13 Best DNP Programs in Massachusetts – 2025
Written By: Pattie Trumble, MPP, MPH
Want to ensure you’re a highly valued member of any healthcare team you’re part of? Earn a degree from one of the DNP programs in Massachusetts! A DNP degree will equip you to contribute effectively to multidisciplinary healthcare teams while positioning you for leadership roles in the Bay State’s hospitals and medical centers, either as a clinical practitioner working directly with patients or as a nurse manager working to improve patient outcomes. In Massachusetts, on average, DNP-educated RNs make $155,130 annually, and the need for their services is projected to increase by 47 percent in the next decade. There’s much more information about this dynamic option in the list of the 13 best DNP programs in Massachusetts below.
WHAT ARE THE BEST DNP PROGRAMS IN MASSACHUSETTS (ONLINE & CAMPUS) FOR 2025?
Based on our Ranking Methodology, listed below are the 13 Best Doctor of Nursing Practice programs in Massachusetts (Online & Campus) for 2025.
1. Boston College - Chestnut Hill
Programs Offered: BSN-to-DNP, MSN-to-DNP, and RN-to-DNP
BSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Nurse Anesthesia
This DNP program in Massachusetts will take you nine semesters (36 months) to complete. You'll attend classes at Boston College's campus in Newton. In your third semester, you'll begin clinical rotations at 22 of Boston's most prestigious medical centers, including Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. In all, you'll complete a minimum of 2,500 clinical hours.
Boston College's BSN-to-DNP/Nurse Anesthesia program begins each May, at the start of the summer semester. Most applicants accepted into this program have an undergraduate GPA of 3.5 or higher and at least two years of critical care experience. All applicants must have a Massachusetts RN license and Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), and Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN) certification.
MSN-to-DNP Program Details: Boston College's MSN-to-DNP program is designed for RNs with a master's degree in nursing who are looking for opportunities to advance their careers. The streamlined curriculum offers core DNP courses (identical to those in the BSN-to-DNP degree) and 1,000 hours of practicum, although you may be able to apply some or all of your MSN clinical hours toward meeting this requirement. The 31-credit program culminates with a two-semester DNP project.
Boston College's MSN-to-DNP program is taught in classrooms out of the college's Chestnut Hill campus, and all clinical rotations are scheduled in Boston, so applicants must have a Massachusetts RN license. New cohorts start in the fall and spring semesters. Full-time students can complete it in two years; part-time students will graduate in three years.
RN-to-DNP Program Details: Is the lack of a BSN degree holding you back from the advanced nursing jobs you know you're capable of handling? Boston College offers an RN-to-DNP program for RNs with an associate degree in nursing (ADN) or a hospital diploma that most students can complete in four years. This program doesn't have a standardized curriculum; instead, your study plan will be individualized based on completed coursework and professional experiences. You'll need to establish bacclaureate level competencies by submitting a professional portfolio, and most applicants need to take bridge courses to make up the required 100 to 120 undergraduate credits they need for graduation.
Once you're started on the DNP curriculum, you'll complete 71 credits and 1,000 clinical hours. In addition to completing core DNP courses, this program also allows you to pursue specialties such as Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP), Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (PPCNP), Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP), and Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP). The program is taught at the college's Chestnut Hill campus and enrolls new students in the spring and fall semesters. You'll complete practicums at healthcare facilities in the Boston area.
Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students
• While Boston College is rooted in Catholic Jesuit tradition, it welcomes individuals from all faiths, and its nursing curriculum reflects social justice values rather than specific Catholic theological teachings.• U.S. News & World Report rates Boston College's DNP and Nurse Anesthesia programs as the 26th best of their kind in the nation.
2. University of Massachusetts Medical School - Worcester
Programs Offered: BSN-to-DNP and MSN-to-DNP
BSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
You can enroll in one of four specialties: a BSN-to-DNP/Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) track, a BSN-to-DNP/AGPCNP track, a BSN-to-DNP/Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) track, and a BSN-to-DNP/FNP track. These tracks require the completion of 75 credits and 1,065 clinical hours. Core DNP courses like "Evidence-Based Practice and Scholarly Inquiry," "Organizational Systems & Health Care Financing," and "Leadership for Advanced Practice" are integrated with concentration-specific coursework throughout the program's three years. UMass Chan's BSN-to-DNP tracks also include a two-semester DNP project.
Courses are taught on the campus of the University of Massachusetts Medical School in North Worcester. You'll be able to leverage UMass Memorial Health's extensive resources to complete your 1,000 hours of clinical practicums. All four tracks accept new cohorts in the fall semester and will take nine semesters (36 months) to complete if you enroll full-time. Applicants will participate in three video interviews as part of the application process, and all applicants must hold Massachusetts RN licensure. You must submit your application through NursingCAS.
MSN-to-DNP Program Details: The University of Massachusetts Medical School's online MSN-to-DNP will take full-time students five semesters (20 months) to complete and part-time students eight semesters (32 months). The curriculum consists of 36 credits and includes courses focusing specifically on nurse leadership in addition to the foundational DNP courses that are part of the school's BSN-to-DNP curriculum.
The program was designed for MSN-educated advanced practice RNs and administrative nurses. Courses start in the fall. You'll be able to augment your 1,000-hour practicum requirement with your MSN clinical rotations, and you can complete your practicums at healthcare facilities in your own locality.
Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students
• DNP students at the University of Massachusetts Medical School can also pursue clinical subspecialties in oncology, palliative care, women's health, and critical care.• UMass Chan Medical School is Massachusetts's only public academic health sciences center.
3. MGH Institute of Health Professions - Boston
Programs Offered: MSN-to-DNP
MSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Advanced Practice and Nurse Executives
By taking one or two courses each semester, you'll finish this program in either four semesters (16 months) or five semesters (20 months). The curriculum consists of core DNP courses like "Analyzing the Context of Health Systems Transformation," "What is the IHP's Role in Health Equity?," and "Translation of Evidence in DNP Practice," as well as practicums. MGH Institute MSN-to-DNP students do participate in a DNP project, but that project is integrated throughout other courses rather than consigned to a discrete class.
This DNP program in Massachusetts is primarily offered online, but students will have to visit the institute's campus in Boston as often as twice each semester for weekend skills intensives. While a Massachusetts RN license is not an explicit admissions requirement, you'll need one for clinical rotations at MGH's healthcare affiliates within the Mass General Brigham network, like Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital. Submit your application through NursingCAS.
Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students
• The MGH Institute of Health Professions will accept applicants with non-nursing master’s degrees into its MSN-to-DNP program. These students will have Master's of Health Administration (MHA), Master's of Business Administration (MBA), and Master's of Public Health (MPH) degrees and may have to take additional prerequisite coursework.• More than 80 percent of the MGH Institute's DNP nursing faculty hold doctoral degrees themselves.
4. Northeastern University - Boston
Programs Offered: BSN-to-DNP and MSN-to-DNP
BSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner-Acute Care, Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner-Primary Care, Family Nurse Practitioner-Primary Care, Neonatal Nurse Practitioner-Acute Care, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner-Primary Care, Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Dual Pediatric Nurse Practitioner-Acute & Primary Care, and Nurse Anesthesia
Northeastern University's BSN-to-DNP program will qualify you to sit for your nurse practitioner certification examination in eight semesters (32 months). Courses accept new students in the fall semester. Your curriculum will entail foundational APRN courses, coursework pertinent to your NP specialty track, practicums, and core DNP classes, such as "Leadership in Advanced Practice Nursing," "Translating Research Evidence into Practice," and "Role/Practice Issues in Advanced Practice Nursing." You'll also participate in a three-semester DNP project that will implement and evaluate the impact of evidence-based guidelines on a challenge affecting healthcare delivery, healthcare policy, or organizational healthcare models.
The Nurse Anesthesia track will take nine semesters (36 months) to complete. It contains the same DNP courses and DNP project requirements that Northeastern University students in the nurse practitioner programs take. However, the Nurse Anesthesia track is campus-based, taught at the university's campus in Boston, and while the NP tracks only require a minimum of 1,000 clinical hours, the Nurse Anesthesia track requires at least 2,000 clinical hours.
Though Northeastern's admission requirements don't specify Massachusetts RN licensure, most clinical rotations will be scheduled at hospitals and community health centers throughout Boston and adjacent communities such as Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Boston Children’s Hospital. Northeastern is affiliated with some medical facilities in New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine, too, for students who live closer to those places.
All NP applicants must have at least one year of professional nursing experience in the specialty area to which they are applying; applicants to the AGACNP, NNP, and dual AGACNP/AGPCNP tracks must have two years of experience. Anesthesia Nurse applicants must have a minimum of one year of critical care experience as well as ACLS, PALS, and CCRN certification.
MSN-to-DNP Program Details: MSN-prepared nurses who want to sharpen their research and leadership skills will benefit from enrolling in Northeastern University's 30-credit MSN-to-DNP program. The program utilizes a distance learning format, though you will have to visit the campus up to four times a year to network with program instructors and other students. The program consists of the core DNP coursework —including the DNP project—associated with Northeastern's BSN-to-DNP pathway.
Full-time students should be able to complete the curriculum in five semesters (20 months), but part-time enrollment options are also available. New cohorts can join this program in the fall. Upon admission, a gap analysis will be performed to see how many of your MSN clinical hours can be credited toward your 1,000-hour DNP requirement; you'll be able to complete the remaining hours at a healthcare facility in your own community. Applicants must have at least two years of professional nursing experience, and preference is given to APRNs or RNs with management experience.
Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students
• BSN-to-DNP and MSN-to-DNP students take core DNP classes together.• Northeastern University has a satellite campus in Charlotte, North Carolina, where the Doctor of Nursing Practice program is also taught.
5. University of Massachusetts Lowell - Lowell
Programs Offered: BSN-to-DNP and MSN-to-DNP
BSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner and Family Nurse Practitioner
Required DNP courses include "Operational Analysis and Quality Improvement," "Research for Evidence-Based Practice," and "Theoretical Foundation of Advanced Nursing Practice." You'll spend three semesters researching, implementing, and evaluating a scholarly DNP project, which you'll then present in an oral form. Coursework begins in the fall. If you enroll full-time, you will complete the program in 12 semesters (48 months); part-time students can expect to graduate in 15 semesters (60 months).
MSN-to-DNP Program Details: If you've set your sights on a leadership role in today's rapidly evolving healthcare sector, the University of Massachusetts-Lowell's MSN-to-DNP program can help you achieve your ambitions, provided you already have a nursing master's degree. The curriculum offers the same foundational DNP coursework you'll find in the university's BSN-to-DNP program. If you're a certified APRN, you can graduate with 33 credits; if you don't have an APRN, you'll need to complete 36 credits. You'll complete whatever practicum hours you need to make up the 1,000-hour DNP requirement at some of the leading healthcare facilities in the Bay State.
If you pursue this program full-time, you'll graduate in six semesters (24 months); part-time students can complete the coursework in nine semesters (36 months). New students begin this program in the fall. Applicants must be licensed RNs in Massachusetts.
Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students
• Graduates of the BSN-to-DNP program at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell have a 100 percent first-time pass rate on their nurse practitioner certification exams.• Applicants may apply to the BSN-to-DNP program in the final year of their BSN studies.
6. University of Massachusetts Boston - Boston
Programs Offered: BSN-to-DNP and MSN-to-DNP
BSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Adult Gerontological Primary Care Nurse Practitioner and Family Nurse Practitioner
You'll be able to access your coursework online, but you'll need a Massachusetts RN license because practicums are completed in the Bay State at healthcare facilities like Brigham and Women's Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and Massachusetts General Hospital. New cohorts are accepted into this program each fall. It will take full-time students two years to graduate from this program. All applicants must have at least 12 months of professional nursing experience.
MSN-to-DNP Program Details: For nurses who've already earned a master's degree, UMass Boston offers a 31-credit MSN-to-DNP with no concentration that features the same core DNP classes that are in its longer BSN-to-DNP degree. You'll have to complete 400 clinical hours at medical facilities within the Boston area, but you can transfer over the remaining hours needed to meet DNP practicum requirements from your MSN program.
The program starts in the fall and is offered online. Count upon taking six semesters to graduate if you enroll full-time. Applicants must be licensed RNs in the state of Massachusetts.
Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students
• BSN-to-DNP students have the option of receiving an MSN degree with the approval of the DNP program director once they've completed 665 practicum hours and 48 credits.• Passionate about urban healthcare delivery? With classes like "Mental and Psychosocial Health of the Urban Family," UMass Boston prepares nurse practitioners to deliver high-quality care in inner-city practice settings.
7. University of Massachusetts Amherst - Amherst
Programs Offered: BSN-to-DNP and MSN-to-DNP
BSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Family Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, and Public Health Nurse Leader
MSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Public Health Nurse Leader
All three tracks offer an identical DNP core with classes like "Theoretical Components of Nursing Science," "Leadership of Public Health Systems," and "Research Methodology in Nursing." You'll spend five semesters researching, planning, implementing, disseminating, and evaluating a solution to a clinical or public health practice challenge and presenting that as your DNP project.
UMass Amherst accepts new cohorts into its BSN-to-DNP program in the spring, summer, and fall. Full-time students can complete the program in 12 semesters (48 months), while part-time students can complete it in 15 semesters (60 months).
MSN-to-DNP Program Details: When you enter UMass Amherst's 39-credit MSN-to-DNP program, you'll have the option of enrolling full-time and graduating in six semesters (24 months) or enrolling part-time and graduating in nine semesters (36 months). Your plan of study will follow the DNP-specific portion of the university's BSN-to-DNP curriculum, including the DNP project. This program is only open to MSN-prepared RNs who are also advanced practice nurses. You can start this program in the fall, spring, or summer semester.
Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students
• U.S. News & World Report dubs the Elaine Marieb College of Nursing at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst the 26th-best nursing program in the U.S.• UMass Amherst BSN-to-DNP students can opt to earn a Master's in Science of Nursing while they are pursuing their doctoral degrees.
• UMass Amherst cannot accept students from Alabama, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, or Washington State into its DNP programs.
8. University of Massachusetts Dartmouth - North Dartmouth
Programs Offered: BSN-to-DNP and MSN-to-DNP
BSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Adult Gerontology Primary Care and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Both tracks extend over 12 semesters (48 months) when you enroll full-time and 15 semesters (60 months) when you enroll part-time. The curriculum also includes 1,008 practicum hours, a requirement you'll be able to fulfill at a hospital or clinic close to where you presently live and work, so long as that's in New England. All cohorts start this program in the fall semester.
MSN-to-DNP Program Details: UMass Dartmouth's MSN-to-DNP program is designed for APRNs who want to advance into leadership roles within their chosen specialty. Its 28-credit curriculum adheres closely to the core DNP track within the university's BSN-to-DNP curriculum and includes the three-semester residency where you will hone your DNP project. Courses start in the fall, and full-time students can complete the program in five semesters (20 months).
You must complete 504 clinical hours while enrolled in this DNP program in Massachusetts. You'll be able to transfer the other clinical hours you need to complete the DNP practicum assignment from your MSN studies. All applicants must be certified as advanced practice registered nurses.
Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students
• The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth also offers a Graduate Admission Program (GAP) for nurses with ADNs and hospital diplomas. Entry depends upon compiling a professional portfolio that demonstrates applicants have achieved BSN-level nursing objectives. Students will take nine credits of graduate-level nursing courses, which will count as undergraduate electives, and proceed on to the university's traditional BSN-to-DNP program.• UMass Dartmouth only accepts applicants with RN licensure in Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, or Rhode Island.
9. Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences - Boston
Programs Offered: MSN-to-DNP
MSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Organization and Systems Leadership
Courses are 100 percent online and utilize an asynchronous format. The program also includes 500 clinical hours. (You will be able to apply your MSN practicums to make up the remainder of your 1,000-hour DNP practicum requirement.) New students can begin this DNP program in Massachusetts in the spring semester.
Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students
• Founded in 1832, the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is the oldest institution of higher education in Boston.• MCPHS's MSN-to-DNP program is only open to MSN-educated RNs with advanced practice certification.
10. Regis College School of Nursing - Weston
Programs Offered: BSN-to-DNP and MSN-to-DNP
BSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner, Adult Gerontology – Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, and Adult Gerontology – Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
MSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, Adult Gerontology – Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Adult Gerontology – Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Leadership, and Nurse Education
The curriculum consists of core APRN courses in physical assessment, pharmacology, and pathophysiology; clinical concentration classes and seminars; practicums; and foundational DNP courses, such as "Concepts in Nurse Leadership", "Advanced Research Methods for EBP I & II," and "Health Policy, Politics and Perspectives." The curriculum also includes a four-semester DNP project.
This hybrid program gives you the option to take classes at Regis College's campus in suburban Boston, through online Zoom synchronous courses, or as online asynchronous courses. For the convenience of working students, in-person and synchronous classes are held on weekends or weekdays after 4:30 p.m. You'll be able to complete your 1,000-hour practicum requirement at a healthcare facility in your own vicinity; 600 of those hours will be nurse practitioner clinical rotations, while the remaining 400 will involve DNP project research. Alternatively, you can participate in practicums at one of Regis College's many Boston-based clinical partners, such as Boston Medical Center, Mass General Brigham, or Boston Children's Hospital.
Regis College's BSN-to-DNP program has three convenient entry points in the spring, summer, and fall semesters. Most full-time students are able to complete the program in 13 semesters (40 months). Applicants to the BSN-to-DNP/AGACNP track must have at least one year of critical care experience.
MSN-to-DNP Program Details: Regis College is one of the rare MSN-to-DNP programs in Massachusetts that offers clinical nursing concentrations. The program was designed both for MSN-prepared RNs pursuing their initial clinical specialty and APRNs seeking to expand their nursing portfolio with a second area of professional expertise.
The FNP and PPCNP specialties both entail 58 credits; the WHNP, AGACNP, and AGPCNP tracks require 61 credits, while the PMHNC concentration involves 64 credits. Regis also offers two non-clinical concentrations, Nurse Education and Nurse Leadership, each comprising 36 credits. You'll develop a DNP project, and you'll also complete 1,000 clinical hours—though you'll be able to apply some or all of your MSN clinical hours toward that requirement. You'll take the lead role in identifying and securing clinical placements, though the clinical coordinators are happy to give you whatever support you need.
Apart from clinical rotations, this program is entirely online. You'll be able to complete the MSN-to-DNP/Nurse Education and MSN-to-DNP/Nurse Leadership tracks in six semesters (24 months) and the nurse practitioner tracks in nine semesters (36 months). You can begin the program in the spring, summer, or fall.
Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students
• Despite being a Catholic school, Regis College's rigorous nursing curriculum is aligned with professional nursing standards. The college welcomes students from all religious backgrounds.• Regis College participates in the Nurse Faculty Loan program, which allows nurse educators to write off up to 85 percent of the educational loans they've taken out.
11. Simmons University - Boston
Programs Offered: BSN-to-DNP and MSN-to-DNP
BSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Executive Leadership, Leadership-Family Nurse Practitioner, and Leadership-Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
MSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Executive Leadership, Family Nurse Practitioner, and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Core DNP courses include "Advanced Research Methods," "Health Care Negotiations and Problem Solving," and "Health Care Systems and Health Policy." The curriculum also includes a three-semester DNP project. The program is delivered over the Internet with no campus visits required. You must complete a minimum of 1,000 clinical hours, which you can do at a healthcare facility convenient to your own home. Classes start in the spring, summer, and fall. All applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents who have earned a grade of B or higher on their undergraduate Health Assessment course and have at least two years of experience working as an RN.
MSN-to-DNP Program Details: While Simmons University's 43-credit MSN-to-DNP/Executive Leadership track parallels the BSN-to-DNP concentration, the university's 65-credit MSN-to-DNP/FNP and 67-credit MSN-to-DNP/PMHNP tracks are slightly different from their BSN-to-DNP counterparts because they don't emphasize leadership within your field of clinical expertise quite as much. All three tracks share a common DNP core curriculum that's similar to a post-baccalaureate degree. You can transfer some of your MSN clinical hours toward your 1,000-hour DNP requirement.
Full-time students will complete this course in seven semesters (28 months), while part-time students will complete it in nine semesters (36 months). Applications are accepted on a rolling basis with entry points in spring, summer, and fall.
Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students
• Once you've earned 48 credits and completed 567 clinical hours, Simmons University will award you an MSN degree if you're pursuing the BSN-to-DNP program.• Simmons University has clinical partnerships with a whopping 17,000 healthcare facilities and organizations in 48 states.
12. Elms College - Chicopee
Programs Offered: BSN-to-DNP and MSN-to-DNP
BSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Family Nurse Practitioner and Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
MSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and Health Systems Innovation & Leadership
You must have a Massachusetts RN license to apply to this program because your 1,000 practicum hours will all be scheduled at hospitals and clinics in Chicopee and other parts of the Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area. Classes start in the fall.
MSN-to-DNP Program Details: Elms College's MSN-to-DNP offerings include a 70-credit AGACNP track and a 33-credit Health Systems Innovation & Leadership (HSIL) track. The DNP-related curriculum for both tracks is identical to the college's BSN-to-DNP doctoral coursework and focuses on a five-semester scholarly DNP project.
The program is offered in a hybrid format that combines online and campus components. If you enroll in the HSIL curriculum, you'll graduate in 18 months (full-time) or 30 months (part-time). Full-time students will be able to complete the MSN-to-DNP/AGACNP track in nine semesters (36 months). Some of your MSN clinical hours might be eligible to count toward the 1,000-hour DNP practicum requirement. All your clinical rotations will take place in central Massachusetts.
Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students
• Elms College is a Catholic university that opens its doors to students of all faiths. Its nursing program emphasizes holistic education without explicitly integrating Catholic doctrines into the curriculum.• Elms College's FNP grads have a first-time pass rate of 100 percent on their nurse practitioner certification exams, while the college's AGACNP grads have a first-time pass rate of 94 percent.
• Graduates of Elm College's MSN-to-DNP/ Health Systems Innovation and Leadership track qualify to sit for national certifications offered by the American Organization of Nurse Leaders, such as the Certification for Executive Nursing Practice Exam and the Certification for Nurse Managers and Leaders Exam.
13. Bay Path University - Longmeadow
Programs Offered: BSN-to-DNP and MSN-to-DNP
BSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Family Nurse Practitioner
MSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Aggregates, Systems, & Organizations
Except for clinical rotations, this program is entirely online. One thousand hours of supervised clinical experiences will be arranged in your home geographic area. The university accepts new cohorts in the spring and fall, and it will take you nine semesters to graduate.
MSN-to-DNP Program Details: Bay Path University offers two pathways for its MSN-to-DNP/Aggregates, Systems, & Organizations program: Students who have already earned an APRN will only need to complete 36 credits; master's-educated RNs who do not have advanced practice certification must take 45 credits. When you enroll, a gap analysis will be performed to see what courses (including practicums) you need to take.
Core DNP courses are identical to those students take in the BSN-to-DNP program. You can start this DNP program in Massachusetts in either the fall or spring semester.
Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students
• Bay Path University's BSN-to-DNP program is only offered on a part-time basis, with a maximum of two courses per semester.• Bay Path University's BSN-to-DNP/FNP students can delve more deeply into geriatric nursing by earning an online certificate in "Productive Aging."
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ANSWERED
1. Who Accredits DNP Programs In Massachusetts?
| S.No. | Accrediting Agency |
| 1 | Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) |
| 2 | Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) |
2. How Many Schools Offer Accredited DNP Programs In Massachusetts?
| 13 |
3. What Is The Average DNP Salary In Massachusetts?
| Hourly | $74.58 |
| Weekly | $2,983 |
| Monthly | $12,930 |
| Annual | $155,130 |
4. On Average, How Much Do Entry-Level DNP Graduates Make In Massachusetts?
| Hourly | $54.87 |
| Weekly | $2,195 |
| Monthly | $9,510 |
| Annual | $114,130 |
5. On Average, How Much Do Experienced DNP Graduates Make In Massachusetts?
| Level of Experience | Hourly | Weekly | Monthly | Annual |
| 1-4 Years of Experience | $62.09 | $2,483 | $10,760 | $129,140 |
| 5-9 Years of Experience | $73.29 | $2,932 | $12,700 | $152,440 |
| 10-19 Years of Experience | $81.62 | $3,265 | $14,150 | $169,760 |
| 20 Years or More Experience | $97.53 | $3,901 | $16,910 | $202,870 |
6. What Is The Average DNP Salary In Massachusetts By Metro?
| Metro | Hourly | Weekly | Monthly | Annual |
| Barnstable Town | $72.86 | $2,914 | $12,630 | $151,540 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua | $75.25 | $3,010 | $13,040 | $156,520 |
| Leominster-Gardner | $69.85 | $2,794 | $12,110 | $145,280 |
| New Bedford | $77.18 | $3,087 | $13,380 | $160,540 |
| Pittsfield | $68.27 | $2,731 | $11,830 | $142,010 |
| Springfield | $70.05 | $2,802 | $12,140 | $145,700 |
| Worcester | $75.21 | $3,008 | $13,040 | $156,430 |
7. Average DNP Salary In Massachusetts VS. Average Salaries Of Other Closely Related Occupations In Massachusetts
| Job Title | Average Annual Salary | Difference | |
| Number | % | ||
| Podiatrist | $162,920 | -$7,790 | -4.78% |
| Veterinarian | $162,030 | -$6,900 | -4.26% |
| Nurse With DNP | $155,130 | $0 | 0.00% |
| Optometrist | $142,680 | +$12,450 | +8.73% |
| Physician Assistant | $132,550 | +$22,580 | +17.04% |
| Pharmacist | $128,580 | +$26,550 | +20.65% |
| Radiation Therapist | $120,240 | +$34,890 | +29.02% |
| Physical Therapist | $99,700 | +$55,430 | +55.60% |
| Speech-Language Pathologist | $96,910 | +$58,220 | +60.08% |
| Dental Hygienist | $96,410 | +$58,720 | +60.91% |
| Audiologist | $95,510 | +$59,620 | +62.42% |
| Occupational Therapist | $94,340 | +$60,790 | +64.44% |
| Chiropractor | $92,850 | +$62,280 | +67.08% |
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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