ONLINE BSN-DNP
Propel Your Career Forward
Go straight from your bachelor’s to the highest level of nursing practice. Choose one of five concentrations and graduate ready to lead, prescribe, and transform care across East Texas and beyond.
AFFORDABLE & ONLINE
Earn your Doctor of Nursing Practice on a schedule built for working nurses — move through year-round online coursework as quickly as you're able, or take the time you need.
100% Online*, Built Around Your Career
Year-round, asynchronous courses are designed around the schedules of practicing nurses, with brief on-site intensives only where advanced clinical skills require them — so you can go from BSN to DNP without stepping away from your career.
*This degree program is delivered online. Students may be required to be present for other activities throughout their program of study (e.g., clinical, on-campus intensives, DNP Project presentation)
Comparison
DISCOVER THE DIFFERENCE
UT Tyler
$
44,207
total tuition*
Baylor University
$
93,750
estimated tuition
Duke University
$
135,000
estimated tuition
Texas Christian
$
154,700
estimated tuition
*In-state tuition
Concentrations
FIVE BSN-DNP CONCENTRATIONS
One doctorate, five directions. Use the tabs to explore each concentration — what you'll master, where it leads, and the total in-state cost.
BSN-DNP — Family Nurse Practitioner
Become an advanced primary care provider for patients across the entire lifespan. This concentration blends the 39-credit DNP core with the advanced clinical training required to assess, diagnose, treat, and prescribe as an autonomous family nurse practitioner.
$42,659Total in-state tuition
APRN pathway · 71 credits (32 specialty / 39 core) · 1,250 clinical/practice hours · 100% online coursework
What You'll Master:
- Advanced pathophysiology, pharmacology & health assessment
- Primary care across pediatric, adult & geriatric populations
- Diagnostic methods, procedures & clinical reasoning
- Health promotion & chronic disease prevention
- Prescriptive authority & safe prescribing practices
- Two supervised FNP internships plus transition to practice
Specialty Coursework (32 credits)
NURS 5350 Advanced Pathophysiology — 3 crRegulatory and compensatory mechanisms as they relate to commonly occurring diseases across the lifespan are explored.
NURS 5352 Advanced Health Assessment — 3 crIntegrates advanced health assessment principles and skills for comprehensive examination of clients leading to differential diagnosis, with a focus on common deviations from normal across the lifespan.
NURS 5354 Advanced Pharmacotherapeutics — 3 crKnowledge and application of advanced pharmacotherapeutic principles related to the health needs of clients, considering legal, ethical and economic factors.
NURS 5339 Diagnostic Methods & Procedures — 3 crCourse description coming soon.
NURS 5453 Primary Care I — 4 crMajor concepts and therapies for the development, implementation and provision of primary health care, with emphasis on the pediatric population and genomics knowledge for counseling families. Strategies to eliminate health disparities are explored.
NURS 5454 Primary Care II — 4 crMajor concepts and therapies for primary health care with emphasis on the female population and genomics knowledge for counseling families. Strategies to eliminate health disparities are explored.
NURS 5455 Primary Care III — 4 crMajor concepts and therapies for the development, implementation and evaluation of primary health care with emphasis on the adult and geriatric population. Strategies to eliminate health disparities are explored.
NURS 5111 Advanced Practice Roles — 1 crStudy of the Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) role — its evolution, current and continuing issues relevant to advanced practice nursing, and clinical practice issues related to health promotion and disease prevention.
NURS 5347 FNP Internship I — 3 crIntensive study of a clinical specialty with concentrated time in the clinical setting. Refinement of clinical expertise and establishment of role identity as an advanced practice registered nurse are expected outcomes. May be taken concurrently with NURS 5349.
NURS 5349 FNP Internship II — 3 crIntensive clinical application of previous didactic content in the population foci. Refinement of clinical expertise and establishment of role identity as an APN. May be taken concurrently with NURS 5347.
NURS 5112 Transitions to Practice — 1 crCourse description coming soon.
BSN-DNP — Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Meet the urgent demand for mental health care as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. Alongside the DNP core, you'll learn to assess, diagnose, and treat mental health and substance use conditions across the lifespan using both psychotherapy and psychopharmacology.
$44,207Total in-state tuition
APRN pathway · 73 credits (34 specialty / 39 core) · 1,250 clinical/practice hours · 100% online coursework
What You'll Master:
- Neurobiology of mental health & illness
- Psychopharmacology & prescribing practice
- Differential diagnosis across the lifespan
- Psychotherapeutic theories & modalities
- Two PMHNP practicums (Practicum I & II)
- Integrated mental health care I & II
Specialty Coursework (34 credits)
NURS 5350 Advanced Pathophysiology — 3 crRegulatory and compensatory mechanisms as they relate to commonly occurring diseases across the lifespan are explored.
NURS 5352 Advanced Health Assessment — 3 crIntegrates advanced health assessment principles and skills for comprehensive examination of clients leading to differential diagnosis, with a focus on common deviations from normal across the lifespan.
NURS 5354 Advanced Pharmacotherapeutics — 3 crKnowledge and application of advanced pharmacotherapeutic principles related to the health needs of clients, considering legal, ethical and economic factors.
NURS 5111 Advanced Practice Roles — 1 crStudy of the Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) role — its evolution, current and continuing issues relevant to advanced practice nursing, and clinical practice issues related to health promotion and disease prevention.
NURS 5357 Neurobiology Overview: Mental Health & Illness — 3 crFoundational for advanced practice nurses caring for individuals with mental and substance use disorders. Focuses on key mental disorders across the lifespan and their multifactorial causes, and examines homeostasis within the mind-body relationship.
NURS 5359 Psychopharmacology: Prescribing Practice in Mental Health — 3 crAn overview of prescribing principles and best practices for treating mental health disorders across the lifespan, using a case-based approach to the clinical uses, mechanisms, risks, benefits and outcomes of commonly used psychotropic drugs.
NURS 5363 Differential Diagnosis of Mental Health Disorders Across the Lifespan — 3 crUsing a case-based approach, students develop advanced skills for differential diagnosis, including interviewing skills and the use and interpretation of screening tools, laboratory tests and behavioral assessments, guided by the current DSM.
NURS 5365 Psychotherapeutic Theories & Modalities Across the Lifespan — 3 crAn overview of major concepts, theories and research on psychotherapeutic treatments across the lifespan, integrating case formulation and treatment planning with evidence-based brief psychotherapies such as CBT and Motivational Interviewing.
NURS 5367 PMHNP Practicum I — 3 crClinical training in the full PMHNP role with emphasis on the mental health needs of adults and older adults, building competencies in the ethical, safe, collaborative and evidence-based provision of mental health care.
NURS 5368 Integrated Mental Health Care I — 3 crIntegrates theory and research in the clinical care of adults and older adults under the guidance of a clinical preceptor, applying theory and research to complex health problems.
NURS 5370 PMHNP Practicum II — 3 crClinical training in the full PMHNP role with emphasis on the mental health needs of children and families, building competencies in the ethical, safe, collaborative and evidence-based provision of care.
NURS 5373 Integrated Mental Health Care II — 3 crIntegrates theory and evidence-based practice through a capstone in a mental health setting under preceptor guidance, applying theory and research to individuals and families experiencing complex mental health problems.
BSN-DNP — Nursing Informatics, Quality & Safety
Sit at the intersection of nursing, technology, and patient safety. Paired with the DNP core, this concentration prepares you to lead data-driven quality improvement, optimize health information systems, and design safer care processes across complex organizations.
$34,332Total in-state tuition
Non-APRN path · 57 credits (18 specialty / 39 core) · 1,000 clinical/practice hours · 100% online coursework
What You'll Master:
- Informatics roles, theory, ethics & legal perspectives
- Nursing informatics for quality & safety
- Information systems life cycle
- Data management & analysis for nursing informatics
- Informatics, quality & safety practicum
- Informatics, quality & safety capstone
Specialty Coursework (18 credits)
NURS 5381 Nursing Informatics: Roles, Theory, Ethics & Legal Perspectives — 3 crIntroductory principles for understanding the conceptual and theoretical basis of information management in healthcare informatics, using an interdisciplinary approach to clinical aspects, practice considerations and the application of information technology.
NURS 5383 Nursing Informatics Quality and Safety — 3 crFoundational education in the role of informatics in helping healthcare organizations, clinicians and consumers achieve quality care, reduce cost, and improve population health while improving the clinician experience.
NURS 5385 Nursing Information Systems Life Cycle — 3 crPrepares students for all facets of information system procurement and implementation, focusing on the tactical skills required to implement clinical information systems and participate in system evaluation and maintenance.
NURS 5387 Data Management and Analysis for Nursing Informatics — 3 crStudents examine data standards, management, analysis, application and transformation with hands-on experience analyzing healthcare data, and explore technologies such as simulation, robotics and wearable devices.
NURS 5390 Informatics Quality and Safety Practicum — 3 crDemonstrates critical thinking, self-direction and competency in the skills needed by nursing informatics professionals, creating real-world work products based on professional experiences, networking and data sets.
NURS 5389 Informatics Quality and Safety Capstone — 3 crDemonstrates competency in the skills needed by healthcare informatics professionals through real-world work products based on unfolding case studies with simulated data, culminating in a portfolio of individual work.
BSN-DNP — Nursing Administration
Prepare to lead nursing services at the executive level. Combined with the DNP core, this concentration builds the financial, operational, and strategic leadership skills required to direct teams, manage budgets, and drive organizational performance.
$30,692Total in-state tuition
Non-APRN path · 51 credits (12 specialty / 39 core) · 1,000 clinical/practice hours · 100% online coursework
What You'll Master:
- Leadership in the healthcare environment
- Legal, regulatory & financial management
- Delivery of care & systems operations
- Nursing administration capstone
- 24 clinical hours embedded per specialty course
- Executive practice grounded in the DNP core
Specialty Coursework (12 credits)
NURS 5331 Leadership in Healthcare Environment — 3 crEnables the professional nurse to demonstrate organizational and systems leadership by synthesizing principles of leadership and management theory, organizational science, professional communication and informatics, applied through evidence-based practice.
NURS 5335 Legal, Regulatory & Financial Management — 3 crFocuses on the legal, ethical, regulatory and fiscal environment faced by nurse administrators, enabling the professional nurse to manage these issues and participate in the fiscal management of healthcare organizations.
NURS 5337 Delivery of Care — 3 crFocuses on the delivery of care within the healthcare environment at organizational, community, state, national and international levels, enabling the professional nurse to participate in the design of care delivery systems.
NURS 5388 Nursing Administration Capstone — 3 crStudents implement and evaluate a clinical project, applying knowledge from core graduate and administrative courses to strengthen the advanced practice role and improve health outcomes.
BSN-DNP — Nursing Education
Shape the next generation of nurses. Alongside the DNP core, this concentration prepares doctorally-credentialed educators to design curricula, teach in academic and clinical settings, and lead faculty and staff-development initiatives grounded in evidence.
$32,261Total in-state tuition
Non-APRN path · 54 credits (15 specialty / 39 core) · 1,000 clinical/practice hours · 100% online coursework
What You'll Master:
- Nursing education curriculum development
- Evaluation in nursing education
- Education roles & teaching strategies
- Integrated advanced 3 P's (assessment, patho, pharm)
- Nursing education capstone
- Academic & clinical teaching practica
Specialty Coursework (15 credits)
NURS 5327 Nursing Education Curriculum Development — 3 crTheories and procedures of educational program and course development applied to nursing education, linking it to standards of practice and guiding students to develop curriculum plans with related teaching and evaluation strategies.
NURS 5328 Evaluation in Nursing Education — 3 crAssessment of theories and strategies of measurement and evaluation applied to nursing education, with experiential exercises in developing, using and critiquing evaluation methods for classroom, clinical and program evaluation.
NURS 5329 Nursing Education / Roles and Strategies — 3 crExplores the nurse educator role in structuring teaching strategies that ensure effective individual and group learning, safe clinical practice, and a commitment to lifelong learning, with practicum hours in academic or staff-development settings.
NURS 5355 Integrated Advanced Health Assessment, Pathophysiology & Pharmacology — 3 crDesigned for master's students not pursuing nurse practitioner certification, this course integrates advanced pathophysiology and pharmacology with advanced health assessment principles for comprehensive examination of clients across the lifespan.
NURS 5382 Nursing Education Capstone — 3 crStudents synthesize evidence for a clinical problem and develop an evidence-based project building on prior coursework, actualizing the nursing advanced practice role to impact the health of individuals or populations.
JOIN OUR PROGRAM
Ready to make your biggest impact on the health care system?
UT Tyler's BSN-DNP takes you directly from your bachelor's to the terminal practice degree in nursing — no separate master's required. Study online while you keep working, and set the pace that fits your life. Every concentration pairs advanced specialty training with a shared doctoral core in evidence-based practice, systems leadership, health policy, and population health, and culminates in a DNP Scholarly Project. Upon graduation, you'll join a community of nurse leaders, scholars, and clinicians advancing care across East Texas and beyond.
Common to Every Concentration
COURSEWORK
NURS 7301 Introduction to DNP Role and Culture
This foundational course introduces students to the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) role, emphasizing its historical evolution, philosophical underpinnings, and impact on healthcare. Students will explore the diverse roles, leadership responsibilities, and professional identity of DNP-prepared nurses as advocates for practice transformation and healthcare innovation. The course fosters a spirit of inquiry and professional maturity, guiding students in developing strategies for evidence-based decision-making, ethical leadership, and lifelong learning. Through self-assessment and reflection on personal strengths, emotional intelligence, and resilience, students will create an individualized action plan for professional growth throughout their DNP journey. Collaborative communication, stakeholder engagement, and advocacy principles are integrated to prepare students for effective leadership in complex healthcare environments.
NURS 7302 Foundations of Evidence-Based Practice
This course provides a comprehensive foundation for the integration of evidence into nursing practice to enhance healthcare quality and patient outcomes. Students will explore research methodologies, quality improvement frameworks, and models of evidence-based practice (EBP) to differentiate their roles in clinical decision-making. Emphasis is placed on systematic literature searching, critical appraisal of evidence, and synthesis of diverse sources to establish the significance of a practice problem. Additionally, students will examine ethical considerations in research and EBP while evaluating the applicability of findings to practice change and continuous quality improvement.
NURS 7303 Informatics & Healthcare Technologies
Exploration of data management systems needed to manage patient, systems and research information is the focal point of this course. Students will develop their data analysis and visualization skills with hands-on practice using business software. Refinement of the data analysis plan for the DNP Scholarly Project will be included.
NURS 7314 Practice Change for DNP Leaders
This course prepares DNP students to lead and sustain evidence-based practice transformation within complex healthcare systems. Students will apply change management and implementation science principles to drive innovation while analyzing the organizational, policy, and financial factors influencing practice change. Emphasis is placed on strategic communication, stakeholder engagement, and interprofessional collaboration to navigate resistance and foster a culture of continuous improvement. Through leadership development and evaluation, students will refine their ability to implement sustainable, systems-based change that advances health outcomes.
NURS 7315 Evidence-Based Practice I
This course builds on the foundation of the evidence-based practice (EBP) paradigm, emphasizing critical appraisal, synthesis, and application of research to inform clinical decision-making and practice change. Students will evaluate the quality and strength of evidence sources, analyze ethical considerations in scholarly inquiry, and apply Institutional Review Board (IRB) guidelines. Methods for translating research into practice, implementing sustainable EBP changes, and assessing outcomes across healthcare settings will be explored within ethical, legal, and regulatory frameworks.
NURS 7317 Evidence-Based Practice II
This course prepares DNP students to implement evidence-based practice initiatives with a focus on project management and stakeholder collaboration. Using their DNP Scholarly Project as a foundation, students will translate evidence into practice, design interventions to improve patient and population health outcomes, and evaluate implementation strategies. Emphasis is placed on ethical decision-making, policy analysis, and optimizing healthcare quality, access, and cost-effectiveness. Through interdisciplinary collaboration and evaluation methods, students will develop practical skills to lead sustainable practice change and innovation across healthcare settings.
NURS 7371 Organizational & Systems Leadership
This course prepares DNP students to lead evidence-based initiatives that drive organizational and systems-level change. Emphasizing strengths-based leadership, emotional intelligence, and strategic decision-making, students will analyze system-wide processes to assess the sustainability of healthcare improvements. Through interprofessional collaboration and stakeholder engagement, students will develop and evaluate initiatives that enhance healthcare quality, value, access, and cost-effectiveness. Ethical decision-making, policy evaluation, and innovation strategies are integrated to equip students with the skills necessary to navigate complex healthcare environments and lead transformative change.
NURS 7373 Financial & Business Management for DNP Leaders
This course equips DNP students with essential financial and business management skills to lead cost-effective and accessible healthcare initiatives. Students will analyze economic drivers, reimbursement models, and regulatory policies that impact healthcare costs and sustainability. Emphasis is placed on evaluating the financial implications of organizational structures, leadership models, and workforce dynamics. Through evidence-based strategies and policy advocacy, students will develop fiscal solutions that enhance healthcare value, improve access, and promote high-quality patient care within complex healthcare systems.
NURS 7331 Healthcare Policy & Advocacy for DNP Leaders
This course equips DNP students with the knowledge and skills to engage in health policy analysis, advocacy, and research. Students will examine the policymaking process, from problem identification and policy design to enactment, implementation, and evaluation. Emphasis is placed on assessing the impact of public policy on healthcare systems, quality, access, and health outcomes. Through evidence-based strategies, students will develop policy initiatives, utilize data analytics to inform recommendations, and explore advocacy approaches to influence healthcare reform. Interprofessional collaboration and ethical considerations in policy development are integrated to prepare students for leadership in health policy.
NURS 7358 Population Health for DNP Leaders
This course examines population health across the healthcare continuum, focusing on the determinants of health, risk factors for poor outcomes, and strategies to improve access to care. Students will explore collaborative partnerships, clinical prevention, information systems, and interdisciplinary approaches to enhance population health. Emphasis is placed on the role of healthcare systems, policy influence, and advocacy in addressing health disparities. Through self-reflection and application of evidence-based strategies, students will develop implementation plans to integrate population health principles into their DNP scholarly projects.
NURS 7375 Healthcare Quality & Safety for DNP Leaders
This course explores the principles of quality and safety in healthcare delivery, emphasizing the DNP leader's role in driving system-wide improvements. Students will analyze performance metrics, patient safety initiatives, and regulatory frameworks to inform quality improvement strategies. Emphasis is placed on interprofessional collaboration, process improvement, and data-driven decision-making to enhance patient outcomes. Students will also examine workplace safety, ethical practice, and just culture as integral components of high-quality care. Through evidence-based approaches, students will develop interventions to mitigate risks, reduce errors, and foster a culture of continuous improvement.
NURS 6343 Publishing Scholarly Papers
Outcomes-based course for the purpose of acquiring skill in the development and production of a scholarly scientific manuscript to contribute to the evidence base of a professional discipline. Progressive written products with feedback/critique will move incrementally toward the completed manuscript that will be submitted for publication to a peer-reviewed scholarly journal. Students are advised to come into the course with a written academic paper that will foster their program of research or clinical focus or previous unpublished research that can be transformed into a manuscript for publication.
NURS 7377 DNP Scholarly Synthesis
This capstone course integrates prior coursework to support the finalization and dissemination of the DNP Scholarly Project. Students will synthesize leadership strengths, emotional intelligence, and interprofessional collaboration to develop a comprehensive DNP leadership plan. Emphasis is placed on ethical leadership, financial and business management principles, and sustaining practice change within healthcare systems. Students will refine their ability to communicate scholarly findings effectively using evidence-based strategies and multiple dissemination modalities to impact nursing practice and healthcare outcomes.
*Descriptions reflect the current DNP core curriculum and may be refined for the BSN-DNP.