What Can You Do With a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)?

Possible Careers With an MSN Degree

There are a lot of opportunities and possible careers with an MSN degree. Jobs that require an MSN degree are likely leadership roles or positions that require more advanced patient care.

Through this graduate nursing program, MSN students are likely to increase their clinical knowledge and develop important skills like critical thinking, problem-solving and communication.

By earning their degrees from accredited on-campus or online MSN programs, nursing professionals can open the door to a variety of MSN careers in clinical and administrative roles. These roles are referred to as advanced nursing careers, and they include nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, nurse anesthetists and nurse midwives.

Nurse Practitioner

A nurse practitioner (NP) has many advanced nursing career opportunities. In addition to earning a graduate degree, nurse practitioners must maintain an active state nursing license and hold national board certification from an approved certifying body in their population focus, such as the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (NPCB) — state boards of nursing issue the license; national bodies grant certification, a distinction described in the NCSBN APRN Consensus Model.

Nurse practitioner programs prepare RNs for this advanced role. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nurse practitioners had a median annual wage of $132,300 in May 2025. In comparison, registered nurses had a median annual wage of $97,550 in the same period.

Job responsibilities of a nurse practitioner include overseeing primary patient care, diagnosing and treating acute and chronic issues, and prescribing medication. Nurse practitioners can also specialize in other fields, such as primary care for families, women’s health, acute care and mental health.

Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)

Nurses who wish to specialize in care for families, from children to older adults, may become a family nurse practitioner (FNP). FNPs educate families on developing healthy habits and disease prevention. They can also diagnose, treat and manage symptoms. Because FNPs focus on the care of patients in varying age groups, they tend to fall under general care providers.

FNPs are a type of APRN and require an active nursing license plus certification eligibility that may be met through an accredited FNP master’s program, a post-graduate certificate or a DNP pathway. There are many online FNP programs to help you prepare for board certification and for a career as an FNP.

Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP)

Nurses who would like to focus exclusively on women’s health may become a women’s health nurse practitioner (WHNP). A WHNP offers primary care for women in all stages of life, typically beginning in adolescence. Services may include gynecological, prenatal, postnatal and preventive care, along with diagnosis and management of acute or chronic illnesses.

WHNP certification eligibility requires completing an accredited graduate program with a women’s health specialization, which may be a master’s, DNP or post-master’s certificate program.

Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (ACNP)

Nurse practitioners who specialize in acute care may become acute care nurse practitioners (ACNP). ACNPs will typically specialize in adult-gerontology or pediatric acute care.

Acute care nurse practitioners provide continuous, advanced nursing care to patients experiencing acute or life-threatening illness.

ACNPs may typically complete an ACNP program with a focus on adult-gerontology or pediatric acute care.

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)

Nurses who wish to specialize in mental health may become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP). This type of nurse practitioner holds a national psychiatric-mental health certification covering care across the lifespan.

PMHNPs may be employed by hospitals, mental health facilities or correctional facilities, among other practices.

PMHNPs must complete an on-campus or online nurse practitioner program with a specialization in psychiatric and mental health.

Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM)

A nursing professional who specializes in women’s reproductive health, including prenatal care, childbirth and postnatal care, may want to become a certified nurse-midwife (CNM). Although many people associate nurse-midwives with home births, CNMs also work in hospitals, outpatient care centers and private practices, according to the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM).

Nurse-midwives had a median annual wage of $134,040 in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Becoming a CNM requires nursing preparation and an active registered nurse (RN) license, plus a graduate degree — a master’s, Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) or Doctor of Midwifery — from an Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME)-accredited program, and passing the national certification exam administered by the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB), which requires active RN status. A smaller number of ACME-accredited programs also admit candidates with non-nursing bachelor’s degrees; those candidates pursue the separate Certified Midwife (CM) credential rather than the CNM. Explore certified nurse-midwifery (CNM) program options.

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)

Certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) provide anesthesia care and support patients before, during and after procedures, in settings that include hospital surgical suites, ambulatory surgical centers and other practice settings.

Nurse anesthetists had a median annual wage of $236,590 in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

CRNAs must earn national certification and complete an accredited nurse anesthesia program. As of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology’s current guidance, all accredited programs now award a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree or comparable doctorate for entry into practice, with programs generally taking 36 to 51 months to complete.

Certified Nurse Educator

Nurse educators use their advanced knowledge, skills and nursing experience to educate current and future nursing professionals. Academic nurse educators are prepared through graduate nursing programs to teach in academic settings such as nursing schools and universities.

The National League for Nursing supports graduate-level preparation for academic nurse educator roles, including advanced content and teaching-focused coursework. Many educators also pursue optional board certification through the National League for Nursing’s Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) credential, which requires an active nursing license and a graduate nursing degree, or, under an alternate eligibility option, a combination of licensure and qualifying experience.

Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)

A clinical nurse specialist is an advanced practice registered nurse prepared at the master’s, doctoral or post-graduate certificate level. CNSs diagnose, prescribe and treat patients and specialty populations across the continuum of care, improving outcomes through direct patient care and evidence-based practice leadership in specialized areas such as geriatric care, pediatric care and women’s health. Clinical nurse specialists may also work in a variety of healthcare settings.

To become a CNS, you must be a registered nurse. Once you’ve become an RN, you may start applying to advanced nursing programs, which must be completed at the master’s or doctoral levels.

Certification requirements vary by specialty and certifying body. For example, ANCC’s Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist (AGCNS-BC) certification requires a minimum of 500 faculty-supervised clinical hours within the graduate program before candidates may sit for the exam; other CNS specialties and certifying bodies set their own eligibility requirements. Candidates who meet eligibility requirements and pass the applicable exam are awarded the certification credential.

Clinical Nurse Leader

A clinical nurse leader (CNL) is a role developed by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) for master’s educated nurses who are trained to work within any healthcare setting. At the point of care, CNLs may focus on care coordination, risk assessment, quality improvement, outcomes measurement, transitions of care and implementation of best practices based on evidence. A CNL may need a high level of clinical expertise and act as a resource for the clinical nursing team.

To become a CNL, you must be a nurse, earn your master’s and pass the Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) Certification Examination, administered by the Commission on Nurse Certification (CNC), an autonomous arm of AACN.

Nurse Administrator

A nurse administrator or clinical administrator is typically a registered nurse who manages or oversees other nurses, helping ensure that unit and organizational policies and regulations are followed. Nurse leaders’ responsibilities are commonly described across three broad competency domains — the business of healthcare, leading people and personal leadership — and nurse administrators may work in a variety of healthcare settings.

The journey to becoming a nurse administrator may vary depending on your leadership experience and the organization’s requirements. Those exploring this path may find it helpful to review BSN degree program options as part of their broader nursing education planning.

Post-MSN Certifications

Besides the above careers you may pursue with an MSN degree, you may also want to obtain certifications in your desired specialty. These are some of the post-MSN certifications available. Note that this list is non-exhaustive.

• Adult Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist: ACCNS-AG is an entry-level advanced practice certification for clinical nurse specialists. Eligible candidates must complete a graduate-level advanced practice program as an adult-gerontology CNS at a nationally accredited school of nursing.
• Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP-BC): The NNP-BC is an entry-level board certification exam administered by the National Certification Corporation (NCC) for registered nurses who have completed an accredited graduate neonatal nurse practitioner program. NNPs are prepared to provide neonatal critical care to acutely and critically ill neonatal patients and their families.
• Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC): The PMHNP-BC is a competency-based board certification exam administered by ANCC that assesses entry-level PMHNP knowledge and awards the credential to nurse practitioners who meet eligibility requirements and pass the exam.

Continue Your Education From an MSN to a DNP

Going from an MSN to DNP may help you expand your knowledge and explore additional career options than what you may find with a master’s degree. A Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is a terminal, practice-focused doctoral degree in nursing — one of two terminal nursing doctorates, alongside the research-focused PhD in Nursing. Earning a DNP may help prepare you for a wide range of advanced roles, including organizational and systems leadership, translating research and evidence into clinical practice, health policy leadership and executive positions in nursing administration.

Interested in learning more about MSN degrees? This may help answer some of your questions.