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Doctor of Nursing Practice in Leadership and Population Health (DNP)

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Overview

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Xavier University’s online Doctor of Nursing Practice in Leadership and Population Health (DNP) program is specifically designed for nurses ready to operate at the highest level of clinical scholarship.

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Rooted in the Jesuit tradition, this post-master's doctoral program empowers you to view healthcare through a lens of ethics, history and social justice, preparing you to lead in an ever-changing global environment.
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Calendar

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Application Deadline
Fall semester only, except for transfer students
8/1/2026
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The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master’s degree program in nursing, post-graduate APRN certificate program, and Doctor of Nursing Practice at Xavier University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
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Why Xavier Online?

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You’ll get more from your online education, from the personal attention of faculty to rigorous courses taught in the Jesuit Catholic tradition.

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100% Online Flexibility
Designed for the working professional. Maintain your career while earning the highest clinical degree in nursing.
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Small Classes, Big Impact
Benefit from small class sizes and mentorship from doctoral-prepared faculty who are active in the field.
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A Legacy of Excellence
Join a community recognized for academic rigor and a mission of "Magis"—doing more for the common good. Xavier is committed to making graduate education accessible.
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Clinical Innovation
Focus on evidence-based practice, quality improvement, and organizational leadership.
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What Makes Xavier Different
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What Makes Xavier Different
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https://youtu.be/6q_taQKjot4
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Curriculum

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DNP in Leadership and Population Health Course Requirements (40 credits)

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Xavier’s DNP program is fully online, with students moving through the 8-semester program (approximately 32 months) taking 3 to 7 credits per semester for our full-time track. We also offer a part-time option for students who are seeking a slower pace and transfer students wanting to complete their DNP at Xavier.

A total of 1000 clinical immersion hours are required as students progress through the program. Up to 500 hours of clinical immersion from a master’s program and/or advanced certification may be accepted toward the 1,000 immersion hours.

Part time and transfer opportunities also exist. For more information contact Dr. Miranda Knapp.
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Summary
NURS 864: Epidemiologic Methods (3 credits)*
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Principles and biostatistical methods used in the study of the distribution and determinants of injury and disease through the interaction of environment and genetics in human populations (HP2020) are presented for use in the holistic development, implementation, and evaluation of primary, secondary and tertiary preventive and acute health care services in a variety of settings. Resources for epidemiological investigations within organizations and communities are introduced. Opportunities are provided to use the epidemiological and biostatistical methods of reasoning for determining causal inferences about the distribution and determinants of injury and disease (HP2020). Evidence-based innovative and evaluative health care delivery plans for clinical prevention and population health are developed using epidemiological and biostatistical data.
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NURS 886: Scholarly Writing Seminar (1 credit)
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This course is designed to engage students in academic writing for nursing professional practice. Students will develop an idea for a needed program, intervention, policy, or quality improvement project that addresses the health of individuals or populations. Qualities of effective scholarly writing (continuity, flow, conciseness, and clarity) will be emphasized, along with a process of proofreading for grammar and style. Barriers to writing and methods to address the barriers will be identified and applied. Students will reflect on the writing experience and have opportunities to learn how to do peer review as a means of further developing their own writing skills.
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NURS 900: DNP Foundations (3 credits)
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This course provides the foundation for the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) curriculum. Population health perspectives and the DNP role are detailed within the lens of the function within the complexities of present and future healthcare and the wider global community are addressed. The discipline’s scientific and philosophical underpinnings will be examined through traditional and contemporary conceptual models Students explore the components of Ignition, ethical, self-care, holistic, and population health perspectives, Collaborative approaches will be explored to identify opportunities to address population health outcomes.
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NURS 902: Advanced Evidence Based Practice (3 credits)
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This course provides the Doctor of Nursing Practice students the opportunity to explore frameworks within which to examine translation of evidence into nursing practice. The course will focus on the critical appraisal of scholarly literature to support evidence-based practice. Furthermore, students will explore synthesizing knowledge gained from many sources to provide a holistic approach to translating evidence into practice and identify methods for potential dissemination.
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NURS 903 – Nursing Leadership in Complex Population-based Interprofessional Healthcare Systems (4 credits)
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This course is designed to enhance leadership skills with the aim of strengthening practice and health care delivery. Guided by a contemporary nursing framework, students will explore a variety of care delivery models in complex healthcare systems to identify holistic approaches to address health disparities and promote high quality health care delivery.
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NURS 904: Applications of Advanced Research Methodologies (3 credits)
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This course prepares the Doctor of Nursing Practice student with the knowledge and skills of applying advanced research design and statistical methods in the translations of research to practice. A holistic approach to nursing care within an evidence-based practice framework serves as the context to understand advanced qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research designs and analysis of respective healthcare data. The ethics of clinical research will be considered from a Jesuit tradition perspective.
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NURS 905: Healthcare Finance and Economics for Nurse Leaders (4 credits)
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This course is designed to prepare the Doctor of Nursing Practice with critical business, financial, and dialogical acumen needed for the analysis of practice quality, risks, and costs. The course will explore changes in financial structures required to support practice and economic and ethical principles and perspectives relating to healthcare delivery models. The course will also explore the process of budget development for healthcare practice initiatives.
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NURS 906: Informatics for Advanced Nursing Practice in Complex Health Systems (3 credits)
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This course builds upon knowledge of healthcare technologies and the management of individual and aggregate level data. Leadership, knowledge, project management, and technical skills are applied within an interprofessional healthcare environment to select, use and evaluate population-based healthcare informatics. Programs that evaluate and monitor outcomes of care and quality improvement will be analyzed. Legal, ethical, global, holistic, and interprofessional considerations will be emphasized.
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NURS 907: Evaluation and Analytics of Outcomes in Health Care (4 credits)
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This course will provide the Doctor of Nursing Practice student with a framework for exploring the evaluation and analysis of population health outcomes. This course will help the student develop skills in planning, measuring, and testing interventions designed to improve nursing practice, patient experience, and the healthcare environment.

NURS 864 Epidemiology (3 credit hours) is a pre-requisite to taking NURS 907.

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NURS 908: Health Care Policy (3 credits)
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This course examines health policy issues and policy-making processes at all levels, including institutional, local, state, regional, federal and international levels. Health policy issues related to ethics, cultural sensitivity, social determinants, healthcare delivery regulation, and financing are addressed. The leadership role as an advocate influencing health policy formation from a population health perspective is explored. Emphasized are skills for analyzing policy processes and engaging in politically competent actions for the transformation of a holistic and ethical healthcare system that meets the needs of the public and the nursing profession.
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NURS 910: Scholarship of Advanced Application and Innovation (3 credits)
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This course explores the activities that link scholarship and population health practice including grant-writing, institutional review board (IRB) process, writing for publication, and scholarly dissemination. Students will learn to use leadership strategies to critically analyze and reflect on their work, and ultimately investigate their potential scholarly contributions to the body of nursing knowledge in population health.
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NURS 921: DNP Project Immersion (9 credits)
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Minimum 9 credit hours in course required

This course is the culmination of the program where students apply population health leadership skills in a setting by identifying a problem, planning, implementing, and evaluating a scholarly DNP project. Students develop a project proposal in collaboration with organizational stakeholders and a Clinical and Faculty Mentor. The practice-based project builds upon foundations in evidence translation and implementation science acquired from previous coursework through to the dissemination of the scholarly project.

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*This course is a pre-requisite to NURS 907. If you have not taken a graduate-level epidemiology course, you will need to take this in the summer prior to NURS 900 or NURS 907.
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Admission

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Application Deadline: August 1, 2026
Start: Fall semester only, except for transfer students
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Admission Requirements
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Candidates must have:

  • Hold an MSN from an accredited college or university’s nursing program. OR Hold a BSN from an accredited college or university’s nursing program AND have a master’s degree in a related field. (The College of Nursing will verify all accreditation to ensure it meets requirements). Transfer credits are accepted only from regionally accredited institutions.
  • Be a registered nurse with an unencumbered United States RN license in the state where practicum experiences are to be completed. A minimum of 1 year of nursing experience is required, a strong candidate will have a minimum of 2 years of nursing experience.
  • Completed a basic statistics course with a minimum grade of a ‘C.’*
  • 3.0 GPA is preferred.
  • A graduate level Epidemiology course with a grade of C or better is required to enter the second year of the DNP. This can be built into the program curriculum sequence for those not possessing an equivalent course.*

*Courses are offered at Xavier and can be completed prior to starting the DNP program in the fall. Conditional admissions are considered to allow time to complete these two requirements.

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Pathway 1: Direct Admission (For Xavier MSN Graduates)
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Requirements for Admission:

  • Free online application
  • One professional reference from a Xavier faculty member or who can evaluate your effectiveness in a graduate nursing program
  • Submit any additional or updated transcripts to Xavier University, ATTN: Admission Processing Center, 3800 Victory Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45207-5131. For electronic transcripts, send to: xuadmit@xavier.edu
  • Current résumé of work experience or Curriculum Vitae (CV). For electronic transcripts, send to:
    xuadmit@xavier.edu
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Pathway 2: Standard Admission (For All Other DNP Applicants)
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Requirements for Admission:

Free Online Application

  • Free online application. Get Started on Xavier University’s free online application. You can begin the process in just a few clicks.

Official Transcript

  • One official transcript directly from all colleges or universities that you have attended for any undergraduate and graduate course work. Applicants must have a degree from a regionally accredited university. Send transcripts to:
    • Send transcripts to:
  • Xavier University
  • ATTN: Admission Processing Center
  • 3800 Victory Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45207-5131.

Current Resume/Curriculum Vitae (CV) and Personal Essay

  • Current résumé or curriculum vitae outlining all professional nursing experience, including facility/organization name & location, position and employment dates.
  • A 1-2 page, single-spaced, a personal statement describing the reasons for seeking doctoral study at Xavier University, what experiences prepared you for doctoral study, and your plans for aiding your success through the doctoral program. We consider this essay’s writing quality, so if writing is challenging, please address strategies you plan to use to help you in this area.

Professional References

  • Two professional references from faculty or other health professionals with advanced preparations who can evaluate your effectiveness in a Graduate Nursing Program.

Applications are processed immediately upon receiving all required materials. Applicants are notified of the admission decision as soon as possible.

Admission is available for the Fall semester of each academic year. Applicants will be accepted, and students must register one week before classes start unless given special approval by the DNP Program Director. This is only after the student has completed an application and has been officially admitted into the program.

Classes start in mid-August every Fall.

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State Authorization
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Due to state regulations regarding the delivery of distance education, as well as requirements of each individual state board of nursing, Xavier is not currently able to accept applications from all states into all of its online programs.

View the complete list of approved states on the State Authorization page.
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International Admission
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Xavier welcomes students from outside the United States to enroll in its online programs. However, some countries do not formally recognize foreign online degrees. This may have implications for enrolling in subsequent degree programs or for securing employment requiring these credentials. It is students’ responsibility to determine whether the online degree will be recognized in their country of residence or in any country in which they plan to work.

Additionally, students should inquire in their country of residence how the collection of student data may be used and whether they will be subject to additional withholding taxes in addition to the cost of tuition.

  • All international students are strongly encouraged to submit an official third-party course-by-course evaluation of their high school and/or college transcripts from an international credential evaluation service accredited by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services.
  • International students must pass either the TOEFL or IELTS exam if English is your second language.
  • International students may have additional application requirements. Find more information on the International Admission page.

Note: International students in the U.S. cannot enroll in an online degree program to fulfill the legal requirement for an F-1 or J-1 visa.

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Tuition and Fees

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Get More from Your Graduate Education with Xavier

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At Xavier, we understand that no two graduate programs and no two students are alike. Therefore, we structure every online degree and certificate program to address the unique needs of individual students and have created unique fee structures for each program as well.
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Tuition

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Doctoral Programs: $778
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Fees

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  • Liability Insurance (per semester with practicum): $18
  • Student ID Fee: $15
  • Graduate Student Association Fee, degree-seeking full-time: $15 (per semester)
  • Graduate Student Association Fee, degree-seeking part-time: $10 (per semester)

Full-time students can complete the program in as few as 8 semesters.

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The amounts listed are for the 2026-2027 academic year, and include classes from Fall 2026 through Summer 2027. Tuition cost is per credit hour unless otherwise stated. For the full, official listing, please visit xavier.edu/costs.

Xavier University reserves the right to correct any computational or clerical errors.

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Testimonials

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Hear From Our DNP Students

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“I went back for my DNP to be able to teach new nurses what I have learned in my 30 years of nursing. This program has allowed me to do both at the same time. My professors and mentors are amazing. We get personalized attention that I have never received from other universities that I have attended.”
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Xavier University DNP Graduate
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“The faculty affirms and nurtures my leadership skills. Learning to value my voice as a DNP student was game-changing and powerful!”
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Xavier University DNP Graduate
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Faculty

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Students enrolled in Xavier University’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in Population Health Leadership program will learn from dedicated faculty and professionals with experience working in the field of nursing.
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Terri Enslein, EdD, MSN, RNC-OB, CNE

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Enslein's dedication to her students, combined with Xavier's innovative curriculum and strong community partnerships, prepares graduates for successful careers in the ever-evolving field of nursing.
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Angie Collins, DHA, MSN, RN

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Collins teaches online courses covering forensic nursing principles and psychosocial legal aspects.
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DNP Program Objectives

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  1. Integrate the scientific, philosophical, ethical, and historical underpinnings of professional nursing practice from a global and holistic perspective.
  2. Provide organizational and systems leadership for quality improvement and systems thinking.
  3. Provide leadership in clinical scholarship and analytical methods for the translation of research in practice.
  4. Utilize information systems/technology and patient care technology for the holistic improvement and transformation of health care.
  5. Influence health care policy by possessing essential skills in policy and advocacy.
  6. Establish interprofessional collaboration for holistically improving patient and population health outcomes.
  7. Design, implement, and evaluate health care delivery methods for illness prevention and population health for improving the nation’s health.
  8. Utilize conceptual and analytical skills to distinguish relationships among practice, organizations, diverse populations, fiscal resources, and policy concerns, and to advance nursing practice.
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Frequently Asked Questions

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What are the prerequisites for admission to the DNP program?
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Candidates for the population health doctorate degree must have obtained:

  • An MSN from a CCNE or ACEN (formerly NLNAC) accredited school or a master's degree in a field other than the nursing profession. Candidates with a master's degree in a field other than nursing are required to have a BSN from a CCNE, ACEN or regionally accredited institution.
  • An unencumbered RN license in the state where clinical experiences will be completed.
  • One year of experience nursing in a health profession
  • Completed an introductory statistics course with a minimum grade of a ‘C’
  • Completed a 3-credit master's level course in Epidemiology with a minimum grade of a ‘C’ in order to enter NURS 907 in year two. This Epidemiology course is a pre-requisite to NURS 907, and can be taken in the summer prior along with NURS 903 and NURS 886, or in the summer prior to program enrollment as a non-degree seeking student.
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Are there scholarships available for DNP students?
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Xavier University does not have specific scholarships for incoming DNP degree program students. Any information about available Xavier scholarships will be sent to incoming students Xavier.edu email addresses as they become available. There are however scholarships and financial aid sources provided by independent organizations that are listed below:

The Loyal Musketeer Scholarship is available to all graduating students and alumni who wish to pursue a graduate degree at Xavier. The scholarship is equal to 25 percent off the program tuition rate for most graduate programs.

The Xavier College of Nursing has been a participant in the Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP) grant since 2017.This NFLP loan repayment program is an exciting opportunity through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Program created to increase the number of qualified nursing faculty in the U.S. NFLP DNP student participants are awarded funding to help cover the costs of tuition. Recipients may be eligible for up to 85% loan forgiveness. For additional information about this program please contact Miranda Knapp at knappm3@xavier.edu

American Association of Colleges of Nursing: Financial Aid

Doctors of Nursing Practice, Inc. Grants and Scholarships

Interact for Change – Deaconess Associations Advance Practice Nursing Scholarships (note: deadline is usually January 31st of each year)

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Is Xavier’s online DNP program accredited?
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Xavier’s online DNP program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, the premier accrediting agency for baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs. The Ohio Board of Nursing (OBN)has also approved the program.

Our prestigious accreditations guarantee that you receive a graduate education grounded in strong pedagogical principles and a rigorous curriculum, equipping you to provide top-tier education to your learners.

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Is this a part-time or full-time program?
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Most students complete the program on a full-time basis. However, we do provide opportunities for a part-time track. Cohorts are formed for both durations starting each Fall to support students on their journey at their pace.
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Will my degree say "online?"
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No, Xavier awards the DNP based on your ability to meet coursework standards, regardless of course delivery mode.
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How are the courses structured?
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The courses include components such as readings, activities, video lectures, discussion boards and other peer interaction, tests, quizzes, and group projects. Most courses do not include mandatory login times (asynchronous); however, they are synchronously paced – students’ progress through the course together according to the scheduled course content and activities.
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Doctor of Nursing Practice in Leadership and Population Health (DNP) Program at Xavier University

Xavier University’s College of Nursing prepares undergraduate and graduate students as professional nurses to meet the needs of diverse populations in an ever-changing, highly technical health-care environment. Graduates have the skills to practice nursing today and to be nurse leaders tomorrow in holistic health-care delivery with an educational foundation grounded in Jesuit values. Our graduates are well-respected in the health-care community as knowledgeable, professional, and ethical and prepared to excel in meeting challenges in health-care delivery. Xavier’s Nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and endorsed by the American Holistic Nurses Credentialing Corporation.

Xavier University is a private university located in Cincinnati, Ohio, providing a liberal arts education in the Jesuit Catholic tradition. Founded in 1831, the University is the sixth-oldest Catholic university in the nation. It has been ranked among the top 10 master's-level universities in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report for the past two decades. The Princeton Review names it one of the "Best 385 Colleges in America."

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