10 Best DNP Programs in Kentucky – 2025
Written By: Pattie Trumble, MPP, MPH
As an RN in Kentucky, you’ve probably treated patients impacted by the state’s severe shortage of primary healthcare providers. Want to do something about that? DNP programs in Kentucky can train you to play a crucial role in addressing the healthcare needs of underserved and rural populations throughout the Bluegrass State by becoming a nurse practitioner or an executive nurse leader. A Doctor of Nursing Practice degree pays off in other ways as well: In Kentucky, DNP-educated RNs earn $118,890 annually on average, and the demand for DNP services is estimated to jump 45 percent over the next 10 years. The guide below to the 10 best DNP programs in Kentucky has more information.
WHAT ARE THE BEST DNP PROGRAMS IN KENTUCKY (ONLINE & CAMPUS) FOR 2025?
Based on our Ranking Methodology, listed below are the 10 Best Doctor of Nursing Practice programs in Kentucky (Online & Campus) for 2025.
Programs Offered: BSN-to-DNP and MSN-to-DNP
BSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, and Executive Leadership in Health Care
MSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Executive Leadership in Health Care, and Clinical Leadership in Health Care
BSN-to-DNP Program Details: The University of Kentucky's Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)-to-Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program offers six concentrations: a 74-credit BSN-to-DNP/Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner track, a 77-credit BSN-to-DNP/Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) track, a 74-credit BSN-to-DNP/Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (PACNP) track, a 74-credit BSN-to-DNP/Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (PPCNP) track, a 76-credit BSN-to-DNP/Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) track, and a 61-credit BSN-to-DNP/Executive Leadership in Health Care track.
The five nurse practitioner specialties each require 1,020 clinical hours, divvied up between supervised patient care practicums and clinical experiences spent implementing and evaluating your DNP project. Full-time students can complete these tracks in 11 semesters (32 months), while part-time students can graduate in 14 semesters (56 months). The Executive Leadership in Health Care specialty is only offered on a part-time basis, and you can complete the curriculum in 11 semesters (32 months). New students begin this DNP program in Kentucky in the fall semester.
You'll be able to complete most of your coursework online, but you will have to visit the university's campus in Lexington at the beginning and end of each semester for three-day skills immersions. You can pursue your clinical rotations in the state where you are licensed as an RN. Core DNP courses like "Research Methods in Advanced Practice Nursing," "Population Health Assessment, Planning & Policy," and "Complex Systems Leadership and Innovation," will prepare you to participate in a two-semester DNP project where you'll use your nursing theory knowledge and research skills to implement and evaluate a practice solution at the clinical or organizational level. All applicants must have prior professional nursing experience and submit their applications through NursingCAS.
MSN-to-DNP Program Details: The University of Kentucky's MSN-to-DNP program has something for you whether you're a Master's of Science in Nursing (MSN)-educated RN looking to improve your leadership and analysis skills so you can qualify for jobs at a higher level in your organization, or you're a professional with a nursing master's who wants to become certified in a new clinical specialty. When you enroll in this program, you can pursue one of seven specialty pathways: a 51-credit MSN-to-DNP/AGACNP track, a 54-credit MSN-to-DNP/FNP track, a 51-credit MSN-to-DNP/PACNP track, a 51-credit MSN-to-DNP/PPCNP track, a 53-credit MSN-to-DNP/PMHNP track, a 38-credit MSN-to-DNP/Executive Leadership in Health Care track, and a 38-credit MSN-to-DNP/Clinical Leadership in Health Care track. If you're solely interested in finishing your DNP degree, however, UK also offers a streamlined 31-credit MSN-to-DNP track without a specialty.
The University of Kentucky's nurse practitioner MSN-to-DNP tracks each require 1,020 hours; the two non-clinical MSN-to-DNP tracks require 480 clinical hours, and the streamlined MSN-to-DNP track requires 420 hours. If you're enrolled in any of the latter three tracks, you'll be able to transfer over MSN clinical hours to meet your 1,000-hour DNP requirement.
The MSN-to-DNP program offers the same foundational DNP coursework as UK's BSN-to-DNP program. Like the BSN-to-DNP program, it's presented in a hybrid format, combining online and on-campus elements. Full-time students will complete the curriculum in 11 semesters (32 months).
Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students
• Except for a dip during the pandemic years, graduates of the University of Kentucky's nurse practitioner DNP specialties had a first-time pass rate of 100 percent on their national NP certification exams.
• Graduates of the Executive Leadership in Health Care specialty are eligible for the Nurse Executive - Advanced certification exam from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or the Certified in Executive Nursing Practice exam from the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE).
• When it was launched in 2001, the University of Kentucky's Doctor of Nursing Practice program was the very first DNP program in the United States.
2. Frontier Nursing University - Versailles
Programs Offered: MSN-to-DNP
MSN-to-DNP Program Details: Before Frontier Nursing University decided that ranking programs didn't align with its mission,
U.S. News & World Report routinely cited FNU as one of the best DNP programs in Kentucky and the nation. Frontier Nursing University's 30-credit MSN-to-DNP program is specifically tailored to meet the needs of certified nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners in rural outposts who want to earn a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. The program is offered via distance learning and includes courses like "Advanced Evidence Based Practice," "Leadership & Organizational Dynamics," and "Population Health." MSN-to-DNP students must attend one three-day Frontier Bound session at the university's campus in Versailles.
FNU's MSN-to-DNP program culminates with a four-semester DNP project, which will reflect the operational needs of the community sponsor with whom you are collaborating. You'll spend 500 hours planning, implementing, and disseminating your project. You'll be able to partner with a healthcare organization or community agency in your own area and transfer the additional hours needed to meet the 1000-hour DNP practicum requirement from your MSN studies.
Frontier Nursing University has a rolling admissions policy and accepts new cohorts in the spring, summer, fall, and winter semesters. All applicants must be certified APRNs.
Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students
• Frontier Nursing University's MSN-to-DNP program focuses on training healthcare leaders who address the needs of populations living in rural and other medically underserved areas.
• At five semesters (18 months), Frontier Nursing University's MSN-to-DNP program is one of the shortest of its kind in the nation.
3. University of Louisville - Louisville
Programs Offered: BSN-to-DNP and MSN-to-DNP
BSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Nurse Practitioner (Adult-Gerontology Acute Care, Adult-Gerontology Primary Care, Family, Neonatal, Pediatric Acute Care, and Psychiatric Mental Health) and Nurse Anesthesia
MSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Nurse Practitioner (Adult-Gerontology Acute Care, Adult-Gerontology Primary Care, Family, Neonatal, Pediatric Acute Care, and Psychiatric Mental Health)
BSN-to-DNP Program Details: If you want to become a nurse practitioner or a nurse anesthetist while you're earning your Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, check out the University of Louisville's offerings. UofL features a 76-credit BSN-to-DNP/AGACNP track, a 75-credit BSN-to-DNP/AGPCNP track, a 78-credit BSN-to-DNP/FNP track, an 89-credit BSN-to-DNP/Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP) track, a 77-credit BSN-to-DNP/PACNP track, a 77-credit BSN-to-DNP/PMHNP track, and a 112-credit BSN-to-DNP/Nurse Anesthesia track. The nurse practitioner tracks require a minimum of 1,000 clinical hours, 672 of which must be spent providing supervised care to patients in your chosen specialty. The Nurse Anesthesia track requires 2,880 practicum hours. You'll participate in practicums at healthcare facilities throughout Kentucky, such as the University of Louisville Hospital, a Level I trauma center, UofL Health-Mary & Elizabeth Hospital, and UofL Health–Jewish Hospital.
All tracks are primarily taught at UofL's campus in Louisville, though you may be able to access some of your educational materials online. Foundational DNP courses such as "Program Development and Evaluation," "Analysis of Leadership and Healthcare Policy," and "Synthesis and Evaluation of Evidence Based Practice" will lay the groundwork for a three-semester scholarly DNP project.
You can complete any one of the University of Louisville's BSN-to-DNP tracks in nine semesters (36 months). The Nurse Anesthesia track only accepts full-time students, but the nurse practitioner tracks also offer part-time enrollment. UofL enrolls new cohorts into its BSN-to-DNP program once a year in the fall semester.
All applications must be submitted through NursingCAS. Applicants to the NNP, AGACNP, and PACNP tracks must have at least one year of critical care experience working with that specific specialty population. Applicants to the Nurse Anesthesia track must have at least one year of critical care experience; preference is given to candidates who have experience with hemodynamic monitoring, mechanical ventilation, and vasoactive drug administration. Nurse anesthesia candidates must also have Basic Life Support (BLS) certification and either Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) or Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certification. Additionally, Nurse Anesthesia applicants must spend at least 24 hours shadowing a licensed Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA).
MSN-to-DNP Program Details: The University of Louisville offers the same nurse practitioner programs in its MSN-to-DNP program as it does in its BSN-to-DNP program. The program is designed for nurses who are already APRN-certified, so it's shorter because the university assumes you've already completed coursework in many advanced practice topics as part of your nursing master's studies. Most students graduate after two years of part-time studies. This program accepts new students in the summer and fall semesters.
UofL provides a 45-credit MSN-to-DNP/AGACNP track, a 44-credit MSN-to-DNP/AGPCNP track, a 47-credit MSN-to-DNP/FNP track, a 58-credit MSN-to-DNP/NNP track, a 46-credit MSN-to-DNP/PACNP track, and a 46-credit MSN-to-DNP/PMHNP track. Each includes a minimum of 330 clinical hours. Like other nursing master's DNP programs in Kentucky, the University of Louisville will allow you to transfer clinical hours from your MSN studies to make up your 1,000-hour DNP clinical requirement if you need to.
While some course materials are available online, this program is primarily taught at the university's campus, and you will complete clinical rotations at medical facilities affiliated with the University of Louisville Health System. The core DNP curriculum is similar to the BSN-to-DNP curriculum and includes a DNP project.
Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students
• The University of Louisville's BSN-to-DNP/NNP program is the only neonatal nurse practitioner program in the Bluegrass State that's offered at the clinical doctoral level.
• In 2023, the University of Louisville received a $6.5 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration, which is being used to expand UofL's nurse practitioner DNP programs.
Programs Offered: BSN-to-DNP and MSN-to-DNP
BSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Family Nurse Practitioner and Nurse Executive
MSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Nurse Executive
BSN-to-DNP Program Details: Rural Kentucky has a significant shortage of primary healthcare providers, which Western Kentucky University's BSN-to-DNP program is designed to address. The university offers two clinical doctoral pathways: a 76-credit BSN-to-DNP/FNP track and a 63-credit BSN-to-DNP/Nurse Executive track. Both tracks share a common core DNP curriculum with courses like "Graduate Nursing Research," " Leadership in Health Policy," and "Evidenced-Based Practice." The two curricula culminate with a scholarly DNP project.
This DNP program in Kentucky also includes 1,000 clinical hours. You'll complete your practicums at The Medical Center in Bowling Green and other medical facilities throughout south central Kentucky. Though much of your coursework will be online, you'll participate in up to four weekend seminars on campus per semester, and you may have to make other visits to the university as well.
WKU offers full-time and part-time enrollment. Full-time students will graduate after nine semesters (36 months), and part-time students after 12 semesters (48 months). New students start in the summer or fall semesters. Applicants must have a BSN from an accredited nursing program with a grade point average of 3.25 or higher.
MSN-to-DNP Program Details: As a nurse with an MSN-to-DNP degree from Western Kentucky University, you'll be prepared for jobs in the upper echelons of healthcare management, both at the clinical and organizational levels. This 36-credit track consists of the same DNP core courses that students pursuing the BSN-to-DNP curriculum take, including a DNP project. WKU's MSN-to-DNP program, however, is offered online, utilizing both synchronous and asynchronous components.
The program includes 500 clinical hours, which you can complete in your state of residence. To meet the 1,000-hour DNP clinical requirement, you'll be able to transfer up to 500 clinical hours from your MSN program.
Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students
• 100 percent of WKU Family Nurse Practitioner grads pass their national certification exam the very first time they take it.
• Western Kentucky University's DNP project is not just a capstone but also an immersive, semester-long clinical immersion experience.
5. Murray State University - Murray
Programs Offered: BSN-to-DNP and MSN-to-DNP
BSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Nurse Anesthetist and Family Nurse Practitioner
BSN-to-DNP Program Details: You'll be able to pursue your first year of studies entirely online, whether you enroll in Murray State University's 90-credit BSN-to-DNP/Nurse Anesthetist track or its 78-credit BSN-to-DNP/FNP track. Thereafter, while Nurse Anesthetist students continue taking DNP core courses online, anesthesia specialty courses will be taught in a traditional face-to-face format, using Zoom for classroom access.
During your second year of Nurse Anesthetist studies, you'll pursue clinical rotations at either Baptist Health Deaconess in Madisonville or St. Joseph Hospital in Lexington, and you'll be expected to relocate to live close to your clinical assignment. In your final year, you'll participate in clinical rotations at a variety of urban and rural healthcare facilities throughout Kentucky, such as Clark Regional Medical Center, Good Samaritan Hospital, and Norton Audubon Hospital. In total, you'll complete a minimum of 2,000 practicum hours.
In their second and third years, FNP students will still take most of their classes online. However, they will have to visit the university's main campus in Murray periodically for skills intensives. The FNP track involves a minimum of 885 supervised patient care hours and a minimum of 115 DNP project hours, and you'll be able to complete your practicums in your own community.
Both tracks offer the same foundational DNP courses. Classes like "Theory and Advanced Nursing Research," "Evidence-Based Practice," and "Leadership and Quality Improvement/Patient Safety" will provide you with the knowledge and tools you need to tackle a three-semester DNP project. Both the Nurse Anesthetist and FNP tracks take nine semesters (36 months) to complete. The Nurse Anesthetist track begins in the summer, while the FNP track begins in the fall.
Applications must be submitted through NursingCAS. Nurse Anesthetist applicants must be eligible for Kentucky RN licensure and have at least one year of critical care experience and BLS, ACLS, and PALS certification. Preference is given to applicants with either Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN) or Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing (NIC) certification.
MSN-to-DNP Program Details: Are you an MSN-educated student looking for a clinical doctoral program that you can take on your own terms? Murray State University's 35-credit MSN-to-DNP program is 100 percent online with asynchronous coursework! You can earn your DNP in as few as five semesters (20 months). You'll be able to complete your DNP project hours in the state where you are licensed as an RN, and you can meet your 1,000-hour DNP clinical requirement with MSN credits. Applicants must have a GPA of 3.5 or higher in their nursing master's studies.
Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students
• The first-time nurse practitioner certification exam pass rate for Murray State University’s FNP graduates is 100 percent.
• 94 percent of the graduates from Murray State University's BSN-to-DNP/Nurse Anesthetist program passed their National Certification Examination (NCE) the first time they attempted it.
• Murray State University does not charge students who live outside Kentucky out-of-state tuition rates.
Programs Offered: BSN-to-DNP and MSN-to-DNP
BSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Leadership and Nurse Anesthesia
MSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Advanced Nursing Practice Clinical Leadership and Executive Leadership
BSN-to-DNP Program Details: Bellarmine University offers a 101- to 112-credit BSN-to-DNP/Nurse Anesthesia track and a 68-credit BSN-to-DNP/Leadership track. The latter DNP track is entirely online, making it an excellent option for nurses who are juggling work and personal commitments with their educational goals. The Nurse Anesthesia track is primarily taught on the university's campus in Louisville, though it does have some online components, particularly in its first and second semesters. Both tracks can be completed in nine semesters (36 months). Both tracks accept new cohorts in the fall semester.
The Nurse Anesthesia track is rigorous: Between class time, study time, and clinical rotations, you can expect to spend 55 to 65 hours a week on your schoolwork. This DNP program in Kentucky includes 2,700 practicum hours, which will be scheduled at hospitals, clinics, and medical centers across the Greater Louisville area. In contrast, the Leadership track includes 1,000 clinical hours, which you must complete at healthcare facilities in the Bluegrass State.
The two tracks share a common DNP core with classes like "Methods for Evidence-based Practice in Healthcare," "Program Development, Implementation and Evaluation," and "Advanced Statistics for the Health Sciences." The Nurse Anesthesia DNP project, however, is a four-semester undertaking that focuses very specifically on challenges to anesthesia delivery, while the Leadership DNP project is grounded in a three-semester immersion experience.
Applicants to both tracks must be licensed registered nurses in Kentucky. Applicants to the Nurse Anesthesia track must have a minimum of one year of professional experience in a critical care practice setting and BLS, ACLS, PALS, and CCRN certification.
MSN-to-DNP Program Details: Whether you want to become a leader in your clinical specialty or rise to prominence at the organizational level, Bellarmine has a pathway for you if you're an RN with a nursing master's degree. The university offers a 35-credit MSN-to-DNP/Advanced Nursing Practice Clinical Leadership track and a 38-credit MSN-to-DNP/Executive Leadership track with the same core DNP curriculum (including a DNP project) that's in the longer BSN-to-DNP program.
This program has the flexibility that working RNs need. You can begin your studies in any semester. All your courses are fully accessible online. You'll participate in clinical rotations at healthcare facilities throughout Kentucky. Full-time students can finish this degree in six semesters (24 months). Applicants must have a Kentucky RN license and a GPA of 3.5 or higher in their MSN studies.
Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students
• While Bellarmine University is a Catholic university, its doors are open to students of all faiths, and its nursing curriculum is not informed by Catholic doctrines.
• Bellarmine University's DNP curriculum was developed according to guidelines from the Kentucky Board of Nursing and may not meet requirements for state licensure in other states.
7. Eastern Kentucky University - Richmond
Programs Offered: MSN-to-DNP
MSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Organizational Leadership
MSN-to-DNP Program Details: Eastern Kentucky University's practice-focused MSN-to-DNP/Organizational Leadership program is an excellent choice for MSN-prepared nurses who want to continue on their nursing education journey. This 31- to 38-credit program offers a robust DNP core curriculum with courses like "Management of Health Care Resources," "Analytical Methods for Evidence-Based Practice," and "Organizational Leadership" that culminates in a three-semester DNP project.
You'll be able to complete your coursework remotely without making a single campus visit. You can complete your practicum hours in your own community, and like most MSN-to-DNP programs in Kentucky, you'll be able to transfer credits from your nursing master's degree toward your 1,000-hour DNP requirement. Eastern Kentucky University's MSN-to-DNP program has four entry points: two in the fall, one in the spring, and one in the summer.
Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students
• Eastern Kentucky University will accept applicants without an MSN into this program so long as they have a master's degree in a related field (for example, a Master's of Public Health, A Master's of Health Administration, or a Master's of Business Administration) and a BSN degree.
• EKU's MSN-to-DNP program offers 7-week terms during the spring and fall semesters and 6-week terms during the summer semester, and you'll never be required to take more than two courses per semester.
Programs Offered: BSN-to-DNP and MSN-to-DNP
BSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Nurse Anesthesia
MSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: CRNA
BSN-to-DNP Program Details: When the Council on Accreditation mandated that the entry-level requirement for a CRNA would henceforth be a DNP degree, Northern Kentucky University rose to the challenge. The university's BSN-to-DNP/Nurse Anesthesia degree is a rigorous 106-credit curriculum that will take you nine semesters to complete. While anesthesia courses are only taught in classrooms at the university's campus in Highland Heights, all foundational DNP coursework is available online. This DNP program in Kentucky accepts 20 applicants in the summer semester each year.
Your DNP coursework will be tailored to your needs as a nurse anesthetist and include classes like "Professional Aspects/Role Development in Nurse Anesthesia," "Health Policy Leadership in Nurse Anesthesia," and "System/Organizational Leadership in Nurse Anesthesia." You'll begin a six-semester DNP project in your second year of studies. Northern Kentucky University has numerous clinical affiliations throughout northern Kentucky and southwestern Ohio (such as St. Elizabeth's Medical Center, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, and The Christ Hospital), where you will do your clinical rotations. From a purely clinical point of view, this may be one of the best DNP programs in Kentucky for future nurse anesthetists because it includes 3,040 practicum hours, which is significantly more than most Nurse Anesthesia doctoral programs include.
Applicants must be licensed RNs in Kentucky and Ohio. All applicants must have a minimum of one year of professional critical care experience.
MSN-to-DNP Program Details: In addition to a streamlined 35-credit MSN-to-DNP program designed for RNs with nursing master's degrees who want to enhance their career prospects, Northern Kentucky University offers an MSN-to-DNP program specifically customized to meet the needs of CRNAs who wish to earn their terminal doctoral degree. Both tracks emphasize foundational DNP coursework, but the former offers more generic DNP classes like "Theory and Research for EBP," "Program Development, Implementation and Evaluation for Health Care," and "Analysis and Application of Health Data for Advanced Nursing Practice (ANP)," while the latter consists of the same anesthesiology-focused courses CRNAs take in the BSN-to-DNP program.
Both programs are delivered entirely in a distance learning format and can be completed in six semesters (24 months). You'll be able to complete the practicum hours you need to spend developing, implementing, and evaluating your DNP project at a healthcare facility close to where you live. Applicants to the post-master's CRNA track must be certified nurse anesthetists; applicants to the traditional MSN-to-DNP track must have professional nursing experience.
Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students
• Nurse anesthetists who complete their nurse anesthesia training at Northern Kentucky University have a first-time NCE pass rate of 95 percent.
• Northern Kentucky University is one of the few Nurse Anesthesia programs in the country to have access to a nursing simulation center accredited by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare.
9. Spalding University - Louisville
Programs Offered: MSN-to-DNP
MSN-to-DNP Program Details: Spalding University's 36-credit MSN-to-DNP program consists of 30 core DNP credits and six elective credits in specialty areas such as academic leadership in nursing education, emergency readiness, and disaster preparedness for the DNP nurse leader. Full-time students can complete this program in six semesters (24 months). The program is 100 percent online.
You'll take classes such as "Advanced Nursing Leadership," "Strategic Planning and Collaboration," and "Evidence Based Practice & Implementation Science." You'll also complete a two-semester DNP project. Classes are taught in 8-week sessions, and the university offers multiple start dates throughout the year.
Like all clinical doctoral programs, Spalding University's MSN-to-DNP requires 1,000 post-baccalaureate precepted clinical hours for graduation, but you'll be able to apply clinical hours from your MSN studies toward that end. Practicums can be completed in the state where you hold an RN licensure.
Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students
• Though Spalding University is a Catholic school in the tradition of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, the university admits students from many different religious backgrounds. The university is committed to the ideals of service and compassion, but its nursing curriculum does not explicitly reflect Catholic doctrines.
• Spalding University offers significant tuition discounts for employees of UofL Health.
10. Kentucky State University - Frankfort
Programs Offered: BSN-to-DNP
BSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Adult Gerontological Primary Care Practitioner
BSN-to-DNP Program Details: As part of the state's push to increase the number of primary healthcare providers throughout Kentucky, Kentucky State University is offering a 72-credit BSN-to-DNP/AGPCNP program. Courses like "Theoretical Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice," "Evidence-Based Practice/Quality Improvement," and "Research Design and Methods" will impart the nursing theory and research skills you need to complete a scholarly DNP project.
Apart from clinical rotations, this DNP program in Kentucky is delivered through distance learning technology using a mostly asynchronous format. You must complete 1,080 practicum hours, which you can do at hospitals and other healthcare facilities in your own geographic area. This program begins in the fall semester and can be completed by full-time students in nine semesters (36 months). Kentucky State University will consider applicants whose undergraduate grade point average was less than 3.0, but those applicants must have two years or more of professional nursing experience.
Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students
• Kentucky State University also accepts post-MSN students into its DNP program. MSN grads can transfer applicable credits and pursue both clinical skills and doctoral preparedness.
• Kentucky State University offers start dates into its BSN-to-DNP/AGPCNP program every eight weeks.
VIEW OUR RANKING METHODOLOGY
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ANSWERED
1. Who Accredits DNP Programs In Kentucky?
2. How Many Schools Offer Accredited DNP Programs In Kentucky?
3. What Is The Average DNP Salary In Kentucky?
| Hourly | $57.16 |
| Weekly | $2,286 |
| Monthly | $9,910 |
| Annual | $118,890 |
4. On Average, How Much Do Entry-Level DNP Graduates Make In Kentucky?
| Hourly | $42.05 |
| Weekly | $1,682 |
| Monthly | $7,290 |
| Annual | $87,470 |
5. On Average, How Much Do Experienced DNP Graduates Make In Kentucky?
| Level of Experience | Hourly | Weekly | Monthly | Annual |
| 1-4 Years of Experience | $47.58 | $1,903 | $8,250 | $98,970 |
| 5-9 Years of Experience | $56.17 | $2,247 | $9,740 | $116,830 |
| 10-19 Years of Experience | $62.55 | $2,502 | $10,840 | $130,100 |
| 20 Years or More Experience | $74.75 | $2,990 | $12,960 | $155,480 |
6. What Is The Average DNP Salary In Kentucky By Metro?
| Metro | Hourly | Weekly | Monthly | Annual |
| Bowling Green | $55.27 | $2,211 | $9,580 | $114,960 |
| Elizabethtown-Fort Knox | $58.44 | $2,338 | $10,130 | $121,550 |
| Lexington-Fayette | $59.67 | $2,387 | $10,340 | $124,120 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County | $59.65 | $2,386 | $10,340 | $124,070 |
| Owensboro | $58.57 | $2,343 | $10,150 | $121,830 |
7. Average DNP Salary In Kentucky VS. Average Salaries Of Other Closely Related Occupations In Kentucky
| Job Title | Average Annual Salary | Difference |
| Number | % |
| Dentist | $186,480 | -$67,590 | -36.25% |
| Optometrist | $161,300 | -$42,410 | -26.29% |
| Pharmacist | $131,020 | -$12,130 | -9.26% |
| Nurse With DNP | $118,890 | $0 | 0.00% |
| Veterinarian | $104,380 | +$14,510 | +13.90% |
| Physician Assistant | $99,290 | +$19,600 | +19.74% |
| Radiation Therapist | $95,720 | +$23,170 | +24.21% |
| Physical Therapist | $87,480 | +$31,410 | +35.91% |
| Occupational Therapist | $86,860 | +$32,030 | +36.88% |
| Speech-Language Pathologist | $83,310 | +$35,580 | +42.71% |
| Chiropractor | $82,040 | +$36,850 | +44.92% |
| Audiologist | $76,370 | +$42,520 | +55.68% |
| Dental Hygienist | $73,850 | +$45,040 | +60.99% |
Pattie Trumble, MPP, MPHPattie Trumble is a nurse who worked in both California and New York for many years as an emergency room nurse. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and an Associate Degree in Nursing from the Samuel Merritt Hospital School of Nursing. After 10 years of providing direct care, she went back to school and earned concurrent Master’s degrees in both public policy and public health from the University of California, Berkeley. Thereafter, she worked for various public health agencies in California at both the community and state levels providing economic and legislative analysis.
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