A doctor of nursing practice or DNP degree is one of the highest levels of education someone can achieve in this profession. There are multiple specialties to pursue, including leadership and general practice, and a DNP opens the door to a range of exciting opportunities. Below, we look at the DNP options in Michigan.
DNP Programs in Michigan
Michigan offers a range of DNP programs. While they all have an online component, some have more on-campus requirements than others.
According to the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, every DNP graduate must have 1,000 post-BSN clinical hours. This total includes the clinical hours that are completed during master’s-level programs. Every accredited program will require 1,000 total clinical hours; the clinical hours listed in the summaries below include the number of credits each DNP program has built into the curriculum to help satisfy the 1,000-hour requirement.
Michigan MSN to DNP Programs
The five MSN to DNP programs below are considered hybrid, but the on-campus requirements vary from one program to another. If you want some on-campus experience, consider one of the programs below.
Eastern Michigan University
- Ypsilanti, Michigan
- Hybrid
Modality: Hybrid
Credit Hours: 38
Clinical Hours: Unspecified
Tuition: $1,128 per credit + fees
Program Overview:
Eastern Michigan’s MSN to DNP is built for nurses already credentialed as APRNs or holding MSNs in leadership or education tracks who want a doctoral capstone without giving up regional practice. EMU calls the format “super hybrid”: online coursework anchors the term, augmented by extended-weekend sessions and on-campus immersions two to four times a semester. The structure suits Detroit-metro working nurses who can clear two days at a time but can’t relocate to Ypsilanti.
Grand Valley State University
- Allendale, Michigan
- Hybrid
Modality: Hybrid
Credit Hours: 38
Clinical Hours: Unspecified
Tuition: $967 per credit + fees
Program Overview:
GVSU’s MSN to DNP Leadership track runs 38 credits in hybrid format from the Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences in downtown Grand Rapids, with online coursework augmented by two to five on-campus sessions per semester. Graduates qualify to sit for nurse executive certification, and the curriculum aligns with West Michigan health system leadership pipelines at Corewell Health and Trinity Health Grand Rapids. Most students finish in two and a half years.
Michigan State University
- East Lansing, Michigan
- Hybrid
Modality: Hybrid
Credit Hours: 28
Clinical Hours: Unspecified
Tuition: $889.75 per credit + fees for residents; $1,703.50 per credit for non-residents
Program Overview:
Michigan State runs a 28-credit online MSN to DNP that any MSN-prepared nurse can pursue regardless of their original specialty area. Coursework alternates between fully online modules and periodic in-person sessions on the East Lansing campus, and motivated students can finish in two years. The hybrid framing makes MSU a frequent pick for mid-Michigan nurses who already have hospital affiliations through Sparrow Health or McLaren and want to stay close to home.
Northern Michigan University
- Marquette, Michigan
- Hybrid
Modality: Hybrid
Credit Hours: 33
Clinical Hours: Varies
Tuition: $900 per credit + fees
Program Overview:
Northern Michigan’s MSN to DNP runs part-time over 18 months in a low-residency hybrid format from Marquette in the Upper Peninsula. The two required on-campus sessions cover orientation at the start and the DNP project oral defense at the end, with optional simulation-center events and visiting-speaker workshops in between. NMU is the most accessible doctoral nursing option in the UP and serves Aspirus, MyMichigan Health, and other regional employers.
University of Michigan
- Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Hybrid
Modality: Hybrid
Credit Hours: 28
Clinical Hours: 500
Tuition: $1,993 per credit + fees for residents; $3,651 per credit + fees for non-residents
Program Overview:
Michigan Medicine’s MSN to DNP runs as a primarily asynchronous hybrid with a few required on-campus days each semester and one weekly synchronous session — Thursday mornings, four times per term. The program accepts up to 500 transfer hours from previous MSN-level work, which significantly compresses the timeline for clinically experienced applicants. Ann Arbor’s research-tier framing and Michigan Medicine’s NIH funding make it the obvious pick for nurses pointing toward implementation science or health-systems research.
Online DNP Programs in Michigan
Online programs are often convenient options for nurses who plan to continue working while pursuing their doctorate. In Michigan, MSN-prepared nurses have multiple options.
Michigan Online MSN to DNP Programs
The following eight programs are primarily online, though some may have minimal on-campus requirements.
Andrews University
- Berrien Springs, Michigan
- Online
Modality: Online
Credit Hours: Varies
Clinical Hours: Unspecified
Tuition: $765 per credit + fees
Program Overview:
Andrews’s MSN to DNP offers two on-ramps depending on prior credentialing. APRNs complete 40 credits and finish in roughly two and a half years, while MSNs from non-APRN backgrounds complete 56 credits over three and a half years. Coursework is fully online with no campus visits, which makes Andrews a viable choice for nurses outside southwest Michigan. Andrews currently advertises a 50% tuition discount, though pricing changes year to year.
Concordia University Ann Arbor
- Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Online
Modality: Online
Credit Hours: 30
Clinical Hours: Unspecified
Tuition: $870 per credit + fees
Program Overview:
Concordia Ann Arbor’s DNP is technically conferred through the school’s Wisconsin sister campus, but coursework is 100% online with no campus residency required, making the in-state vs. out-of-state distinction moot for delivery. All clinical and practicum hours feed the required DNP capstone project, and admission requires either current APRN certification or a nursing administration credential. The Lutheran-affiliated framing slots Concordia next to Madonna and U of Detroit Mercy among Michigan’s faith-based nursing schools.
Ferris State University
- Big Rapids, Michigan
- Online + Campus
Modality: Online with on-campus intensives
Credit Hours: 30
Clinical Hours: Unspecified
Tuition: $770 per credit + fees
Program Overview:
Ferris State’s MSN to DNP is a leadership-track program running six to eight semesters from Big Rapids in central Michigan. Intensive courses concentrate on scholarly writing, role transition, portfolio development, and leadership relationship-building, with intensives clustered at the start of August each year. The format suits mid-career nurses already in management roles at Spectrum Health, Corewell, or other West Michigan health systems who need a terminal degree to move into executive nursing.
Madonna University
- Livonia, Michigan
- Online
Modality: Online
Credit Hours: 33
Clinical Hours: Not specified
Tuition: $1,105 per credit + fees
Program Overview:
Madonna’s MSN to DNP runs 33 credits fully online with two- and three-year completion options. The program admits APRNs alongside nurses in administrator, educator, and clinical-leadership roles, which broadens the applicant pool beyond traditional NP backgrounds. The Catholic-affiliated Felician-tradition framing and Livonia campus location position Madonna for Detroit-metro nurses working at Trinity Health, Henry Ford, or Beaumont who want a values-driven program close to home.
Oakland University
- Auburn Hills and Rochester Hills, Michigan
- Online
Modality: Online
Credit Hours: 38
Clinical Hours: Not specified
Tuition: $915 per credit + fees for residents; $1,027 per credit + fees for non-residents
Program Overview:
Oakland University holds the distinction of running Michigan’s first DNP program. Today the MSN to DNP track runs two years full-time or three years part-time in a flexible online format built around working-nurse schedules. The Rochester campus draws clinical placements from Beaumont Health (now part of Corewell East), Henry Ford, and Ascension Providence, giving graduates strong Detroit-suburban hospital network exposure.
Saginaw Valley State University
- University Center, Michigan
- Online
Modality: Online
Credit Hours: 32
Clinical Hours: Unspecified
Tuition: $840 per credit + fees
Program Overview:
Saginaw Valley State’s 100% online MSN to DNP focuses on advanced nursing leadership and admits nurses with MSNs in any specialty area. SVSU runs two parallel tracks (APRN and non-APRN) and uses a gap-analysis intake to determine credit requirements per applicant. Most students finish in two years. The mid-Michigan location and Covenant HealthCare relationship make SVSU a natural pick for nurses in the Tri-Cities region (Saginaw, Bay City, Midland).
Spring Arbor University
- Spring Arbor, Michigan
- Online
Modality: Online
Credit Hours: Unspecified
Clinical Hours: 500
Tuition: $875 per credit + fees
Program Overview:
Spring Arbor’s MSN to DNP runs 20 months on the school’s signature 7-1-7 calendar — seven weeks of class, a week off, then another seven-week course. Delivery is fully online with a virtual residency at program start and 500 clinical hours embedded in the curriculum. Non-APRN MSN holders may need additional practicum coursework if their prior MSN didn’t include the 500 hours. Among Michigan DNPs, Spring Arbor’s distance-learning infrastructure is the most mature.
University of Detroit Mercy
- Detroit, Michigan
- Online
Modality: Online
Credit Hours: Varies
Clinical Hours: Varies
Tuition: $959 per credit + fees
Program Overview:
Detroit Mercy’s MSN to DNP runs 36 credits for APRNs or 42 credits for MSN holders from non-APRN backgrounds, who add a 6-credit bridge sequence. Both full-time and part-time pacing are available, with a six-semester minimum. The Jesuit-Sisters of Mercy heritage and McAuley campus location pair the program with Detroit Medical Center placements and the broader Detroit safety-net hospital network.
Wayne State University
- Detroit, Michigan
- Online
Modality: Online
Credit Hours: Varies
Clinical Hours: Varies
Tuition: $1,087.11 per credit + fees for residents; $2,016.24 per credit + fees for non-residents
Program Overview:
Wayne State’s MSN to DNP scales credit load by prior NP credentialing: nurses already practicing as NPs complete 38 credits, while non-NP MSN holders complete 73 credits including the NP-track coursework needed to sit for certification. Students living more than 60 miles from the Detroit campus qualify for a fully online delivery, which extends WSU’s reach into mid-Michigan and beyond. Detroit Medical Center and Henry Ford anchor the urban-research clinical experience.
Shortest/Accelerated DNP Programs in Michigan
Post-master’s leadership-focused DNPs typically finish fastest in MI. Most MSN-to-DNP programs run 18 to 30 months full-time. Spring Arbor, Madonna, and EMU run shorter accelerated tracks for already-credentialed APRNs. BSN-entry doctorates at UM Ann Arbor and Wayne State run 3 to 4 years. RN-to-MSN-to-DNP sequences for ADN-prepared nurses run 5 to 7 years total.
Best DNP Programs in Michigan
UM Ann Arbor leads on research-tier positioning with Michigan Medicine clinical placements. Wayne State pairs the program with Detroit Medical Center, Henry Ford Health, and Corewell Health East. GVSU is the West Michigan public pick with broad specialty options. University of Detroit Mercy adds a Catholic Jesuit framing for Detroit-area applicants. Andrews runs distinctive Seventh-day Adventist values-based curriculum.
Cheapest DNP Programs in Michigan
Public-system schools (UM Ann Arbor, UM-Flint, Wayne State, GVSU, Oakland, EMU, NMU, SVSU, Ferris State) carry the lowest per-credit DNP tuition for MI residents. Among private programs, Madonna, Spring Arbor, Andrews, and Concordia Ann Arbor sit in the lower-to-mid private tier. U of Detroit Mercy runs at a higher private-tier rate. Non-residents at the public schools pay differential rates that close the public-private gap.