Nursing & Business Administration, D.N.P./M.B.A. - PAUL, UNH

UNH’s dual DNP‑MBA equips nurses with advanced clinical expertise and essential business leadership skills to drive change at the executive level. This flexible, online program builds strengths in evidence‑based practice, quality improvement, systems leadership, finance, operations, and strategic management. Taught by expert faculty from the College of Health and Human Services and Paul College of Business and Economics, the program fits your schedule while preparing you to lead innovation, improve outcomes, and shape the future of healthcare organizations.

The integrated Post-Master's Nursing (D.N.P.) and Business Administration: Healthcare Industry Option (M.B.A.) dual degree pathway for post-master's nurse leaders meets the needs of aspiring nurse executives and leaders who wish to combine their advanced nursing education with formal training in the business/management of healthcare enterprises. The program is available entirely online. The program can be completed in three to four years, depending on how many courses are taken each term.

Sample Degree Plan

This sample degree plan serves as a general guide; students collaborate with their academic advisor to develop a personalized degree plan to meet their academic goals and program requirements.

Dual Degree Requirements

Dual Degree candidates must complete a total of 57 credits as outlined below:

• MBA: Eight (8) required courses (24 credits).
• DNP: Eleven (11) required courses (33 credits).
• Capstone: Students must complete a capstone experience:
  • MBA: ADMN 982
  • DNP: Publishable scholarly paper based on the student's DNP project.
• Clinical Hours: Students must complete 1,000 documented advanced practice clinical hours, up to 500 of which can be earned in their master's program.

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Students complete three NURS courses for the Business Administration: Healthcare Industry Option (M.B.A.) which are also required and count towards the Nursing (D.N.P.).

Program Learning Outcomes 

• Graduates will be able to synthesize comprehensive knowledge of advanced nursing practice, integrating scientific principles and clinical expertise to enhance patient outcomes.

• Graduates will be able to facilitate and evaluate effective collaboration with interprofessional teams to improve patient and population health outcomes, fostering a culture of teamwork and communication.

• Graduates will be able to critically analyze the effectiveness of person-centered care on patient outcomes, healthcare systems, and policy development through rigorous assessment and continuous quality improvement processes.
• Graduates will be able to apply analytical tools to solve complex organizational problems.

• Graduates will be able to formulate and evaluate strategies to improve health outcomes for diverse populations, addressing social determinants of health and reducing health disparities.

• Graduates will be able to critically evaluate current research and evidence-based practices in nursing, identifying areas for improvement and innovation.

• Graduates will be able to implement and evaluate quality improvement initiatives to enhance patient safety and care outcomes, utilizing evidence-based practices to minimize risks and optimize healthcare delivery.

• Graduates will be able to analyze and influence healthcare systems to optimize care delivery, advocating for policies and practices that enhance system efficiency and patient outcomes.

• Graduates will be able to synthesize and apply knowledge across business disciplines.

• Graduates will be able to integrate and evaluate informatics and healthcare technologies to improve patient care, utilizing data analytics to inform clinical decision-making and enhance health outcomes.

• Graduates will exemplify professionalism in all aspects of practice, demonstrating ethical behavior, accountability, and a commitment to lifelong learning, AND engage in continuous personal and professional development, demonstrating leadership in clinical practice, education, and healthcare policy.

• Graduates will be able to apply theories and frameworks to effectively lead teams and organizations.

• Graduates will be able to communicate quantitative and qualitative assessments of business information.

• Graduates will be able to identify and evaluate opportunities and challenges in the global business environment.

• Graduates will be able to identify opportunities to strengthen and extend ethical and sustainable business practices; consider and address the relevant range of stakeholders affected by business decisions.

• Graduates will be able to identify opportunities to strengthen and extend diversity, equity, inclusion, and belongingness in the work environment .

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Deadlines

Applications must be completed by the following deadlines in order to be reviewed for admission:

• Fall: May 1
• Spring: August 1
• Special: N/A

Application fee: $65

Campus: Online

New England Regional: No

Accelerated Masters Eligible: No

New Hampshire Residents

Students claiming in-state residency must also submit a Proof of Residence Form. This form is not required to complete your application, but you will need to submit it after you are offered admission, or you will not be able to register for classes.

Transcripts

If you attended UNH or Granite State College (GSC) after September 1, 1991, and have indicated so on your online application, we will retrieve your transcript internally; this includes UNH-Durham, UNH-Manchester, UNH Non-Degree work and GSC. 

If you did not attend UNH, or attended prior to September 1, 1991, then you must upload a copy (PDF) of your transcript in the application form. International transcripts must be translated into English.

If admitted, you must then request an official transcript be sent directly to our office from the Registrar's Office of each college/university attended. We accept transcripts both electronically and in hard copy:

• Electronic Transcripts: Please have your institution send the transcript directly to grad.school@unh.edu. Please note that we can only accept copies sent directly from the institution.
• Paper Transcripts: Please send hard copies of transcripts to: UNH Graduate School, Thompson Hall- 105 Main Street, Durham, NH 03824. You may request transcripts be sent to us directly from the institution or you may send them yourself as long as they remain sealed in the original university envelope.

Transcripts from all previous post-secondary institutions must be submitted and applicants must disclose any previous academic or disciplinary sanctions that resulted in their temporary or permanent separation from a previous post-secondary institution. If it is found that previous academic or disciplinary separations were not disclosed, applicants may face denial and admitted students may face dismissal from their academic program.

Letters of recommendation: 3 required

Recommendation letters submitted by relatives or friends, as well as letters older than one year, will not be accepted.

Personal Statement

The personal statement must include a written essay responding to each of the following:

1. How will a DNP/MBA degree from the University of New Hampshire help you attain your professional goals?
2. Describe your current advanced nursing role, or if you are pursuing a new specialty, explain what you are planning to do with your nursing career in your specialty after you complete the DNP/MBA.
3. In addition to the information contained in your resume, what strengths do you possess that would contribute to your success in the DNP/MBA program and in a community of interprofessional scholars?
4. Identify one scholarly inquiry from your practice you would like to explore as part of the DNP/MBA program (e.g., quality improvement initiative, evidence-based practice guidelines, new model of care, policy analysis).

Statements must be included with your submitted application.

Enrollment Deposit

This program requires an enrollment deposit of $200. If admitted the deposit will be due by the deadline specified in your admit letter. For more information please see our enrollment deposits help page.

Important Notes

All applicants are encouraged to contact programs directly to discuss program-specific application questions.

International Applicants

Prospective international students are required to submit TOEFL, IELTS, or equivalent examination scores. English Language Exams may be waived if English is your first language. If you wish to request a waiver, then please visit our Test Scores webpage for more information.