The UNC Greensboro School of Nursing is ranked No. 56 in the latest U.S. News & World Report ranking of the Best Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Programs, which was released on April 25.

UNCG is one of only three schools in the UNC System to earn the prestigious ranking, along with UNC Chapel Hill (No. 15) and East Carolina University (No. 66).

In January, the U.S. News & World Report ranked UNCG No. 24 in its ranking of the Best Online Master’s in Nursing (MSN) Programs.

“We are so pleased to be recognized as one of the best DNP programs not only in North Carolina but across the U.S.,” said Debra J. Barksdale, PhD, dean of the School of Nursing. “A lot of factors are considered in these rankings, including faculty and student characteristics, peer ranking, and more. We are honored at the recognition for Spartan Nursing.”  

The School of Nursing has made several changes to its DNP program over the past year to make it more convenient for working nurses to earn their degrees.

The post-master’s DNP concentration has moved entirely online, with students completing 30 credits over 15 months. They’ll begin taking online classes asynchronously (at a time they choose) in the fall semester and finish all their requirements to graduate in the fall semester of the following year.

The School of Nursing also offers DNP degrees in nurse anesthesia and adult-gerontological primary care nurse practitioner. It will start a family nurse practitioner (FNP) concentration in its MSN program this fall.

Students in the new FNP concentration will learn how to provide primary care to individuals and families across the entire lifespan.

For more information about the DNP program, contact Dr. Wanda Williams at wmwilliams@uncg.edu. Nurses interested in the FNP concentration should contact Dr. Amber Vermeesch at alvermeesch@uncg.edu.