DNP Programs in Massachusetts (MA)
These 10 colleges and universities in Massachusetts offer Doctor of Nursing Practice programs to prospective students with baccalaureate or advanced degrees in nursing. Learn about the coursework requirements, specializations, and tuition costs of these programs.
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst's Doctor of Nursing Practice is a fully online program that provides a post-baccalaureate track for bachelor's or master's degree holders and a post-MS track for advanced practice nurses. The post-baccalaureate option, which takes 4-5 years to complete, offers concentrations in family nurse practice, adult/gerontology care, psychiatric-mental health, and public health; the post-MS track follows a customized curriculum with a minimum of 30 semester credits that students can finish in 2-3 years.
University of Massachusetts Boston
The Post-MS Doctor of Nursing Practice program at the University of Massachusetts Boston requires 39 credits which can be completed part-time in three years; all courses are available online, and students can take equivalent courses offered by other UMass campuses. The university also offers a six-year, 78-credit BS-DNP program with specializations in adult/gerontology, adult/gerontology acute care, and family nurse practice; the MS courses, taken in the first three years, are a mix of online and on-campus sessions while the DNP courses are all online.
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
The Doctor of Nursing Practice program at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth offers a five-year BS-DNP plan with concentrations in adult gerontology (63 credits) and psychiatric healthcare (66 credits). Advanced practice nurses with a master's degree in nursing can apply for the 30-credit post MS-DNP plan, which takes two years to complete.
University of Massachusetts Medical School
The University of Massachusetts Medical School provides three pathways to a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree: a three-year BSN-DNP track for registered nurses with a bachelor's degree in nursing; a three-year pre-graduate option (PGO) track for nurses with an undergraduate degree in a non-nursing field and a diploma in nursing; and a two-year online post-master's DNP program for nurse practitioners with a master's in nursing. The BSN and PGO pathways offer specializations in adult-gerontology acute care, adult-gerontology primary care, and family health, with required credits ranging from 74-78 credits; a 76-credit psychiatric concentration is also available for BSN-DNP candidates.
Northeastern University
Northeastern University's five-semester Doctor of Nursing Practice program is open to registered nurses with at least two years of advanced practice experience and a master's degree in nursing or a related health discipline. The curriculum entails 30 semester hours of courses covering nursing leadership, informatics, applied epidemiology, finance and marketing, health policy, and a scholarly project.
Simmons University
Simmons University offers a 33-credit post-master's Doctor of Nursing Practice program that can be completed in two years for full-time students or in 3-4 years for part-time enrollees. Students have the option of taking the program fully online or through a hybrid format of on-site classes and online coursework.
MGH Institute of Health Professions
The 34-credit Doctor of Nursing Practice program at MGH Institute of Health Professions offers specialized tracks for advanced practice nurses and nurse executives. The curricula of both specializations consist of four nine-credit courses that can be completed in four semesters; the coursework is available online while intensives are conducted on campus.
Regis College
Open to nurses with a baccalaureate degree in nursing, Regis College's 73-credit Doctor of Nursing Practice program offers concentrations in family, pediatrics, psychiatric, women's health, and adult-gerontology. Students can complete the coursework in four years on campus or fully online; core courses might include pathophysiology, pharmacology, biostatistics, disease prevention, health policy and politics, and research methodologies.
Boston College
Boston College offers four pathways to a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree: a three-year direct entry DNP for students with undergraduate degrees in disciplines other than nursing, a three-year post-baccalaureate DNP for those with a bachelor's degree in nursing, a two-year post-master's DNP for students with a master's degree in nursing, and an RN to DNP track for registered nurses without an undergraduate degree. The program provides five concentrations (adult-gerontology, pediatrics, psychiatric, family health, and women's health) for all four pathways and a specialization in nurse anesthesia for the post-baccalaureate and post-master's tracks.
Bay Path University
Bay Path University's Doctor of Nursing Practice program, open to registered nurses with a bachelor's degree in nursing, offers a 70-credit fully online curriculum with a specialization in family health. The coursework normally takes three years to finish on a part-time basis and includes advanced courses in pharmacology, pathophysiology, pediatrics, geriatrics, epidemiology, mental health, and healthcare informatics.
| School Name | Programs Offered | Graduate Tuition (2018-2019)* |
|---|---|---|
| University of Massachusetts Amherst | DNP | $13,606 in-state, $28,669 out-of-state |
| University of Massachusetts Boston | Post MS-DNP BS-to-DNP | $17,876 in-state, $34,932 out-of-state |
| University of Massachusetts Dartmouth | BS-DNP Post MS-DNP | $15,912 in-state, $28,716 out-of-state |
| University of Massachusetts Medical School | BSN to DNP Pre-Graduate Option to DNP Post MS-DNP | $23,797 in-state, $35,313 out-of-state |
| Northeastern University | DNP | $24,027 |
| Simmons University | DNP | $21,726 |
| MGH Institute of Health Professions | DNP | $52,668 |
| Regis College | BSN-DNP | $41,015 |
| Boston College | Direct Entry DNP Post-Baccalaureate DNP Post MS-DNP RN-DNP | $29,412 |
| Bay Path University | DNP-Family Nurse Practitioner | $23,787 |
Source: *NCES College Navigator
A Doctor of Nursing Practice program equips students with advanced clinical competencies and technical skills for specialized roles and leadership positions in the healthcare industry. Students in these programs can choose from a variety of specializations, including pediatrics, gerontology, women's health, and family health.