BSN to Nurse Practitioner: Education Options and Program Overviews

We've listed some of the best programs that are accredited by either the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) in alphabetical order.

1. Duke University

Duke University is a private research university in Durham, NC, a city just outside Raleigh. It offers multiple pathways for students with BSN degrees to become nurse practitioners.

Duke offers nurse practitioner master's degrees in several fields. These include:

• adult gerontology
• neonatal
• psychiatric mental health
• women's health

To be eligible for one of the master's degrees, you must have either a BSN or a bachelor's in another field and an associate degree in nursing.

There is also a BSN to Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program, in which students first earn their MSN before seamlessly transitioning into the doctorate program. It takes about three and a half years in total.

Additional specialty certificates are available to nurse practitioner students in fields like cardiology, endocrinology, and pediatric mental health.

2. Emory University

Emory University is a private research university in Atlanta, GA. It offers both master's and doctoral degrees in nursing practice that accept BSN students.

Multiple nurse practitioner master's degrees are available. These include:

• adult/gerontology acute care
• family
• neonatal
• women's health

The same programs are also available in the post-BSN DNP program. Two other DNP programs are available: family/emergency nurse practitioner and nurse anesthesia.

All programs accept students with a BSN so long as they have a valid RN license. You may also need a certain amount of experience to qualify, depending on the program.

3. Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hopkins University is a private research university in Baltimore, MD. It's well known for its medical programs and the affiliate Johns Hopkins Hospital.

The School of Nursing at Johns Hopkins offers a three-year Doctor of Nursing Practice with several track options. These tracks include:

• adult-gerontological acute care
• family primary care
• pediatric primary care
• psychiatric mental health

A BSN or entry-level nursing master's degree is required for entry into the program. Applicants must also have a valid nursing license. An interview is required for acceptance into the program.

While Johns Hopkins does offer a master's degree in nursing, it's not for nurse practitioners. Instead, it is for students who have earned their bachelor's in another subject but want to work as nurse practitioners.

4. University of Michigan

The University of Michigan is a public research university in Ann Arbor, a city west of Detroit. It offers nurse practitioner master's and doctoral programs for those with BSNs.

The master's degrees in nursing practice are available in several areas. These include:

• adult-gerontology acute care
• adult-gerontology primary care
• family primary care
• pediatric primary care

The university also offers a BSN to DNP program in the same areas of study. This degree takes three to four years to complete.

The University of Michigan offers multiple nurse practitioner degrees in an online format.

5. University of Pennsylvania

The University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) is a public research university in Philadelphia. Its nursing school offers master's and doctoral degrees in nursing practice for BSN holders.

Several master's nurse practitioner programs are available in both acute and primary care. These include:

• family primary care
• gender-related primary care
• neonatal acute care
• pediatric acute and primary care

Of the Doctor of Nursing Practice programs, one is available to BSN holders: the nurse anesthesia program. The others require a master's degree.

6. Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt University, commonly referred to as Vandy, is a private research university in Nashville, TN. It offers both master's and doctoral degrees in nursing practice.

Multiple nursing practice specialties are available for Master of Science in Nursing students. These include:

• adult-gerontology primary care
• emergency
• family
• women's health/gender-related

Students wanting to enter the Doctor of Nursing Practice program can go into the adult gerontology acute care and family/emergency programs with just a BSN.

All other fields are available through the school's BSN to DNP bridge program, which starts with the master's degree and seamlessly transitions you into the doctoral program.

Many of these programs are available through distance learning.