What’s the great thing about enrolling in one of the MSN programs in Pennsylvania? Who said there has to be only one? In Pennsylvania, nursing master’s programs offer concentrations in nursing education, executive healthcare leadership, and advanced clinical practice; these are highly sought-after specialties where employment opportunities are expected to rise by 43 percent over the next 10 years. Your professional income will increase: MSN-educated RNs in the Keystone State make $124,210 annually. You won’t have to give up your job either because, in Pennsylvania, many Master of Science in Nursing degrees are offered online. Learn more about this exciting opportunity by reading this guide to the 30 best MSN programs in Pennsylvania.
MSN Program Details: The University of Pennsylvania nursing master’s degree is not only one of the best MSN programs in Pennsylvania, it’s also one of the best in the United States. U.S. News & World Report ranks it #4 nationwide.
Penn offers an amazing 12 MSN concentrations in all: three acute care APRN tracks, five primary care APRN tracks, one advanced specialist track, and three non-clinical MSN specialties. Some of Penn’s MSN concentrations are further broken down into subspecialties: the university’s PACNP pathway, for example, allows you to choose between an Acute/Chronic Care concentration, a Critical Care concentration, and an Oncology concentration.
To graduate from the Health Leadership concentration, you’ll need to complete 10 credits. The AGACNP, NNP, PACNP, PPCNP, and Health Leadership pathways each require 12 credits, while the FNP, PMHNP, and Nursing & Healthcare Administration tracks require 14 credits. You’ll need to accumulate 13 credits for the WHNP major and 13.5 credits for the Nurse-Midwifery major. All APRN concentrations require a minimum of 600 clinical hours. The Nursing & Healthcare Administration concentration involves an administrative practicum, while you must complete a capstone project if you choose the Nursing & Healthcare Leadership track.
The APRN pathways and non-clinical tracks have significantly different core curricula. Core nursing courses for the APRN pathways include “Advanced Physical Assessment and Clinical Decision Making” and “Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology,” while core classes for the non-clinical tracks focus on nursing leadership and quality improvement. APRN students do clinical rotations at top healthcare facilities within the Philadelphia metro, like Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Hospital, and Penn Care at Home & Hospice.
Penn’s MSN program is primarily based at the university’s campus in Philadelphia, although the Nursing & Healthcare Leadership concentration is offered online. Depending upon the concentration, full-time students can expect to graduate in anywhere from 15 months to two years, while part-time students can expect to graduate in two to three years.
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• U.S. News & World Report also rates Penn’s individual MSN concentrations highly. This MSN program in Pennsylvania has the second-best Nursing Administration track, the third-best AGACNP track, the third-best PMHNP track, the fifth-best AGPCNP track, and the eighth-best FNP track in the nation.MSN Program Details: Villanova University offers the four APRN specialties associated with its MSN degree as a hybrid program. The seven core nursing courses required for these concentrations can be completed online or at the university’s campus in Villanova, but clinical classes are only taught on campus to enhance students’ hands-on skills. Villanova also offers a non-clinical Nursing Education concentration that can be completed either online or on campus.
The AGNP, PMHNP, and FNP tracks entail 47 credits and 730 clinical hours, while the PNP pathway requires 45 credits and 610 clinical hours. The Nursing Education concentration is a 46-credit track with a single 3-credit practicum in its final semester. Core nursing courses “Clinical Ethics: Theory and Practice,” “Nursing Research: The Practice Connection,” and “Leadership Strategies in Nursing.” Villanova utilizes a variety of healthcare settings throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware for clinical rotations.
You can enroll in Villanova’s MSN program part-time and graduate in 30 months (2.5 years) or full-time and graduate in 18 to 24 months (1.5 to two years.) You can even take a semester off without jeopardizing your enrollment. However, once you start your clinical rotations, which extend from January to December in your final year, you must continue for the entire year or risk being dropped from the program. Villanova accepts new cohorts into its MSN program in the spring and fall, and each semester lasts 15 weeks.
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• While Villanova University is a Catholic institution, it welcomes students of all faiths, and Catholic beliefs do not inform its MSN curriculum.MSN Program Details: Duquesne University’s MSN students benefit from the convenience of an online program while they enjoy the educational advantages of a classroom through residences at the university’s campus in Pittsburgh. While courses are primarily offered via a distance learning platform, the 42-credit (750 clinical hours) AGACNP track requires three campus residencies, the 42-credit (700 clinical hours) FNP track and the 44-credit (550 clinical hours) require two campus residencies, and the 36-credit (225 clinical hours) and Nurse Educator track each requires one. Only the Executive Nurse Leadership & Health Care Management track is offered entirely online.
Foundational MSN courses for all six concentrations include “Historical and Contemporary Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice,” “Evidence Based Nursing Practice and Policy Development,” and “Healthcare Ethics in Practice and Policy.” Duquesne partners with 22 rural and urban healthcare delivery systems throughout Pittsburgh and other parts of western Pennsylvania; you’ll participate in clinical experiences at hospitals like UPMC Mercy, Altoona, and Horizon/Jameson.
Duquesne’s online learning platform utilizes asynchronous technology so that you can learn at your own speed. This MSN program in Pennsylvania has three start dates a year: spring, summer, or fall, and offers full-time and part-time enrollment options.
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• Although Duquesne University is affiliated with the Catholic Church, its doors are open to students from all faiths, and Catholic doctrine plays no part in its MSN curriculum.MSN Program Details: Like several other MSN programs in Pennsylvania, the University of Pittsburgh is transitioning its APRN programs to its DNP degree in accordance with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s stipulations. However, this MSN program still offers a 65-credit (780 clinical hours) NNP pathway in addition to two non-clinical tracks: a 39.5-credit (240 practicum hours) Nursing Informatics concentration and a 33-credit (120 practicum hours) School Nursing concentration. The Nursing Informatics and School Nursing concentrations are both offered online, but the NNP track is only taught onsite at the university’s main campus in Pittsburgh.
Core nursing coursework common to all three specialties includes classes like “Research for Evidence-Based Practice I & II,” “Public Policy in Healthcare,” and “Leadership Development.” NNP students pursue supervised patient care experiences with hospitals affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh, such as UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, as well as healthcare facilities like UPMC Passavant-Cranberry, UPMC Altoona, and Heritage Valley Health System. School Nursing and Nursing Informatics majors can complete their practicums in facilities in their own geographic areas.
You can graduate from the School Nursing track in a single year and the NNP and Nursing Informatics tracks in two years. Classes begin in the fall term. All three of the University of Pittsburgh’s MSN concentrations can be pursued full-time or part-time.
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• U.S. News & World Report has dubbed the University of Pittsburgh’s online MSN offerings the 14th-best in the nation.RN-to-MSN Program Details: Are you a registered nurse whose bachelor’s degree is in a non-nursing field? Drexel University’s RN-to-MSN bridge program will enable you to earn your nursing master’s in just two to three years of full-time studies.
The actual bridge course itself is a ten-week class: “Genetics and Genomics: Application to Nursing Practice.” Once you pass this class successfully, you can embark upon a generalist nursing master’s level curriculum or an MSN with a Nursing Education, Public Health Nursing Quality, Safety, and Risk Management, or Leadership in Health Systems Management specialization. This MSN program in Pennsylvania does not award you a separate BSN degree.
MSN Program Details: Drexel University’s nursing master’s degree is widely of the most versatile MSN programs in Pennsylvania because when you enroll, you have the option of specializing in one of eight nurse practitioner pathways, one dual NP pathway, and four non-clinical nursing tracks.
Drexel University uses the quarter system. You’ll need to complete 57 quarter credits and 800 clinical hours to graduate from the AGACNP or PACNP specializations. The AGPCNP, PPCNP, and PMHNP tracks each comprise 52 quarter credits and 640 clinical hours. The FNP pathway entails 56 quarter credits and 720 clinical hours, while the WHGRNP pathway requires 55 quarter credits and 640 clinical hours. If you choose the FNP specialization with the Emergency subspecialty, you must take 63 quarter credits. The dual PAC/PCNP track involves 62 credits.
Among the non-clinical MSN tracks, the Nursing Education and Nursing Leadership in Health Systems Management pathways each require 45 quarter credits and 160 practicum hours. The Public Health Nursing pathway requires 160 practicum hours but 46 quarter credits. For the Quality, Safety, & Risk Management in Healthcare track, you will take 45 quarter credits, but you must complete a capstone rather than a practicum.
Drexel University’s MSN concentrations are offered primarily online, but you will have to visit Drexel’s campus in Philadelphia up to four times during your enrollment to participate in enrichment learning, such as simulated clinical experiences. Foundational coursework for all MSN tracks includes classes like “Evaluation and Translation of Health Research,” “Confronting Issues in Contemporary Health Care Environments,” and “Advanced Ethical Decision Making in Health Care.” You’ll be able to satisfy your clinical rotation requirements at a healthcare facility near your residence.
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• U.S. News & World Report rates Drexel University’s Nursing Education MSN specialty as the second-best online nursing education track in the U.S.MSN Program Details: Thomas Jefferson University’s MSN program in Pennsylvania offers nine distinct concentrations, including seven nurse practitioner specialties and two non-clinical tracks. The AGACNP, AGPCNP, FNP, NNP, PPCNP, and Women’s Health-Gender Related Nurse Practitioner specializations all require 45 credits and 750 clinical hours. The Nursing Education: Academic Nursing and Transformative Systems Leadership tracks entail 36 credits; the Nursing Education track includes a 224-hour practicum, while the Transformative Systems track includes 30 to 60 practicum hours.
The AGACNP, Nursing Education: Academic Nursing, and Transformative Systems Leadership pathways are offered online, though students must attend a mandatory campus orientation. The remaining specialties are all taught face-to-face at both the Center and Dixon campuses, except for the PMHNP track, which is only taught at the Center campus. All MSN tracks take between two and five years to complete, depending upon whether you enroll full-time or part-time. Depending upon their specialization track, students can start this MSN program in Pennsylvania in the spring, summer, or fall.
Core nursing courses include “Leadership and Critical Decision Making,” “Philosophy, Foundations, and Methods for Evidence-Based Practice,” and “Research for Advanced Practice Nursing.” Students who complete coursework on campus will participate in clinical rotations at Thomas Jefferson Hospital and other healthcare facilities associated with the Jefferson network. Students enrolled in the AGACNP, Nursing Education: Academic Nursing, and Transformative Systems Leadership pathways will complete practicums in the community where students live at facilities where the university has negotiated a clinical partnership.
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• 98 percent of Thomas Jefferson’s MSN graduates find employment in their chosen field within one year of graduation.MSN Program Details: Want to help remedy Pennsylvania’s worrisome shortage of primary healthcare providers? Check out the University of Scranton’s MSN program, which features a 36-credit Family Nurse Practitioner concentration with a minimum of 875 clinical hours. This is one of the MSN programs in Pennsylvania that’s offered primarily online. However, you will have to participate in two skills intensives at the university’s campus in Scranton.
You’ll take classes like “Health Problems in the Developing Family,” “Family Health Synthesis,” and “Systems Leadership in Advanced Practice Nursing.” The University of Scranton will work with you to find dynamic clinical placements in an area close to where you live. The program is five semesters (21 months) long, and classes begin in the fall.
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• The University of Scranton’s MSN program emphasizes hands-on experiences with patients. You’ll begin the first of four clinical rotations in your second semester.MSN Program Details: Penn State’s Nurse Administrator and Nurse Educator nursing master’s tracks are both offered online to better accommodate the needs of working RNs. Both tracks comprise 36 credits and require you to complete a practicum at a location convenient to your home. The Nurse Administrator track involves 180 hours, while the Nurse Educator track entails 270 hours.
The nine credits of foundational MSN courses include classes like “Issues In Nursing and Health Care,” “Theoretical and Scientific Foundations of Advanced Practice Nursing,” and “Evidence-Based Practice: Inquiry and Research Methods.” You can enroll full-time (three courses a semester) and complete the program in two years or part-time (two courses a semester) and complete the program in three.
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• Pennsylvania State University’s Nese College of Nursing has been named a National League for Nursing Center of Excellence by the National League for Nursing.MSN Program Details: When you enroll in DeSales University’s MSN program, you’ll have the opportunity to choose from five specialties: a 50-credit (675 clinical hours) AGACNP pathway, a 50-credit (675 clinical hours) FNP pathway, a 64-credit (675 clinical hours) PMHNP pathway, a 45-credit (525 clinical hours) AGACCNS track, and a 51-credit (375 clinical hours) Forensic Nursing with Certification in Investigative Forensics track.
The PMHNP track is offered online except for clinical rotations, but the other courses use a hybrid format where you’ll take core MSN courses online but combine online and real-time access for advanced core and specialty/clinical courses with real-time classes meeting once a week from 5 to 9 p.m. at DeSales University’s Center Valley campus. You’ll participate in clinical rotations throughout the Delaware Valley, so you must have Pennsylvania and New Jersey RN licensure by the time you start your practicum experiences.
Part-time students can graduate in three years, and full-time students can graduate in two. New students are accepted into this MSN program in Pennsylvania four times a year in the summer, fall, winter, and spring semesters.
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• You can pursue a Nurse Executive MSN/MBA dual degree or an MSN/ Master of Science in Information Systems (MSIS) dual degree at DeSales University.MSN Program Details: Nursing Education is the sole nursing master’s concentration in Robert Morris University’s MSN track. This 37-credit program is offered completely online except for three practicums. You’ll take courses like “Theory of Learning,” “Curriculum Design,” and “Health Policy & Economics.” Practicums will be scheduled at a community agency in your own area.
If you want to plunge straight into a nursing education program, this may be one of the best online MSN programs in Pennsylvania for you because Robert Morris University accepts students on a rolling admission basis every eight weeks when a new academic term starts. You can graduate from this program in two years.
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• Robert Morris University offers a 51-credit MSN/MBA program that combines education in nursing leadership with finance and accounting.MSN Program Details: Are you a working RN in central western Pennsylvania who wants to advance your professional horizons? Indiana University of Pennsylvania offers an MSN program with two concentrations, Nursing Education and Nursing Administration, that you can pursue part-time on a flexible schedule. Both concentrations require 36 credits. The Nursing Education track entails a 225 hour practicum, while the Nursing Administration pathway involves a 150 hour practicum. Both practicums must take place in a healthcare facility or community agency local to IUP, so this is one of the MSN programs in Pennsylvania that requires applicants to be licensed as RNs in the Keystone State.
Foundational coursework includes classes like “Health Promotion and Social Issues,” “Health Policy and Patient Advocacy,” and “Leadership in Health Care.” The curriculum is taught in a classroom, and classes take place during the days, evenings, and weekends. Courses are taught over seven-week terms. Full-time students can graduate from this program in one to three years, while part-time students have up to five years to finish their studies.
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• Indiana University of Pennsylvania will let you combine Nursing Education and Nursing Administration as a dual major. This will only take you an additional two semesters.MSN Program Details: The MSN program at Cedar Crest College can prepare you to be an AGACNP, an FNP, a Nursing Educator, or a Nursing Administrator. The 47-credit AGACNP track requires 672 clinical hours, while the 63-credit FNP pathway includes 728 clinical hours. Full-time students can complete either NP specialty in three years. The Nursing Administrator and Nursing Educator concentrations are both two-year tracks for full-time students. Both non-clinical concentrations involve 37 credits and 224 practicum hours.
You’ll take a common core of MSN coursework no matter which of the Cedar Crest College MSN specialties you choose, and this will include classes like “Issues and Trends Relevant to Nursing,” “Conceptual & Theoretical Foundations for Nursing,” and “Research for Evidence-based Nursing Practice.” This MSN program in Pennsylvania is taught at Cedar Crest College’s Allentown campus. You’ll pursue clinical rotations and practicums at healthcare facilities affiliated with the Lehigh Valley Health Network as well as other community agencies in neighboring communities.
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• Cedar Crest College’s state-of-the-art nursing simulation lab features settings that replicate home and hospital environments, and it’s open 20 hours a day to give you the opportunity to practice your newly acquired hands-on skills.MSN Program Details: At Holy Family University, you can take advantage of two non-clinical MSN pathways: Nursing Education and Leadership. Both specialties require you to complete 33 credits, including courses like “Leadership, Role Development, and Foundations of Practice,” “Policy, Diversity, and Ethical Issues in Healthcare,” and “Population Health, Health Promotion and Disease Prevention.” You’ll also be responsible for completing 500 clinical hours, and Holy Family University’s clinical placement team will work closely with you to find a suitable preceptor and placement site in your area. Holy Family University offers its MSN online via asynchronous technology so that you can balance your educational aspirations with all your other life commitments.
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• You don’t have to be Catholic to enroll in Holy Family University’s MSN program, but some of its teaching does reflect the school’s pride in its Catholic identity.MSN Program Details: Interested in improving healthcare outcomes by educating and inspiring nurses? La Roche University offers a nursing master’s degree with three specializations to help you achieve your goal. The Clinical Nurse Leader track requires 42 credits and 400 clinical hours; the Nursing Administration and Nursing Education tracks require 36 and 37 credits, respectively. All three MSN tracks share a common MSN core curriculum that involves courses like “Research and Evidence Based,” “Healthcare Delivery Systems,” and “Theory and Role Development.” All three also include a capstone project during which you’ll apply the nursing theory you learned in your didactic coursework to an issue connected to your MSN concentration focus.
This MSN program in Pennsylvania is an online program. You’ll be able to complete your practicum requirements in a healthcare facility or community agency close to your home. La Roche University accepts new MSN cohorts in the fall, and full-time students can graduate from the program in two years.
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• La Roche University also offers an MSN program for individuals who are not RNs, have a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field, and want to enter the nursing profession at the master’s degree level.MSN Program Details: Misericordia University intends its MSN program to offer a seamless transition into its doctoral-level studies, so six DNP credits are built into its core MSN curriculum. Other foundational courses you’ll take when you pursue either the university’s AGPCNP or FNP nursing master’s specializations are “Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology,” “Advanced Pharmacology for Primary Care,” and “Evidence-Based Practice Theory and Role.”
While both MSN pathways are offered online, plan to visit the university’s campus in Dallas, Pennsylvania, for two skills intensives. The AGPCNP track entails 45 credits and a minimum of 500 clinical hours, while the FNP track involves 50 credits and a minimum of 620 clinical hours. The university staff will work with you to find a clinical preceptor and placement near your home. Both MSN paths take three years to complete.
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• Interested in learning how to deliver holistic healthcare? Misericordia University may be one of the best MSN programs in Pennsylvania for you because it focuses on a holistic view of healthcare that balances social and medical factors.MSN Program Details: West Chester University’s MSN program offers tracks for people who want to become Nurse Educators or Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialists. The 40-credit Nurse Educators track requires 135 precepted hours of classroom and clinical teaching experience. The AGCNS track entails 42 credits and also includes a practicum. Both tracks are taught online, with asynchronous and synchronous technology options, so working RNs can maximize the flexibility they need to balance coursework and employment. You can enroll in this MSN program in Pennsylvania either part-time or full-time.
West Chester University accepts new MSN cohorts in the fall and spring. Foundational nursing courses include “Pathophysiology for Advanced Practice Nursing,” “Healthcare Policy, Leadership & Organization,” and “Nursing Theories & Issues.” You’ll have to pursue your practicum in the Keystone State, so all students in this program must have Pennsylvania RN licensure before starting clinicals.
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• In addition to its Nurse Educators MSN track, West Chester University offers School Nurse Certification programs for the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Educational Specialist Levels I and II.MSN Program Details: The Family Nurse Practitioner track in Gannon University's MSN program only takes two and a half years to complete. The FNP track includes courses like “Role Theory and Professional Issues in Nursing,” “Foundations of Research and Theoretical Frameworks in Nursing,” and “Advanced Physical Assessment” and consists of 42 credits in total and a minimum of 304 clinical hours. Gannon University’s MSN Family Nurse Practitioner pathway is only offered online on a part-time basis. All courses start in the fall semester. You’ll complete your clinical experiences in a clinic, physician’s office, or other primary care setting close to where you live.
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• Gannon University has no application fee; you can apply to this Pennsylvania MSN program for free.MSN Program Details: MSN students at Moravian University can specialize in one of six nursing master’s concentrations: a 44-credit AGACNP pathway, a 44-credit AGPCNP pathway, a 46-credit FNP pathway, a 35-credit Clinical Nurse Leader track, a 37-credit Nurse Educator track, and a 36-credit Nurse Administrator track. Each of the nurse practitioner specializations requires 750 clinical hours. You’ll have to participate in 500 practicum hours if you decide to enroll in the CNL track. The Nurse Educator and Nurse Administrator tracks entail 100 and 150 practicum hours, respectively.
All six specializations share core MSN coursework that includes classes like “Epidemiology and Bioinformatics,” “Policy, Quality, and Safety in Health Care,” and “Nursing Role Theory and Evidence-Based Practice.” Moravian University offers classes both online and on its campus in Bethlehem. It may be one of the few MSN programs in Pennsylvania, in fact, that will allow you to mix and match course formats as you progress toward your degree. Clinical rotations take place at healthcare facilities throughout the Lehigh Valley, so applicants to this program will need Pennsylvania RN licensure, and you’ll also need to be licensed in New Jersey by the time you begin clinical experiences.
New classes start in the fall and spring semesters. Full-time students typically graduate from Moravian University’s MSN program in two years. You can also enroll in this program part-time.
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• Moravian University also offers an RN-to-MSN bridge program for ADN- or hospital diploma-educated RNs interested in applying to the CNL, Nurse Administrator, and Nurse Educator tracks. Applicants must prove baccalaureate-level nursing competency through prior coursework, challenge examinations, and relevant experience.RN-to-MSN Program Details: La Salle University’s RN-to-MSN bridge program is a set of four undergraduate courses: “Health Assessment,” “Nursing Research,” “International Public Health Nursing,” and “Statistics.” Once you complete this coursework successfully, you can apply to transition into La Salle University’s traditional MSN program. The program is designed for RNs with non-nursing baccalaureate degrees and is offered online.
MSN Program Details: La Salle University offers three nurse practitioner concentrations in conjunction with its nursing master’s degree program: a 41-credit (512 clinical hours) AGPCNP track, a 45-credit (692 clinical hours) FNP track, and a 46-credit (minimum of 704 clinical hours) PMHNP track. Core nursing courses include “Nursing Research for Evidence-Based Practice,” “Advanced Nursing Roles in Health Care,” and “Advanced Nursing Practice for Population-Based Care.”
This MSN program in Pennsylvania is an online program and will take 28 months to 36 months to complete, depending upon whether you enroll full-time or part-time. Students residing in or near the Philadelphia metro will be able to take advantage of La Salle University’s partnerships with leading local healthcare facilities like Jefferson Health System, Temple University Hospital, and Cooper Medical Center for clinical rotations. However, if you live farther away, the university will work with you to find a solid preceptor and clinical site. La Salle University’s MSN program offers multiple start dates throughout the spring and fall.
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• La Salle University charges out-of-state students the same tuition as Pennsylvania residents.MSN Program Details: Neumann University’s MSN program features three specialization tracks: an AGACNP pathway, an AGPCNP pathway, and an FNP pathway. All three nurse practitioner tracks require you to complete 45 credits; the two Adult-Gerontology pathways involve 784 clinical hours, while the FNP pathway entails 840 clinical hours. Except for clinical experiences, your coursework will be delivered 100 percent online, using asynchronous technology so you can learn at your own pace.
Core nursing coursework includes “Health Policy, Legal, and Ethics,” “Health Promotion,” and “Nursing Research.” Terms are seven weeks long. Neumann University has partnerships for clinical rotations with a number of healthcare facilities throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, but it will work with you to find a suitable preceptor and placement no matter where you live. Full-time students can graduate from this program in two years. The program accepts new students in the fall and spring.
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• Graduates of Neumann University’s nurse practitioner MSN pathways have a 100 percent pass rate on their certification examinations.MSN Program Details: Messiah University offers two non-clinical MSN concentrations: a 39-credit Nurse Educator track and a 38-credit Nurse Administrator track. The Nurse Administrator track includes 180 hours of practicum time; the Nurse Educator track includes 360. You’ll participate in practicums in the geographical area where you live.
Courses are delivered online over 6-, 8-, 12-, and 16-week terms. Foundational MSN courses include “Health Informatics,” “Bioethics,” and “Statistics for Evidence-Based Practice.” Most students can expect to graduate in three years, but you can accelerate through the curriculum more quickly if you’re motivated and graduate in two.
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• Business-minded students enrolled in Messiah University’s Nursing Administration concentration can choose to complement their MSN with a dual MBA degree.RN-to-MSN Program Details: Chatham University’s RN-to-MSN program is a more efficient—and less expensive—way for ADN- and hospital diploma-educated RNs to earn a BSN and MSN degree than taking the two degrees consecutively. This online bridge program comprises 44 credits and 500 clinical hours and will train you in Nursing Education. Chatham University accepts applications to this program on a rolling basis throughout the year, but the program begins in the fall. You should be able to earn your BSN and MSN degrees through this program in two to three years.
MSN Program Details: Working RNs interested in becoming nurse educators or nurse leaders will appreciate the convenience of Chatham University’s MSN program because, aside from clinical experiences, it’s offered entirely online. Chatham University’s Nursing Leadership and Nursing Education tracks both require 30 credits and 500 practice hours and will take full-time five 15-week semesters to complete. You can also enroll in this Pennsylvania MSN part-time if you prefer.
Core nursing courses include “Scientific Underpinnings: Practice and Scholarship,” “Informatics Foundation and Health Care Technology,” and “Health Assessment and Promotion Across the Lifespan.” You’ll be able to perform your clinical rotations at a healthcare facility or community agency close to your home. Chatham University accepts new MSN cohorts in the spring and fall.
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• Chatham University offers a significant tuition discount to nurses who work for any of the University of Pittsburgh’s medical centers and affiliated healthcare facilities.MSN Program Details: If you’re an RN seeking to expand your professional horizons but needing to balance your work, education, and personal commitments, Pennsylvania Western University’s MSN program may be an ideal solution. PennWest’s online nursing master’s program combines asynchronous instruction with weekly deadlines using the D2L Brightspace platform. The 49-credit Family Nurse Practitioner track requires 750 clinical hours and one visit to a PennWest campus for a skills intensive. (A second skills intensive will be conducted virtually.) The 30-credit Administration & Leadership track requires 225 clinical hours.
PennWest’s two MSN concentrations have substantively different core nursing curricula. With the FNP track, you’ll take courses like “Advanced Concepts in Pathophysiology” and “Clinical Diagnostics”; as a student pursuing the Administration & Leadership track, you’ll participate in classes like “Health Policy in Nursing” and “Information Systems in Healthcare Organizations.” You’ll be able to complete your clinical experiences at community facilities and healthcare agencies close to where you already live and work.
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• Pennsylvania Western University has campuses in the boroughs of California, Clarion, and Edinboro.RN-to-MSN Program Details: Excluding clinical experiences, all the coursework you’ll have to complete to graduate from Wilkes University’s RN-to-MSN bridge program is available online. The curriculum includes bridge courses like “Transition to Baccalaureate Nursing for the Graduate Nursing Student,” “Leadership and Management Practicum for the Graduate Nursing Student,” and “Graduate Academic Writing for Nursing Professionals,” in addition to traditional MSN courses. You’ll work closely with a clinical placement coordinator who will find you a practicum in your local community.
Wilkes University accepts new students into its RN-to-MSN bridge program in the spring, summer, and fall. You won’t be awarded a discrete BSN degree, and it will take you two and a half to three years to complete your MSN degree.
MSN Program Details: When you enroll in Wilkes University’s MSN program, you can select from one of three specializations: a 54-credit (629 clinical hours) FNP track, a 51-credit (545 clinical hours) AGPCNP track, and a 53-credit (545 clinical hours) PMHNP track. Foundational MSN classes include “Advanced Nursing Research,” “Health Policy and Politics for Advancing Nursing Practice,” and “Diagnostic Reasoning for Nurse Practitioners.” Courses are taught over 12-week terms.
You’ll collaborate with a highly trained placement coordinator to find the clinical preceptor and placement that best fits your needs. To graduate from the FNP and PMHNP tracks, you'll need seven terms (2.3 years); to graduate from the AGPCNP pathway, you'll need six terms (two years). This MSN program in Pennsylvania accepts new students in the spring, summer, and fall terms.
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• Certification exam prep courses are integrated into the curriculum, and Wilkes University’s first-time pass rates on certification examinations are significantly higher than the national average.MSN Program Details: Immaculata University offers a 44-credit (825 clinical hours) Family Nurse Practitioner track, a 33-credit Nursing Administration pathway, and a 44-credit Nursing Educator pathway. All three specializations include a capstone experience, and the non-clinical MSN tracks include practicums. Nursing Administration and Nursing Education are offered entirely online except for practicum courses, while the FNP is a hybrid program that combines classroom and distance learning.
All three specializations include core nursing courses, such as “Health Care Policy and Politics,” “Interprofessional Health Care Research,” and “Advanced Health Assessment.” The FNP track is specifically designed for part-time students; you should be able to graduate from it in just three years.
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• Interested in delivering holistic nursing care? Immaculata University may have one of the best MSN programs in Pennsylvania for you because Immaculata focuses on teaching you how to address your patients’ physical, mental, and spiritual needs.MSN Program Details: Saint Francis University’s Family Nurse Practitioner program is one of the most affordable MSN programs in Pennsylvania. This FNP track was specifically designed to meet the needs of working RNs: You’ll be able to access most of your coursework online, although you will have to visit the university’s campus in Loretto four times throughout the course for a total of 11 days to participate in orientation, review courses, and skills intensives in the university’s state-of-the-art simulation lab.
The 48-credit FNP track includes 750 clinical hours and classes such as “Advanced Nursing Practice: Emergence, Theory, and Leadership,” “Advanced Physical Assessment and Differential Diagnosis,” and “Population Focused Leadership for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention.” You can complete clinical requirements at a healthcare facility close to where you live and work. Full-time students can graduate from this program in 15 to 24 months. Part-time study plans are also available.
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• Interested in teaching other RNs? You can earn a post-master’s certificate in nursing education while you’re enrolled in Saint Francis University’s FNP MSN track just by taking three additional graduate-level courses.MSN Program Details: The Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania MSN program offers two nurse practitioner concentrations and three non-clinical specializations. The 41-credit (560 clinical hours) AGPCNP track and the 50-credit (980 clinical hours) FNP track are both offered entirely online except for supervised direct patient care experiences. Commonwealth University accepts new cohorts into its NP tracks in the spring, summer, and fall semesters, and both NP specialties are available in full-time and part-time formats.
If you’re interested in the business end of healthcare delivery, Commonwealth University may be one of the best MSN programs in Pennsylvania because it offers a dual degree option for Nursing Administration MSN/MBA, comprising 93 credits in all. The university also features a 39-credit Nursing Informatics pathway and a 36-credit Public Health Nursing pathway, which includes coursework that will qualify you to become certified as a school nurse. These MSN specializations are all offered online. You can enroll full-time or part-time, starting in the spring, summer, or fall.
All five MSN concentrations share foundational coursework that includes classes like “Theoretical Bases for Role Development in Advanced Nursing Practice” and “Bases of Research for the Advanced Nursing Practice.” MSN students who live in the Keystone State will pursue clinical practicums in healthcare facilities throughout central Pennsylvania, including medical centers affiliated with the Geisinger Health Center. If you’re not a state resident, though, Commonwealth University’s staff will work hard to find you clinical rotations close to your home.
Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students
• Commonwealth University recently received a $5 million endowment from private donors, specifically earmarked toward the university’s efforts to address and remediate Pennsylvania’s severe nursing shortage.MSN Program Details: Waynesburg University’s nursing master’s program features three non-clinical concentrations and one non-clinical dual degree. The Administration, Education, and Nursing Informatics tracks require the completion of 30 credits, while the dual degree pathway requires 42 credits. Foundational MSN courses common to all three tracks include “Advanced Health Promotion,” “Critical Thinking for Patient Safety and Quality,” and “Politics and Health Policy,” as well as two capstone practicums.
This MSN program in Pennsylvania is 100 percent online except for practicums and was designed to be taken part-time. You’ll graduate in approximately two years. The MSN course sequence begins in the fall semester.
Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students
• Waynesburg University also offers an MSN/MBA dual degree program.MSN Program Details: Widener University’s MSN program is designed to help you meet your professional goals in advanced clinical practice and nursing leadership. You will take the same foundational MSN curriculum, including courses like “Advanced Health Assessment,” “Nursing Leadership for Advanced Practice,” and “Population Health and Epidemiology” whether you enroll in the 45-credit (750 clinical hours) Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner track, the 42-credit (504 clinical hours) Adult Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist track, the 45-credit (750 clinical hours) Family Nurse Practitioner track, or the 45-credit (500 clinical hours) Health Systems Leadership pathway.
All four MSN tracks can be pursued online, although the three advanced practice pathways require you to attend one health assessment lab at Widener University’s campus in Chester. You’ll be able to pursue clinical experiences at healthcare facilities in your own state of residence. Widener University accepts new cohorts into its MSN program in the fall, spring, and summer. The MSN program can be completed full-time or part-time. Students typically complete the AGCNS track in 30 to 36 months (two and a half to three years) and the FNP and Health System Leadership pathways in 18 to 24 months (one and a half to two years.)
Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students
• The National League for Nursing has honored Widener University as a National Center of Nursing Excellence.MSN Program Details: York College of Pennsylvania takes a no-nonsense approach to the education it provides aspiring nurse practitioners. Its 47-credit FNP, 50-credit PMHNP, and 46-credit AGPCNP tracks can each be completed in 24 to 36 months (two to three years.) Each specialization also requires you to fulfill 784 clinical hours.
This MSN program in Pennsylvania is primarily taught at the college’s campus in York. However, the college recently added online options to the NP tracks to help address the severe shortage of primary healthcare providers throughout Pennsylvania. You’ll participate in clinical rotations at hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities throughout York County and other parts of south-central Pennsylvania, so all applicants must hold Pennsylvania RN licensure. Core MSN coursework includes classes like “Advanced Pathophysiology,” “Research,” and “Health Promotion.”
Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students
• York College’s MSN program has six start dates throughout the year, so you won’t have to wait very long between being accepted into the program and starting classes.S.No. | Accrediting Agency |
1 | Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) |
2 | Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) |
43 |
Hourly | $59.72 |
Weekly | $2,389 |
Monthly | $10,350 |
Annual | $124,210 |
Hourly | $43.93 |
Weekly | $1,757 |
Monthly | $7,620 |
Annual | $91,380 |
Level of Experience | Hourly | Weekly | Monthly | Annual |
1-4 Years of Experience | $49.71 | $1,988 | $8,620 | $103,400 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $58.68 | $2,347 | $10,170 | $122,050 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $65.35 | $2,614 | $11,330 | $135,930 |
20 Years or More Experience | $78.09 | $3,124 | $13,540 | $162,430 |
Metro | Hourly | Weekly | Monthly | Annual |
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton | $59.77 | $2,391 | $10,360 | $124,330 |
Altoona | $55.81 | $2,232 | $9,670 | $116,080 |
Bloomsburg-Berwick | $54.20 | $2,168 | $9,390 | $112,730 |
Chambersburg-Waynesboro | $59.67 | $2,387 | $10,340 | $124,110 |
East Stroudsburg | $59.87 | $2,395 | $10,380 | $124,530 |
Erie | $54.89 | $2,196 | $9,520 | $114,180 |
Harrisburg-Carlisle | $61.55 | $2,462 | $10,670 | $128,030 |
Johnstown | $49.75 | $1,990 | $8,620 | $103,470 |
Lancaster | $58.25 | $2,330 | $10,100 | $121,170 |
Lebanon | $56.44 | $2,258 | $9,780 | $117,400 |
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $61.70 | $2,468 | $10,690 | $128,330 |
Pittsburgh | $60.31 | $2,413 | $10,450 | $125,450 |
Reading | $60.31 | $2,412 | $10,450 | $125,440 |
Scranton--Wilkes-Barre—Hazleton | $57.90 | $2,316 | $10,040 | $120,430 |
State College | $56.22 | $2,249 | $9,740 | $116,930 |
Williamsport | $55.90 | $2,236 | $9,690 | $116,270 |
York-Hanover | $58.53 | $2,341 | $10,150 | $121,740 |
Job Title | Average Annual Salary | Difference | |
Number | % | ||
Dentist | $187,850 | -$63,640 | -33.88% |
Podiatrist | $171,730 | -$47,520 | -27.67% |
Optometrist | $147,280 | -$23,070 | -15.66% |
Pharmacist | $131,200 | -$6,990 | -5.33% |
Nurse With MSN | $124,210 | $0 | 0.00% |
Veterinarian | $123,000 | $1,210 | 0.98% |
Physician Assistant | $119,760 | $4,450 | 3.72% |
Physical Therapist | $98,970 | $25,240 | 25.50% |
Radiation Therapist | $98,230 | $25,980 | 26.45% |
Occupational Therapist | $92,870 | $31,340 | 33.75% |
Audiologist | $91,330 | $32,880 | 36.00% |