DNP Benefits for Simmons Alumni, Students, and Faculty

If you are a Simmons alum, current Simmons MSN student, or Simmons faculty member, you can benefit from a streamlined application process and even save on tuition for the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) online program. As a valued member of the Simmons community, you are eligible for an application fee waiver and may gain up to 6 credits toward your DNP. Learn more about these benefits below.

Current MSN Students and Alumni

Application Process

Current Students
If you are currently in the Simmons Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program, you can petition to complete a streamlined application to the online DNP program at the end of your last term. Students with a 3.0+ GPA qualify for an expedited application process. The $50 application fee will also be waived. Contact dnponline@simmons.edu or the student success team to learn more.

Alumni
Alumni of Simmons’ MSN program benefit from only having to submit one letter of recommendation to apply to the online DNP program, instead of the three typically required. The $50 application fee will also be waived. To learn more and begin your application process as an MSN alumnus, complete this brief form.

Credit Waivers

MSN students or alumni may earn up to 6 credits toward their DNP program. To qualify, you must have earned a B or better in both NURP 589 and NURP 450. These two MSN courses at Simmons will exempt you from the NURP 670 and NURP 660 DNP courses. Alumni must have completed these courses within the past five years.

Having these two DNP courses waived will reduce the number of required credits from 30 to 24, allowing you to save as much as 20% on your total program tuition. ¹

Reduced Clinical Hours

The clinical hours you completed in your MSN will count toward the 1,000 hours required in the DNP program. After successfully completing your MSN and earning acceptance into the DNP program, you will only need to complete 328 clinical hours to meet DNP requirements. As a DNP student, you also have the opportunity to complete clinical hours in your current workplace.

Faculty Members

Application Process

If you are a Simmons faculty member, you are already a skilled contributor to our Simmons community and do not need to complete certain requirements when applying to the DNP program.

As a Simmons faculty member, you:

• will not have to submit any letters of recommendation.
• do not have to pay the $50 application fee.
• will only need to submit a statement of purpose OR a portfolio that demonstrates your doctoral-level writing ability, such as an article published in an academic publication or a master’s thesis. If you plan to include a published article or a master’s thesis in place of the statement of purpose, please let one of our admission counselors know.

Credit Waivers

If you teach either NURP 589 or NURP 450, you may have the opportunity to waive these courses.

To learn more and begin your application process, complete this brief form.