Master's
Degree in Nursing (MSN)
A Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program could potentially take about 18 to 24 months to complete, on average, and depending on your course load.*
Successful graduates of an MSN degree program are usually considered nationally certified nurses. However, some states require additional state-specific licensing.
The MSN degree is often a requirement for most advanced nursing positions, including Nurse
Practitioner (NP), Certified
Nurse Midwife (CNM), Clinical
Nurse Specialist (CNS), and Certified
Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA).
In most MSN degree programs, students could gain specialized knowledge in specific areas.
Degree
Specializations
Advanced Specialist programs could potentially prepare nurses to pursue leadership roles within nursing. Coursework typically focuses on administration, education, informatics, or research.
Clinical Nurse Specialist programs could potentially prepare nurses to pursue leadership and organizational roles within highly specialized fields such as: adult medical nursing, surgical nursing, psychiatric nursing, and mental health nursing.
The Nurse Practitioner specialization generally focuses on developing skills that will help students diagnose and manage illnesses, prescribe medication, promote wellness, identify health risks, and more. Students within this area might be able to choose between acute care, adult care, family care, and pediatric and psychiatric primary care.
The Nurse Anesthetist specialization is a popular one among students. Successful graduates could be eligible to sit for a national United States Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) certification.
General
Admission Requirements
- 1-2
years working experience
- BSN
from an accredited nursing school
- RN
license
- Required
GPA and GRE scores
- Clinical
work experience
Note: These are
general admission requirements and will vary by school and program type. It is
always important to check specific requirements with all schools you are
interested in attending.
*Time to completion is not guaranteed and will vary by level of commitment by student, class schedule, specific program, and various other factors.
Find a School That Offers Nursing Programs Near My City/State or Find an Online Nursing Program.