While a bachelor's degree may qualify you for many nursing positions, some nursing career paths require a master's degree—especially for leadership positions that offer higher income potential. Kaplan University's Master of Science in Nursing allows you to study online and earn the credentials to pursue career advancement in administrative, faculty, or staff development roles.

 Program Highlights 

Our online program makes it easy for you to keep working while you study at your convenience, day or night, from virtually anywhere you have access to the Internet. The Master of Science in Nursing program offers:

  • A balanced core curriculum and specialized courses in organizational theory, health care finance, human resources, and information and health care technologies
  • A practicum experience designed to help you put your knowledge to work with a mentor in the health care organization or school of your choice
  • A required evidence-based project proposal that gives you an opportunity to document your learning experience
  • Up-to-date information and techniques taught by practicing professionals who have advanced degrees in the fields they teach

 Areas of Specialization for the Master of Science in Nursing 

Specialization in a particular area of nursing is essential for building your niche in today's competitive health care field. Our specializations are designed to help you acquire specific knowledge and skills to advance your nursing career.
    Focus on the principles of personnel management, policy development and implementation, budgeting,and the use of information technology in advanced nursing roles. Complete a residency program during which you will work closely with an administrator mentor in a selected health care setting. Study to prepare for administrative or managerial positions and leadership roles in hospitals, community centers, and long-term care facilities.
    Focus on developing courses and programs that integrate nursing philosophy. Examine the applications and ethical and legal issues related to the use of technology in teaching. Analyze assessment, measurement, and evaluation methods used in nursing education. Prepare for a faculty or educator role in colleges or schools of nursing, continuing education programs, staff development, clinical education, and patient and community education. Explore strategies for developing effective educational experiences.
    Prepare to meet the clinical, educational, research, and administrative challenges associated with working in a technology-rich environment. Focus on the representation of health care data and information and examine computer, information literacy, and management competencies. Explore the use of technology and information systems to advance evidence-based research. Graduates may pursue informatics leadership roles in health care, corporate, and education settings.*

 Curriculum for the Master of Science in Nursing 

    Courses Credits
    Advanced Nursing Roles 5
    Theoretical Foundations of Advanced Nursing 5
    Advanced Statistics for the Health Sciences 5
    Inquiry and Evidence-Based Practice 5
    Health Promotion and Disease Prevention in a Diverse Community 5
    Ethical and Legal Perspectives of the Health Care System 5
    Health Policy, Financing, and Organization of Health Care Delivery Systems 5
    Courses Credits
    Specialization Courses 28
    Total Program Requirements 63 credits
    Courses Credits
    Organizational Theory and Behavior 5
    Health Care Finance, Strategic Planning, and Budgeting 5
    Human Resources Management 5
    Information and Health Care Technologies 3
    Nurse Administrator Practicum 5
    Evidence-Based Project Proposal 5
    Courses Credits
    Teaching and Learning Strategies 5
    Curriculum Design 5
    Instructional Technology Integration 3
    Assessment and Evaluation 5
    Nurse Educator Practicum 5
    Evidence-Based Project Proposal 5
    Courses Credits
    Critical Concepts and Competencies for the Informatics Nurse Specialist 5
    Innovations in Educational and Research Technologies 5
    Integration of Informatics into the Health Care Environment 3
    Health Systems Project Management 5
    Nurse Informatics Specialist Practicum 5
    Evidence-Based Project Proposal 5

 Prepare for Certification 

Certification is often a condition for employment in nursing.†

  • Nurse administrator specialization: Upon completion of this program with a nurse administrator specialization, you may be eligible to take the Nursing Administration or Nursing Administration Advanced Certification examinations provided by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

  • Nurse educator specialization:     The nurse educator specialization is designed to prepare you for the National League of Nursing Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) examination.

  • Informatics specialization:     The informatics specialization is designed to help you prepare for the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Informatics Nursing certification exam.

 What are the Career Opportunities? 

On average, full-time workers who attain a master's degree have significantly lower unemployment rates and earn nearly twenty percent more than those with a bachelor's degree.‡ The Master of Science in Nursing is also a foundation for future doctoral studies.§

For more information, chat live or call an Admissions Advisor at 866.527.5268 (Toll Free).

Tuition and Fees

Cost per credit hour$368.00
Total program requirements63 credits
Total cost of tuition$23,184.00

This program requires a $100.00 technology fee per term. Effective June 5, 2010, a minimum tuition deposit, depending on your program and as described in the Tuition and Fees Supplement, is required at the time of enrollment. The deposit will be credited toward your tuition when you begin classes. Qualifying transfer credit may reduce your total costs. Refer to the University Catalog for transfer of credit policy. We encourage you to explore the availability of financial aid and scholarships. For more information, chat live or call an Admissions Advisor at 866.527.5268 (Toll Free).

Kaplan University offers tuition discounts to active-duty military servicemembers and veterans. Call 866.583.4412 (Toll Free) to speak to a military Admissions Advisor.

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*Kaplan University's programs are designed to prepare graduates to pursue employment in their field of study, or in related fields. However, the University does not guarantee that graduates will be placed in any particular job or employed at all.

†Although the program is designed to prepare students for various certification and licensing examinations, the University cannot guarantee students will pass the exams.

‡Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, 2009 http://www.bls.gov/emp/emptab7.htm.

§While many of Kaplan University's degree programs are designed to prepare graduates to pursue continued graduate- or doctorate-level education, the University cannot guarantee that students will be granted admission to any graduate or doctoral programs