If you want to climb the professional nursing ladder in Tennessee, you must have credentials, and an MSN is one of the quickest, most versatile nursing credentials you can earn. MSN programs in Tennessee can impart the knowledge and skills you’ll need to become a successful advanced practice clinician, holistic practitioner, executive healthcare manager, or nursing educator. You’ll average $101,080 annually as an MSN-educated RN in the Volunteer State, and your ample employment opportunities will rise by an additional 58 percent over the next decade. Could this be the career lift you’ve been searching for? Review the list below of the 13 best MSN programs in Tennessee and find out.
MSN Program Details: Vanderbilt University’s nursing master’s degree is not only one of the best MSN programs in Tennessee but is also considered to be one of the finest in the nation. Vanderbilt’s MSN concentrations include nine APRN pathways, two non-clinical nursing tracks, and three dual degree NP pathways as MSN concentrations.
Choose among eight career paths: a 44-credit (630 clinical hours) AGACNP track, a 45-credit (minimum 500 clinical hours) career track, a 42- to 45-credit (600 clinical hours) FNP track, a 46-credit (770 clinical hours) NNP track, a 43- to 45-credit (560 hours) PACNP track, a 46-credit (560 clinical hours) PPCNP track, or a 47-credit WHNP track. Additionally, Vanderbilt University offers a 47-credit Nurse Midwifery track. You can also take advantage of the synergy between APRN pathways by pursuing Family NP/Emergency NP, Women’s Health NP/Adult-Gerontology NP, or Nurse Midwifery/FNP dual degrees. If you are interested in getting into the executive side of nursing, Vanderbilt has a 30-credit Nursing Informatics pathway, too.
The Nursing Informatics pathway is designed to be taken part-time and is offered entirely online. The APRN specialties are taught in a hybrid format with skills intensives that must be completed in person at Vanderbilt University’s campus in Nashville. If you have less than one year of nursing experience when you’re accepted into the program, you must complete your clinical rotations at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville VA Hospital, Vanderbilt Children's Hospital, and other healthcare facilities in the metro Nashville region, otherwise, you’ll be able to fulfill your practicum requirements at a hospital, clinic, or community agency in your own area.
The APRN courses share a core nursing master’s curriculum that includes classes like “Advanced Health Assessment and Clinical Reasoning,” “Knowledge and Identity for Nursing Practice,” and “Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology.” Vanderbilt University accepts new cohorts into its MSN program each fall. Most full-time students should be able to complete the MSN program in four semesters (16 months.)
Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students
• U.S. News & World Report lists Vanderbilt University’s nursing master’s program at #4 among the nation’s top MSN programs.RN-to-MSN Program Details: Are you an ADN - or hospital diploma-educated RN who’s serious about professional advancement? The University of Memphis offers a 43-to-58-credit RN-to-MSN degree that will allow you to specialize in Family Nurse Practice, Nursing Education, or Nursing Leadership. First, you’ll have to complete 12 bridge work credits, including courses like “Professional Nursing for RNs” and “Transcultural Nursing of Diverse Populations.” This program takes two to four years to complete, depending upon the concentration you pursue and whether you enroll part-time or full-time. The University of Memphis accepts new students into its RN-to-MSN Bridge program in the fall and spring. Note that this RN-to-MSN bridge does not award a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree.
MSN Program Details: The University of Memphis offers four dynamic MSN concentrations: a 44-credit (600 clinical hours) AGACNP track, a 40-credit (720 clinical hours) FNP track, a 31-credit (360 clinical hours) Nursing Education pathway, and a 33-credit (420 clinical hours) Nursing Leadership pathway. All four concentrations share a common MSN curriculum with classes like “Scholarly Nursing I & II” and “Nursing Leadership and Technologies.” While the University of Memphis’s nursing master’s program is primarily online, you will have to visit the campus in Memphis for orientation, skills labs, and competency exams, and all practicums must be performed in person.
The University of Memphis uses a rolling admissions policy for its MSN program and accepts new cohorts in the spring and fall. Full-time students can earn their nursing master’s degree in two years, part-time students in three.
Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students
• This MSN program in Tennessee is the 17th best in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report.RN-to-MSN Program Details: East Tennessee State University has an RN-to-MSN Bridge program for registered nurses who’ve completed a bachelor’s degree in a field other than nursing. This bridge program offers concentrations in Family Nurse Practice, Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practice, Nursing Administration, and Nursing Education, the same four specialties the university’s traditional MSN program offers. It will take an additional 12 credits and one to two semesters more to complete the RN-to-MSN Bridge program, however.
MSN Program Details: East Tennessee State University’s health sciences programs focus heavily on improving health care within Northeast Tennessee and the surrounding Appalachian Region. The university’s Master’s of Science in Nursing offers a 51-credit (540 clinical hours) FNP track, a 48-credit (540 clinical PMHNP track, a 45-credit (540 clinical hours) Nursing Administration track, and a 42-credit (420 clinical hours) Nursing Education track. You can enroll full-time in this MSN program in Tennessee and graduate in five semesters (20 months) or enroll part-time and graduate in eight semesters (32 months.) The FNP track accepts new cohorts in the spring and fall; the other three specializations begin in the fall.
“Conceptual Systems in Advanced Nursing Practice” is the sole foundational MSN course that all four concentrations share; otherwise, their curricula focus on the specific knowledge and skills you’ll need to succeed in that specialization. Courses are taught completely online using asynchronous technology so you can easily integrate your studies into your work and personal obligations. However, you must complete practicum experiences in person at a healthcare facility. You will be able to complete your clinical rotations at a hospital, clinic, or community agency close to your home.
Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students
• East Tennessee State University is widely considered to be one of the best schools in the U.S. for rural medicine and primary healthcare delivery.MSN Program Details: Carson-Newman University’s 46-credit MSN/FNP program was specifically developed to meet the needs of working nurses. You’ll enroll in the program part-time and graduate in just eight semesters (32 months.) Except for 660 to 690 clinical hours and one three-day residency at Carson-Newman’s campus in Jefferson City, all your coursework will be online. You’ll take classes like “Advanced Health Assessment,” “Advanced Primary Care for Adults,” and “Advanced Primary Care for Women.” Carson-Newman’s ace clinical placement support team will find you a preceptor and a practice site at a healthcare facility in your own community.
Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students
• 78 percent of Carson-Newman University’s Family Nurse Practitioner students receive job offers before they graduate, and 95 percent are employed in their specialty within six months of earning their degree.MSN Program Details: If you choose King University’s 45-credit Family Nurse Practitioner track as your MSN concentration, you’ll have three options for taking classes. You can attend classes in person at King University’s campus in Bristol, attend classes virtually using synchronous online technology, or access recorded lectures on your own schedule using asynchronous technology.
King University also offers a 45-credit AGACNP track, a 48-credit PMHNP track, and a 35-credit Nurse Leadership & Administration track 100 percent online. Foundational courses like “Theoretical Basis of Nursing Practice,” “Social, Cultural, and Political Perspectives on Healthcare and Delivery Systems,” and “Healthcare Informatics” will prepare you to take more complex leadership roles within the nursing profession. The three APRN concentrations each require 600 clinical hours, while the Nursing Leadership & Administration track entails 395 practicum hours. You’ll perform your clinical rotations at hospitals and community settings throughout northeastern Tennessee, so you must have an RN license from Tennessee or a compact state to apply to this program.
King University is another one of the MSN programs in Tennessee that uses a rolling admissions policy: Once the university receives all of your application paperwork, you’ll have a decision within seven days. New classes start in the spring and fall semesters, and full-time students can graduate in five semesters (18 months.)
Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students
• Students enrolled in King University’s MSN/PMHNP pathway are eligible to apply for the Tennessee Behavioral Pathways scholarship, which awards up to $30,000 in tuition assistance over a two-year period.MSN Program Details: Union University has four online MSN concentrations for registered nurses pursuing professional development. The 39-credit MSN/Administration pathway entails 360 practicum hours, while the 41-credit MSN/Education pathway involves 340 practicum hours. The university also offers FNP and PMHNP tracks, each comprising 46 credits and 560 clinical hours. Core MSN coursework common to all four specialties include “Advanced Nursing Statistics for the Health Sciences,” “Advanced Health Assessment,” and “Advanced Health Assessment.”
You can access all necessary educational materials for the Administration and Education concentrations online, but the two nurse practitioner pathways are hybrid tracks that combine distance learning with attendance at Union University’s campuses in Jackson, Germantown, and Hendersonville. Clinical rotations will be scheduled at healthcare facilities in metro Jackson and adjacent communities throughout western Tennessee, so you will need RN licensure from the Volunteer State.
You can only pursue Union University’s FNP and PMHNP concentrations full-time, but Administration and Education offer full-time and part-time enrollment. All coursework begins in the fall. Full-time students can complete this MSN program in Tennessee in four semesters (16 months.)
Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students
• Are you interested in the business end of healthcare? Union University offers a dual MSN/Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) degree in conjunction with the university’s McAfee School of Business.MSN Program Details: Cumberland University’s nursing master’s program offers two non-clinical specializations: a Nurse Educator track and a Nurse Executive Leadership & Administration track. Both specializations entail 36 credits and 240 practicum hours and share a core MSN curriculum with courses like “Health Information Systems and Nursing Technology,” “Legislation, Policy, Regulations, and Ethics in Health Care,” and “Nursing Theoretical Foundations.” All coursework is delivered online using asynchronous technology, and you’ll be able to participate in practicum experiences at healthcare facilities near your home.
Full-time students can graduate from Cumberland University’s MSN program in five semesters (20 months.) The university accepts new students into its MSN track in the fall and spring.
Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students
• 96 percent of Cumberland University’s MSN graduates go on to find employment in the Middle Tennessee region.MSN Program Details: Middle Tennessee State University’s MSN program offers two online APRN concentrations: Family Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Both nurse practitioner concentrations involve 42 credits. Core MSN courses include “Theory and Evidence-Based Practice,” “Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Across the Life Span,” and “NP Role and Leadership in Health Care.” MSTU’s MSN curriculum also includes 630 hours of supervised direct patient care.
Full-time students will graduate in four semesters (16 months), while part-time students will graduate in five (20 months.) This MSN program in Tennessee accepts new students into its nursing master’s program in the fall and spring.
Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students
• In recent years, Middle Tennessee State University’s Family Nurse Practitioner graduates have had an average 90 percent pass rate on their first attempt taking the FNP certification exams.MSN Program Details: Lincoln Memorial University has one of the few MSN programs in Tennessee that offers students a choice between campus-based and distance learning. While the 36-credit (360 practicum hours) Nursing Administration track is offered exclusively online, you can elect to pursue the 43-credit (660 clinical hours) Family Nurse Practitioner and 44-credit (660 clinical hours) Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner pathways either online or in a classroom at the university’s campus in Harrogate.
The three MSN pathways share one foundational class: “Theoretical Foundations and Research Methods.” Apart from that, however, the curricula for the NP tracks and the non-clinical specialty diverge. Clinical rotations are scheduled at private practices, community health centers, public health centers, and other healthcare facilities in communities throughout the Cumberland Plateau and the Great Valley of Tennessee, so all program applicants must have a Tennessee RN license.
Students can complete their MSN degree at Lincoln Memorial University in 17 months of full-time study or 28 months of part-time study. The online Nursing Administration track accepts new students in the fall, spring, and summer, and the online FNP and FPMHNP tracks accept new students in the fall. The campus-based FNP track accepts new students in the fall (Harrogate campus) and the spring (Cedar Bluff campus), while the campus-based FPMHNPP track only accepts new students in the spring (Cedar Bluff campus.)
Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students
• Lincoln Memorial University also offers a 65-credit RN-to-MSN pathway with a Nursing Administration track for ADN-educated registered nurses. This program takes 26 months to complete.RN-to-MSN Program Details: Tennessee Technological University’s ASN-to-MSN Bridge is a 50-credit program that allows registered nurses with an associate degree and a baccalaureate in a non-nursing field to earn their nursing master’s degree and become certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner. Most students enroll in this pathway part-time, taking two courses per semester and graduating in eight or nine semesters (2.5 to 3 years.) You’ll be able to complete your clinical rotations in your own area. Tennessee Technological University admits new cohorts into this program in the fall and spring.
MSN Program Details: Tennessee Technological University’s traditional MSN program has four concentration options: a 45-credit (540 clinical hours) FNP pathway, a 45-credit (540 clinical hours) PMHNP pathway, a 36-credit Nursing Administration track, and a 40-credit (420 practicum hours) Nursing Education track. This MSN program in Tennessee requires no campus residencies; except for clinical experiences, you’ll be able to access your coursework entirely online, and clinical rotations can be scheduled at a healthcare facility close to where you live.
Core MSN courses explore issues like the theoretical basis of nursing, healthcare policy, and advanced RN practice role development. Full-time students should be able to earn their MSN degree in two and a half years, but the university also accommodates working students enrolled part-time who have up to six years to graduate. TTU accepts new students into its MSN program in the spring and fall.
Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students
• The employment placement rate for Tennessee Technological University’s MSN grads is nearly 100 percent one year following graduation.MSN Program Details: If you’re interested in practicing the type of nursing that looks at patients as whole human beings rather than just as collections of symptoms, Tennessee State University’s nursing master’s degree may be one of the best MSN programs in Tennessee. TSU offers an innovative 45-credit (500 clinical hours) Holistic Nursing pathway as part of its MSN program. (Note that TSU’s Holistic Nursing option is not an NP track.) Tennessee State University also offers a traditional 49-credit (750 clinical hours) Family Nurse Practitioner concentration as a nursing master’s degree option.
Both of TSU’s nursing master’s pathways share a foundational MSN core that includes courses like “Advanced Clinical Assessment,” “Role Development,” and “Nursing Theory.” Coursework is taught online using an asynchronous delivery platform, and you’ll be able to arrange your clinical rotations at a healthcare facility close to your home. Full-time students can complete the Holistic Nursing track in five semesters (16 months) and the FNP track in six semesters (20 months.) New nursing cohorts can start their MSN education at Tennessee State University in the spring and fall.
Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students
• The clinical portion of the MSN/Holistic Nursing curriculum can prepare you to seek certification in hypnosis, Chinese Medicine, Reiki, Healing Touch, aromatherapy, herbology, guided imagery, acupressure, and other non-traditional healing modalities.MSN Program Details: Want to take your nursing skills up to the next level without interfering with any of your existing professional or personal obligations? Austin Peay State University’s MSN program in Tennessee was designed with the working nurse in mind. Its 43-credit (600 clinical hours) FNP track, 42-credit (540 clinical hours) PMHNP track, and 34-credit (240 practicum hours) Nurse Educator pathway are delivered primarily online, though you will have to make two visits to the university’s campus in Clarksville to practice and perfect your hands-on skills and participate in simulation exercises. You’ll take one or two courses per semester and graduate in as few as 24 months. Courses are primarily offered via asynchronous technology although a few lecture courses rely upon synchronous videoconferencing.
Classes like “Advanced Health Assessment & Clinical Reasoning” and “Transition to Graduate Nursing Practice” will prepare you to take a leadership role in delivering high-quality, culturally sensitive healthcare. You’ll be able to complete the clinical component of your MSN studies at a healthcare facility close to where you live. Austin Peay State University welcomes new students into its nursing master’s degree program in the fall and spring.
Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students
• Austin Peay State University offers the lowest MSN tuition of any nursing master’s degree program in Tennessee.MSN Program Details: South College’s MSN program in Tennessee combines online coursework with hands-on clinical practice experiences. You can choose among four nursing master’s concentrations: a 75-quarter-credit PMHNP track, a 73-quarter-credit AGACNP track, a 74-quarter-credit FNP track, or a 67-quarter-credit Nursing Informatics pathway.
The three APRN specialties all entail 510 clinical hours, which you can complete at a healthcare facility in your own vicinity. South College students are responsible for identifying their own preceptors and clinical sites, after which the college will review the facility’s appropriateness and move ahead with an affiliation agreement.
South College’s MSN degree typically takes full-time students 18 months to complete. This MSN accepts new students at the beginning of each quarter in September/October, January, April, and June.
Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students
• South College also has an RN-to-MSN pathway that entails 219 to 233 credits.S.No. | Accrediting Agency |
1 | Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) |
2 | Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) |
23 |
Hourly | $48.60 |
Weekly | $1,944 |
Monthly | $8,420 |
Annual | $101,080 |
Hourly | $35.75 |
Weekly | $1,430 |
Monthly | $6,200 |
Annual | $74,360 |
Level of Experience | Hourly | Weekly | Monthly | Annual |
1-4 Years of Experience | $40.45 | $1,618 | $7,010 | $84,140 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $47.75 | $1,910 | $8,280 | $99,330 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $53.18 | $2,127 | $9,220 | $110,610 |
20 Years or More Experience | $63.55 | $2,542 | $11,020 | $132,190 |
Metro | Hourly | Weekly | Monthly | Annual |
Chattanooga | $48.87 | $1,955 | $8,470 | $101,640 |
Clarksville | $48.10 | $1,924 | $8,340 | $100,050 |
Cleveland | $40.06 | $1,602 | $6,940 | $83,320 |
Jackson | $48.16 | $1,927 | $8,350 | $100,180 |
Johnson City | $42.73 | $1,709 | $7,410 | $88,870 |
Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol | $48.02 | $1,921 | $8,320 | $99,890 |
Knoxville | $46.85 | $1,874 | $8,120 | $97,450 |
Memphis | $49.99 | $1,999 | $8,660 | $103,970 |
Morristown, | $44.19 | $1,768 | $7,660 | $91,910 |
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $50.04 | $2,002 | $8,670 | $104,090 |
Job Title | Average Annual Salary | Difference | |
Number | % | ||
Podiatrist | $185,690 | -$84,610 | -45.57% |
Dentist | $164,410 | -$63,330 | -38.52% |
Optometrist | $127,850 | -$26,770 | -20.94% |
Veterinarian | $125,920 | -$24,840 | -19.73% |
Pharmacist | $122,820 | -$21,740 | -17.70% |
Physician Assistant | $113,690 | -$12,610 | -11.09% |
Nurse With MSN | $101,080 | $0 | 0.00% |
Physical Therapist | $96,440 | $4,640 | 4.81% |
Occupational Therapist | $92,710 | $8,370 | 9.03% |
Radiation Therapist | $80,850 | $20,230 | 25.02% |
Speech-Language Pathologist | $78,210 | $22,870 | 29.24% |
Audiologist | $77,880 | $23,200 | 29.79% |
Dental Hygienist | $75,920 | $25,160 | 33.14% |
Chiropractor | $69,180 | $31,900 | 46.11% |