Beginning in fall 2026, Appalachian State University will welcome its first cohort of students to a hybrid Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree program, designed to educate family practice nurse practitioners and respond to health care provider shortages, especially in rural areas.
The DNP program, which received approval from the University of North Carolina System Board of Governors on Nov. 14, is the university’s first doctoral degree program in the field of health sciences.