6 Best DNP Programs in Oklahoma – 2025

Written By: Pattie Trumble, MPP, MPH

Are you an RN in Oklahoma who’s wrestling with burnout? Enrolling in one of the DNP programs in Oklahoma will help you rediscover your passion for nursing. As a nurse with a Doctor of Nursing Practice diploma, you’ll be prepared to take on complex healthcare delivery roles ranging from advanced practice care in clinical settings to executive leadership of medical facilities. In Oklahoma, DNP-educated nurses make excellent salaries that average $133,830 annually. Their job prospects are terrific, too, as employment opportunities for DNPs are expected to increase by 37 percent over the next 10 years. Opportunities are waiting for you! Learn more about them by reading this guide to the 6 best DNP programs in Oklahoma.

WHAT ARE THE BEST DNP PROGRAMS IN OKLAHOMA (ONLINE & CAMPUS) FOR 2025?

Based on our Ranking Methodology, listed below are the 6 Best Doctor of Nursing Practice programs in Oklahoma (Online & Campus) for 2025.

1. University of Tulsa - Tulsa

Programs Offered: BSN-to-DNP and MSN-to-DNP

BSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, and Nurse Anesthesia

BSN-to-DNP Program Details: The University of Tulsa offers three Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)-to-Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) tracks: a BSN-to-DNP/Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner track, a 72-credit BSN-to-DNP/Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) track, and an 89-credit BSN-to-DNP/Nurse Anesthesia track. The AGACNP and FNP tracks are primarily online pathways, but you will have to complete practicums in person and make at least two visits to the university's campus each semester for simulation exercises and immersive skills intensives. The two NP tracks also offer a campus option for classes if students prefer. The Nurse Anesthesia track consists of online core DNP instruction and residencies at hospitals and clinics throughout Tulsa, Oklahoma City, and more rural parts of Oklahoma.

The three tracks share a common DNP core with classes like "Translational Research," "Biostatistics," and "Healthcare Informatics." The DNP curriculum culminates in a three-semester DNP project that focuses on implementing an evidence-based change in a clinical or organizational setting to improve patient health outcomes. The nine-semester (36 months) Nurse Anesthesia track accepts new students in the summer semester. New cohorts enter the FNP and AGACNP tracks in the spring semester. The University of Tulsa does not offer part-time enrollment.

BSN-to-DNP/Nurse Practitioner students must complete 1,040 clinical hours. Practicum hours can be completed at a site where the student lives rather than traveling to Oklahoma, as long as the School of Nursing approves your site and preceptor.

BSN-to-DNP Admission Requirements: Candidates for this DNP program in Oklahoma must have a BSN from an accredited nursing program and a current RN license in the state where they will be doing clinical residencies. (For Nurse Anesthesia students, the state will be Oklahoma.)

Additionally, Nurse Anesthesia applicants must have Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support, and Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN) certification, as well as 2,080 hours of professional critical care experience. AGACNP applicants must have at least one year of professional experience in an acute care setting; FNP students must have at least one year of experience as a registered nurse.

MSN-to-DNP Program Details: Are you an APRN who's interested in learning the fundamentals of translational research to effect improvements across clinical and organizational levels? The University offers a six-semester MSN-to-DNP program that consists of core DNP classes, theory courses, and DNP project building courses. While much of the coursework can be completed online, you may have to make some visits to the university's campus. You will complete 500 clinical hours implementing and evaluating your three-semester DNP project, and these will be added to your MSN clinical hours to reach your 1,000-hour DNP clinical requirement. New students enter TU's MSN-to-DNP program in the fall semester.

MSN-to-DNP Admission Requirements: Applicants to this program must have masters degrees in nursing and be APRN-certified.

Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students

• UT has a loose association with the Presbyterian Church, but the university welcomes students of all religious denominations, and Christian doctrine is not reflected in its nursing curriculum.
• The University of Tulsa's AGACNP grads have a 100 percent first-time pass rate on their national nurse practitioner certification boards.
• 100 percent of the University of Tulsa's Nurse Anesthesia grads find employment in their chosen field within six months of completing the program.

2. University of Oklahoma - Oklahoma City

Programs Offered: BSN-to-DNP and MSN-to-DNP

BSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Adult/Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist, Executive Leadership, Family Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, and Neonatal Clinical Nurse Specialist

BSN-to-DNP Program Details: The University of Oklahoma offers six APRN specialties in conjunction with its BSN-to-DNP program: a 70-credit (1,216 clinical hours) Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist (AGCNS) track, a 68-credit (1,088 clinical hours) Executive Leadership track, a 73-credit (1,216 clinical hours) FNP track, a 76-credit (1,152 clinical hours) Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) track, a 70-credit (1,088 clinical hours) Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP) track, and a 74-credit (1,034 clinical hours) Neonatal Clinical Nurse Specialist (NCNS) track.

All six tracks follow the same DNP foundational curriculum, with courses like "Background and Scientific Underpinnings for Advanced Nursing Practice," "Evidence-Based Practice and Scholarship in Advanced Practice Nursing," and "Translational Science for Evidence-Based Practice and Quality Improvement." This is one of the DNP programs in Oklahoma that uses a hybrid teaching model, integrating online components with on-campus visits for requirements such as clinical skill labs, physical assessments, and objective structured clinical exams. Your clinical experiences are scheduled at sites like Duncan Regional Hospital and other medical facilities within the Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and the Norman Regional Health System.

All six tracks admit new students in the fall semester. If you enroll full-time, you can complete the program in three years; part-time students will graduate in four years.

BSN-to-DNP Admission Requirements: All applicants must have a BSN from an accredited nursing program with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher. You must attain an Oklahoma RN license by the time you begin clinical practicums. NNP and NCNS applicants must have at least one year of professional nursing experience in a Level 3 or Level 4 Neonatal Intensive Care Nursery.

MSN-to-DNP Program Details: If you already have a master's degree in nursing, the University of Oklahoma's MSN-to-DNP program will help you earn your clinical nursing doctorate in just five semesters. Depending upon how much time you choose to allocate to the clinical practice inquiries associated with your DNP project, this program can comprise 31 to 51 credits. You must graduate with 1,000 post-baccalaureate hours, but how many you earn in this program will depend upon how many clinical hours you are able to transfer over from your MSN degree. New cohorts join this program in the fall semester.

MSN-to-DNP Admission Requirements: This program is only open to MSN-educated applicants. While you don't need an Oklahoma RN to apply, you must have one by the time you begin your first semester.

Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students

• The University of Oklahoma will soon be launching a BSN-to-DNP/Nurse Anesthesia track, the first CRNA program of its kind at a public university in Oklahoma.
• OU's College of Nursing is part of the University of Oklahoma Health Campus, one of only a handful of comprehensive academic health systems in the nation that bring together seven health professional colleges: Allied Health, Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health, and the Graduate College.

3. Oklahoma City University - Oklahoma City

Programs Offered: BSN-to-DNP and MSN-to-DNP

BSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

MSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Clinical, Community Based Public Health, Executive Leadership, and Nurse Educator

BSN-to-DNP Program Details: Oklahoma City University's 67-credit BSN-to-DNP/AGACNP track, 66-credit BSN-to-DNP/FNP track, and 68-credit BSN-to-DNP track were developed in part to help alleviate the Sooner State's significant shortage of primary healthcare providers, which affects underserved rural and urban areas alike. While this DNP program in Oklahoma is primarily online, using synchronous and asynchronous formats, all doctoral candidates must visit the university's campus for a required three-day intensive at the start of each fall, spring, and summer semester.

Courses like “Theoretical Foundations for Advanced Practice Nursing,” “Research Integration for Advanced Practice Nursing,” and “Procedural Skills for Advanced Practice Providers” will equip you to tackle a two‑semester scholarly DNP project. You'll also complete a minimum of 1,000 clinical hours at top-notch hospitals, medical centers, and clinics throughout the metropolitan Oklahoma City region. New students begin coursework in the fall semester and graduate in four years. Oklahoma City University's BSN-to-DNP does not offer part-time enrollment.

BSN-to-DNP Admission Requirements: All applicants must have at least one year of professional nursing experience as well as a BSN from an accredited nursing program with a GPA of 3.0 or higher and a current active Oklahoma RN license.

MSN-to-DNP Program Details: OKCU's 30- to 32-credit MSN-to-DNP program was specifically designed to enhance the ability of advanced practice RNs to translate evidence-based research into clinical practice. There's an MSN-to-DNP/Clinical track, MSN-to-DNP/Community Based Public Health track, MSN-to-DNP/Leadership track, and MSN-to-DNP/Nurse Educator track. The four pathways share a common DNP coursework core, identical to the university's BSN-to-DNP core.

Coursework relies upon a distance learning format for the most part, but you will be expected to make a few campus visits. When added to your MSN clinical hours, the practicums you undertake in your post-master's DNP track must add up to a minimum of 1,000 clinical hours. New students can begin this program in the spring, summer, or fall. Full-time students can graduate in three years.

MSN-to-DNP Admission Requirements: OKCU's MSN-to-DNP program is only available to MSN-educated nurses with a grade point average of 3.25 or higher. Preference is given to APRNs. Applicants must have a valid, unencumbered RN license in the state where they will be doing clinical practicums.

Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students

• While Oklahoma City University is affiliated with the United Methodist Church, its doors are open to students from many diverse religious backgrounds, and its nursing curriculum does not reflect Methodist doctrines.
• OKCU's FNP and AGACNP grads have a first-time pass rate of 100 percent on their national nurse practitioner certification exams.

4. Oral Roberts University - Tulsa

Programs Offered: BSN-to-DNP

BSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Family Nurse Practitioner

BSN-to-DNP Program Details: Oral Roberts University's 70-credit BSN-to-DNP program includes 34 credits of core DNP coursework with classes like "Interdisciplinary Leadership/Role Development for Evidence-Based Practice," "Translational Research Methods," and Evaluation Methods for Safety/Quality Improvement." You'll participate in a total of 1,205 clinical hours: 705 supervised patient care hours in conjunction with your nurse practitioner training and 500 clinical hours implementing and evaluating your three-semester DNP project. You can pursue your clinical training at a healthcare facility close to your home, and you will be responsible for identifying potential preceptors and clinical sites.

You'll graduate in eight semesters (32 months) of full-time study. Much of your coursework will be available online, but most semesters have one or two campus residency requirements. Cohorts start this DNP program in Oklahoma in either the fall or spring semester.

BSN-to-DNP Admission Requirements: Applicants to this program must hold a BSN degree with a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher. You must have an active RN license in the state where you'll be completing your clinical experiences.

Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students

• Oral Roberts University is a Christian evangelical university. The university admits non-Christian students, but Christian values and doctrines shape its nursing curriculum. For example, one of the courses you must take in the first semester of the BSN-to-DNP/FNP program is "Spirit-Empowered Life and Leadership."
• Oral Roberts University recently launched an MSN-to-DNP track for students with nursing master's degrees who want to qualify for leadership and advanced clinical roles

5. Northwestern Oklahoma State University - Alva

Programs Offered: BSN-to-DNP and MSN-to-DNP

BSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Family Nurse Practitioner

BSN-to-DNP Program Details: For the most part, Northwestern Oklahoma State University's 73-credit (1,020 clinical hours) BSN-to-DNP/FNP is an online program. However, you'll have to attend a one-week residency on the university's campus in Alva during your first summer semester, plus you'll be expected to visit campus at the end of the program's final semester to present and defend your four-semester DNP project.

Your study plan will include foundational DNP courses like "Advanced Research Methods," "Evidence Based Practice and Scholarship in Advanced Nursing Practice," and "Health Systems - Informatics and Quality Management." You can complete your clinical hours at sites near your home so long as those sites meet the requirements of NOSU's Division of Nursing, but most students pursue clinical rotations at healthcare facilities throughout Oklahoma. Classes start in the fall semester. Full-time students can complete this program in 9 semesters (36 months), while part-time students can complete it in 12 semesters (48 months).

BSN-to-DNP Admission Requirements: For admission into this program, you must have maintained a grade point average of 2.75 or higher while earning your BSN. All students must have a current Oklahoma or multistate RN license, even if they opt to complete clinical rotations in their own state.

MSN-to-DNP Program Details: Northwestern Oklahoma State University's MSN-to-DNP is tailored to the specific needs of family nurse practitioners who want to level up their careers by earning the nursing profession's terminal clinical degree. Its streamlined 37- to 39-credit curriculum includes two semesters of clinical FNP preparation and the same core DNP courses as NOSU's BSN-to-DNP students.

Working family nurse practitioners will appreciate the program's asynchronous online format, which makes balancing educational goals with professional and personal commitments much easier. You'll only visit the university's campus in Alva twice, once for a week-long summer residency and once to present and defend your DNP project in front of your instructors and peers. New students start in the fall semester and graduate after six semesters (24 months) of part-time studies.

MSN-to-DNP Admission Requirements: If you want to enroll in Northwestern Oklahoma State University's MSN-to-DNP program, you'll need a master's degree in nursing with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher and an Oklahoma RN license.

Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students

• Northwestern Oklahoma State University's Doctor of Nursing Practice degree is the only doctoral-level degree the university offers.
• NOSU occasionally accepts MSN-educated APRNs into its MSN-to-DNP program who are not FNPs but want to add the FNP specialty to their scope of practice. These students typically complete the entire FNP curriculum, minus the nine credits they are allowed to transfer from their MSN studies.

6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University - Bartlesville

Programs Offered: BSN-to-DNP and MSN-to-DNP

BSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Nursing Administration, Nursing Education, and Nursing Informatics

MSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Executive Leadership

BSN-to-DNP Program Details: Oklahoma Wesleyan University offers three BSN-to-DNP concentrations: Nursing Administration, Nursing Education, and Nursing Informatics. Each concentration involves 54 credits and a minimum of 1,000 clinical hours. This may be one of the best DNP programs in Oklahoma for working RNs juggling multiple personal, educational, and professional commitments, because apart from clinical rotations, the curriculum is 100 percent online, and you only have to take one class every eight weeks to graduate in three years. If, however, you want to speed up your learning curve, you can take more classes and graduate in as few as two years.

You'll gain practical knowledge and skills by developing, implementing, and evaluating a quality improvement project in your chosen clinical area, which will become your DNP project. You'll also participate in practicums at healthcare facilities throughout Oklahoma.

BSN-to-DNP Admission Requirements: Oklahoma Wesleyan University's BSN-to-DNP tracks are only open to applicants with an Oklahoma RN license and a BSN from an accredited nursing program with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher.

MSN-to-DNP Program Details: OWU's 36-credit MSN-to-DNP/Executive Leadership track is 100 percent online. Its DNP core components are identical to those of the university's BSN-to-DNP program. By taking a single online course every eight-week term, you can graduate in two years. You can transfer up to 500 of the clinical hours you accumulated while completing your MSN and apply them to your 1,000-clinical-hour DNP requirement.

MSN-to-DNP Admission Requirements: Oklahoma Wesleyan University's MSN-to-DNP/Executive Leadership track is only open to RNs with a nursing master's degree and a valid Oklahoma RN license.

Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students

• Oklahoma Wesleyan University is a Christian college with a biblically centered mission and a commitment to servant leadership. While there's no religious requirement per se for admission, faith-centered doctrines play an essential role in the university's nursing curriculum.
• Every member of Oklahoma Wesleyan University's DNP faculty has a terminal degree in nursing or a related field.


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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ANSWERED

1. Who Accredits DNP Programs In Oklahoma?

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3. What Is The Average DNP Salary In Oklahoma?

4. On Average, How Much Do Entry-Level DNP Graduates Make In Oklahoma?

5. On Average, How Much Do Experienced DNP Graduates Make In Oklahoma?

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7. Average DNP Salary In Oklahoma VS. Average Salaries Of Other Closely Related Occupations In Oklahoma

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