Did the DNP kill the PhD? The relationship between PhD and DNP program enrollment and potential consequences for...

As Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs expand in response to clinical workforce demands, concerns have arisen regarding the sustainability of the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) pipeline.

To examine the relationship between the DNP and PhD program enrollments in the United States, and evaluate its implications for nursing.

A secondary analysis of publicly available data was performed. Descriptive statistics and graphs were generated to compare national enrollment trends in DNP and PhD programs. Linear regression was applied to analyze the relationship between DNP and PhD enrollment, and to PhD enrollment data to project future enrollment patterns.

Enrollment in DNP programs has increased substantially since inception. In contrast, PhD enrollment has declined 20% since 2014. DNP enrollment accounts for 90% of the decrease in PhD enrollment. Forecasting indicates that, if trends persist, PhD enrollments will approach zero within 40 years. The divergence between practice-focused and research-focused doctoral pathways highlights growing concerns about the sustainability of the PhD nurse workforce.

The growth of the DNP degree, and its increasing use to fill academic roles traditionally held by PhD-prepared faculty, may place nursing at risk of losing critical research capacity and disciplinary autonomy.