^*Our Top 5 MSN Online Programs

Some are, some aren’t. National accreditations are as follows: The Commission on the Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), The Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA), and The American College of Nurse-Midwives Division of Accreditation (ACNM). Each college recommended on NurseDegrees.com is accredited.

No. There are multiple paths available to earning your MSN, such as ADN-to-MSN, BSN-to-MSN, and Direct Entry MSN.

This depends on you and your situation. Just like any graduate program, pursuing your MSN is a big investment. Programs are competitive and can be expensive and demanding of your time.

This is up to you. Taking an RN to BSN course and then a BSN to MSN course will take longer and cost more than an RN to MSN option. Ultimately, the RN to MSN route is more direct and more cost-effective, but it’s up to the student to determine whether that’s the right academic route for them!

Yes. If you already have an RN diploma or have a two-year nursing degree under your belt, you can apply for an MSN program.

This will vary on the program and the university. Typically, for those with an RN or a BSN, MSNs requirements will typically include a current RN license in good standing, an ADN or BSN, an academic transcript, letters of recommendation, and a current resume.

For Direct Entry MSNs will typically require a Bachelor’s Degree in another area of study, GRE scores, an undergraduate GPA (usually a 3.0 or higher), a current resume, and a professional and academic letter of recommendation. Some related credits (such as anatomy, microbiology, nutrition, physiology, and statistics) may be required as well.

The time it takes to earn an MSN will depend on your program. For those with a BSN, it typically takes two years (fulltime), but it can take up to three years (fulltime) for RNs and three to four years for direct-entry or accelerated MSN programs.

In most cases, yes. The number of hours will depend on your state and your program. Programs that do not require clinical hours may require an internship or preceptorship before graduating.