By completing an online or traditional Master of Science in Nursing (MSN program) for your nursing education, your career opportunities will expand far beyond what you may already be doing in your nursing career. As a medical manager or in another healthcare management role, you may not be spending much time with patients in a primary care position—but the decisions you make in collaboration with other medical managers will strongly impact patient care. To be eligible to even apply for a spot in a master's degree in nursing program, you have to already hold your Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). You may find an RN to MSN program or BSN to MSN programs, depending on what term local schools use for their nursing degree. Roles that can provide a good jumping off point into healthcare management include advanced practice registered nurses, clinical nurse specialist, registered nurse, nurse practitioner, certified nurse midwife, certified registered nurse anesthetist, nurse educator, etc.
Once you graduate, a master's degrees in nursing will have prepared you to move into one of a variety of managerial positions: Healthcare Administrator, Community Services Manager, Director of Nursing, Department Manager, or Patient Safety Director, Clinical Nurse Leader. Some graduates work as health services managers, manager of programs, nurse managers, quality improvement executives, patient safety directors, staff development directors, patient or nursing educators, or as a professional practice directors. And you may hold nursing titles such as advanced practice registered nurse, nurse practitioner - clinical nurse, psychiatric nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, advanced nursing education specialist, and more. You'll certainly be past applying for entry-level positions with your greater knowledge of the American healthcare system and healthcare organizations within the healthcare industry as a whole, healthcare management, healthcare finance, healthcare risk management, human resource management, and health insurance needs, .
Components of a Successful MSN Career
Nursing is a challenging field - full stop. However, once you earn your Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), you will be faced with even more challenges within the leadership arena. Even if you spend most of your workdays behind a desk rather than in direct patient contact, you still need to make use of skills that you used as a registered nurse (RN) or with your bachelor's degree (BSN).
Critical thinking is even more important now. You’ll have to assess situations rapidly, so you can decide what the best solution is. This happens with primary care for patients and in the administrative realm.
You’ll have to be able to maintain calm, even if you don’t feel it. If something traumatic has just happened, you can’t fall apart. Your staff relies on you keeping a cool head.
Organizational skills are vital for advanced nursing. You have to practice a high level of organization. From managing every minute of your time to knowing where that document is, you need to be on top of every little detail.
Top 25 Best Online Masters in Nursing
Duke University
Score: 86.94
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $65,805
- Out-of-State:$65,805
- Net Price: $23,694
- Acceptance Rate: 6%
- Retention Rate: 97%
- Graduation Rate: 97%
- Total Enrollment: 18,023
- Undergrad Students: 6,640
- Graduate Students: 11,383
- Grads Salary: $95,000
- Student-to-faculty: 6:1
Johns Hopkins University
Score: 85.63
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $63,340
- Out-of-State:$63,340
- Net Price: $24,034
- Acceptance Rate: 7%
- Retention Rate: 97%
- Graduation Rate: 94%
- Total Enrollment: 31,275
- Undergrad Students: 6,044
- Graduate Students: 25,231
- Grads Salary: $94,000
- Student-to-faculty: 6:1
Vanderbilt University
Score: 82.83
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $63,946
- Out-of-State:$63,946
- Net Price: $25,606
- Acceptance Rate: 7%
- Retention Rate: 96%
- Graduation Rate: 93%
- Total Enrollment: 13,710
- Undergrad Students: 7,151
- Graduate Students: 6,559
- Grads Salary: $89,000
- Student-to-faculty: 7:1
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Score: 82.58
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $8,989
- Out-of-State:$39,330
- Net Price: $10,614
- Acceptance Rate: 17%
- Retention Rate: 96%
- Graduation Rate: 91%
- Total Enrollment: 31,705
- Undergrad Students: 20,029
- Graduate Students: 11,676
- Grads Salary: $77,000
- Student-to-faculty: 17:1
Bellin College
Score: 80.28
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $28,211
- Out-of-State:$28,211
- Net Price: $25,811
- Acceptance Rate: 93%
- Retention Rate: 82%
- Graduation Rate: 76%
- Total Enrollment: 748
- Undergrad Students: 563
- Graduate Students: 185
- Grads Salary: $111,000
- Student-to-faculty: 8:1
University of Southern California
Score: 79.22
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $68,237
- Out-of-State:$68,237
- Net Price: $36,808
- Acceptance Rate: 12%
- Retention Rate: 97%
- Graduation Rate: 92%
- Total Enrollment: 48,945
- Undergrad Students: 20,699
- Graduate Students: 28,246
- Grads Salary: $92,000
- Student-to-faculty: 9:1
Georgetown University
Score: 78.81
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $65,081
- Out-of-State:$65,081
- Net Price: $35,566
- Acceptance Rate: 12%
- Retention Rate: 97%
- Graduation Rate: 96%
- Total Enrollment: 20,984
- Undergrad Students: 7,900
- Graduate Students: 13,084
- Grads Salary: $87,000
- Student-to-faculty: 11:1
Stony Brook University
Score: 77.41
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $10,560
- Out-of-State:$30,350
- Net Price: $17,213
- Acceptance Rate: 49%
- Retention Rate: 88%
- Graduation Rate: 78%
- Total Enrollment: 25,710
- Undergrad Students: 17,509
- Graduate Students: 8,201
- Grads Salary: $86,000
- Student-to-faculty: 19:1
Ohio State University
Score: 76.24
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $12,859
- Out-of-State:$38,365
- Net Price: $19,582
- Acceptance Rate: 53%
- Retention Rate: 93%
- Graduation Rate: 88%
- Total Enrollment: 60,540
- Undergrad Students: 46,123
- Graduate Students: 14,417
- Grads Salary: $77,000
- Student-to-faculty: 17:1
Clarkson College
Score: 75.91
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $15,168
- Out-of-State:$15,168
- Net Price: $14,506
- Acceptance Rate: 56%
- Retention Rate: 73%
- Graduation Rate: 72%
- Total Enrollment: 1,133
- Undergrad Students: 631
- Graduate Students: 502
- Grads Salary: $88,000
- Student-to-faculty: 15:1
Texas A&M University-College Station
Score: 75.62
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $13,099
- Out-of-State:$40,328
- Net Price: $20,375
- Acceptance Rate: 63%
- Retention Rate: 95%
- Graduation Rate: 84%
- Total Enrollment: 74,014
- Undergrad Students: 57,512
- Graduate Students: 16,502
- Grads Salary: $80,000
- Student-to-faculty: 18:1
Rush University
Score: 74.91
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $30,957
- Out-of-State:$30,957
- Net Price: N/A
- Acceptance Rate: 14%
- Retention Rate: 96%
- Graduation Rate: 77%
- Total Enrollment: 2,870
- Undergrad Students: 115
- Graduate Students: 2,755
- Grads Salary: $100,000
- Student-to-faculty: 8:1
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh
Score: 74.22
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $21,524
- Out-of-State:$39,890
- Net Price: $24,286
- Acceptance Rate: 49%
- Retention Rate: 93%
- Graduation Rate: 84%
- Total Enrollment: 33,767
- Undergrad Students: 24,420
- Graduate Students: 9,347
- Grads Salary: $78,000
- Student-to-faculty: 13:1
University of Central Florida
Score: 73.47
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $6,368
- Out-of-State:$22,467
- Net Price: $13,108
- Acceptance Rate: 41%
- Retention Rate: 93%
- Graduation Rate: 76%
- Total Enrollment: 68,346
- Undergrad Students: 58,662
- Graduate Students: 9,684
- Grads Salary: $71,000
- Student-to-faculty: 29:1
University of St. Francis
Score: 72.38
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $37,000
- Out-of-State:$37,000
- Net Price: $18,560
- Acceptance Rate: 58%
- Retention Rate: 71%
- Graduation Rate: 65%
- Total Enrollment: 3,297
- Undergrad Students: 1,414
- Graduate Students: 1,883
- Grads Salary: $88,000
- Student-to-faculty: 13:1
Regis College
Score: 71.99
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $47,770
- Out-of-State:$47,770
- Net Price: $30,014
- Acceptance Rate: 89%
- Retention Rate: 76%
- Graduation Rate: 67%
- Total Enrollment: 3,230
- Undergrad Students: 1,121
- Graduate Students: 2,109
- Grads Salary: $100,000
- Student-to-faculty: 9:1
Florida A&M University
Score: 71.84
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $5,785
- Out-of-State:$17,725
- Net Price: $11,583
- Acceptance Rate: 33%
- Retention Rate: 90%
- Graduation Rate: 60%
- Total Enrollment: 9,215
- Undergrad Students: 7,709
- Graduate Students: 1,506
- Grads Salary: $74,000
- Student-to-faculty: 14:1
George Mason University
Score: 71.35
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $13,815
- Out-of-State:$39,397
- Net Price: $18,479
- Acceptance Rate: 90%
- Retention Rate: 85%
- Graduation Rate: 71%
- Total Enrollment: 39,049
- Undergrad Students: 27,014
- Graduate Students: 12,035
- Grads Salary: $82,000
- Student-to-faculty: 16:1
Texas A&M International University
Score: 71.34
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $7,846
- Out-of-State:$19,382
- Net Price: $5,383
- Acceptance Rate: 48%
- Retention Rate: 79%
- Graduation Rate: 49%
- Total Enrollment: 8,505
- Undergrad Students: 6,979
- Graduate Students: 1,526
- Grads Salary: $80,000
- Student-to-faculty: 19:1
California State University-Chico
Score: 70.78
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $8,064
- Out-of-State:$19,944
- Net Price: $15,517
- Acceptance Rate: 95%
- Retention Rate: 80%
- Graduation Rate: 64%
- Total Enrollment: 14,183
- Undergrad Students: 12,981
- Graduate Students: 1,202
- Grads Salary: $85,000
- Student-to-faculty: 20:1
University of Arizona
Score: 70.6
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $13,626
- Out-of-State:$41,095
- Net Price: $17,075
- Acceptance Rate: 87%
- Retention Rate: 86%
- Graduation Rate: 68%
- Total Enrollment: 49,403
- Undergrad Students: 38,751
- Graduate Students: 10,652
- Grads Salary: $80,000
- Student-to-faculty: 17:1
Stanbridge University
Score: 70.58
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $36,710
- Out-of-State:$36,710
- Net Price: $21,416
- Acceptance Rate: 10%
- Retention Rate: 90%
- Graduation Rate: 62%
- Total Enrollment: 2,259
- Undergrad Students: 2,035
- Graduate Students: 224
- Grads Salary: $76,000
- Student-to-faculty: 15:1
Wheeling University
Score: 70.47
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $29,475
- Out-of-State:$29,475
- Net Price: $19,998
- Acceptance Rate: 73%
- Retention Rate: 72%
- Graduation Rate: 70%
- Total Enrollment: 749
- Undergrad Students: 594
- Graduate Students: 155
- Grads Salary: $82,000
- Student-to-faculty: 9:1
Thomas Jefferson University
Score: 70.13
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $45,683
- Out-of-State:$45,683
- Net Price: $28,110
- Acceptance Rate: 89%
- Retention Rate: 82%
- Graduation Rate: 68%
- Total Enrollment: 8,286
- Undergrad Students: 3,771
- Graduate Students: 4,515
- Grads Salary: $91,000
- Student-to-faculty: 13:1
SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Score: 70.03
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $8,578
- Out-of-State:$20,228
- Net Price: $13,799
- Acceptance Rate: 82%
- Retention Rate: 79%
- Graduation Rate: 62%
- Total Enrollment: 2,842
- Undergrad Students: 1,982
- Graduate Students: 860
- Grads Salary: $80,000
- Student-to-faculty: 13:1
Overview of an Online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Degree Program
Typical MSN Degree Requirements
Before nursing students can begin their online programs or more traditional MSN programs, they need to hold their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). This usually means they will have experience working as a registered nurse, which is why these master's degree programs are sometimes called an RN to MSN program rather than a BSN to MSN program, and they are different from healthcare administration degree programs though graduates may work as health services managers. In addition, you also need to have several prerequisite credits (between 15 and 20) in which you earned a minimum of a B minus.
Once you start your MSN program in earnest, you will have to complete about 70 to 75 credits with passing grades. You should finish in two and a half years (five semesters).
Typical MSN Certifications Needed
Depending on the nursing specialty in which you will be working, you need the certifications for those specialties. Many of the available online certifications include Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner certification (AGACNP-BC), Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Certification (AGPCNP-BC), Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP-BC), Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist (AGCNS-BC), Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (Across the Lifespan) (PMHNP-BC), Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP-BC), Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist (AGCNS-BC), and others.
Academic Standards
To be able to graduate with your Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), you need to complete a minimum number of credit hours. This differs from program to program, but in general, expect to complete about 36 credits for your program. Again, your requirements will differ from one university to the next, but the information you are introduced to in each program will be similar.
Overall, you’ll take some core courses, then choose several direct care core courses or electives. Next, you’ll choose a specialty area and take the courses in those areas. If you plan to become a nurse educator, your courses will be focused on that specialty. If your plans are to enter nursing informatics, then your courses will focus on this.
Next, the nursing administration program carries its own graduation requirements. No matter your specialty, you will have to complete a specific number of supervised hours for your practicum course. You may be required to take your practicums consecutively within the same facility.
Exam and Experience Needed
In referring to “experience”, this section refers to prior nursing experience. Even if you don’t have your bachelor’s degree in nursing, as long as you have one in another field, you may qualify for admission.
If you don’t have a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), then a bachelor’s degree in a discipline such as engineering, computer science, or education will suffice. You should have your associate degree in nursing (ADN) to fully qualify for admission.
If you are enrolling into an online MSN program, you may not have to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Check with the admissions offices of the universities you are considering. If you will be attending your nursing classes on-campus, then you will have to take an entrance exam. Check with admissions for the details on this.
Important Questions to Ask (FAQ)
How Long Does It Take to Earn an Online MSN degree?
In an online program, you aren’t locked into a cohort program. You’re taking online courses because your personal or professional lives are too busy for you to attend on-campus.
If the courses are uploaded and left available for more than a week or two, then you can take your courses at any time that fits your schedule. This means that, if you’re out of town on business or for a family vacation, then the online course will still be there when you get home.
Some MSN programs upload one course for several weeks at a time. You will be expected to complete it within a specific amount of time after it is uploaded. This will be an entire course and you will need time to read all the material, take the quizzes, answer and submit the questions, and take part in online forum discussions. One university uploads a course once every eight weeks. If you adhere to this kind of schedule, you’ll complete your MSN in two years.
How Much Does an Online MSN Degree Cost?
By semester, one university charges its MSN students $10,614.
This doesn’t include possible fees, which may include technology, transcript, health fee, graduate student activity fee, graduate student services fee, recreation fee, health insurance and clinical lab fee, room and board, and books.
Does the School Have the Major You’re Considering?
You don’t want to choose a school so you can work on your MSN degree, only to find that the university doesn’t have this program. As you are researching possible schools, read through the Graduate Catalog and speak to someone in the admissions office. Ask them if the nursing program you want to enroll in is carried as a major. If it isn’t then you should cross that institution from your list and call any others you may want to attend.
How Many Students Graduate “On Time,” in Four Years?
Less than 50% of university students graduate on time at the four-year mark. The reasons for this are many. A lack of money may force them to stop their classes so they can work and earn more; a personal event may require all of their time and attention; or they may find themselves on academic probation because of poor academic performance (i.e., low grades). You can combat this in several ways: take more credits during the semester, take summer session classes, work only the number of hours needed to pay for your basics; if you can afford it, hold off on working entirely.
What Kind of Accreditation does the Online Program Hold? How is it Regarded in the Field?
Differing levels of nursing programs receive their accreditations from different agencies. Graduate nursing programs are accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). If you will be working as a graduate nurse in midwifery, your program will be accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME). Both of these accreditation agencies are highly thought of, since they ensure that graduate nursing programs and their faculty are of the highest quality.
Accreditation isn’t mandatory—post-secondary educational programs choose whether they will be accredited or not. Once it has been accredited, that recognition lasts only for a few years. After that time period expires, the institution and educational program have to renew their accreditation to ensure that their educational offerings are of the highest quality.
Professional MSN Organizations
AANP
American Association of Nurse Practitioners
Nurse-practitioner students, nurse practitioners, and persons and organizations who are interested in the role of the NP, can find the answers they need at AANP. This organization possesses the tools, information, and resources that people are seeking. AANP works to empower every NP to provide and advance quality healthcare through practice, education, research, advocacy, and leadership. With 92,000 members, AANP is a diverse community of organizations and individuals who want to work together to provide exceptional patient care.
NPACE
Nurse Practitioner Associates for Continuing Education
NPACE was established in 1980 in Massachusetts by seven nurse practitioners living and working in the New England region. Four of these founding members were from Massachusetts. Several years later, NPACE conference participants and members of other NP groups helped to establish the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, also formed in Massachusetts. NPACE works to improve nurse practitioner practices through relevant, evidence-based continuing education, conferences, and online courses.
NAPNAP
National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
At 9,000 members strong, NAPNAP is the professional association for pediatric nurse practitioners to join. Other pediatric-focused advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) are also welcome to join. NAPNAP was established in 1973 to be the only national organization that is focused on improving the quality of health for a youthful population—infants, children and adolescents. NAPNAP works to promote and advance the role of providing healthcare focused on this age group. Pediatric nursing professionals should be proud of the work they do and in the quality of their education. NAPNAP can boast the membership of respected authors, national child healthcare experts, practicing professionals, and distinguished faculty.