Online Doctorate And PhD Nursing Degrees Liberty University

Why Choose Liberty’s School of Nursing for Your Postgraduate or Doctoral Study?

You already have nursing experience, hours of advanced practice, and graduate-level training. Whether you want to advance your own career or pass your knowledge on to the next generation of nurses, Liberty’s online Doctor of Nursing Practice, PhD in Nursing, executive certificates, and postgraduate certificate programs can give you the training you need to pursue your goals.

Liberty’s mission is to Train Champions for Christ, and we fulfill our mission by preparing nursing professionals to lead and educate while modeling Christ-like compassion and biblical principles. 

At Liberty University, being a busy professional doesn’t mean you have to stop furthering your career. The majority of our doctoral degrees in nursing are 100% online, allowing you to devote time to your family, career, and community while you earn your degree.

Our Family Nurse Practitioner DNP and our Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (Post-BSN) degree programs both require intensives. These hands-on classroom opportunities are a valuable way for you to further your career by learning advanced skills and making professional connections. 

Our doctoral programs in nursing offer the academic quality you expect and the flexibility you need. Instead of going to the classroom, let us bring the classroom to you. Whether you finish your degree in 3 years or 5 years, the structure of our courses allows you to complete your degree on your own schedule. Partner with us and take your career to the next level!

At this time, our School of Nursing programs are limited in certain states. Please view the licensure/certification requirements for your state. International students can contact the School of Nursing for questions about admission to their specific degree of interest.

What’s the difference between a PhD and a DNP?

  • Both DNP and PhD programs are terminal degrees. 
  • A PhD nurse’s coursework at Liberty is geared towards the study of teaching nursing, while a DNP nurse focuses on clinical, evidence-based practice and patient care. 
  • PhD students will demonstrate knowledge of advanced practice nursing by completing a dissertation, while DNP students will complete practicum hours and a scholarly project. 
  • While they differ in emphasis, both PhD and DNP programs are appropriate for career advancement.
Programs
Highlights
Doctoral Webinar
Disclosure Statement

What Are the Benefits of an Online Doctoral Nursing Degree?

Our online doctoral degree programs offer students great benefits.

  • We are recognized by multiple institutions for our academic quality, affordability, and accessibility. Our commitment to excellence also helped us rank in the top 10% of Niche.com’s best online schools in America. Earning your online degree from a nonprofit university with this kind of recognition can help set you apart from others in your field.

  • The majority of tuition for undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs has not increased in 9 years. While many other online colleges have raised tuition, Liberty has been able to keep costs low as a nonprofit university.* 
  • Students in our School of Nursing have the opportunity to join the Psi Delta Chapter of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.
  • Our online nursing programs are approved by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.
  • Liberty’s nursing programs have been accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
  • Our doctoral nursing courses are offered mainly in an 8-week format with 8 different start dates each year!

*Please note: Effective Spring 2022, tuition rates for Liberty’s PMHNP programs have increased. For details, please see our tuition and fees page.

Liberty’s School of Nursing Doctoral and Postgraduate Programs

Liberty’s School of Nursing offers online certificate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs that provide advanced skills and knowledge for the highest level of academic research and real-world practice.

Executive Certificate in Clinical Leadership

Executive Certificate in Nursing Educational Leadership

Postgraduate Certificate in Psychiatric Mental Health

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

PhD in Nursing – Nursing Education

Doctoral Nursing Information and Q&A Webinar

Below is an archived recording of the Doctoral Nursing informational webinar. Please note that this webinar covers all nursing doctoral programs – if you have further questions about a specific program, please request information.

Disclosure Statement

Enrollment in one of Liberty University’s school licensure programs does not guarantee a degree from Liberty or qualification for licensure. Students are responsible for meeting all academic and professional requirements for graduation. Further information regarding these academic and professional requirements are outlined on the Liberty University website. Students enrolled in a licensure program are responsible for knowing the material outlined for their program. Further, it is the sole responsibility of the student, not the School of Nursing, to obtain information regarding prerequisites for licensure as outlined by their particular state Board of Nursing.

Licensure requirements for any state are subject to change without notice. Liberty University is not responsible for knowing when changes occur. Additionally, there might be other states with unique licensure requirements. Please reference our State Requirements for NP and APRN Licensure page for further information.