Several Graduate Nursing Degree Types are available to prepare students for advanced nursing and healthcare careers in clinical specialties, leadership, education, and research. The degree or certificate option selected and the chosen career path depend on life goals, level of education, experience, and access to the desired school program. These graduate nursing degree types are available in different Graduate Nursing Instruction Formats.
Prerequisites
Applicants must meet specific requirements to enroll in an advanced degree program. While these requirements vary from one school to the next and by the degree program, they usually include:
- A minimum level of prior education, such as ADN, BSN, etc.,
- A minimum grade point average,
- A current and unencumbered nursing license – LPN, LVN or RN,
- A minimum number of hours of clinical experience,
- Letters of professional reference, and
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV).
Entry into graduate nursing programs is highly competitive. Individuals contemplating an advanced degree should ensure they meet and exceed the minimum Entry Requirements. Applicants should also carefully consider the time and financial commitments required to complete the program.
Graduate Nursing Degree Types
Most students who enter a graduate nursing degree program do so only after completing several years of nursing practice. Most individuals have earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree and have several years of bedside nursing experience. This experience provides the student with practical, real-life knowledge of great value during advanced degree nursing programs.
Pursuing a graduate nursing degree or certificate requires a substantial commitment of time and money by the student. However, many employers recognize the importance of improving their healthcare teams’ quality and supporting their employees by providing tuition reimbursement and flexible work hours to help advance their education.
Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
Of all the Graduate Nursing Degree Types, the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree is the most commonly offered. Some schools award Master of Nursing (MN) or Master of Science, Nursing Major (MS-NM) degrees which are essentially equivalent to an MSN. Master’s degrees introduce students to more advanced concepts and complex issues in nursing than covered in undergraduate work. The standard path to a master’s degree in nursing is by first obtaining a four-year Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree.
A master’s degree in nursing is the minimum degree required to practice in Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) roles that include:
- Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM),
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA),
- Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS), and
- Nurse Practitioner (NP).
In addition to APRN degrees, many schools offer master’s degrees in many areas of nursing, including leadership, administration, nursing education, general nursing, and informatics, to name a few.
Most nursing master’s degree programs are 18 to 24 months in length.
Many schools have begun to move their APRN degrees from master’s to Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degrees.
In particular, the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) has reaffirmed its commitment “to move all entry-level Nurse Practitioner (NP) education to the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) by 2025 .”
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)is one of two doctoral nursing degrees and the highest degree in nursing practice. The DNP degree emphasizes the application of Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) in patient care. EBP enables DNP graduates to improve the quality of patient care and outcomes by selecting, evaluating, and incorporating the results of ongoing research into their clinical practice. Evidence-Based Practice also focuses on improving and strengthening nursing education and system leadership.
While the MSN degree has existed for decades, the Doctor of Nursing Practice is the newest graduate nursing degree type, first offered in 2001 [1]. Using the MSN curricula as a base, the DNP introduces students to more advanced concepts and complex issues in nursing.
As with the master’s degree, the DNP is available in many areas of nursing, including administration, leadership, nursing education, general nursing, and informatics. However, the emphasis on Evidence-Based Practice is especially relevant for students of the APRN roles that include:
- Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM),
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA),
- Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS), and
- Nurse Practitioner (NP).
For nurses seeking to improve nursing practice, quality improvement, and systems leadership throughout clinics, hospitals, or healthcare systems, the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree:
- Elevates the educational status of Nurse Executives with other members of the senior leadership team (CEO, COO, CMO, etc.),
- Places Nurse Executives on par with Physicians and other members of executive leadership teams, providing nurses with a significant opportunity to influence and shape the future of healthcare delivery,
- Opens the door for Nurse Executives to take a seat on the Board of Directors at hospitals and healthcare systems,
- Having Nurse Executives as Board members provides nurses with representation at a level that has been otherwise absent,
- Provides nurse leaders, believed to be too far removed from day-to-day current bedside practice, with an opportunity to understand the transformational changes in care delivery that affect patients, their families, communities, and care providers, and
- Shifts emphasis from the concepts of “management” and “administration” to leadership.
Most Doctor of Nursing Practice programs are typically 18 to 24 months long and are available in all fifty states.
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Nursing
The Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD) is one of two doctoral nursing degrees and focuses on research to develop knowledge in the science and practice of nursing. The degree prepares graduates to conduct clinical research trials that extend the current body of nursing knowledge, address complex health-related issues, and disseminate knowledge that improves community health and healthcare delivery.
The PhD nursing degree prepares graduates for research or academic positions in colleges, universities, large academic medical centers, or healthcare systems. These PhD graduates may hold nurse leader or scientist positions to help establish health policies.
Nursing PhD programs are typically 4 to 5 years in length.
Accelerated Degree Programs
Programs that offer an Accelerated Degree path enable students to obtain an advanced degree without going through the more standard BSN to MSN and MSN to doctoral degree sequence. Accelerated degree programs eliminate redundant coursework to reduce the length of time in school and the total cost of tuition.
There are several types of accelerated degree programs, including:
- Bridge Programs – for Registered Nurses (RNs) with an Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN) or Nursing Diploma to earn an MSN, DNP, or PhD in nursing,
- Direct Entry – for applicants who hold a non-nursing Baccalaureate degree and wish to study for an MSN, DNP, or PhD in nursing, and
- Master’s Entry Program in Nursing (MEPN) – for applicants with a non-nursing baccalaureate degree wishing to obtain a master’s degree in nursing without a BSN.
Some accelerated degree programs award students a BSN as a precursor to the target degree.
Students of programs that admit applicants without a Registered Nurse license will become eligible to sit for the NCLEX exam and, in turn, become licensed as a Registered Nurse.
Accelerated degree programs are typically 2 to 3 years long but may be as short as 18 months.
Use this Accelerated Degree Program Search Tool tool to locate accelerated degree programs from our survey of more than 710 Graduate Nursing schools.
Dual Programs
Dual Programs offer the student the ability to graduate with an education in more than one area of expertise. Graduates from clinical programs can address a broader range of patients and provide more informed care. Administration and leadership programs expose graduates to a wide range of business, leadership, financial, and management practices.
Dual programs save students time and expense by eliminating duplicate or overlapping coursework.
Dual Degree Programs
These Dual Degree Programs often combine an advanced nursing degree with a master’s level degree, such as:
- Master of Business Administration (MBA),
- Master of Health Administration (MHA),
- Master of Public Administration (MPA), or
- Master of Public Health (MPH).
The advanced nursing degree may be clinical or leadership-oriented.
Use this Dual Degree Program Search Tool tool to identify programs for this and other degree combinations from our survey of more than 710 schools.
Dual Practice Programs
Dual Practice Programs enable the student to graduate with the education required to work in more than one clinical practice or leadership role.
Examples of Dual Practice Programs include:
- Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) and Nurse Practitioner (NP), or
- Women's Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP) and Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM).
The course material in most dual practice programs provides mutual reinforcement of knowledge between each area of specialization. Graduates will be eligible to be certified in both areas of specialization.
Use this Dual Practice Program Search Tool tool to locate Dual Practice programs from our survey of more than 710 Graduate Nursing schools.
Tandem Degree Programs
These Tandem Degree programs offer two degrees in a single course of study. These programs offer a clinical or leadership-oriented advanced nursing degree in combination with a non-nursing degree.
These non-nursing degrees may include:
- Master of Business Administration (MBA),
- Master of Health Administration (MHA),
- Master of Public Administration (MPA), or
- Master of Public Health (MPH).
Use this Tandem Degree Program Search Tool tool to identify programs for these and other degree combinations from our survey of more than 710 schools.
Certificate Programs
Some schools that offer MSN or DNP programs also offer Certificate programs. Short of committing to a full degree program, Certificate programs are a time and cost-effective means to augment your education. If you already hold a graduate nursing degree, such as an MSN, you may obtain a Certificate in a related nursing field. For example, you may pursue a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) certificate to become licensed as a Nurse Practitioner (NP) if you have a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) degree.
These education Certificates are not the same as, nor should be confused with, Certifications issued by Certification Boards or Professional Associations.
Use these Graduate Nursing Degree Search Tools to locate graduate nursing programs. These search tools extract data from our survey of more than 7,400 advanced nursing degrees and certificates offered by more than 710 nursing graduate programs.