DNP: Doctor of Nursing Practice

HomeAcademicsDoctoral ProgramsDNP: Doctor of Nursing Practice
Request Info Visit Us Apply Now

A woman in a white coat with a stethoscope chats with someone at a computer

Doctor of Nursing Practice: A Degree of Difference

Best Grad Schools Nursing DNP Program 2026

The terminal Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from UMSON prepares you to do more than simply succeed in today’s complex health care environment.

It prepares you to lead at the bedside, in the clinic, across organizations and health systems, and in situations where the future of care is being envisioned and defined.

The DNP enhances your clinical expertise while educating you in systems thinking, quality improvement, and policy impact. It’s built for nurses who want to improve not only individual outcomes but entire systems of care.

Our foundational belief is that the DNP is entry point for excellence in advanced practice.

The Value of Excellence

UMSON offers consistently nationally top-ranked education at a public university tuition rate. All students are considered in-state residents after a year of enrollment.

We are a leader in our longevity: We were the first to offer a DNP program in Maryland, having launched our program 20 years ago.

And there’s a tangible payoff: DNPs earn about $9,000 more annually than master’s-prepared NPs.

Proof in our Pass Rates

Doctor of Nursing Practice graduates achieve a 10% greater pass rate on certification exams than do their master’s-prepared counterparts. Our graduates’ pass rates are consistently 15 - 20% above the national average. You can see pass rates listed on each individual specialty webpage.

Maryland Dedication

We are Maryland’s nursing school, and we are committed to producing doctorally prepared nurses for the state. Our DNPs are improving the human condition for patients and communities Maryland-wide. Our state has a significant need for advanced practice nurses, including nurse practitioners and certified registered nurse anesthetists, who are prepared to practice as sole providers, lead interprofessional teams, ad address critical public health needs, particularly in rural and medically underserved areas of state.

Competency-Based Education

This program’s curriculum is aligned with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education, which focus on competency-based education (CBE). CBE is a student-centered approach that is built on the science of how we learn and provides multiple opportunities for you to demonstrate and use what you are learning as you learn it.  

Learn more about CBE

Explore Our Specialties:

We also offer the DNP: Post-Master's Option, which allows you to earn your DNP without repeating coursework you completed for your master's degree.

All of our NP specialties, other than Nurse Anesthesia, offer a post-doctoral certificate that allows those who want to change or add an area of advanced practice specialization to take only those courses necessary for certification in that specialty.

Choose one of four paths to your DNP.

Our Doctor of Nurse Practice program has an option that fits your goals and experience, whether you 1) have your BSN, 2) have your master's in nursing or a related field, 3) are already a nurse practitioner, 4) are looking to change your specialty. Focus your energy and resources on only those courses that you need to achieve your goals. Learn more about our DNP pathways.

DNP Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the Doctor of Nursing Practice program will be prepared to:

  • apply scientific knowledge from nursing and other disciplines in ethical, legal, and competent professional advanced nursing practice
  • practice intentional humanizing person-centered nursing care, with advanced expertise; compassion; and respect for diversity and determinants unique to individual, families, and communities
  • engage locally and globally in practice partnership and advocacy to promote equitable health care and to prevent/manage illness in diverse populations
  • synthesize, translate, and disseminate evidence to inform health care decision-making and improve processes to impact health care outcomes
  • execute effective communication and collaborative leadership in complex systems to advance policy and optimize health care delivery and outcomes in a resource-efficient and innovative manner
  • securely utilize data, information, patient-care technology, and information systems to support, measure, communicate, and improve health care practices

DNP Admission Information

The Nurse Anesthesia specialty accepts applicants for the summer session only and has different deadlines and requirements. 

All other specialties and the Post-Master's DNP option accept students for fall admission.

In this section:

Deadlines:

For best consideration, applicants are encouraged to have all required application materials submitted by the deadlines listed below.

Fall 2026 Timeline
Priority Deadline/Deadline for UMSON Scholarship Consideration Nov. 3, 2025
Completed applications received after this deadline are reviewed solely on a space-available basis. Only applicants who apply by this deadline will be eligible for consideration for merit scholarships (no additional application required). Federal financial aid eligibility is not impacted by this deadline.
Final Deadline July 1, 2026
All applications and supplemental documents must be received by this date. Incomplete applications after this deadline will be canceled.

Should the deadline fall on a weekend or holiday, applications will be accepted through the subsequent business day.

  • After the admissions committee file review, applicants may be invited to an on-campus interview.
  • Applicants not selected for an interview will not be advanced to the next stage of applicant review.  

Qualifications:

  • bachelor’s degree with a major in nursing from:
    • an ACEN- (formally known as NLNAC), CCNE- or NLN CNEA- accredited college or university
      or
    • an equivalent degree from a comparable foreign institution
  • an undergraduate cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0

Work experience requirements, if applicable, are included under the Required Work Experience dropdown on each DNP specialty page.

Application Materials and Instructions:

Materials

Submission Guidelines

Online Application and non-refundable $75 application fee.

Start your application now via the Admissions Dashboard.

The Admissions Dashboard is where you will:

  • submit your online application and fee
  • submit/request any supplemental documents
  • check your application status.

You can save your progress and return to your application at a later date. We recommend that you continue to log in for regular updates.

Two recommendations. Recommendations must come from sources knowledgeable about your work performance and experience. Only the first two recommendations received will be considered.

Submit/request these materials via the Admissions Dashboard.   

Essay. You may submit the essay portion with your online application. We recommend that you compose the essay portion using word processing software and copy and paste it into the text box in the online application. Applicants are expected to submit a concise essay (no more than 350 words) addressing the following: How will earning this degree (or postdoctoral certificate) impact your care of the population you expect to serve after graduation?

   

Typed résumé or CV. Be sure to include your full name with your résumé submission.

A copy of your valid, unrestricted (current) RN license in the United States. For a current list of compact states, see the Maryland Board of Nursing website; if you hold an active Maryland RN license, send us a copy of your printable license verification, available on the Maryland Board of Nursing website.

Official transcripts. An official transcript from every institution previously attended or currently attending must be submitted in a sealed envelope, as prepared by the sending institution.

Returning students are not required to submit UMSON transcripts; we will upload a copy of your UMSON transcript to your application.

Please note that UMSON is listed two ways in the Academics area. Please make sure you choose one of the following:

  • Maryland Baltimore, Univ of
  • UMB- School of Nursing

Have each institution submit electronically to admissions.nursing@umaryland.edu.

Residency classification. Applicants who are claiming in-state (Maryland) residency MUST apply for in-state status. 

Complete a residency application and submit it either by mail, e-mail, or fax to the Office of the Registrar using the instructions supplied at the bottom of the residency application. The completed application, signed and dated, should be submitted prior to the first day of enrollment for the term and program for which you are seeking admission.


An interview with selected applicants will be arranged after the applications are received and reviewed.

Applicants without a High School Diploma or College Degree in the U.S:

  • If you do not have a degree from a U.S. high school, college, or university, you are required to demonstrate English proficiency.
  • If you have completed coursework outside of the U.S., you must have your transcripts evaluated.

More information.

This program is not eligible for F-1 or J-1 student visa sponsorship by the University of Maryland, Baltimore, due to the amount of online courses.

If you have questions regarding the admissions requirements or process, contact the Office of Admissions and Student Scholarships to avoid errors that could delay the processing of your application.

Courses You’ll Take: Postdoctoral Certificate

Postdoctoral Certificates are available for the following specialty areas:

Learn more about our DNP and Postdoctoral Certificate Pathways.

In this section:

Deadlines:

Fall Admission

  • Priority Deadline: Nov. 1
    If you submit your online application and all supplemental applications materials by this date, your application will be given priority consideration.
  • Deadline: July 31
    Completed applications received between Nov. 1 and June 1 will be reviewed on a space-available basis.

Spring Admission:

  • Priority Deadline: Oct. 1
    If you submit your online application and all supplemental applications materials by this date, your application will be given priority consideration.
  • Deadline: Nov. 15
    Completed applications received between Oct. 1 and Nov. 15 will be reviewed on a space-available basis.

Should the deadline fall on a weekend or holiday, applications will be accepted through the subsequent business day.

Qualifications:

  • Graduate degree in nursing (which may include a DNP)
  • Doctoral degree (DNP, PhD, EdD, etc.)
  • Active registered nursing license
  • Applicants for the post-doctorate certificate must complete the Pre-Application Assessment form. Only those with a graduate degree in nursing and a doctorate will be considered; applications that do not meet these criteria will not be reviewed. The assessment evaluates your academic work and conducts a gap analysis of your courses and experiences. DNP faculty will then create an individualized program plan and recommend a start term. The primary focus will be on the "3 P's" (Advanced Physical Assessment, Advanced Pharmacology, and Advanced Pathophysiology). Please provide transcripts and syllabi to show proof of completion of these courses. After receiving your individualized program plan, your admissions representative will guide you through the application process and next steps

Application Materials and Instructions:

Materials/Qualification

Submission Guidelines

Pre-Application Assessment form. Only those with a graduate degree in nursing and a doctorate will be considered; applications that do not meet these criteria will not be reviewed.

Submit the Pre-Application Assessment form

Online Application and non-refundable $75 application fee.

Start your application now via the Admissions Dashboard.

The Admissions Dashboard is where you will:

  • submit your online application and fee
  • submit/request any supporting materials
  • check your application status.

You can save your progress and return to your application at a later date. We recommend that you continue to log in for regular updates.

Two recommendations. Recommendations must come from sources knowledgeable about your work performance and experience. Only the first two recommendations received will be considered.

 Submit/request these materials via the Admissions Dashboard.

Official transcripts. An official transcript from every institution previously attended or currently attending must be submitted in a sealed envelope, as prepared by the sending institution.

Returning students are not required to submit UMSON transcripts; we will upload a copy of your UMSON transcript to your application.

Please note that UMSON is listed two ways in the Academics area. Please make sure you choose one of the following:

  • Maryland Baltimore, Univ of
  • UMB- School of Nursing

Have each institution submit electronically to admissions.nursing@umaryland.edu.

Essay. You may submit the essay portion with your online application. We recommend that you compose the essay portion using word processing software and copy and paste it into the text box in the online application.

Applicants are expected to submit a concise essay (no more than 350 words) addressing the following:

  • How will earning this degree (or postdoctoral certificate) impact your care of the population you expect to serve after graduation?
 Submit/request these materials via the Admissions Dashboard.

Typed résumé or CV. Be sure to include your full name with your résumé submission.

A copy of your active, unrestricted State of Maryland or compact state RN license. For a current list of compact states, see the Maryland Board of Nursing website; if you hold an active Maryland RN license, send us a copy of your printable license verification, available on the Maryland Board of Nursing website.

Residency classification. Applicants who are claiming in-state (Maryland) residency MUST apply for in-state status. 

Complete a residency application and submit it either by mail, e-mail, or fax to the Office of the Registrar using the instructions supplied at the bottom of the residency application. The completed application, signed and dated, should be submitted prior to the first day of enrollment for the term and program for which you are seeking admission.


An interview with selected applicants will be arranged after the applications are received and reviewed.

Applicants without a High School Diploma or College Degree in the U.S:

  • If you do not have a degree from a U.S. high school, college, or university, you are required to demonstrate English proficiency.
  • If you have completed coursework outside of the U.S., you must have your transcripts evaluated.

More information.

This program is not eligible for F-1 or J-1 student visa sponsorship by the University of Maryland, Baltimore.

If you have questions regarding the admissions requirements or process, contact the Office of Admissions and Student Scholarships to avoid errors that could delay the processing of your application.

Upcoming Admissions Events See More