Best Online Doctorate In Nursing Education Programs Of 2024

Nursing students looking to earn an online Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) while continuing to work professionally will find a convenient, flexible program at Regis University, based in Westin, Massachusetts. Learners can pursue either a B.S.N.-to-D.N.P. or an M.S.N.-to-D.N.P. program.

Enrollees in the M.S.N.-to-D.N.P. program can choose from three start times per year and earn their degree in 24 to 36 months without setting foot on campus. The program offers eight areas of nurse practitioner specializations: pediatrics, psychiatric mental health, women’s health, family, adult gerontology primary care, adult gerontology acute care, nurse leadership and nurse education.

• Our Flexibility Rating: Learn around your 9-to-5
• School Type: Private
• Application Fee: $75
• Degree Credit Requirements: 27 to 64 credits (depending on specialization)
• Program Enrollment Options: Full-time
• Notable Major-Specific Courses: Cultural perspectives in healthcare, instructional methods in nursing education
• Concentrations Available: Pediatrics, family, psychiatric mental health, women’s health, nurse education, nurse leadership, adult-gerontology (primary or acute care)
• In-Person Requirements: Yes, clinical hours required

The online M.S.N.-to-D.N.P. at North Canton, Ohio’s Walsh University prepares nurses for leadership roles in healthcare. Classes are offered in eight- and 16-week sessions throughout the year and are designed to accommodate busy, working professionals.

Students receive clinical placement support to find a clinical site and preceptor to complement their online coursework and complete clinical rotations. D.N.P. students can add a specialization to their degree with a post-M.S.N. family nurse practitioner or nurse educator graduate certificate.

• Our Flexibility Rating: Learn around your 9-to-5
• School Type: Private
• Application Fee: Free
• Degree Credit Requirements: 34 to 63 credits ( depending on track)
• Program Enrollment Options: Full-time, part-time
• Notable Major-Specific Courses: Healthcare technology and data management, nursing leadership role and ethics in complex healthcare systems
• Concentrations Available: N/A
• In-Person Requirements: Yes, residency practicum required

Bryan College of Health Sciences in Lincoln, Nebraska, offers an online Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) with an emphasis in nursing and health professions education. The program aims to develop educators for leadership roles in education and practice.

Designed for working professionals with a master’s in nursing or another healthcare-related field, Bryan College’s doctoral degree allows students to finish in four years with no on-campus requirements. Learners can complete asynchronous work independently, except for three required video meetings per semester to meet with faculty and other students.

• Our Flexibility Rating: Learn around your 9-to-5
• School Type: Private
• Application Fee: Free
• Degree Credit Requirements: 50 credits
• Program Enrollment Options: Full-time, part-time
• Notable Major-Specific Courses: Education practice seminar, teaching and learning theories
• Concentrations Available: N/A
• In-Person Requirements: Yes, education practicum required

Ohio University-Main Campus’ online M.S.N.-to-D.N.P. features two areas of specialization: direct patient care as an advanced practice nurse and indirect patient care as a nurse executive or nurse educator.

The part-time program serves working professionals. Most students take two to three courses per semester. Ohio University offers all coursework online, but students must attend three on-campus intensives at the school’s Athens or Dublin campuses. Learners in the nurse educator path must complete practicum experiences and a D.N.P. immersion.

• Our Flexibility Rating: Learn around your 9-to-5
• School Type: Public
• Application Fee: $50
• Degree Credit Requirements: 36 credits
• Program Enrollment Options: Part-time
• Notable Major-Specific Courses: Foundations of evidence-based practice, quality and safety in population health
• Concentrations Available: Direct patient care as an advanced practice nurse, indirect patient care as a nurse executive or nurse educator
• In-Person Requirements: Yes, for on-campus intensives

Located in Greenville, North Carolina, East Carolina University offers three online pathways to a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in nursing education. Applicants can start with a D.N.P, an M.S.N. or a B.S.N.; the Ph.D. requires 42 to 84 additional credits. The D.N.P.-to-Ph.D. program allows students to transfer up to 12 hours of previous D.N.P. coursework toward their degree.

Students entering with a B.S.N. complete an integrated M.S.N and Ph.D. curriculum, with optional concentrations in nursing education or nursing leadership. This pathway allows them to reduce the number of master’s level courses and finish faster.

Learners must attend on-campus summer immersion sessions.

• Our Flexibility Rating: Learn on your schedule
• School Type: Public
• Application Fee: $75
• Degree Credit Requirements: 54 to 84 credits
• Program Enrollment Options: Full time, part-time
• Notable Major-Specific Courses: Statistical reasoning in nursing, principles of measurement
• Concentrations Available: Nursing education, nursing leadership
• In-Person Requirements: Yes, for summer immersion sessions

Western Connecticut State University’s nursing faculty created its online Ed.D. in nursing education to prepare nurses for academic faculty roles. Most students graduate in three and a half years, taking two courses every semester, including the summer.

Courses are delivered entirely online through synchronous and asynchronous learning methods. Before the start of the program and each summer before years one and two, nursing students must attend a three-day, on-campus residency in Danbury.

• Our Flexibility Rating: Learn on your schedule
• School Type: Public
• Application Fee: $50
• Degree Credit Requirements: 51 credits
• Program Enrollment Options: Part-time
• Notable Major-Specific Courses: Theories of teaching and learning in adult and higher education
• Concentrations Available: N/A
• In-Person Requirements: Yes, for on-campus residencies

The 66-credit, online nursing education Ph.D. program at the University of Northern Colorado prepares graduates for nursing faculty roles in universities and healthcare organizations.

Students must attend a five-day orientation in Greeley the summer before starting the program, but all coursework is delivered online. Students complete a dissertation in their fourth year.

• Our Flexibility Rating: Learn around your 9-to-5
• School Type: Public
• Application Fee: $50
• Degree Credit Requirements: 66 credits
• Program Enrollment Options: Full-time
• Notable Major-Specific Courses: The professional role in nursing education, advanced nursing curriculum design
• Concentrations Available: N/A
• In-Person Requirements: Yes, for an orientation

Headquartered in New Haven, Southern Connecticut State University’s online nursing Ed.D program was designed for registered nurses with clinical experience and master’s degrees in nursing. The program focuses on preparation for nurse educators, teaching students the necessary skills to become academic faculty members.

The program consists of five major components: foundations of teaching in higher education, specialization in nursing education, leadership in nursing education, science of nursing education research and a dissertation phase.

• Our Flexibility Rating: Learn around your 9-to-5
• School Type: Public
• Application Fee: $50
• Degree Credit Requirements: 51 credits
• Program Enrollment Options: Part-time
• Notable Major-Specific Courses: Ethical/legal, political and social issues affecting higher education
• Concentrations Available: N/A
• In-Person Requirements: Yes, for a teaching practicum

Students of Liberty University’s online Ph.D. in nursing education program hone the skills needed to become nursing professors or explore careers in hospital administration, health policy advocacy or nursing research.

Liberty University, based in Lynchburg, Virginia, allows students to transfer up to half of the degree’s required credits. The college also offers a military tuition discount for current and former service members. All courses run in eight-week, online sessions with optional synchronous meetings and no in-person requirements.

• Our Flexibility Rating: Learn on your schedule
• School Type: Private
• Application Fee: $50
• Degree Credit Requirements: 60 credits
• Program Enrollment Options: Full-time, part-time
• Notable Major-Specific Courses: Learning theories and teaching methods for nurse educators
• Concentrations Available: N/A
• In-Person Requirements: No

The University of West Georgia, based in Carroll County, offers a fully online Ed.D. in nursing education delivered through asynchronous coursework. Students in this program learn to apply field-specific knowledge and skills in modern educational environments to train aspiring nurses.

Applicants must hold an M.S.N. with a minimum 3.0 GPA in their graduate nursing courses. Full-time learners can expect to finish the Ed.D. in 11 semesters; part-time students typically finish in 14 semesters.

UWG charges online learners an “eTuition” rate of $71 per credit in addition to their base tuition rate.

• Our Flexibility Rating: Learn on your schedule
• School Type: Public
• Application Fee: $40
• Degree Credit Requirements: 60 credits
• Program Enrollment Options: Full-time, part-time
• Notable Major-Specific Courses: Current trends and issues in nursing education, distance education in nursing
• Concentrations Available: N/A
• In-Person Requirements: No