There are some excellent universities who have developed online education programs in advanced practice nursing but for one reason or another, have chosen to require that applicants hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. These programs avoid the issues associated with bridging a RN lacking a BSN into a masters of nursing program. They are graduate degree programs from the start, and several of them are available in an accelerated format for nurses who can engage in full time study.
1. University of Phoenix (*Highly Recommended) BSN to MSN program is offered at many of the school’s 200-plus campuses in the U.S. and also as an online option for working nurses. The areas of specialization for this program include the MSN in Health Care Education and the MSN in Nurse Informatics. The basic program includes fifteen courses two of which are practica.
2. Norwich University (*Highly Recommended) has a Council on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) accredited BSN to MSN program available in an online format. The unique distance learning format consists of six, six credit educational modules, each eleven weeks in length. These programs are taken sequentially for the MSN core courses and the specialization training, which is available in the fields of Nurse Administration or Nursing Education.
3. St. Xavier University (*Highly Recommended) offers an online MSN in Clinical Nurse Leadership to qualified applicants with an active nursing license and a BSN. The program includes one three-day stay on campus, located near Chicago. This specialization requires substantial clinical training hours, which the University will help in arranging for students in the program.
4. Grand Canyon University has several MSN programs on the Arizona campus, with two areas of specialization that are offered as online options. The distance learning choices for practicing nurses with a BSN are the MSN in Nursing Education and the MSN in Nursing Leadership in Healthcare Systems. Both are thirty six credit hour programs.
5. MidAmerica Nazarene University offers the MSN online to applicants who have completed a bachelor’s in nursing and hold an active nursing license in their state of residence. The two areas of concentration offered are the MSN in Healthcare Administration and the MSN in Nursing Education. Both programs have thirty six credit hour curricula with capstone projects that are research oriented.
6. Benedictine University makes the MSN program available online to nurses holding a BSN and an active license. The areas of concentration that students may choose from include Public Health, Health Education, Administration, Leadership, Disaster Management and Health Policy. The program is CCNE accredited.
7. Vanderbilt University is easing into online education, with their first distance learning program coming from the School of Nursing. The BSN to MSN online degree is offered with specialization in Health Systems Management, which is designed to train advanced practice nurses for management roles in multiple environments within the healthcare delivery systems structure.
