Master’s Degrees in Nursing

A master’s degree is an opportunity to specialize in an area of interest. You can choose from non-clinical focus areas, such as healthcare leadership, or clinical practice specialties. For example, you might focus on patient safety, adult-gerontology or psychiatric mental health. If you aren’t yet ready for a master’s degree, consider choosing a nursing bridge pathway in your specialty area. 

Yes, a nursing master’s degree can help prepare you to pursue doctoral education. At GCU, students must hold a Master of Science in Nursing before they are eligible to enter a Doctor of Nursing Practice program. An MSN can build advanced knowledge in nursing research, evidence-based practice and graduate-level scholarship, providing a strong foundation for a DNP program. 

Working registered nurses may be able to complete a nursing master’s program online^{(See disclaimer 6)} while employed. However, students enrolled in GCU NP programs are not encouraged to work full-time because of the demands of coursework and required clinical experiences. Online coursework can offer added flexibility, but practicum or field experience hours must typically be completed in person at an approved local site. 

In most cases, you will need a Bachelor of Science in Nursing to apply to graduate nursing programs. These graduate programs are typically designed for licensed RNs who have clinical experience. Multiple BSN options are available, including the pre-licensure BSN. 

With master’s-level nursing education, you may be better prepared to deliver evidence-based care that has the potential to improve patient outcomes. Additionally, a master’s degree may align with your career ambitions. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives and nurse practitioners had a median annual salary of $132,050 as of May 2024.^{(See disclaimer 4 )}The BLS estimates the job growth rate for these nurses will be 35% from 2024 through 2034, much faster than average, accounting for about 134,000 new jobs in the field.^{(See disclaimer 5)}

Direct patient care lies at the heart of clinical nursing pathways. Nurses can study advanced clinical skills in areas such as pharmacology and pathophysiology, with the goal of providing a high standard of nursing care to patients. Non-clinical pathways, meanwhile, may still teach clinical skills, but will focus on nursing competencies away from the bedside. These may include the application of information technology in healthcare settings, as in nursing informatics, or organizational science for future nursing leaders.

Yes, graduate-level nursing degree programs generally do require practicum/field experience hours and/or clinical hours. These learning components are opportunities to apply what you’ve studied in practice in healthcare settings. At GCU, the Office of Field Experience assists nursing students who are setting up clinical/practicum experiences.

Nurses may earn more with a master’s degree because graduate education may qualify them for advanced practice roles, such as nurse practitioner, nurse midwife or nurse anesthetist. BLS reports that these advanced practice nursing roles typically require at least a master’s degree and have a higher median annual wage than registered nurses.^{(See disclaimer 4 )}Actual pay varies by job title, specialty, certification, employer, geographic region, shift differentials and years of experience.