RN to MSN / Masters in Nursing Programs
(found programs from 561 schools)

Welcome to the most complete directory on the Web of RN to MSN / Masters in Nursing programs. It contains all the nationally accredited programs - that’s over 2,200 individual nursing Masters degree programs, offered by more than 500 schools. A couple of the most popular pages in this section of the website contain lists of Online Nurse Practitioner Programs and Online Masters in Nursing Programs.

"Masters in Nursing", "Pathway" ... What Does It All Mean?

With over 2,000 programs in the database, we came across a wide variety of different kinds of Masters in Nursing program names. Here are the major categories, to help give you a feel for what’s out there. Generally speaking, programs prefer applicants who are current registered nurses and have already received their BSN degree. A number of special programs exist for people who only meet one of these criteria (or, in some cases, neither), but an RN with a BSN will always have the broadest range of programs to choose from.

1. Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) / Master of Nursing (MN): These are the most universally-used terms. The degrees are typically offered in a number of different tracks, and each track is a combination of what we describe in the Wizard as "specialties" (Nurse Practitioner, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), etc.), "populations" or types of patients (adult, family, pediatric, etc.), and, sometimes but not always, "sub-specialties" (Psychiatric-Mental Health, Acute/Critical Care, etc.).

2. Master of Arts in Nursing (MA): There are only a tiny handful of these programs - Pace University (New York), Bethel University (Minnesota), and the College of St. Catherine (Minnesota) are several that offer them.

3. RN to MSN / RN to MSN Bridge / RN to MSN Pathway: RN to MSN means different things at different schools. Some use it to mean a program that accepts RNs who have only completed a diploma or an ADN, and then advances them through both their BSN and MSN degrees. One interesting detail is that these programs will sometimes grant both a BSN and an MSN degree at the end, but will sometimes only grant the MSN degree, and NOT the BSN degree. If it matters to you, it’s worth asking the school about. Also, you will see schools often do not make all of their Masters in Nursing tracks available in this kind of RN to MSN program - entering as an RN without a BSN, you may only be able to choose between two or three tracks, while the school offers other tracks to people who already have their BSN.

Other schools use "RN to MSN" to refer to programs that accept registered nurses who have a diploma/ADN PLUS a non-nursing bachelor’s degree. Sometimes it even refers to a program for registered nurses who have already received their bachelor’s of science in nursing. The distinction they are drawing there is between students who come in with the BSN, and students who come in with a bachelor’s degree in something else. If you already have your BSN, you’ll follow a different program of study for your MSN than a nurse who comes in with a bachelor’s in another subject.

An "RN to MSN" program for BSN-prepared RNs.... that sounds suspiciously like a typical Master of Science in Nursing program, doesn’t it? Turns out that most incoming students at most Masters of Science in Nursing programs are RNs. An RN license is one of the most common admissions requirements for the Masters programs. So, we’re not completely sure why so many programs choose to call themselves "RN to MSN" instead of just "MSN". It doesn’t really matter, though. We went to the website of every single school to find out what kind of program they really meant, and that’s how it’s classified in our database.

4. Direct Entry MSN / Special Entry MSN / Accelerated Pathway MSN: These programs are typically targeted at applicants who possess bachelor’s or more advanced degrees in a non-nursing subject, and are not yet registered nurses. The program includes some of the same courses you would find in a BSN program, and will prepare students for the NCLEX on the way to earning their MSN degree.

5. Dual Degrees (MSN/MBA, MSN/MPH, etc.): These programs are just what they sound like - at the end you will have both an MSN degree and a second Masters degree, in most cases a Master of Business Administration (MBA) or a Master of Public Health (MPH). The MSN/MBA is typically geared towards students who want to prepare for management roles in hospitals or other health care entities. The MSN/MPH prepares students for a blend of clinical and public health work, with additional learning in policy and administration. You might also find dual degrees that combined the MSN with a degree in Nursing Administration, Environmental Health, or Health Informatics.

The bottom line is: don’t get hung up on what the program is called. Just look at the admissions requirements for the program, and you’ll have your answer.

MSN Programs for Nurses with Diplomas or ADN Degrees

Most of these programs will grant you a BSN degree along the way, and in fact let you stop there if you want to. However, not all of them do this. This is one of the confusing things about RN to MSN programs. There are a good number that do not actually give you a BSN degree - just the MSN, at the end. That may not be the most important factor in your decision, but it’s something to ask the school about.

Even the "true" RN to MSN programs go by a range of different names at different schools. For the curious, we counted almost 90 distinct names across the 160+ schools that offer programs for ADN/diploma RNs. Here’s a sample: Accelerated ADN to MSN, Accelerated RN to MSN, AD/MS Pathway, ADN to MSN Bridge, Bridge to MSN for RNs, BSN/MSN Gateway, Career Mobility Model MSN, Combined Option, Post-RN Programs, Pre-Master’s Pathway, RN Options, RN to BS to MS, and RN to MSN Fast-Track. The "bridge" part of these names usually refers to the courses you’ll take to catch up to the BSN level of preparation, before you begin taking courses in your Masters specialty.

So I Don’t Need A BSN - What About The Other Admissions Requirements?

The admissions requirements for Masters programs tend to be more strict than the requirements for Bachelors programs.

As you would probably expect, you will need a current, active United States RN license. For online programs, this can often be a license in whatever state you are going to complete clinicals in. However, for campus based programs it usually needs to be in the state the school is located in.

Your previous GPA is important to the admissions departments. They will look at your prior coursework, and will often require a cumulative prior GPA of 2.5 to 3.0 out of 4.0, which equates to a B-/C+ to a B. Some schools may require that you take the GRE (Graduate Record Examination), though this is less common.

In addition, most programs require 1-2 years of prior work experience as an RN. Sometimes this has to be in the area you intend to specialize in (i.e. a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner program may require that you’ve previously been in a role where you worked with children/adolescents), and sometimes it doesn’t.

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