Executive Leadership, DNP

Our online post-master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice in Executive Leadership (DNP-EL) program develops nurses for various senior leadership roles aimed at transforming healthcare delivery and improving outcomes at the systems level. 

Executive leadership in an everchanging and complex healthcare industry requires the knowledge and skills to revolutionize care delivery models and improve patient and organizational outcomes.  Focused on systems leadership and innovative change, the DNP-EL prepares graduates for a variety of leadership roles including but not limited to Chief Nursing Officers, Clinical and Project Directors, Healthcare Consultants, and Practice Leaders. 

Offered online with only one on-campus intensive, the DNP-EL can be completed while working full-time from any location.  An unparalleled advantage, this interdisciplinary curriculum incorporates content from Wharton Executive Education, Wharton Online, and the Perelman School of Medicine Health Care Innovation Graduate Program.  Situated within a resource-intensive university, students avail of online library services, and take courses taught by faculty with vast healthcare leadership experience.  In-person intensives provide students with networking opportunities, individualized faculty mentorship and access to executives from our world-class academic health system. 

The DNP-EL includes coursework in strategic planning, innovation and design thinking, organizational change, and policy advocacy.  A mutual benefit for students and their employers, the program culminates with the design of a systems-level evidence-based project implemented within their own organization.

Curriculum

The DNP-EL is a two-year program consisting of 11 course units.

NURS 5000Introduction to Principles and Methods of Epidemiology1
NURS 5400Current Issues In Health and Social Policy1
NURS 6510Healthcare Informatics1
NURS 7450Data Analytics1
NURS 7890Principles of Patient Safety & Quality Improvement in Healthcare1
NURS 8410Transformational Leadership1
NURS 8430Executive Leadership in Complex Healthcare Systems1
NURS 8510Translating Evidence into Practice (DNP Project #1)1
NURS 8521DNP Project II:  Project Proposal1
NURS 8531DNP Project III: Project Implementation1
NURS 8421Thriving in a Value-Driven Healthcare Economic Environment1
Total Course Units11

The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2024 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.