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Priority deadline Jan. 15

Population Health & Systems Leadership

Change systems, change the world

Our Population Health and Systems Leadership (PHSL) track within the DNP degree program prepares you to improve population health, health disparities, community wellbeing, and health systems in the US and around the world. PHSL graduates are prepared to lead in community assessment and engagement, policy and program development and evaluation, budgeting, and management to drive healthy change, policy, and high impact solutions to health problems across diverse stakeholders and communities. Initially launched in 2008, this is the first post-baccalaureate DNP-PHSL curriculum in the Northwest region.

#2 ranking

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Of public schools offering a Doctor of Nursing Practice.

Rankings

$3.8M in funding

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147 DNP scholarships funded in 2023-24, totaling $3.8 million.

Pre-arranged clinicals

We manage your clinicals, setting us apart from most other DNP programs.

Population Health and Systems Leadership graduates are prepared in:

  • Advanced levels of the National Public Health Competencies
  • Community and population-level prevention
  • Social justice, and
  • Collaborative leadership

Students may specialize in a preferred area of community and population health, including:

  • Global and cross-cultural health; OR
  • Health Systems Transformation; OR
  • Community Engagement for Health Equity

Graduates from our PHSL track excel in traditional and non-traditional nursing practice roles in various employment sectors, including:

  • Education: Manager of School Health Services, RN-BSN Program Director, Nursing Faculty
  • Healthcare: Division Director in hospital and public health institution, Hospital-based Population-level Care Manager or Coordinator, Chronic Disease Program Manager, Director of Clinical Services at a community and migrant health center
  • Government: Nurse Manager and Director at urban and rural public health departments, Community Health Director, Advanced Practice Nurse Specialist at public health department, AACN/CDC Public Health Nurse Fellow, Equity & Environment Program Manager
  • Tribal Institutions: Community Health Program Supervisor
  • Nonprofits: ​Director of a national environmental health nonprofit, Program Director and Assistant Director at local and regional nonprofits, Mental Health Project Manager, Regional Director of Health Equity at a voluntary health agency, Chief Nursing Officer at a nonprofit for global health
  • Business: Self-employed Public Health Nurse Consultant, Employee Health Nurse and Program Supervisor

The DNP curriculum starts with a shared first-year core, offering a strong foundation in advanced practice and leadership, before transitioning into specialized coursework tailored to each track, allowing students to develop targeted expertise and drive advancements in healthcare.

View the current DNP Population Health & Systems Leadership curriculum grid

Graduates of our DNP-PHSL program may be eligible to apply for the following national certifications:

“I went to an American Public Health Association’s annual conference my MSN graduation and met Dr. Betty Bekemeier during one of Public Health Nursing section meetings. She shared a little bit about the Population Health and Systems Leadership (PHSL) track through an announcement and that amount of information was enough for me to know that the PHSL track was what I was looking for as blend of nursing and public health and applying to the program would be the right next step for my career.”

SammieDNP PHSL '23

What makes our program unique?

The Center for Global Health Nursing at the University of Washington School of Nursing works to promote nursing research and training to build capacity for appropriate and sustainable improvements in health and healthcare. As a UW School of Nursing scholar, you will have access to unparalleled research, professional development, and mentorship opportunities with all of our research institutions, providing you with a wealth of resources, specialized research opportunities, and the ability to connect directly to population health and systems leadership experts.
Hone your skills in the safe and controlled environment of our leading-edge Simulation Center, where you will familiarize yourself with the tools and techniques you need to deliver excellent patient care in a psychologically safe environment.
The UW School of Nursing Office of Clinical Placements collaborates with an expansive network of partners to provide students with pre-arranged clinical placements with some of the country’s best care settings and hospitals. While we cannot guarantee specific placements, we work with the world-class UW Medicine system and countless clinical and community partners. Our unique placement process allows students to focus their full attention on learning, knowing that clinical training and patient care experience are fully integrated into their matriculation plan.

Interested in learning more? Join us for an upcoming online information session, or contact us at asknursing@uw.edu to find out if this program would be a great fit and how to create a quality application.

Student spotlight

Two students Mollie Killion and Nhia Yerkes-Vang were awarded a Center for Disease Control (CDC) Intelligence Service (EIS) fellowship.

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