A Customized Pace

When it comes to life’s biggest choices, timing can be everything. Take the decision to pursue an advanced degree—let’s say, for the sake of argument, whether to apply for the master’s direct entry (MDE) or doctor of nursing practice (DNP) program at Columbia University School of Nursing. Both have long been among the top-rated programs of their kind in the country, and both have traditionally operated at a fast pace, requiring participants to put other commitments—work, family, relationships—on the back burner. So what if a would-be student has the talent and drive necessary to succeed in such a pursuit, but feels it isn’t the right moment to set competing responsibilities aside? Until recently, the only options for such aspirants were to look for less intensive programs elsewhere or to put off their ambitions indefinitely.

This fall, however, the school launched two initiatives designed to overcome that dilemma: a hybrid MDE program and (in two specialties to start with) a part-time DNP program. “Over the years, we’ve seen so many candidates who want a Columbia Nursing education and have excellent qualifications, but for whom an accelerated program is not a fit,” says Dean Lorraine Frazier, PhD. “We realized that if we tweak things just a little bit, they can have their dream.”

The school’s leadership designed these programs partly in response to changing demographics. “Our applicant pool looks different than it did a decade ago,” explains Mary Hickey, EdD, the vice dean of education and a professor of nursing. “Often, students are juggling multiple responsibilities and may be interested in maintaining employment while in school,” she explains. “Offering different program options allows us to attract students with broader life and work experience, who will then bring those perspectives to the health system along with their Columbia training. That’s good for all of us.”

THE HYBRID MDE program offers a curriculum similar to that of the traditional program, along with the same superb academic and clinical resources, but the content is disseminated differently. For now, courses begin in the fall rather than the summer (though that’s slated to change in the 2026-27 academic year). More importantly, coursework is decelerated during the first year, with just nine credits per semester instead of 12 to 24, and all classes are held virtually during that period. Due to these adjustments, earning a master’s degree takes a bit longer—24 months rather than the traditional program’s 15 months. 

Although participants in the hybrid program ultimately come away with the same rigorous nursing education as those taking the traditional path, the less strenuous beginning is designed to ease the transition for those whose current circumstances make it difficult to go all-in. “In the traditional model, students have to deal with pathology and med-surg and peds and OB as soon as they get here,” notes Heidi Hahn-Schroeder, DNP, the assistant dean of academic affairs and director of the MDE program. “They’re in class from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and studying in the evenings, which isn’t adaptable to everyone’s learning style or lifestyle.” In the hybrid program, by contrast, students start with pathology and take on other demanding didactic subjects later in the course cycle. And because classes are online in the fall and spring semesters, those who aren’t ready to relocate to New York can wait to come to campus until the summer term, when the MDE’s clinical studies begin. 

Over 30 students have enrolled in the hybrid program’s inaugural cohort, compared to about 200 taking the traditional route. “We consider that number an excellent start,” Hahn-Schroeder says, “and we expect it to grow robustly as word of this option spreads.” Eventually, she predicts, the hybrid program could account for up to 50% of each year’s entering class.

That optimism is based, in part, on a precursor’s success. The new program grew out of a more limited one (still available to those who need it), in which MDE students facing major personal challenges can switch to part-time studies and take some classes remotely. “Going hybrid was a lifesaver for me,” says Nicole Ugorji, MS ’25, who exercised that option. “I encourage anyone who might benefit not to be afraid to try it.”

Ugorji emigrated with her family from Nigeria to Los Angeles as a teenager. Although she majored in English literature at UCLA, she’d always dreamed of a career in health care; the only question was in what capacity. After graduating at the height of the COVID pandemic, she found a job with the California Department of Health Care Services managing a team that provided basic medical services to homeless people. “The hospitals were so packed that the nurses in our group had to become providers,” she recalls. “When I saw the synergy that happened when they were allowed to practice full-scope, I thought, ‘Wow—that’s what I want to do.’” 

Ugorji enrolled at Columbia Nursing in June 2023, drawn by the school’s global initiatives and its stellar nurse-midwifery DNP program, which she hoped to join after completing her master’s degree. During her first semester, however, several converging crises threatened to scuttle her dreams. First, a close relative experienced some serious health setbacks. “I was getting calls from family members at 4 a.m., and I had to be up for clinical at 6 a.m.,” she recalls. The stress took a toll on her own health, leading to an emergency room visit for a life-threatening condition on the day of her final exam. Meanwhile, she lost her lease, became homeless, and found herself struggling to keep up with her studies while couch-surfing with friends. 

When school administrators learned of Ugorji’s troubles, they invited her to enter the modified MDE program. She cut back on her didactic courses, participated in the remaining ones remotely, and put off her clinicals until her second year. (To maintain the skills she’d already developed, such as placing Foley catheters and IVs, she’d practice in the simulation lab whenever she had a chance.) “Making those changes allowed me to be there for my family and for myself,” she says. She helped her relative obtain the care he needed, recovered her health, found a new apartment, and rescued her grade-point average.

Decelerating, Ugorji found, had other upsides as well. Replaying online lectures enabled her to absorb them more deeply. Being less busy gave her time to get involved in professional associations, including the National Student Nurses’ Association, as well as apply for scholarships and join a field research project. By the time she started her clinical rotations, her confidence and enthusiasm were fully restored. She enjoyed her psych rotation so much that she tweaked her specialization plan; in addition to midwifery, she decided to focus on caring for patients with postpartum depression. Alongside her studies, she found the energy to also serve as a teaching assistant in the skills lab, a student mentor, and an outreach ambassador for the school.

Ugorji completed the MDE program successfully and is now studying for her DNP. “The hybrid approach helped me sharpen my nursing skills, my community skills, and my vision of what I want to do,” she says. “There’s strength in a slower pace.”

UGORJI IS NOW at a point in her life where the traditional DNP program works well for her. As with the hybrid MDE, however, a less intensive approach to a doctorate can be a boon for some students. Columbia Nursing’s part-time DNP program is designed for working registered nurses who want to advance to the highest level of clinical practice while maintaining their professional and personal commitments. It offers a hybrid curriculum that blends online and in-person coursework, allowing students to progress through courses in advanced practice, leadership, and evidence-based practice at a flexible and sustainable tempo. Earning a degree will typically take about 3.5 years, compared to 2.5 for the traditional program. 

“The idea for the part-time option came from listening to our nursing community,” says Susan Doyle-Lindrud, DNP ’08, the assistant dean of academic affairs and director of the DNP program. “In recent years, we’ve consistently heard from nurses who were passionate about advancing their practice and taking on leadership roles but felt constrained by the traditional full-time doctoral program format.” Such input came from both early- and mid-career professionals with family and financial obligations that made it difficult to stop working for an extended period.

Besides allowing nurses to continue drawing a salary and benefits while earning their DNP, the new program enables them to tap into employer tuition reimbursement programs, when they’re available—especially important now that federal grad PLUS loans have been eliminated for new borrowers. 

“The part-time DNP program aligns with the school’s mission of expanding access to advanced nursing education and improving patient outcomes across our community,” Doyle-Lindrud says. “By enabling experienced nurses to maintain their clinical positions while expanding their skills, it ensures that patients continue to benefit from their expertise throughout the educational journey.”

For health systems, another potential advantage is the ability to retain existing employees and move them into roles that require a DNP instead of onboarding and training external hires. “By promoting from within, employers get someone who already knows the policies, the procedures, and the medical record system,” says Vice Dean Hickey. “That improves efficiency and saves money.” 

The program is starting on a pilot basis with a small cohort of students working toward being credentialed either as a family nurse practitioner (FNP) or an adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner (AG-ACNP). There are plans to expand the enrollment next year. “We were amazed by the response when we sent out brochures describing the program,” Doyle-Lindrud says. “The enthusiasm from nurses across different practice areas and career stages validated our belief that we’re addressing an unmet need.”

One of those nurses was Katherine Sobá, MS ’20. Raised by immigrant parents in the Bronx, Sobá attended the University of Virginia on a full-ride merit scholarship, earning a BS in kinesiology. During her senior year, she participated in a qualitative research project with nurses and NPs in rural South Africa, studying palliative care practices in end-of-life breast cancer patients. “I’ve always had an interest in the transitional phases of life, those very human moments when someone gives birth or passes away,” she says. “When I saw the impact these nurses had on patients’ health and well-being, and on the well-being of their caregivers, it drew me to the profession.”

Sobá chose Columbia Nursing for its academic rigor, its global initiatives, and its commitment to serving the community where she grew up. When the pandemic hit during her spring semester as an MDE student, she joined the army of nursing students who helped the city weather the crisis, working as a part-time patient-care technician in the ICU at NewYork-Presbyterian’s Allen Pavilion. After graduating in September 2020, she switched to a full-time position in the Division of Hematology and Oncology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC).

As an outpatient clinical coordinator on the leukemia service, Sobá was caring for patients with life-threatening cancers, following in the footsteps of the South African nurses who first inspired her. She was also steadily expanding her clinical skills, learning from the multidisciplinary team of physicians, physician associates, nurse practitioners, and RNs with whom she worked. Still, as the years passed, she began to feel driven to do more. “I started thinking about a DNP because it’s the highest practice degree a nurse can get,” Sobá says. “I wanted to be as educated as I could be to ensure that my patients got the best care I could provide for them.”

What held her back was a reluctance to stop working. Although the loss of income was a consideration, other factors were equally important. “I felt that leaving would be a disservice to my education,” she explains. “This is one of the best leukemia services in New York, and I’m learning things here that you can’t learn anywhere else. In addition to being our patients’ oncology team, we also serve as their de facto primary care providers. I wanted to continue that aspect of my training, and to be able to apply whatever I learned in class right away, instead of waiting until I finished my studies.”

The part-time DNP program offered a unique solution, with didactic classes that meet once or twice a week, and skills training scheduled according to each student’s needs. Sobá chose the FNP track, aiming to maximize her ability to provide advanced palliative care and other care for cancer patients of all ages. Now in her first semester, she continues to work at CUIMC while taking courses on epidemiology, environmental health, synthesis of evidence, and other topics. 

Studying part-time also enables Sobá to oversee care for elderly members of her extended family and to keep up a brisk schedule of volunteer work. She’s active with the Catholic nonprofit Community of Sant’Egidio, helping to provide meals, emotional support, and other aid to homeless people throughout New York City. Under the organization’s aegis, she also leads weekly visits to nursing home residents and helps run a children’s mentorship program in the Bronx. “It gives me energy to make sure that people in my community are well taken care of,” she says.

Eventually, Sobá envisions becoming a nurse educator herself. “Being on a university faculty would be amazing,” she muses. “The most effective way to promote crucial values, like evidence-based practice and cultural competence, is to instill them in others.” She hopes to conduct research that will advance the field and also envisions starting a primary care clinic for the unhoused and uninsured. 

Earning a DNP offers a pathway toward those dreams in the future. But a part-time approach leaves room for tending to the present moment as well. For Sobá, both goals are equally important. “At Columbia Nursing, we learn to look at the big picture,” she says. “We do everything we do because we’re hoping to make a better New York and a better world.” 

Photographs by Jörg Meyer

This article originally appeared in the Fall/Winter 2025 issue of Columbia Nursing Magazine.