Direct Entry MSN Programs
(found programs from 74 schools)

Listed below are all of the schools offering Masters in Nursing (MSN) programs that accept non-nurses. These are typically called "Direct Entry MSN" programs, but are sometimes called "Accelerated MSN" programs as well.

If you are already a Registered Nurse and you want to go back to school for your Masters degree (some RN to MSN programs are also called "Accelerated" programs), you’re on the wrong web page... luckily, the right page is only a click away: RN to MSN / Masters in Nursing programs.

Direct Entry MSN Basics

The basic format is similar to that of an Accelerated BSN program. You get credit for time already served, so to speak (general education & science classes you already took at another school), then dive into a rigorous program of nursing theory and clinical work.

While a small number of these programs will let you separate the BSN and MSN degrees (complete the requirements for your BSN degree first, and then enter into a more specialized track of study for your MSN degree, so if you decide that you want to stop at the BSN level, you can do that instead), most will not - you will enter as a graduate student and stay until you earn your Masters degree.

Masters Level Specializations

In addition to researching the costs, hours, and other pragmatic aspects of the program, you should make sure to learn which MSN tracks/specializations are available to direct entry students, researching those tracks, and thinking about which one you might want to pursue.

Some MSN-level specialties (such as CRNA/Nurse Anesthetist) have more rigorous application requirements, including specific kinds of work experience (in the case of CRNA programs, that tends to be 1+ years of critical care nursing experience), so they may not be open to direct entry MSN students.

You should expect the full direct entry MSN program to take several years. However, at the end of it you will have joined one of the most promising and important healthcare fields in the market, with pay scales, responsibilities, and intellectual challenges that rival almost any other healthcare profession out there.

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