Master’s- and DNP-prepared nurses may both enter NP practice when they complete appropriate NP education and meet applicable certification and licensure requirements (American Association of Nurse Practitioners [AANP], 2022b; APRN Consensus Work Group & National Council of State Boards of Nursing APRN Advisory Committee, 2008).
The Doctor of Nursing Practice adds doctoral program requirements and practice-focused scholarship to advanced nursing education (American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN], 2026b). The movement toward the DNP reflects a broader effort to prepare advanced nurses for evidence translation, quality improvement, systems leadership, and increasingly complex healthcare delivery (AACN, 2004b, 2026a). That raises a practical question for students: what does the additional doctoral preparation provide if both pathways can lead to NP practice?
Master’s-Level NP Education Remains a Recognized Pathway to Practice
AANP’s current standards state that master’s, post-master’s, or doctoral preparation and national board certification may qualify an individual for entry-level NP practice. Education, certification, and licensure must also be congruent with the NP role and population focus (AANP, 2022b).
The APRN Consensus Model similarly recognizes degree-granting APRN education at the master’s and doctoral levels, along with postgraduate certificate pathways. Its regulatory framework focuses on alignment among licensure, accreditation, certification, education, APRN role, and population focus; it does not establish the DNP as a universal entry requirement (APRN Consensus Work Group & National Council of State Boards of Nursing APRN Advisory Committee, 2008).
What the DNP Adds
AACN describes the DNP as a practice-focused doctorate that prepares nurses at the highest level of nursing practice. Its current guidance describes expanded preparation in evidence-based practice, quality improvement, leadership, policy advocacy, informatics, and systems thinking (AACN, 2026a).
The 2026 AACN Essentials make the degree distinction more precise. Level 2 subcompetencies provide the foundation for advanced nursing education across specialties and roles, so master’s and DNP education are not defined by entirely separate sets of advanced competencies. AACN states that degree pathways are differentiated through program requirements. For DNP students, those requirements include doctoral scholarly work and integration of advanced-level and specialty or role competencies into practice (AACN, 2026b).
DNP scholarship provides a concrete example of that additional preparation. AACN describes the DNP scholarly project or product as addressing a practice problem through activities that may include evidence synthesis, translation of evidence into a strategy, implementation, and evaluation of outcomes or processes (AACN, 2026b).
The DNP is also distinct from a research-focused doctorate such as the PhD. AACN describes research-focused doctoral programs as emphasizing scientific inquiry and generation of new knowledge, while practice-focused doctoral education emphasizes advanced nursing practice and application of credible research findings (AACN, n.d.).
Why NP Education Has Moved Toward Doctoral Preparation
In 2004, AACN member institutions endorsed the AACN position statement on the practice doctorate in nursing, which recommended moving preparation for advanced nursing practice from the master’s level to the doctorate (AACN, 2004b). In its announcement of that decision, AACN identified 2015 as the target year for the transition (AACN, 2004a).
AACN’s rationale focused on changes in advanced nursing practice and healthcare. The organization cited increasing healthcare complexity, rapid growth in scientific knowledge and technology, expanding master’s curricula, and the need for greater preparation in areas such as evidence evaluation, health policy, information technology, practice management, and leadership. AACN concluded that the educational demands of advanced practice had grown beyond what traditional master’s education was designed to contain (AACN, 2004b).
The National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties later advanced a similar position specifically for NP education. NONPF committed in 2018 to moving entry-level NP education to the DNP by 2025 and reaffirmed that position in 2023 (National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties [NONPF], 2023). Its current NP Role Competencies are designed to be measured at the clinical doctoral level, and NONPF continues to endorse the DNP as the entry point into NP practice (NONPF, n.d.).
DNP Preparation and NP Scope of Practice
A DNP does not independently expand an NP’s legal scope of practice. AANP describes NP scope in relation to education, certification, licensure, role, population focus, professional standards, and applicable law (AANP, 2022a, 2022b). DNP preparation adds doctoral program requirements, while practice authority remains governed by the requirements applicable to the NP’s role, certification, licensure, and jurisdiction (AACN, 2026b; AANP, 2022a, 2022b; APRN Consensus Work Group & National Council of State Boards of Nursing APRN Advisory Committee, 2008).
These distinctions describe differences in educational preparation, not a categorical ranking of individual clinicians. Degree title alone does not determine an NP’s clinical competence, which is also shaped by role- and population-focused education, certification, licensure, practice experience, and continued professional development (AANP, 2022a, 2022b).
The 2015 and 2025 Transition Targets
Neither date created a nationwide legal deadline. AACN identified 2015 as its target for moving advanced nursing practice preparation to the doctoral level, while NONPF later identified 2025 as its target for transitioning entry-level NP education to the DNP (AACN, 2004a; NONPF, 2023).
Current AANP standards continue to recognize master’s, post-master’s, and doctoral preparation for entry-level NP practice, and the APRN Consensus Model does not establish the DNP as a universal licensure requirement (AANP, 2022b; APRN Consensus Work Group & National Council of State Boards of Nursing APRN Advisory Committee, 2008).
What Students Should Consider When Comparing the Pathways
For prospective NP students, the practical question is what the additional doctoral education is intended to provide. NONPF has argued that contemporary NP competencies require added credit hours and training and that the DNP is designed to align academic preparation with the needs of increasingly complex practice environments (NONPF, 2023).
AACN’s current framework distinguishes the DNP through doctoral requirements beyond the advanced-level competencies shared across graduate nursing education, including practice scholarship and integration of advanced competencies into practice (AACN, 2026b). Students comparing pathways should consider whether that additional preparation and scholarly work align with their professional goals while also comparing program length, total cost, and other requirements. The most useful comparison is the preparation each pathway provides and how well it fits the work the student intends to do.
Relevant YourDNP resources:
- Choosing a DNP Program: What to Check Before You Apply
- Why Do DNP Students Have to Complete a DNP Project?
- Scope of Practice for Nurse Practitioners: What Actually Sets the Boundaries
References
American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (n.d.). DNP education. Retrieved August 7, 2026, from https://www.aacnnursing.org/students/nursing-education-pathways/dnp-education
American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2004a, October 27). AACN adopts a new vision for the future of nursing education and practice: Position on the practice doctorate approved by AACN member schools. https://www.aacnnursing.org/news-data/all-news/dnp-release
American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2004b). AACN position statement on the practice doctorate in nursing. https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/0/PDFs/Position-Statements/DNP.pdf
American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2026a, July). About the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). https://www.aacnnursing.org/our-initiatives/education-practice/doctor-of-nursing-practice/about-the-dnp
American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2026b). The Essentials: Core competencies for professional nursing education. https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/0/PDFs/Publications/Essentials-2026.pdf
American Association of Nurse Practitioners. (2022a). Scope of practice for nurse practitioners. https://www.aanp.org/advocacy/advocacy-resource/position-statements/scope-of-practice-for-nurse-practitioners
American Association of Nurse Practitioners. (2022b). Standards of practice for nurse practitioners. https://www.aanp.org/advocacy/advocacy-resource/position-statements/standards-of-practice-for-nurse-practitioners
APRN Consensus Work Group & National Council of State Boards of Nursing APRN Advisory Committee. (2008). Consensus model for APRN regulation: Licensure, accreditation, certification & education. National Council of State Boards of Nursing. https://www.ncsbn.org/public-files/FINAL_Consensus_Report_070708_w._Ends_013009.pdf
National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties. (n.d.). Nurse practitioner role competencies. Retrieved August 7, 2026, from https://www.nonpf.org/page/NP_Role_Core_Competencies/
National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties. (2023). Reaffirming the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree: Entry to nurse practitioner practice by 2025. https://www.nonpf.org/resource/resmgr/dnp/04_12_23_reaffirming_the_dnp.pdf