Nurse practitioners are, at minimum, educated at the master’s degree level.  Although some NPs are prepared at the doctorate level now, a doctorate is not required yet to enter into practice (see DNP for further discussion on this topic).  There are several ways of obtaining a Master’s in Nursing (MSN):

BSN to MSN-  This is the traditional pathway, where one has already obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing (BSN) and is already a Registered Nurse (RN).   Most, if not all, schools that offer an MSN will offer this pathway.  Do note that not all schools that have a nursing school or program offer advanced degrees.  Although there are many options for this pathway, an example is University of Washington.*

RN to MSN-  This pathway requires that you are an RN but a BSN isn’t required (i.e. RN is from a diploma program or associate’s degree).   An example of such program is offered at University of Maryland, Baltimore.  This program does allow the opportunity to earn a BSN, but not all schools will. 

BS to MSN-  This pathway takes individuals with a bachelor’s degree in a field other than nursing and can have no nursing background.  In some programs you are awarded a BSN, while other programs do not award the BSN and only provide the MSN at the completion of the program.  An example of a program that awards both the BSN and MSN is University of Pennsylvania’s BSN/MSN program.  Alternatively, Yale University’s Graduate Entry Prespecialty in Nursing (GEPN) program or University of California San Francisco’s Master’s Entry Program in Nursing (MEPN) awards the MSN but not a BSN.  In BS to MSN programs, once students meet the requirements needed to qualify to sit for the National Council Licensing Examination-Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN) they must take (and pass) the exam to proceed through the program. 

Regardless of the pathway chosen to earn the MSN, a specialty must be selected.  Most schools require this decision at the time of application.  Changing specialties after matriculation can be difficult so it is best to be sure of the specialty ahead of time.  Post-master’s programs are available if you have obtained an MSN in a specialty and would like to specialize in a different area (see Post-Master’s for a discussion on this).  Some people also choose to specialize in more than one area.

* The aforementioned schools are cited merely as examples and are not mentioned due to any sponsorship or endorsement.  They are all ranked in the top 10 for nursing schools by U.S. News and World Report.