OVERVIEW
This Online Bridge from RN to MSN Helps You Influence Healthcare
Help set the future of care as a nursing leader within your community by leading nurse education that inspires other nurses. Expand your impact on patient outcomes by going from RN to MSN and become a nurse educator, ready to help shape the future of nursing and impact RNs and patients alike. Most facilities require nurse educators to have a master’s degree—so for the RN who aspires to teach, WGU’s online RN to MSN – Education program is the perfect fit. You'll earn both your BSN and MSN in this unique bridge program, designed to help you earn the credentials and skills you need to make a difference. WGU’s online, CCNE-accredited RN-to-MSN program will prepare you to teach a new generation of nurses.
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 RN to MSN degree, helping you to boost your resumé before you even graduate.
Already have your BSN? No problem! Check out the BSN-to-MSN version of this program. You can also compare all of our MSN programs.
60% of graduates finish within
38 Months*
WGU lets you move more quickly through material you already know and advance as soon as you're ready. The result: You may finish faster.
*WGU Internal Data
Tuition per six-month term is
$5,325
Tuition charged per term—rather than per credit—helps students control the ultimate cost of their business management degree. Finish faster, pay less!
Transfer credit is accepted
90 credits
Students from an accredited program will receive 80 transfer credits toward their BSN at application, and will have their transcript evaluated for up to 10 more transfer credits.
Bridge RN to MSN Programs
Earn Credentials on the Way to an MSN
RN to MSN programs at WGU allow you to complete your BSN and then move forward to your MSN. As you are close to finishing your BSN coursework, you will choose your MSN specialty: Nursing Education, Leadership and Management, or Nursing Informatics. Upon completion of your undergraduate coursework and the conferral of your BSN degree, you will also have taken 5 graduate-level courses, which allows you to earn a post-baccalaureate certificate. This helps you enhance your résumé and demonstrate your advanced education right away. A post-baccalaureate certificate credential is a great addition to your résumé and shows your current or potential employers the value you can bring to your position even while you are finishing your MSN degree. Or if you need to delay your MSN portion, you can still showcase the graduate-level coursework you have already completed.
Now's the time to advance your healthcare career with a master's degree. 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.
COURSES
Nurse Educator Courses
This program contains 32 courses
At WGU, we design our curriculum to be timely, relevant, and practical—all to help you show that you know your stuff.
The curriculum in WGU's online, CCNE-accredited RN to MSN – Education degree programs is evidence-based.
Courses for this specialty were derived from the National League for Nursing Nurse Educator standards and the Master's Essentials for Professional Nursing practice. The RN to MSN bridge program was designed to provide registered nurses with the training and education required to earn both a BSN and an MSN specializing in nurse education.
The BSN portion of this program focuses on contemporary nursing practice. Earning a BSN adds theoretical and policy depth to the practical knowledge you have as an RN.
The MSN portion of this program addresses the complexities of healthcare, access, quality, and costs for diverse populations. The nurse educator specialization in this RN to MSN online degree program covers topics like curriculum development, learning styles, assessment, and more.
The M.S. Nursing – Education (RN to MSN) degree program is a mostly online nursing program that you will complete by studying and working independently with instruction and support from WGU faculty. You will be expected to complete at least 8 competency units (WGU's equivalent of the credit hour) each 6-month term. (Each course is typically 3 or 4 units.)
The first person you speak with at WGU will be your Enrollment Counselor, an expert in your program who can explain all the requirements and expectations in more detail. You can also read more about each course in the Program Guide.
Students who live in California have the option of choosing curriculum that prepares graduates to earn the Public Health Nursing (PHN) Certificate.
Entire RN to MSN Nursing Education Coursework
32 Courses
This program contains 32 courses
At WGU, we design our curriculum to be timely, relevant, and practical—all to help you show that you know your stuff.
Students who anticipate needing a California Public Health Certificate (CA PHN) in the future, have the option of choosing a curriculum path that satisfies the requirements for applying for this certificate after graduation.
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. And while most of your courses can be accelerated based on your prior knowledge and hard work, some nursing programs begin with a cohort-based course that must be completed via five scheduled webcam sessions with faculty and fellow students.
Skills For Your Résumé
As part of this program, you will develop a range of valuable skills that employers are looking for.
- Instructing: Conducted thorough assessments of learners to gauge comprehension of provided instruction, ensuring effective teaching and learning outcomes.
- Instructional and Curriculum Design: Developed effective methods for assessing learning and performance.
- Nurse Education: Delivered theoretical and practical teaching to equip nurses for professional nursing duties, contributing to the development of skilled and competent healthcare professionals.
- Leadership: Inspired collaboration among healthcare professionals in pursuit of the highest quality patient care, fostering a culture of teamwork and shared commitment to excellence.
- Advocacy: Advocated for policies aimed at improving both public health and the nursing profession, contributing to positive systemic changes.
- Caring and Consideration: Delivered compassionate nursing care through actions, attitude, and language, prioritizing empathy and patient-centered approaches in healthcare practice.
“Enrollment was perfectly easy for me. I was able to submit online and somebody called me within a day to start the whole process. Within two or three weeks I was ready to go for my first term.”
—Bryon Denton
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
Schedule and wait days or even weeks to meet with one of many counselors
Simply email or call to connect with your designated Program Mentor who supports you from day one
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
Schedule and wait days or even weeks to meet with one of many counselors
SUPPORT
Simply email or call to connect with your designated Program Mentor who supports you from day one
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 nursing informatics program, you'll pay less.
On Your Schedule
You can continue working at your full-time job or maintaining your responsibilities while pursing your RN 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 informatics program at WGU, you join an impressive network of healthcare professionals.
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.
The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master's degree program in nursing, and post-graduate APRN certificate program at WGU are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).
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.
Costs for the Undergraduate Portion of This Program
$5,325
Tuition per 6-month term
At WGU, tuition is charged every six months. Other fees include a flat fee of $200 each term for e-books and learning resources.
Costs for the Graduate Portion of This Program
$5,035
Tuition per 6-month term
Other fees include a flat fee of $200 each term for e-books and learning resources.
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.
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.
*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).
FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE
WGU's Online MSN Bridge Program Was Built to be Different—for a Busy RN’s Schedule
Our unique learning model puts working nurses in the driver’s seat of their education. As a busy nurse, you need a degree program that's more than simply online—you need a nursing program that truly reflects the realities of your work life and experience. At WGU, progress through programs 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 material, you prove what you know through tests, papers, projects, or other assessments. Demonstrating mastery is how you pass a course, and passing courses is how you complete degree programs, 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 online programs take that flexibility further—many steps further!
"WGU is a great option for nurses who are looking to advance their careers but need further education and flexibility to do so.”
—Kathryn Kosmides
M.S. Nursing – Education (RN to MSN)
CAREER OUTLOOK
An Online MSN Degree Program for an RN to Become a Nurse Educator
Once you have completed your M.S. in Nursing – Education degree program at WGU, 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 valuable learning opportunities for other nurses.
You know the hard work nurses put in every day to make a difference for their patients. Now you can help other caregivers get the training they need to succeed. Influence the future of healthcare with an RN to MSN degree. Master’s-prepared nurse educators educate and train nurses, nursing students, school children, community groups, workers, patients, and consumers. After you upgrade your RN to MSN – Education through our nationally recognized online bridge program, you will be ready to work in settings such as:
- Hospitals.
- Community agencies.
- Schools.
- Industry and businesses.
- Nursing programs.
Return on Your Investment
On average, WGU graduates see an increase in income post-graduation
Average income increase from all degrees in annual salary vs. pre-enrollment salary. Source: 2023 Harris Poll Survey of 1,655 WGU graduates.
Survey was sent to a representative sample of WGU graduates from all colleges. Respondents received at least one WGU degree since 2017.
$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
Enjoy a Career That is Both Fulfilling and in High Demand
Given the growing shortage of nurse educators, earning your MSN with a focus in nursing education is both a rewarding decision and a solid career move. Once you study and 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. The more than 3,000 alumni of our M.S. Nursing – Education degree programs 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 degree from WGU, so your healthcare degree is valuable.
ADMISSIONS & TRANSFERS
Admissions Requirements Unique to This Nursing Degree
To be considered for this online RN-to-MSN bridge program, you must
- Possess an associate’s degree or diploma in nursing, such as an ADN or ASN degree, from an accredited institution.
- Possess an active, unencumbered RN license:
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. 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.
Students who anticipate needing a California Public Health Certificate (CA PHN) in the future, have the option of choosing a curriculum path that satisfies the requirements for applying for this certificate after graduation.
Transfer Credits
More About the RN-to-MSN Nursing Education Program
- General Program Questions
- Financial Aid Questions
Ready to Start Your WGU Journey?