Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Deepen your expertise and expand your career.
Next Start
Fall 2025
Executive Format
Online courses with on-campus learning 1-2 times per semester
Designed for
Working Nurses
Academic Support
Individualized guidance and program plans
Clinical Placement
Coordinated for you by our dedicated, full-time placement coordinator
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) program is designed for nurses seeking a terminal degree in nursing practice. It is the only program of its type in West Michigan.
The DNP curriculum is designed to fit the busy schedule of today's working nurses. Courses are delivered online with specialty practicums occurring in health care settings. Nurse Practitioner students are on campus 1-2 times per semester in our state-of-the-art Interprofessional Simulation Center (second and third year). You will have access to a dedicated full-time placement coordinator who manages all of your clinical placements and academic advisors who create tailored program plans for each student. Choose from full-time and part-time schedules to integrate graduate school into your busy life.
DNP coursework is designed around the national agenda to transform American health care through interprofessional collaboration, health care policy advocacy, patient-centered care, quality/safety initiatives, and the use of informatics. We offer multiple emphasis areas:
- Advanced Nursing Practice
- *NEW* Child/Adolescent Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
- *NEW* Dual Child/Adolescent Primary Care/Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
- *NEW* Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)
- Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
- Child/Adolescent Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
- Adult/Older Adult Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
- Post-MSN to DNP Program
Why Choose Grand Valley's Kirkhof College of Nursing?
[1680022459].jpg)
Earn your degree from GVSU wherever YOU are. Our online curriculum conveniently fits in your busy schedule and we now offer degrees for students living outside of Michigan including:
- Florida
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Vermont
- Virginia
Attend an Information Session
Next session TBD in November 2024
Fall 2024 Cohort
Applications are now closed for the Fall 2024 cohort.
The next application for the Fall 2025 cohort will open in January 2025 with a preferred deadline of May 1. Applications will be considered after May 1, if seats remain available.
Do you have questions about the program or the application process? Contact Mike Stoll, Graduate Student Advisor at [email protected]
Contact Us
Let's talk about your academic goals today!
Contact the Office of Student Services to schedule an appointment with an academic advisor:
[email protected]
(616) 331-7160
Related Programs
Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
Financial Aid
GVSU is a great place for students to invest in their futures. The Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships can help you maximize your investment by working with you to determine how to most effectively meet your unique needs.
HRSA ANEW Grant funding opportunity
Grand Valley State University has partnered with McLaren Health Care and Trinity Health Muskegon to transform the delivery of and access to primary, mental health, and substance use disorder care services in rural and underserved communities for nurses from disadvantaged backgrounds and underrepresented minorities. This program provides financial support for qualified students from McLaren Health Care and Trinity Health Muskegon/Grand Rapids who gain admission into the GVSU Kirkhof College of Nursing Doctor of Nursing Practice program. To learn more about the HRSA ANEW opportunity and determine your eligibility, click here now!
The Kirkhof College of Nursing’s Master of Science in Nursing degree, Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner certificate programs prepare registered nurses to take the national certification exam in their area of specialty (clinical nurse leader, primary care adult/gerontology nurse practitioner, primary care pediatric nurse practitioner, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, or nurse executive). Graduates seeking to practice in a state other than Michigan must meet the requirements of that state. For more information regarding state licensure/certification requirements, please visit the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) website at https://www.ncsbn.org/14730.htm.