Find A Degree

Enter your zip code: Choose a subject: Choose a degree: Choose a course type:
About Us
Our goal at RNtoMSNPrograms.net is to help connect RNs with accredited online MSN programs, so they can stay competitive in the field and have more opportunities for advancement and growth. Read more.
Recent Blog Posts
Healthcare Programs
About Our Blog
Nurse-O-Rama is a blog dedicated to bringing the best news, information, tips, and hacks all about the nursing profession to one convenient place.
Resource Center

Career Options with a Master of Nursing (MSN) Degree

With a masters of nursing degree you are bound to have plenty of career options. If you have not yet pursued your degree, then you have even more because this type of degree can be targeted to any specialty in the medical field. The career options with a masters in nursing degree are many and varied. This graduate degree can qualify you not only for more advanced nursing positions, but you can also get into management or even teaching nursing at a college or university. Nurse educators are in very high demand right now due to the increasing interest in nursing school. Schools are having a hard time handling these increasing numbers, so the demand for these educators is on the rise.

Do You Need A Masters to Be A Nurse?

You do not need a master’s degree to be a nurse. You can have a satisfying and successful nursing career if you only hold a bachelor’s degree or associate’s degree, but you will be limited as to how far you can progress in this field both as far as your salary goes and as far as your responsibilities extend. If you continue your education further, you allow yourself a lot of room to grow and advance in the medical field. So now you may wonder what the exact benefits are of obtaining a master’s degree in nursing.

What Career Options Can A Masters In Nursing Give You?

A masters in nursing of course will open the door for you to move on to more lucrative nursing positions, but that’s not all. A masters in nursing provides you with extensive training in a particular area of medicine, so that you will have a specialty. At this point you may be referred to as a clinical nurse specialist and you may either work in the field in your area of specialty, or you may choose to use this degree to teach. As a nurse working in your area of specialty, you may become more of a consultant for various departments within a medical facility. As a teacher you may work at community colleges and universities to pass on the skills of nursing to future nurses. If you are interested in management, this degree also helps train you for leadership roles in the medical field.

Is There A Demand For Nurses With Masters Degrees?

To put it simply, there is always a demand for nurses. Nurses serve as an integral part of the healthcare system and provide a large amount of the patient care services that make up the health care system. As much as nurses in general are always in demand, nurses with master’s degrees are harder to come by, so the demand for these specialized nurses can be even greater.

You have many careers options with a masters in nursing degree. You can become a:

Clinical nurse specialist
Nurse practitioner
Certified nurse midwife
Nurse anesthetist
Nurse educator

With these specialties, this degree allows you to focus on the type of patient care that most interests you. This gives you the freedom to take your education and career in the direction you choose. Whichever route you choose, you will always have many job opportunities just waiting for you to take advantage of them. The higher your degree and the more experience you have, the more marketable and attractive you will be to future employers. And this also means higher salaries could follow.

Most Popular RN-MSN Degree Programs

Registered nurses looking for career advancement and higher salaries would do well to look into earning a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree. An RN to MSN specifically is a degree designed for registered nurses who may or may not have already completed a bachelor's degree in nursing (BSN). Upon completion of an RN-MSN degree program, one will be educationally prepared to become a clinical nurse specialist or nurse practitioner. Below are online schools offering masters in nursing degrees.

RN to MSN RN to MSN: Nurse Admin RN to MSN: Nurse Education	*Kaplan University* - Kaplan University's RN to MSN program allows students to complete their bachelor's degrees and MSN together, with the MSN program in a condensed format. In addition to learning everything from basic to advanced nursing practices, students can opt to get MSNs in Nurse Administration or Nurse Education if they want to pursue management or teaching positions.
MSN: Educator MS: Educator Bridge	*Capella University* - Capella University offers two MSN programs: Nurse Educator, and Nurse Educator Bridge. Both programs are designed to teach registered nurses the skills they will need to take on roles as nursing faculty or clinical nurse mentors. The Nurse Educator Bridge specialization is especially good for nurses who wish to have careers teaching in higher education institutions, or even the military.
RN to MSN: Nurse Educator MSN: Health Systems Leadership	*Gonzaga University* - Gonzaga University's RN to MSN programs teach students to critically examine the latest research findings, communicate articulately to peers and patients, develop individualized holistic plans of health care, and assume leadership roles in health care – all while incorporating Jesuit values into their lives and practices.
RN to MSN MBA/MSN Dual Degree MHA/MSN Dual Degree RN to MSN: Informatics RN to MSN: Health Education	*University of Phoenix* - The University of Phoenix offers several RN to MSN degrees in addition to the general one, like an MBA/MSN dual degree, an MSN/MHA dual degree, or a RN to MSN degree in health care education or nursing informatics. The MBA/MSN blends advanced nursing and business management skills; the MSN/MHA combines nursing with health care related business and management skills; and the MSN/Health Care Education degree incorporates leadership skills into the Nursing program to prepare nurses to teach effectively.
RN to BSN	*Post University* - For students looking to advance their career in Nursing, Post University has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing available online. The online course can cut many of the costs associated with campus programs, like commuting, and increased living expenses. This course can be completed at a relatively fast pace compared to its campus counterpart too.
RN to MSN RN to MSN: Adult Health RN to MSN: Nurse Education	*South University* - South University's RN to MSN nursing programs are intended to prepare students to use research, apply nursing theories, design teaching plans, implement teaching skills, and analyze how health care policy will impact clinical practice. Students will learn about caring for multicultural societies, financial management for nurses, legal and ethical issues, theoretical perspectives, nursing research methods, palliative care, and gerontological care. Specialized degrees are offered in adult health and nursing education.
RN to MSN	*Chamberlain College of Nursing* - Chamberlain College of Nursing makes the RN to MSN simple by offering two tracks: the Educator Track and the Executive Track. Courses are offered online and include classes on informatics, leadership, assessment and evaluation, managerial communication, as well as advanced nursing practices.
RN to MSN: Nurse Admin RN to MSN: Nurse Educator RN to MSN: Nurse Midwife RN to MSN: Women's Health	*University of Cincinnati* - The MSN Programs at the University of Cincinnati's College of Nursing include perspectives from nursing sciences and holistic care to enhance the quality of health care its students can provide. Several MSN degrees are offered, including psychiatric NP or CNS, CNS/Nurse Education, Nursing Administration, Nurse Midwifery, and Women's Health.
RN to MSN: Adult Care RN to MSN: Mental Health RN to MSN: Nursing Faculty RN to MSN: Entrepreneurship RN to MSN: Management	*Drexel University* - Drexel University offers a wide variety of specialized MSN programs including adult acute care, adult psychiatric care, clinical trials, nurse management, entrepreneurship in advanced nursing practice, and contemporary nursing faculty. Courses are offered online, but the college is affiliated with the finest teaching hospitals in the U.S.
MSN MSN: Case Management MSN: Health Informatics MSN: Infection Prevention MSN: Nurse Leadership	*American Sentinel University* - The RN to MSN degree programs from American Sentinel University teach advanced methods in nursing. An MSN in Informatics prepares students to manage healthcare information systems. The MSN in Case Management teaches patient care innovations, while the MSN in Leadership will help you develop leadership skills.