Types of Nurse Practitioner Degrees and Programs – Explained by an NP!

So you’ve decided you want to become a nurse practitioner (NP)?  Wonderful! So… you went online to figure out how to practically go about doing it.  Annnndddd… that didn’t help at all!  Becoming an NP is a great career option, but there are different kinds of programs and degrees.  Also, the profession is in the midst of a transition in which all nurse practitioners must soon be doctorate-prepared.  Because we are mid-transition, it really muddies the water.  

Ready to dive deep into that muddy water?  

Let’s go!

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Types of NP Degrees

You have two options when deciding to become an NP. You have the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or the Doctoral of Nursing Practice (DNP), both are sufficient to meet the minimum education requirements needed to register and take the NP certification exam (there are numerous certification exams…. we’ll leave that for another discussion).

MSN

The MSN is a minimum of 2 years of graduate level education (up to 4 or 5 years depending on your student status).  You typically begin by take general graduate level nursing courses, then take your NP-specific courses.  However, schools are beginning to phase out this option. Eventually (sooner rather than later!), to become an NP a nurse must be doctorate-prepared.

DNP

The DNP is the terminal NP degree, is a minimum of 3 years of graduate level nursing coursework (up to 5 or 6 years depending on your student status). If you are attending classes on a full-time basis, it will take you less time to graduate, however most adults are typically working full or part time while in school.

The DNP is the terminal degree for an NP. This means there is no “next step” in the educational journey of an NP.  If you decide to go the DNP route, you know for sure you won’t need additional courses in the future to continue to practice. This may be a concern for newer NP’s who’ve chosen the MSN route.

Side note: there is another option for a terminal degree as a nurse – the PhD option.  The degree is research focused and not applicable to the minimum requirements needed to sit for the NP certification exam. Therefore, if you want to be an NP, getting a PhD won’t get you there.

Program locations

By location, I mean the physical location of your institution, your didactic classrooms, and your clinical rotations. The traditional classroom is just like it sounds: you get up and travel to a room where you and other students sit through class.

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The dedicated online program does not possess physical space, rather it is a classroom taught on the internet. You attend lectures through virtual meetings, video conferencing and internet billboards or forums.

The last type of program is a combination of the previous two. This is called a cohort or hybrid program. You can have a single class conducted in a physical classroom or through the internet. Many cohort programs offer mostly online coursework with scheduled ‘meetings’, which are often clinical assignments and ‘bootcamp’ type educational clinics conducted by preceptors or professors.

I should also mention that the type of program will greatly affect your clinical rotations as a student. Who will be arranging your clinical rotations? How are preceptors assigned? Does the program help you locate NP (or physician) preceptors? Or will you be responsible for locating preceptors.

Hint: finding a preceptor can be one of the most challenging aspects of getting your NP degree.  We chat about it in the FreshNP Podcast!

Program path options

This is a melting pot of options, all depending on your personal and professional situation. The specific details of each program listed will vary not only by the program structure, but by institution.

The take home pearl is that no two programs are alike, and you should never assume that all RN – MSN programs are cut from the same cloth. Practice common sense and due diligence when investigating any NP program’s curriculum.

Here are the options:

• RN – MSN: you start with a diploma or ADN degree and an RN license, and end up with an MSN
• RN – DNP: you start with a diploma or ADN degree and an RN license, and end up with a DNP
• BSN – MSN:  you start with a BSN and an RN license, and end up with an MSN
• BSN – DNP: you start with a BSN and an RN license, and end up with an DNP

Curriculum format

This doesn’t have to have a lot of weight in your decision process, but it’s important to note. Degree programs have the ability to change things up. Some programs have drifted from the traditional 15-week /3-semesters per year format (Fall, Spring and Summer) that many of us are familiar with.

Some programs have shaved down the length of each semester. I believe this was done in an effort to help the full-time student, full-time employee, full-time family nurse who is advancing their degree actually have time to do so.

Registering, scheduling and attending an 8-week semester may be more manageable than a class that is twice the length. Keep in mind this will double the total number of classes you have to take. Also, if you happen to transfer from one institution to another, some of these smaller class credit transcripts may not transfer like the traditional semester.

One last thing to pay attention to with a little more detail is the structure of each class and associated semester. For instance, I graduated from a program that offered specific classes during limited times of the year. The advanced AP class was only offered in the fall semester, and you could not enroll in subsequent classes until you had passed the advanced AP class. Therefore you had quite the restriction on entrance into the academic program. Be sure to ask the right questions about classroom and semester format.

Student status

Finally you will have to decide how school will fit into your current and future life. Are you a single traditional student living at home with mom and dad? Or are you a homeowner, paying off your mortgage and a mother of 3 teenagers? How are you paying for school? Are you taking out student loans? Are you paying for each credit out of your own pocket? What can your income afford?

Not to mention, will your current employer adjust your work schedule to accommodate your class schedule? Oh, and are you commuting? How far is that commute?

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There is a lot to consider when deciding upon status like full time, part time working as a student, etc.

As you can see there is a lot of information to consume, and you haven’t even contacted an academic institution yet! Take a deep breath, I’m here to tell you it’s all manageable and quite survivable.

Learn more

• A great website to look at different programs: BestNursingDegree.com
• I know I want to be a Nurse Practitioner, but which program do I choose? – a post from Sean on the FreshRN blog
• What’s an NP? – American Association of Nurse Practitioners

Are you currently looking to become an NP? What questions do you have? How can we support you?