Recognizing that health care is an art, a science and a business, Wilmington University offers a suite of dual graduate programs to boost your business acumen and propel your nursing career.
“Nurses and nurse leaders now play a pivotal role in health care finance and must understand the business side of health care,” says Dr. Lisa Drews, the chair of the Master of Science in Nursing Leadership program.
M.S.N. + MBA or M.S. in Management in Health Care Administration
Prepare to take on leadership roles in health care administration, explore health care policymaking, and increase your expertise in financial and regulatory issues by combining your M.S.N. with a Master of Business Administration or Master of Science in Management.
Each dual degree option features a core of graduate-level nursing courses that equip you for advanced nursing practice. While the M.S.N. + MBA program has a more quantitative approach, incorporating finance and economics, the M.S.N. + M.S. in Management program emphasizes leadership and decision-making.
Both dual degrees empower you with the knowledge, skills and abilities to lead health care teams, communities and organizations, providing innovative solutions to the many challenges health care faces today. And both are available 100% online or in person, giving you the flexibility to pursue your education in a way that works for you.
“We are seeing more nurses stepping into leadership positions,” Dr. Drews describes. “A student enrolled in the final M.S.N. course was recently offered a position as Director of Nursing in a large academic medical center.”
“Nurses and nurse leaders now play a pivotal role in health care finance and must understand the business side of health care,” — Dr. Lisa Drews
D.N.P. + MBA or M.S. in Management
Another possibility is to earn a D.N.P. + MBA or M.S. in Management in Health Care Administration. Like their M.S.N. counterparts, these D.N.P. dual degrees focus on Health Care Administration and fit your busy schedule with online or in-person courses that emphasize executive skills. With a choice of D.N.P. concentrations for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses and nurse leaders, you can align your studies with your career goals.
Gain sought-after business and entrepreneurial expertise through MBA courses, including Introduction to Data Analytics, or M.S. in Management courses, including Marketing in the Health Care Sector.
“It really does give you a leg up,” says Dr. Stacey Graves, WilmU’s director of nursing programs. “The goal of the dual degree option is for you to go out into the community or the organization where you work and implement organizational change.”
Dr. Drews agrees that graduates “are going to be those innovators asking, ‘What else can we do to serve our populations?’”
D.N.P. + Post-Master’s Certificate
Wilmington University’s College of Health Professions and Natural Sciences also offers a D.N.P. program option that allows you to incorporate a post-master’s certificate as an additional credential. Broaden your skills and deepen your study by choosing one of the following:
- D.N.P. + Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate
- D.N.P. + Legal Nurse Consultant Certificate
- D.N.P. + Nurse Educator Certificate
- D.N.P. + Nurse Executive Certificate
- D.N.P. + Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certificate
- D.N.P. + Public Health Certificate
Whichever pathway you choose, explore how you can save time and tuition through WilmU’s Dual-Credit ADVANTAGE™ feature. These accelerated academic pathways allow you to apply Dual-Credits to more than one degree or certificate program so you can earn more credentials faster and with significant savings.
Ready to advance your health care career with a dual graduate program from Wilmington University? Learn more or apply on the College of Health Professions and Natural Sciences web page.