OVERVIEW
A BSN to MSN Program Built with Busy Nurses in Mind
Experience is valuable. And your experience as a nurse is what will make you a great nurse educator. A BSN to MSN nursing education program is designed to help you thrive as a nurse educator—giving you crucial skills that will prepare you to train the next generation of nurses, impact patient care, and improve health systems in your community. WGU’s online, CCNE-accredited BSN to MSN program will prepare you to teach a new generation of nurses, influence patient outcomes, and change the future of healthcare.
This BSN to MSN program lets you utilize your knowledge and experience and gives you specific skills you need to take your passion and teach it to others. As a leader you will develop and implement life-saving techniques that will set important standards for the nurses you train. This online nursing education degree program also includes clinical practice experiences that support the student in demonstrating advanced nursing practice competence and curriculum development. Additionally, you'll have the opportunity to earn the NAHQ (National Association for Healthcare Quality) HQ Principles certificate along with your degree, helping you to boost your résumé before you even graduate.
Need to earn your BSN first? No problem! Check out the RN-to-MSN version of this program.
64% of graduates finish within
24 months*
WGU lets you move more quickly through material you already know and advance when you're ready. The result: You may finish faster.
*WGU Internal Data
Tuition per six-month term is
$4,367
Tuition charged per term—rather than per credit—helps you reduce the ultimate cost of your degree. Finish faster, pay less!
Transfer credit is accepted*
47%
of your coursework (up to 17 competency units) taken at the graduate (master's) level at a nationally or regionally accredited institution can be transferred to this WGU program.
*Courses must have been completed within the past five years with an earned grade of "B" or higher.
COURSES & COMPETENCIES
Nursing Education Courses
The WGU MSN – Education curriculum is evidence-based. Competencies for this specialty were derived from the National League for Nursing Nurse Educator standards and the Master’s Essentials for Professional Nursing practice.
In the MSN core of this online nursing program, you will develop knowledge related to complexities of healthcare, access, quality, and costs for diverse populations. The nurse educator specialization will cover topics like curriculum development, learning styles, assessment, and more.
This program consists of the following courses, which you will typically complete one at a time as you make your way through your program, working with your Program Mentor each term to build your personalized Degree Plan. You’ll work through each course as quickly as you can study and learn the material. As soon as you’re ready, you can pass the assessment, complete the course, and move on. This means you can finish as many courses as you're able in a term at no additional cost.
15 Courses
Program consists of 15 courses
At WGU, we design our curriculum to be timely, relevant, and practical—all to help you show that you know your stuff.
Field Experiences
Special requirements for this program
While most of your coursework will be completed online, your nursing program includes some requirements—including field experiences—that must be completed in a facility near you.
“The enrollment process was seamless. I talked to a gentleman on the phone, and he told me what I would need. I sent my transcripts in. Within three days they were evaluated. It was a really good process.”
—Robin Hill
M.S. Nursing – Education
WGU vs. Traditional Universities
Compare the Difference
Traditional Universities
TUITION STRUCTURE
Per credit hour
Flat rate per 6-month term
SUPPORT
A counselor you have to schedule time with
An individual Program Mentor who knows your goals and schedule
EXAMS
Scheduled time
Whenever you feel ready
SCHEDULE
Professor led lectures at a certain time and place
Courses available anytime, from anywhere
TIME TO FINISH
Approximately 2 years, minimal acceleration options
As quickly as you can master the material, can finish programs in 1 year
Traditional Universities
TUITION STRUCTURE
Per credit hour
TUITION STRUCTURE
Flat rate per 6-month term
SUPPORT
A counselor you have to schedule time with
SUPPORT
An individual Program Mentor who knows your goals and schedule
EXAMS
Scheduled time
EXAMS
Whenever you feel ready
SCHEDULE
Professor led lectures at a certain time and place
SCHEDULE
Courses available anytime, from anywhere
TIME TO FINISH
Approximately 2 years, minimal acceleration options
TIME TO FINISH
As quickly as you can master the material, can finish programs in 1 year
Why WGU?
Affordability
WGU tuition is charged per six-month term, not per credit. That means if you want to move faster through this online nursing education program, you'll pay less.
On Your Schedule
You can continue working at your full-time job or maintaining your responsibilities while pursing your BSN to MSN degree. You don't have to log-in to classes and there aren't due dates. You are in charge of your degree.
Alumni Network
When you enroll in the nursing education program at WGU, you join an impressive network of healthcare professionals. Over 18,000 students earned healthcare degrees from WGU in 2020 alone, and are hard at work, changing the lives of patients and impacting communities.
Accredited, Respected,
Recognized™
One important measure of a degree’s value is the reputation of the university where it was earned. When employers, industry leaders, and academic experts hold your alma mater in high esteem, you reap the benefits of that respect. WGU is a pioneer in reinventing higher education for the 21st century, and our quality has been recognized.
TRANSFER CREDIT
Transfer Credits Accepted, No Work Requirement
Now's the time to advance your healthcare career with a master's degree:
- Transfer up to 17 competency units (47%) of your MSN courses taken at the graduate (master's) level at an accredited institution to this WGU degree program. Courses must have been completed at an accredited MSN program within the past five years with an earned grade of "B" or higher.
- There is no RN work requirement. This means you don't need to be currently working as an RN in order to be eligible for admission into our MSN programs.
Safety Notice
WGU and the Leavitt School of Health are committed to the health, safety, and well-being of all patients, community members, and key stakeholders that interact with WGU students at various clinical/host sites. Interactions might include direct patient interaction, observation experiences, laboratory experiences, project development, or conducting research. Standard compliance verification for students in applicable LSH programs is required to protect the public, meet LSH program expectations, reasonably assure compliance with state regulatory board requirements, meet WGU’s contractual and legal obligations with clinical partners, and support WGU’s mission to prepare students who will be qualified to enter their desired field. Compliance items may include, but are not limited to, background checks, immunizations, and drug screens as needed.
COST & TIME
An Affordable Nursing Education Degree
By charging per term rather than per credit—and empowering students to accelerate through material they know well or learn quickly—WGU helps students control the ultimate cost of their degrees. The faster you complete your program, the less you pay for your degree.
A Nursing Master's Degree Is Within Reach
There is help available to make paying for school possible for you:
The average student loan debt of WGU graduates in 2022 (among those who borrowed) was less than half* the national average.
*WGU undergraduate students have approximately half the debt at graduation compared to the national average, according to the Institute for College Access and Success (2022).
Most WGU students qualify for financial aid, and WGU is approved for federal financial aid and U.S. veterans benefits.
Many scholarship opportunities are available. Find out what you might be eligible for.
FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE
Designed to be Different: An MSN Program Built for a Busy Nurse’s Schedule
Competency-based education puts working nurses in the driver’s seat of their education. As a busy nurse, you need a nursing degree program that's more than simply online—you need an online nursing program that truly reflects the realities of your work life and experience.
At WGU, your progress is driven by your ability to prove what you’ve learned. How—and how quickly—are largely up to you. Once you’ve mastered the defined competencies (knowledge and skills), you prove what you know through tests, papers, projects, or other assessments. Demonstrating mastery is how you pass a course, so learning what it takes to be outstanding in your career is at the heart of WGU’s MSN – Education curriculum.
Other universities' online M.S. programs may give you the convenience of distance learning; WGU's competency-based online programs take that flexibility further—many steps further!
"Because of my experience and my master’s, I know how to build this program from the ground up. I’m excited, and I never would've had such an opportunity without this degree. I wouldn't have even considered it—or attempted it.”
—Kristine Perry
M.S. Nursing – Education
CAREER OUTLOOK
Impart Excellence—Train Caregivers in Diverse Settings
Once you have earned a CCNE-accredited M.S. Nursing – Education degree, you will have the knowledge and skills to be an outstanding nurse educator. You'll be in demand, because you'll be prepared to translate your extensive nursing knowledge into learning opportunities for other nurses.
BSN to MSN prepared nurse educators teach and train nurses, nursing students, school children, community groups, workers, patients, and consumers. A BSN to MSN can prepare you to make a difference in a wide variety of settings, including:
- Hospitals.
- Community agencies.
- Schools.
- Industry and businesses.
- Nursing programs.
Return on Your Investment
$84K
Nursing instructors at colleges, universities, or professional schools make over $84,000 on average, according to recent statistics.
—U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Real Results for Your Career: An MSN – Education Degree Prepares You to Be a Nurse Educator
Given the growing nurse educator shortage, earning your MSN with a focus in nursing education is both a rewarding decision and a solid career move. Once you master subjects like curriculum development, instruction and evaluation, and current technology in nursing education, your role in nursing can take on a whole new dimension. Our 3,000-plus M.S. Nursing – Education alumni have great jobs and satisfying careers:
Job Titles
- Nurse educator
- Nursing faculty
- Program director
- Academic clinical nurse educator
Diverse Industries
- Hospitals and healthcare clinics
- Colleges and universities
- Healthcare networks
- Law enforcement and corrections
- Hospice providers
Major Employers
- Healthcare Corp. of America
- Kaiser-Permanente
- Purdue University
- University of Utah
- Hospice Care of California
WGU Grads Hold Positions With Top Employers
Hospitals and clinics around the country know the benefit of a master's degree from WGU, so your nursing degree is valuable.
ADMISSIONS
Admissions Requirements Unique to This Nursing Degree
To be considered for this master's in nursing education program, you must:
- Possess a bachelor of science in nursing degree (BSN).
- Possess an active, unencumbered RN license (though you are not required to be working as an RN at the time of enrollment):
1. In your state of residence, or
2. In your state of employment.
Prior to your clinical placement, you must submit to a criminal background check through American Databank and provide proof of current immunizations. Additional fees apply.
NOTE: RN licensure in your state of residence or employment is required to successfully complete clinical experiences. You must be licensed in the state in which you will complete the project or clinical experience. Compact licenses must be endorsed by your state of residence. For more information about compact licenses.
Get Your Enrollment Checklist
Download your step-by-step guide to enrollment.
Get Your Questions Answered
Talk to an WGU Enrollment Counselor.
More About the BSN-to-MSN Nursing Education Program
- General Program Questions
- Financial Aid Questions
Ready to Start Your WGU Journey?
