Top Direct-Entry Master's in Nursing (MSN) Programs

UCLA’s Master’s Entry Clinical Nurse (MECN) program is designed to prepare non-nurses with a bachelor's degree in another field for a nursing career. 

Graduates of the MECN program are eligible to take a Clinical Nurse Leaders (CNL) certification exam and apply for a Public Health Nursing Certificate. The program is extremely competitive, with over 500 applicants each year, but only 70 students are accepted per cohort. 

• Application Deadline: November 1st

Through the Johns Hopkins University direct-entry MSN program, students will be prepared to take the NCLEX-RN to become licensed as an RN upon graduation. Students are divided into two sections of approximately 60 students for lecture classes. The ratio for clinicals is one instructor to six or seven students. For the first semester, students are assigned clinical placements but after that,  students can identify their clinical sites. 

• Application Deadline:
  • Fall: November 1st and January 15th
  • Spring: July 1st and October 1st

Vanderbilt University's School of Nursing has a reputation for excellence in accelerated programs. In addition to a 1-year online MSN program, the university offers a "pre-special entry" for students with non-nursing bachelor's degrees. Students who enter this program can complete BSN content and clinical work in just three semesters. Students are eligible to apply to one of these specialty areas, including a variety of NP subspecialties. 

Direct entry MSN students should expect 30-40 hours of classroom and clinical experience per week throughout the program. 

• Application Deadline: Rolling

The University of Texas at Austin offers an “Alternate Entry” MSN (AE-MSN) program for non-nursing bachelor's students. The AE-MSN program offers students four distinct graduate school pathways to choose from. Training for each program is extremely rigorous, and upon graduation, students can expect to start in entry-level careers and advance their careers quickly.  

Students may choose a form for the AE-MSN program concentrations:

• Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist (AG CNS)
• Leadership in Diverse Settings (LeaDS)
• Psych/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program (PMHNP)
• Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PC-PNP)

As one of the best nurse practitioner schools in Texas, UT Austin is an excellent choice for aspiring APRNs and nursing leaders.

• Application Deadline: October 1st

Davis's University of California campus is located in northern California, about 45 minutes west of Sacramento. The school offers an accelerated Master’s Entry Program in Nursing (MEPN) for students with a bachelor's degree in a non-nursing field who wish to become advanced practice nurses. 

Students typically attend classes Monday through Friday and should expect to work in clinics in the evenings and weekends.

Graduates earn an MSN and are eligible for a Public Health Nurse certification.

• Application Deadline: November 1st

The University of California, Irvine, has a direct-entry master's in nursing program with a concentration in Community and Population Health Nursing (CPHN). The school's website reports that the benefits of their program include small cohort sizes and preparing graduates for careers that advocate for healthcare opportunities within many underserved populations.

The program is accelerated and can be completed in as little as two years. Students have access to clinical partnerships with rotations throughout UCI Health and immersion opportunities in local communities.

• Application Deadline: November 30th 

This updated program focuses on the humanities and sciences using reflection and experiential learning. Students have access to the high-fidelity simulation in the O’Neill Family Foundation Clinical Simulation Center as well as clinical sites within the District of Columbia and the surrounding Maryland and Virginia regions.

• Application Deadline: October 15th

Ohio State enables students with a bachelor's degree in a non-nursing field to earn a Master of Science in Nursing in one cohesive program. The program is full-time, with year-round coursework. There are seven NP specializations available to students to choose from in the program including, Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP, Family NP, Nurse-Midwifery, Neonatal NP, Pediatric Primary Care NP, Psychiatric Mental Health NP, and Women’s Health NP.

• Application Deadline:
  • Summer Round 1: October 16th
  • Summer Round 2: March 1st

Marquette lets students choose between online and on-campus learning options - one at the Milwaukee campus and one at the Pleasant Prairie campus. The program at the Milwaukee campus is primarily in-person while the Pleasant Prairie campus offers didactic coursework primarily online.

Marquette University’s online nursing master’s program was recently ranked in the top 25% of all nursing programs by U.S. News & World Report. 

• Application Deadline: February 1st

Started in 2022, the program at Gwynedd allows students to earn a master’s level nursing degree while holding a bachelor’s degree in another field. The program is full-time and held in person for over 20 consecutive months. Students complete a total of 765 hours of clinical practice experience within the network of more than 100 regional healthcare partners.

• Application Deadline: February 1st