Master’s of Science in Nursing (MSN) Degree Programs Guide

According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, national health expenditures are projected to grow at an average of 5.4 percent annually from 2025 through 2034, outpacing projected GDP growth of 4.1 percent over the same period. In 2020, per-person personal health care spending for the population age 65 and older was almost 2.5 times the spending per working-age person ($22,356 compared with $9,154), according to the same CMS data.

Admissions requirements

Many nursing master’s programs require applicants to hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, though there are RN-to-MSN programs that allow RNs to earn an advanced degree without having to earn a BSN first. RN-to-MSN programs are designed for registered nurses with a nursing diploma or an associate degree in nursing; specific requirements vary by school and by the applicant’s previously completed coursework. (American Association of Colleges of Nursing)

There are also entry-level (direct-entry) MSN programs, designed for individuals who hold a bachelor’s degree in a field other than nursing. Prerequisite coursework requirements vary by program and may include topics such as microbiology, chemistry, human anatomy, and physiology; check with individual schools for their specific admission requirements.

Admission materials commonly requested by MSN programs may include letters of recommendation, a résumé, a statement of purpose, official academic transcripts, and GRE scores (where a program requires them). Each master’s in nursing program you apply to will outline the specific materials and requirements expected of applicants on the school’s website.

Curriculum and coursework

The coursework included in nursing master’s programs varies by specialty but is generally meant to prepare nurses for more advanced roles in administration, teaching, research, leadership, and direct patient care. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) outlines potential roles for graduates with a master’s in nursing.

For APRN specialties — nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, certified nurse-midwife, and certified registered nurse anesthetist — coursework builds general as well as subject-specific skills, including critical thinking and decision-making for advanced practice, criteria and justification for prescribing medications, and conducting a head-to-toe physical examination, built around the APRN core courses (advanced physiology/pathophysiology, advanced health assessment, and advanced pharmacology) required by certifiers such as the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Non-APRN MSN specialties — nurse education, clinical nurse leadership, and nurse administration — instead focus on leadership, teaching, and management competencies specific to those roles.

Within APRN programs, coursework is often divided into three main categories: fundamental courses, research courses, and clinical courses.

Nurse practitioner and clinical nurse specialist (CNS) programs often take around two years to complete full-time, though program length varies, and include content in physical assessment, pharmacology, and pathophysiology in addition to other coursework specific to your specialty. These courses require knowledge of basic anatomy and physiology which is typically covered in undergraduate-level nursing programs such as a BSN.

Certified nurse-midwife (CNM) programs often have the same main three coursework requirements found in nurse practitioner programs, in addition to a variety of women’s health subjects. CNM programs often take about two years to complete, though length varies by program.

Certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) programs focus on pharmacology, anatomy, and physiology and pathophysiology, with an added emphasis on chemistry, biochemistry, clinical research, and the technology used in the field. These programs are doctoral-level (DNP/DNAP) and typically take 36 to 51 months to complete, according to the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (see Master’s in nursing specialties, below, for the current CRNA education pathway).

To learn more about specific coursework for different MSN career specialties, check out our advanced practice registered nursing page.

Clinical hour practicum

The clinical hour practicum gives nurses the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the field through clinical placements. Practicum requirements vary from specialty to specialty. According to the 2022 National Task Force Standards for Quality Nurse Practitioner Education (PDF), 6th edition, NP education programs must include a minimum of 750 direct patient care clinical hours per population-focused track — an education-program standard, distinct from the separate 500 faculty-supervised clinical hours required for national NP certification (e.g., the ANCC FNP credential). Clinical nurse specialist programs require a minimum of 500 supervised clinical hours at the master’s/post-graduate-certificate level, according to the AACN Criteria for the Evaluation of Clinical Nurse Specialists (PDF), 2011 edition, a figure that matches current national CNS certification eligibility.

Master’s in nursing specialties

1. Nurse practitioner
2. Certified nurse midwife
3. Certified registered nurse anesthetist
4. Clinical nurse specialist
5. Nurse educator
6. Clinical nurse leader
7. Nurse administrator

Nurse practitioner

Scope of practice: Nurse practitioners (NPs) are registered nurses who provide direct patient care by diagnosing and treating illness or offering preventive care and checkups. Independent-practice and prescriptive authority are set at the state level and vary; for example, New York requires new NPs to practice under a written collaborative agreement with a physician until they complete more than 3,600 hours of experience, per the New York State Education Department. See our NP prescriptive authority resource for state-by-state detail.

Education: NPs must complete a graduate-level nurse practitioner education program — typically a master’s degree, though a post-graduate certificate or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is also an accepted route for RNs who already hold a qualifying graduate degree — from an accredited institution, according to the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

Licensure: Nurse practitioner license requirements are set at the state level. However, RN licensure is a prerequisite for becoming an NP.

Salary: The national median annual wage for nurse practitioners was $132,300 in May 2025, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.

Certified nurse midwife

Scope of practice: Certified nurse midwives (CNMs) provide gynecologic and primary healthcare to women from adolescence to menopause, including assessing and managing contraception and supporting women through pregnancy, childbirth, and newborn care, and diagnosing and treating gynecological and general health issues. Prescriptive authority and scope of practice are set at the state level and vary; in many states CNMs may prescribe medication, order diagnostic tests, and use medical devices within their licensed scope.

Education: CNMs must earn at least a master’s degree from an accredited nurse education program, according to the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB).

Licensure: CNMs must pass a national certification exam administered by the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB) and complete their state’s licensing requirements.

Salary: The national median annual wage for nurse midwives was $134,040 in May 2025, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.

Certified registered nurse anesthetist

Scope of practice: Certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) perform very specialized duties including administering general and local anesthesia, sedation, epidural, and spinal or peripheral nerve blocks during surgery, childbirth, and other procedures, according to the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology.

Education: All U.S. nurse anesthesia programs are now accredited only at the doctoral level (DNP/DNAP), a standard the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA) put into full effect in 2022; a bachelor’s degree, not a master’s, is now the entry credential for new applicants. Nurse anesthesia programs range from 36 to 51 months, with graduates completing an average of over 9,000 hours of clinical experience. Many CRNAs practicing today earned a master’s degree under the prior standard, but new entrants to the field must complete a doctoral program.

Licensure: CRNAs must pass the national certifying exam administered by the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA).

Salary: The national median annual wage for nurse anesthetists was $236,590 in May 2025, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.

Clinical nurse specialist

Scope of practice: Clinical nurse specialists (CNS) are registered nurses with expert knowledge and experience in a specific care setting, patient population, or medical specialty, such as critical care, geriatrics, or oncology. Clinical nurse specialists provide direct patient care and also advise and support other nurses in caring for patients within their specialty.

Education: To become a CNS, you need a graduate-level clinical nurse specialist education program — typically a master’s degree, though a post-graduate certificate or DNP is also an accepted route for RNs who already hold a qualifying graduate degree — according to the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

Licensure: Clinical nurse specialists must pass a national certification exam from a certifying body such as the American Nurses Credentialing Center, and meet their state’s licensure or recognition requirements, which vary by state. See our Clinical nurse specialist guide for state-specific detail.

Salary: There is no separate BLS wage data for clinical nurse specialists — CNS roles are classified under Clinical Nurse Specialists (SOC 29-1141) in federal occupational statistics, which the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics does not report separately in the OEWS wage tables used on this page. Salary varies based on care setting, geographical location, and employer.

Nurse educator

Scope of practice: Nurse educators teach and mentor nursing students and practicing nurses, in settings ranging from university nursing programs to hospital-based clinical education and staff-development programs. They design curricula, teach coursework and clinical skills, and evaluate student and staff competency.

Education: Nurse educators typically hold at least a master’s degree in nursing (MSN); degree requirements vary by employer and setting. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing outlines this and other master’s-prepared nursing career pathways.

Salary: The national median annual wage for nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary, was $80,250 in May 2025, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.

Clinical nurse leader

Scope of practice: Clinical nurse leaders (CNLs) oversee care coordination for a group of patients within a unit or care setting, working across the care team to implement evidence-based practice, manage risk, and improve outcomes at the point of care.

Education: CNL is a master’s-level generalist credential; candidates typically complete a CNL master’s program, or a post-master’s CNL program for those who already hold a graduate nursing degree, and pass the national CNL certification exam, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

Salary: There is no separate BLS wage data for clinical nurse leaders. The Clinical Nurse Leader role is not explicitly listed as its own category in the 2018 Standard Occupational Classification; depending on the specific duties performed, a CNL position may be classified under Registered Nurses or another related occupational category for federal wage-reporting purposes.

Nurse administrator

Scope of practice: Nurse administrators (sometimes called nurse executives or nurse managers, depending on level) oversee nursing staff, budgets, quality initiatives, and operations for a unit, department, or facility, bridging clinical nursing practice and healthcare management. Many nurse administrators also work in health policy — shaping organizational, institutional, or public-health policy decisions that affect patient care and the nursing workforce.

Education: Nurse administrators typically hold a master’s degree in nursing (MSN), often with a focus in nursing administration or healthcare leadership; some senior roles are held by nurses with a doctoral, MBA, or MHA credential in addition to nursing credentials. Degree requirements vary by employer. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing outlines this and other master’s-prepared nursing career pathways.

Salary: The national median annual wage for Medical and Health Services Managers (SOC 11-9111) — a broad federal occupational category that includes healthcare managers whose duties are similar to those of many nurse administrators, though it is not specific to nurses or to the MSN credential — was $123,860 in May 2025, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. An individual nurse administrator’s salary will vary by setting, scope, and seniority.

Types of MSN degree

• ADN to MSN
• RN-to-MSN
• BSN to MSN
• WHNP
• FNP
• AGACNP
• CNM

There are as many types of nursing degrees as there are nursing specialties. Many degrees can be completed while maintaining employment, but others require a full-time commitment to school.

Master’s in nursing salary

How much money can you earn with a master’s degree in nursing? The answer to that question depends on a variety of factors such as the state in which you live and the job title you have.

The table below shows the national median annual wages for different types of nurses.

Note: Nursing Instructors/Teachers, Postsecondary and Medical and Health Services Managers are broad occupational categories, not MSN-specific, and include non-nurse educators/managers; an individual nurse’s own salary may differ.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

For more salary information, visit our Nurse Salary page.