 1,000 hours)
- 3.0 GPA from graduate degree
- U.S. unencumbered state RN license and APRN license
- Applicants must demonstrate completion of a Statistics and Research (Evidence-Based Nursing) course; this may be listed on transcripts as Statistics, Research Methods, or Evidence-Based Practice
In addition, the following courses are also prerequisites:
- Advanced Practice Nursing Roles (NUR 6000)
- Advanced Pathophysiology (NUR 6010)
- Advanced Nursing Research (NUR 6020)
- Pharmacology (NUR 6025)
- Physical Assessment (NUR 6030)
- Development & Implementation of Health Care Policy (NUR 8050)
As part of the application process, Hawai‘i Pacific University (HPU) will conduct a Gap Analysis to evaluate your current Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree. This analysis will assess whether the core competency courses required for Nurse Practitioner (NP) certification have been completed. Upon completion of the review, you will be provided with the results of the analysis, including any identified gaps in coursework or clinical preparation. These requirements must be fulfilled prior to beginning clinical placements, ensuring you meet the eligibility criteria to sit for national board certification upon completion of the program. Please prepare to gather semester-specific syllabi to complete the GAP analysis if requested by the graduate college.
To complete your application, you’ll need:
- Application and application fee
- Transcripts
- Two letters of recommendation
- Curriculum vitae or resume
- Statement of purpose
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Transfer Credits
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Students wishing to transfer course credits from an outside institution will need to meet with their Program Chair to review transcripts, course syllabi and fill out appropriate forms. A maximum of 12 semester credits of graduate work is transferrable if the following requirements are met:
- The institution is accredited
- Official transcripts and syllabi are available for review
- The courses are deemed to be equivalent in level, content, objectives, and competencies to the HPU graduate course it will be replacing
- The proficiency attained is equivalent to a "B" grade or higher
- Courses were completed within five calendar years of admission to HPU graduate nursing
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The following courses cannot be transferred to HPU for credit:
- Final project/paper or Capstone course
- Courses taken as part of a granted degree. For example, if a student has had a Master's degree in Public Health conferred, a health policy course taken during that curriculum may not be transferred in and applied to another degree requirements.
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Graduate-level attainments completed at institutions or through programs or examinations, evaluated by the ACE (American Council on Education) will be considered for appropriate transfer credit on the same basis as prospective transfer credit from graduate programs at U.S. colleges and universities. The Program Chair will use the ACE credit award recommendation as the starting point for the deliberation of credit award; in no case will more credits be awarded than the ACE recommends; usually the award will be more stringent.
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FAQs: MSN to DNP
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Who is this program for?
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MSN-prepared nurses who want to earn a terminal practice doctorate and move into advanced clinical, leadership, or policy roles.
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Does this program require additional clinical hours?
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Most hours are integrated into your scholarly project and leadership work. HPU will help assess your existing clinical hours and support you as needed.
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Can I work full-time while in the program?
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Yes, the asynchronous format is designed for working professionals and can be done on a full-time or part-time basis.
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What’s the difference between a DNP and PhD in nursing?
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A DNP focuses on practice and systems improvement; a PhD is focused on academic research and theory.
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Tuition & Financial Aid
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HPU is committed to making your doctorate affordable and accessible.
- $1,117 per credit
- Program length and total cost vary by specialization
- Eligible for federal financial aid and scholarships
- Employer-sponsored tuition assistance welcome
- Special tuition benefits available for active-duty military and veterans
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