Compare 10+ Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP) Programs – Find the Best School for You

According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), APRN education programs prepare students for careers as a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), certified nurse-midwife (CNM), clinical nurse specialist (CNS) or certified nurse practitioner (CNP). These programs must also prepare students to work with specific populations, such as women. Eligible programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), AACN's autonomous accrediting affiliate.

Generally, WHNP programs will meet the National Task Force's 2022 Standards for Quality Nurse Practitioner Education. Some of these standards require:

• The director or coordinator of the nurse practitioner program is a doctorally prepared, nationally board-certified nurse practitioner providing direct oversight of the program.
• Admission criteria for the program reflect the input of the NP faculty.
• The development, evaluation and revision of the curriculum involves input from NP faculty.
• The institution supports the program with sufficient fiscal, academic-support, learning and physical resources.
• The preparation and expertise of the program's faculty must adequately support the didactic and clinical-component courses for NP practice.

CCNE, AACN's autonomous accrediting affiliate, accredits eligible nursing programs that meet these standards. Some states may require graduation from accredited programs for nursing licensure.

The length of women's health nurse practitioner programs and their total credit requirements vary by school, specialty focus and whether a student enrolls full-time or part-time. Students with a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) are the typical entry point for an MSN-level WHNP program; prospective students should confirm exact program length, credit totals and clinical-hour expectations directly with each school they're considering.

Online Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Programs

For nursing students who would prefer not to participate in an on-campus program, online programs can provide a flexible alternative.

While searching for an online program, you may want to determine which program features you care about most. A few examples include live classes, clinical hour support teams for online students, career services and opportunities to network with your classmates.

Several schools offer online programs that are similar to their on-campus programs, enabling students to get a degree from a school they know and trust without relocating. Nurse practitioner online programs are high-quality options for students looking to progress into a career and become a women’s health nurse practitioner.

WHNP Coursework and Clinical Experience

Women’s health nurse practitioner education programs are designed to meet the requirements of the NCC certification exam while providing an opportunity for the student to specialize in a particular area of women’s health.

According to the NCC's WHNP Candidate Guide (PDF, 539 KB), examinees from women's health nurse practitioner education programs should be able to obtain a gynecologic history from their patients, identify gynecological health issues and provide management and education support for family planning, fertility control and prenatal and postpartum care. The WHNP certification exam itself consists of 175 questions — 150 of which are scored, with the remainder used as unscored pretest items — administered in a three-hour, computer-based format at a test center or via live remote proctoring.

The two basic components of women's health nurse practitioner education programs are coursework and a clinical preceptorship. The coursework will vary depending on the chosen specialty, but the core classes generally include advanced physiology, advanced pharmacology and advanced health screening. Other coursework might cover topics such as research fundamentals, statistics, ethics and women's health issues. Course loads and total credits required vary by school; students should confirm exact requirements with their chosen program. Students should also expect this coursework to lead toward a master's of science in nursing (MSN) degree.

The clinical components of the curricula also vary according to students' preferences, but the main requirement is that any preceptorship provides the student with training specific to their chosen specialty, such as an OB/GYN nurse or a midwife. The amount of hours and the type of work required to satisfy the clinical component of the curriculum also varies by institution. According to the NCC's current WHNP program profile, eligible programs must include at least 600 clinical hours in women's health care content. Separately, the 2022 NP education standard requires an NP population-focused track to include a minimum of 750 direct patient care clinical hours, and the NCC's own exam-eligibility policy will require 750 direct patient care clinical hours for applicants graduating after December 31, 2029, subject to transitional rules based on graduation and testing date.

Career Pathways for WHNPs

Women's health nurse practitioners serve as primary care providers for women of all ages by assessing a woman's health and finding solutions to improve their health. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, the median annual wage for nurse practitioners was $132,300 as of May 2025.

The states with the highest employment level in nurse practitioners are Texas, California, New York, Florida and Ohio, according to the BLS's May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics estimates.

Interested in other women’s health-related fields? Check out the guide to certified nurse midwife programs (CNM).