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MSN to DNP-WHNP
Women’s Health NP

Specialize in women’s health and go from MSN to DNP-WHNP online with Herzing University in as few as 24 months.

Program Length

24 Mo.

Accredited by†

CCNE

Format

Online

Clinical Placement

Pledge
calendar

NEXT START May 4th

Waived Enrollment Fee

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Quick facts about the MSN to DNP-Women's Health Nurse Practitioner program

AccreditationCCNE accredited†, Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission
CurriculumComplete specialty women’s health nurse practitioner courses and core doctoral-level courses to earn the terminal degree in nursing and prepare for certification in a new specialty
Format100% online didactic classes, hands-on clinical experience, and completion of a DNP Practice Project; final DNP project work is woven throughout the program
AdmissionsEligibility requirements include successful completion of an accredited MSN program with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0
Certification990 combined clinical/project hours—Herzing pledges clinical placement
Certification prepCurriculum designed to help you prepare for the NCC Women's Health Care Nurse Practitioner (WHNP-BC) certification exam

Learn More Today!

Classes start: May 4th

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US News Best Graduate Nursing Programs 2026

Ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the best online graduate nursing programs in 2026

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We Pledge Clinical Placement

Worried about clinical placement? You don't have to be.

At Herzing, clinical placement is built into your experience—because it's essential, and you deserve a program that treats it that way.

There's no guesswork. Just a proven framework backed by a promise. Our promise is your placement.

Clinical Guidance Process and Pledge Details

Focus your education on women’s health and earn a DNP – in 2 years

The MSN to Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) - Women's Health Nurse Practitioner degree is a 65-credit graduate program which prepares you for a career as a DNP-prepared PNP. This online degree program provides students with fundamental knowledge and skills in improvement science, collaborative practice, telehealth, systems-based practice, as well as WHNP specialty topics.

Become a significant difference maker both for women and the nursing profession at large. Find your unique career pathway with Herzing University and discover the many possibilities in the field of nursing.

  • Career-focused curriculum

    Discover the crucial knowledge and skills required to succeed in your work and build a foundation for continued career growth.

  • Flexible schedule

    We work hard to help you maintain school-life balance, striving to be as flexible as possible for busy non-traditional students.

  • Virtual services

    Access to extensive virtual services, including academic advising, tutoring, support services, technical support and library services.

  • Lifelong support

    We support your ongoing career advancement by providing comprehensive, personalized student services with lifelong career coaching.

  • Rolling admissions

    No application deadlines to worry about. Apply when you’re ready and prepare to get started soon.

Curriculum

Your pathway: courses & curriculum details

The MSN to DNP-WHNP curriculum is designed both for nurses with an MSN seeking certification in their first specialty, as well as those in an existing specialty looking to transition into the women’s health NP specialty—while completing the doctoral courses required to become a leader in the nursing profession.

All didactic courses are delivered online. The curriculum includes 990 combined clinical/project hours, comprising of hands-on WHNP clinical experience and the DNP Practice Project.

ProgramMonths iSemester Credits
Doctor of Nursing Practice in Women's Health Nurse Practitioner – MSN to DNP2465

i. Average number of months for students to complete program.

Required Core Courses

All courses, 24.00 semester credit hours, are required.

This course focuses on the integration, translation, and application of established and evolving theoretical, evidence-based, and disciplinary nursing knowledge as the basis for clinical judgment and innovation in nursing practice. Students examine frameworks for knowledge and propose a practice application informed by leadership principals and ethical decision making.

The course focuses on a systems-based approach to enhance quality and minimize risk of harm to patients and providers through system effectiveness and individual performance using established and emerging principles of safety and improvement science. Students will review metrics and data driven benchmarks to analyze quality and safety initiatives, employ change theory and improvement science processes to design evidence‐based interventions, and demonstrate advocacy to promote a just institutional culture reflecting resiliency, civility, and respect.

This course focuses on the delivery of care using interprofessional teams in an environment fostering quality and safety and based on the adoption, integration, and dissemination of best practices, current practice guidelines, and evidence‐based interventions. Students will evaluate the effectiveness of interprofessional communication and the impact of team dynamics and performance on desired outcomes in practice. Using tools and techniques to support and improve the efficacy of team‐based interactions student will develop a plan to enhance collaboration.

This course will explore information, communication technologies, and informatics processes used to provide care, gather data, drive decision making, and manage and improve the delivery of safe, high‐quality, and efficient healthcare services in accordance with best practice and professional and regulatory standards. Students will perform an information technology analysis of their practice and develop strategic planning to direct the selection and implementation of new information and communication technologies for their practice setting.

This course focuses on proficient multidimensional leadership for healthcare. Leadership theory, managing change in complex environments, mentoring, and creating a workplace environment that promotes social justice and equity, self‐care, personal health, and well‐being, and lifelong learning will be emphasized. Students will examine their personal, professional, and leadership development process, and create a three-dimensional advocacy-based approach to provide leadership in for the healthcare, professional, and community arenas.

This course applies the principles of best practices, change theory, and improvement and implementation science to the development of innovative solutions for complex health systems to ensure optimal care. Course key concepts include organizational structure, including relationships among macro‐, meso‐, and microsystems across healthcare, and financial and payment models for cost management and reimbursement. Students will engage in a strategic planning initiative for a complex healthcare system which enhances value, access, quality, and cost‐effectiveness, including policy to address health equity and eliminate structural discrimination.

The course focuses on the application, evaluation, and dissemination of knowledge in practice to improve health and transform health care. The processes for the generation, critique, synthesis, and translation of knowledge will be examined. Students will complete human subject protection certification, determine best practices for a specified clinical initiative, and apply evidence to clinical decision making using a framework of evidence-based practice and improvement science.

This course examines the healthcare delivery continuum from public health prevention to disease management of populations and describes collaborative activities with both traditional and non‐traditional partnerships from affected communities, public health, industry, academia, health care, local government entities, and others for the improvement of equitable population health outcomes. For a selected population, students will analyze health priorities and the potential for collaboration and partnerships to provide a basis for interventions, policy, advocate strategy, and emergency preparedness.

Required Specialty Courses

All courses, 33.00 semester credit hours, are required.

This course is an examination of the process of holistic assessment (physical, psychosocial, and cultural) of individuals across the lifespan. Focus is critical thinking and decision-making related to the role of the advanced practice nurse in a primary care setting.

This course is an examination of the processes applicable to clinical decision making. Models for clinical decision making will be presented.  An overview of key assessments and the wide range of clinical activity categories that impact clinical decision making will be provided. Application of course concepts will be accomplished through engagement with hypothetical clinical scenarios.

The course examines scientific concepts of pathophysiology essential to diagnostic reasoning and clinical management of common disease states. The dilemma of cost and need for laboratory and radiographic evidence to support diagnosis is examined.

This course is designed to advance the student's knowledge of pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacotherapeutics in the management of health and disease states. Major categories of pharmacological agents are examined in the context of the life span, culture, and health and disease states. State and federal regulation related to purchase, possession, administration and patient education about controlled substances, pharmacologic agents and non-pharmacologic agents used as medications are examined.

This introductory course focuses on integrating theoretical knowledge, evidence-based guidelines, and contemporary practice in the assessment and management of health and disease states specific to women across the lifespan. Personal, family, cultural, community, and societal influences are analyzed for their impact on women's physical and emotional health. Health risk identification, health promotion, maintenance, and treatment alternatives are examined.

This clinical course introduces the foundations of women's healthcare, including topics such as health assessment, reproductive stages, and family planning. In addition, this course focuses on the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of primary care concerns for women from reproductive age through post-menopausal transition. The primary care clinical component allows for the application of theoretical knowledge to the patient care setting.

The focus of this clinical course is introducing common gynecologic problems and standard obstetric care to women from reproductive age through post-menopausal transition. The assessment and decision-making process will be applied in order to evaluate, diagnose, and treat common gynecologic concerns. In addition, there is a focus on standard obstetric care including components of prenatal care and assessment, normal physiologic changes in pregnancy, management of common discomforts in pregnancy, and routine postpartum care. Disparities in obstetric outcomes across populations will be explored. The clinical component of this course will be completed in an OB/GYN setting and will allow for application of these concepts to the clinical arena.

This course focuses on the further development of theoretical knowledge, evidence-based guidelines, and contemporary practice in the assessment, diagnosis, prevention, and management of gynecologic and obstetric care for women from reproductive age through post-menopausal transition. Building upon the concepts of previous Women's Health Nurse Practitioner courses, emphasis is on complex gynecologic concerns. Topics include malignancies impacting the reproductive health system, pelvic pain disorders, and sexual health. In addition, this course focuses on the identification and management of pregnancy and postpartum complications including pregnancy loss. There will be a continued application of women's health theoretical concepts in the OB/GYN clinical setting.

This course is an immersion experience into women's health practice and the role of the Women's Health Nurse Practitioner. This final precepted practicum will prepare the student to assume the full scope of advanced nursing practice and demonstrate the entry-level core and population-focused Women's Health Nurse Practitioner competencies. Emphasis is on refining theoretical knowledge, evidence-based guidelines, and contemporary practice in the assessment and management of health and disease states of women from reproductive age through post-menopausal transition in a variety of healthcare settings and in collaboration with other health professionals.

Required Project Residency Core Courses

All courses, 8.00 semester credit hours, are required.

The course focuses on designing and preparing a quality improvement Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project. In this course, students will review expectations for a DNP project, examine completed DNP projects, identify a practice problem, create a project prospectus, develop a project protocol, create a project timeline, estimate costs associated with the proposed project, submit Institutional Review Board (IRB) project approval application, secure a project stakeholder/liaison agreement, and complete preparations necessary to support implementation, where possible, of the project.

This course is the first of a three-course residency series which supports the implementation, management, completion, and dissemination of a DNP project focused on improving clinical practice. In this first course students will work with their Chair and Committee to initiate their project.

This course is the second of a three-course residency series which supports the implementation, management, completion, and dissemination of a DNP project focused on improving clinical practice. In this second course students will continue to work with their Chair and Committee on the implementation and evaluation of their project. 

This course is the third of a three-course series which supports the implementation, management, completion, and dissemination of a DNP project focused on improving clinical practice. In this third course students will complete the implementation and evaluation of their project, present their project results, and prepare a written deliverable of their project.

Clinical Proficiency Exam and Policy Courses

The following courses are 0.00 semester credit hours associated with the policy outlined above. Students are required to take as co-requisite courses along with NU 611, NU 642, NU 664 or NU 671 depending on the program of study. Course Number Course Name Semester Credit Hours NSG 0600 Clinical Proficiency Course 0.00 NSG 0600R Clinical Proficiency Remediation Course (if needed) 0.00  

Tuition & Cost

Tuition & Cost

The cost of tuition for the MSN to DNP-WHNP program is $770 per credit.

You can potentially earn even greater savings by transferring credit from prior college coursework, applying for financial aid, or potential partnership opportunities through your employer.

Our goal is your career advancement. That’s why we are always working to improve our curriculum and processes to make our program as affordable as possible while preparing you best for success in your work.

Find My Estimate 

  • Scholarships & Financial Aid

    You may be eligible for multiple scholarships and grants, both through Herzing University and several national scholarship websites.

    Find scholarships and grants  

  • Military/Veteran Discounts

    Veterans, Active Duty U.S. Servicemembers, and spouses may qualify for a 10-20% tuition discount.

    VA/Military benefits  

Find My Estimate 
Requirements

Admission requirements

Requirements to enroll in the MSN to DNP-WHNP program include the following criteria:

  • Hold a current, active, and unrestricted license as a registered nurse (RN) in the same state in which they live. (Note: Holding a multi-state, compact state license and being a resident in a compact license state will be deemed to have met this requirement.)
  • Successful completion of an MSN program with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 3.00 or higher
    • MSN must be an ACEN, CCNE, or NLN accredited program
  • Must not have failed from previous doctoral program
  • Completion of a background/clinical compliance check

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Clinicals

Clinical Experience: Herzing supports your search for a preceptor

Finding a preceptor or clinical location for a WHNP program can be a pain point for many prospective nursing students. With Herzing University you are never on your own.

If you'd like more detail on the process, read our guide to finding a nurse practitioner preceptor, which includes information on what sites you may choose, what kinds of preceptors you can work with, and tips on how to secure a clinical.

Benefits of the Herzing MSN to DNP-WHNP program clinical experience:

Strong University guidance

Herzing goes above and beyond to help you find a clinical site. Our Clinical Guidance Process backed by the Herzing APRN Clinical Placement Pledge ensures you are able to secure clinical placement as part of the MSN to DNP-WHNP program.

You will be ready

Our program includes a Clinical Readiness Course to prepare you for success in the practicum and your clinical experiences during your time here at Herzing University.

Interdisciplinary opportunities

Exposure to diverse women’s health settings makes you a better, more prepared nurse practitioner. Our priority is your experience to build upon in your new career—the Herzing MSN to DNP-WHNP program requires a minimum of 990 combined clinical/project hours to help ensure you see a variety of patients across the lifespan. You will earn personalized, valuable clinical experience providing primary and specialty care for women, including reproductive, prenatal and gynecologic health needs.

Flexible scheduling

Fitting clinical hours into an already hectic life can be a challenge. In collaboration with your clinical preceptor, you will identify a schedule that works best for you.

We treat you like a professional

You are a student—but in a clinical setting you are accountable to a licensed healthcare provider and their patients. From enrollment to completion, we treat you like the nursing professional you are working so hard to become.

We Pledge Clinical Placement

Worried about clinical placement? You don't have to be.

At Herzing, clinical placement is built into your experience—because it's essential, and you deserve a program that treats it that way.

There's no guesswork. Just a proven framework backed by a promise. Our promise is your placement.

Clinical Guidance Process and Pledge Details

APRN Clinical placement pledge logo
Clinicals

Clinical Experience: Herzing supports your search for a preceptor

Finding a preceptor or clinical location for a WHNP program can be a pain point for many prospective nursing students. With Herzing University you are never on your own.

If you'd like more detail on the process, read our guide to finding a nurse practitioner preceptor, which includes information on what sites you may choose, what kinds of preceptors you can work with, and tips on how to secure a clinical.

Benefits of the Herzing MSN to DNP-WHNP program clinical experience:

Strong University guidance

Herzing goes above and beyond to help you find a clinical site. Our Clinical Guidance Process backed by the Herzing APRN Clinical Placement Pledge ensures you are able to secure clinical placement as part of the MSN to DNP-WHNP program.

You will be ready

Our program includes a Clinical Readiness Course to prepare you for success in the practicum and your clinical experiences during your time here at Herzing University.

Interdisciplinary opportunities

Exposure to diverse women’s health settings makes you a better, more prepared nurse practitioner. Our priority is your experience to build upon in your new career—the Herzing MSN to DNP-WHNP program requires a minimum of 990 combined clinical/project hours to help ensure you see a variety of patients across the lifespan. You will earn personalized, valuable clinical experience providing primary and specialty care for women, including reproductive, prenatal and gynecologic health needs.

Flexible scheduling

Fitting clinical hours into an already hectic life can be a challenge. In collaboration with your clinical preceptor, you will identify a schedule that works best for you.

We treat you like a professional

You are a student—but in a clinical setting you are accountable to a licensed healthcare provider and their patients. From enrollment to completion, we treat you like the nursing professional you are working so hard to become.

Accreditation & Recognition

Our accredited & recognized online school

We strive to earn rank as one of the top private, nonprofit universities in the United States. Just as you work every day to become the best version of yourself, so do we as a university.

We are proud to have attained institutional and programmatic accreditation in addition to industry recognition for our accomplishments helping students earn a college education and find career success.

  • CCNE Accreditation

    ✝The doctor of nursing practice program at Herzing University Madison is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org). Herzing University is approved to offer programs in an online learning modality through association with the main campus in Madison, Wisconsin.

  • U.S. News & World Report Best Online Graduate Nursing Programs 2026

    Ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the best online graduate nursing degree programs in 2026.

  • Herzing University is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), a regional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

    View all Herzing University Accreditations and Approvals.

Classes Start: May 4th

Waived Enrollment Fee

Discover the educational pathway designed to maximize your career potential. Reach for greater heights with Herzing University.

Request Info Apply Now 
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Ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the best online graduate nursing programs in 2026
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Careers

Focus your expertise on women’s health as a doctorally-prepared WHNP

Graduating student celebrating with confetti, wearing a black dress and DNP 2024 sash, holding a diploma outside a building. Image
Image

Our program is designed to provide you the fastest path to both earn the highest degree in nursing and become a women's health nurse practitioner.

The current minimum degree requirement for WHNP certification is a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) specializing in WHNP.

However, the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) has favored increasing the degree requirement to the DNP level for several years. The knowledge and skills earned in a DNP degree program can potentially better prepare you for the broad and complex care demanded from nurse practitioners in the present and future.

Becoming a Women's Health NP

Job Outlook

Graduate from a DNP program specializing in WHNP and you’ll be prepared to join a career field expected to grow rapidly over the next 10 years.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment of nurse practitioners is expected to rise 40% from 2024-2034.*

Locations

Program Finder

MSN to DNP - Women's Health Nurse Practitioner Degree Programs / Showing 1 program for the Online campus

  • MSN to DNP - Women's Health Nurse Practitioner

    Online

    To learn more about this program, click the Request Info button.

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The Student Experience at Herzing

I love Herzing University because they gave me the opportunity to further my education and reach my goal of becoming a registered nurse (RN).
Barbara Allen-Johnson
Nursing | Orlando Campus
The faculty here make themselves available during their designated office hours, but if you need extra help, they will meet at times that will work for YOU.
Barbara Mulcahy
Nursing | Madison Campus
Everything I went through made me realize that anything is possible. You just have to find your own way because the same process or path doesn’t work for everyone. I graduated Magna Cum Laude and received an academic achievement award for highest GPA. I also passed my NCLEX exam and have been accepted to the RN residency program at Emory University Midtown Hospital in Atlanta, which is a dream job.
Sharese Windley
Nursing | Atlanta Campus
I had already been an LPN for eight years and knew that my BSN was the next step in my career.
Victor Kanyendo
Nursing | Kenosha Campus
I’m excited for the next chapter of my life to begin!
Olivia Mckoy-Easy
Nursing | Online Campus

Disclosures

* BLS pay estimates calculate the median annual wage for various occupations. Per the BLS the median wage for an occupation is: "The wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount, and half earned less. Median wage data are from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey." Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook 2024. BLS median wage estimates do not represent entry-level wages and/or salaries. Multiple factors, including prior experience, age, geographic market in which you want to work, and degree level and field, will affect career outcomes, including starting salary and earnings as an experienced employee. Herzing neither represents that its graduates will earn the median salaries calculated by BLS for a particular job nor guarantees that graduation from its program will result in a job, promotion, particular wage or salary, or other career growth.

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Classes Start: May 4th

Waived Enrollment Fee

Discover the educational pathway designed to maximize your career potential. Reach for greater heights with Herzing University.

Request Info Apply Now