Post Master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice

  Advance in leadership & clinical practice  

The Post Master’s DNP program at UMass Chan Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing builds on the expertise of advanced practice nurses and nurse leaders for preparation at the highest level to transform health care for quality patient care outcomes. Complexities of patient care amidst rapidly changing advanced treatments and technology require clinical practice leadership roles that incorporate improvement science, translation of research evidence into best practices, and organizational/systems thinking. Emphasis on health inequities, Social Determinants of Health, Diversity & Inclusion, local & community engagement.

Our program is highly ranked by Nursing Schools Almanac as the #2 DNP program in Massachusetts and #8 among public nursing schools in the United States. The Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing is the only publicly funded nursing school in the Commonwealth where we provide expert knowledge and experiential learning while also the respect, commitment, and attention to graduate and working advanced nursing practice students to succeed during the experience in hospitals and community-based settings, health care organizations, and schools of nursing as clinical faculty.  Work side-by-side with expert nursing and inter-professional faculty are committed to student learning and who actively practice. Students prepared for the future of health care that demands well educated clinicians who can assume advanced leadership positions in challenging health care times.

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Fall 2025: Post Master's DNP and Post Graduate Certificates

• Priority Admission Deadline for Scholarship Consideration: 2/2/25
• Application Deadline: 5/1/25

Priority Admission Deadline for Scholarship Consideration: Applicants who submit a completed application by this deadline will be considered for our limited Chancellor and Nightingale Scholarships.
Application Deadline: Applications completed after the Priority deadline will be considered based on seat availability, up until this final admission deadline. * For consideration after the Application Deadline, please contact our Admissions Counselor

Applicants must submit a completed application to NursingCAS by the deadline date to be considered for admission. Application status emails will be sent to the email provided on the application via NursingCAS.

At the completion of this program, graduates will be able to:

1. Critically appraise and communicate the best evidence for nursing practice to promote safe, timely, effective, efficient, ethical, equitable patient/family centered care.
2. Design and plan care delivery approaches grounded in the ethical principles of the nursing discipline to support and improve patient care and healthcare systems through organizational and systems leadership.
3. Lead and participate in interprofessional teams to collaborate and create healthcare solutions to improve population health outcomes.
4. Synthesize biopsychosocial data to create, provide and evaluate patient centered interventions to optimize health (individual, family, and group).
5. Interpret scientific data to create new strategies to address determinants of health that supports population health initiatives.

EXPLORE THE CURRICULUM

Meet the students of the Post-Master's DNP program
From the choir to the clinic, DNP student focused on leadership	Palliative care nurse, instructor, mother of three returns to UMass Chan to advance leadership skills
Learn more about Eugenia	Learn more about Shawna

What makes our Post Master's Program the best in Massachusetts?

• Part of the commonwealth’s first and only public academic health sciences center that consists of 3 schools with the UMass Memorial Hospital located on campus.
• A rich interprofessional environment for learning and practicum experiences.
• State of the art education and simulation center.
• Affordable tuition compared to other programs.
• Clinically active, experienced, committed practicing faculty as APRNs and nurse leaders.
• A small faculty to student ratio ideal for graduate-level education.
• Flexible learning options, including hybrid in-class and on-line learning based on student preference.  

The Post Master’s DNP prepares students to meet the objectives of The Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice. The Online Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Post Master’s is for individuals who hold a Master’s degree in nursing and are certified as NPs, CNSs, CRNAs, or CNMs or hold a Master’s degree in nursing or a health related field for nurse administrators.

What Can I Do With a Post Master's DNP?

The purpose of the Post Master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program at the UMass Chan Medical School is to prepare nurse practitioner and nurse administrators graduates for advanced nursing practice leadership roles. The curriculum is designed to educate students to improve and transform health care through systems leadership, research translation, and advanced clinical knowledge. Graduates are prepared to assume advanced nursing practice leadership roles in hospitals and community-based settings, health care organizations, and schools of nursing as clinical faculty.

Who is a Candidate?

• Certified Nurse Practitioner
• Certified Nurse Anesthetist
• Certified Nurse Midwife
• Certified Clinical Nurse Specialist
• Nurse Administrator

Post Master's DNP Program Requirements

GPA Requirement - GPA of 3.0 or higher is preferred for all degrees. 

Education 

• Master’s degree in nursing or related health field completed at an accredited institution 
• Unrestricted licensure as a registered nurse 
• Certified as a NP, CNS, CRNA, CNM, or employment as a nurse administrator 

Prerequisites Required with a B- or higher preferred - Statistics (no time limit on completion)            

Video Essay - You will be required to complete 3 video essay interviews in the supplemental application; you will have 2 minutes to respond to each essay. There is no additional fee to complete the essays.

Personal Statement  

• APRN Personal Statement 1,000 words: 
  • What are your reasons, personal and/or professional, as a currently practicing certified APRN or nurse administrator for pursuing a program of study to obtain a DNP degree? (This response should be 500 words)  
  • What are your career plans as an advanced practice nurse with a DNP after graduation and in the future? (This response should be 500 words)  

• APNL Personal Statement 1,000 words: 
  • What are you reasons, personal and/or professional, as a currently practicing certified APRN or nurse administrator for pursuing a program of study to obtain a DNP degree? (This response should be 500 words)  
  • What are your career plans as an APNL with a DNP after graduation and in the future? (This response should be 500 words)  

References
Please submit 2 letters of recommendation from an academic or professional source, preferred within the last five years: 

• A professional reference should be from a former supervisor or professional colleague who can speak to your experience, competence, readiness, leadership, work ethic and dedication to your work. 
• An academic reference should be from a former faculty member or advisor. 
  
  

Learn more about the Online Post Master's DNP program, watch the VIDEO

Welcome to the Post MS DNP Program at UMass Chan Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing. For over a decade, our program has prepared APRNs and nurse leaders who can assume positions in challenging health care settings for advanced nursing practice. Our faculty bring a wealth of experience and expertise, including interdisciplinary collaboration, as our commitment to prepare nurses to lead organization and systems change through innovation in leadership, advocacy for health equity amidst growing diverse populations with complex health needs, and evidence-based practice to impact quality patient care outcomes. Please email jean.boucher@umassmed.edu for questions or to set up a time to meet remotely or in person. Dr. Jean Boucher, Program Director

“I gained a better understanding of the complexities of healthcare and in making changes in the healthcare system.”  DNP Graduate

“Reviewing evidence and critically appraising articles; working on interdisciplinary teams to improve patient outcomes; quality improvement initiatives and PDSA; healthcare financing; knowledge of CMS payment programs…”  DNP Graduate

“Strengthened ability to balance competing demands while in the program. Utilized the resources available within the Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing to learn as much as I can”  DNP Graduate