Herzing University
Request Info Apply Now
Scholarships Nursing Programs Campus Locations
Program availability

Program availability

Your Preferences

Update your Zip code, preferred campus, and preferred program

Master's Degree

Online Direct Entry MSN
Program for Non-Nurses

Format

Online

Program Length

20-24 Mo.1

Credits

60-77

DNP Credits

Earn 9
calendar

NEXT START September 4th

Waived Enrollment Fee

Request Info Apply Now

Go from Non-Nursing to MSN in Our Direct Entry Program

AccreditationCCNE accredited,2 Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission
Format100% online didactic classes, including both on-demand and real-time learning with flexible scheduling; the hybrid format includes labs and simulations held at our Kenosha campus; the online format includes three 2-4 day intensives at our Nashville campus
AdmissionsDesigned for non-nurses; non-nursing bachelor's degree required for admissions
EligibilityAvailable for enrollment in select states3
DNP Dual CreditEarn dual credit towards a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
QuickPathsBuild a foundation to pursue an advanced specialty in a future post master's certificate program; transfer credit, stackable credentials, and adaptive learning technology build a faster pathway to a higher education with Herzing

Learn More Today!

Classes start: September 4th

Ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the best online graduate nursing programs in 2024

Holder

Overview: Online MSN - Direct Entry Program

The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Direct Entry degree is a 60-77 credit graduate program which prepares non-nursing majors for a career as an MSN-prepared Registered Nurse (RN). The degree program provides students with fundamental knowledge and skills in pathophysiology & pharmacology, scholarly practice, mental health nursing, nursing informatics and healthcare technology, population health, and much more.

MSNDE

  • Career-focused curriculum

    Discover the crucial knowledge and skills required to succeed in your work and build a foundation for continued career growth.

  • Flexible schedule

    We work hard to help you maintain school-life balance, striving to be as flexible as possible for busy non-traditional students.

  • Virtual services

    Access to extensive virtual services, including academic advising, tutoring, support services, technical support and library services.

  • Lifelong support

    We support your ongoing career advancement by providing comprehensive, personalized student services with lifelong career coaching.

  • Rolling admissions

    No application deadlines to worry about. Apply when you’re ready and prepare to get started soon.

Curriculum

Direct Entry MSN Program Classes & Curriculum Details

Due to the rigorous nature of the online direct entry MSN pathway, we implemented several benchmarks to ensure you’re on track to successfully complete the program, develop the knowledge and skills you need to excel as an RN, and position yourself for career advancement.

Students who meet the undergraduate general education requirements can complete the program in as little as 20 months (60 credits). For those who do not have the required undergraduate general education credits, this program is a minimum of 77 credits and can be completed in 24 months.

ProgramMonths 2Credit
Master of Science in Nursing - Direct Entry20-2460-77

Required Undergraduate Pre-Requisite Core Courses

17.00 semester credit hours are required. The following courses, or the equivalent, must be successfully completed prior to entry in the core nursing courses:

This course presents the study of basic statistical theory and concepts. Topics include statistical probabilities, measures of central tendency, measures of variation, hypothesis testing, regression, and correlation.

The first anatomy and physiology course in a two-term sequence will provide nursing students with information and practical experience regarding anatomical and physiological concepts related to the integumentary, skeletal, muscular, nervous, and endocrine systems, as well as, special senses. Biochemistry, cellular biology, and histology are integrated into each body system. Emphasis is on interrelationships among systems and regulation of physiological functions involved in maintaining homeostasis.

This course provides an introduction to the study of microorganisms. It covers normal microbiota and pathogenic microbes. Select topics include function, metabolism, genetics, growth, and relationships to humans and the environment. Topics related to human infectious diseases include transmission, host defense mechanisms, growth processes, and the spread of infectious agents. This course also includes a practical component.

This course presents the basic concepts of chemistry. Topics to be presented include: matter, atoms, molecules, and atomic structure; chemical bond theory; molecular geometry and properties; writing chemical equations; the conservation of matter in chemical reactions; oxidation and reduction reactions; pH and acid-base chemistry; buffer, and solutions; and equilibrium. Students will also be provided with an overview of organic chemistry and biochemistry. This course includes a practical component.

The second anatomy and physiology course in a two-term sequence will provide nursing students with information and practical experience regarding anatomical and physiological concepts as related to the circulatory system, lymphatic system, respiratory system, digestive system, urinary system, and the male and female reproductive systems. Biochemistry, cell biology, and histology are integrated into each body system. Emphasis is on interrelationships among systems and regulation of physiological functions involved in maintaining homeostasis.

Note: Students must earn a "B" or better in both the SC 154 Anatomy and Physiology I for Nurses and SC 254 Anatomy and Physiology II for Nurses courses.

Required Courses in Nursing

60.00 semester credit hours are required.

This course focuses on the basic understanding of pathophysiology related to human illness with an emphasis placed on cellular alterations in organ systems as they relate to selected disease states. Opportunities will be presented that provide for the use of critical thinking processes to analyze diverse client presentations of selected illness for symptomatology, pathophysiology, and health care implications. Students will be introduced to the role of pharmacotherapeutic agents in the treatment of illness and in the promotion of wellness in patients throughout the lifespan. These concepts provide the basis for the study of drug actions, indications, side effects, nursing implications, and patient education. 

This course focuses on the concept of health assessment as the foundational step of the nursing process. Knowledge and skills necessary for the performance of comprehensive and focused health assessments will be presented. Interviewing, observation, inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation skills will be examined. Normal findings, variations from normal, cultural differences and appropriate equipment use will be considered. Students will be provided with opportunities to learn and develop basic competencies necessary to facilitate the optimal well-being of the patient within the healthcare setting in a safe, legal, and ethical manner. Focus is placed on the nursing process, health promotion, disease prevention, professional communication, and interdisciplinary collaboration within the context of meeting basic patient needs in a healthcare environment. Throughout the course, students demonstrate competence of fundamental principles of nursing practice which are validated through clinical skill performance assessments. 

This course provides a clinical practicum for the application of concepts learned in health assessment and fundamental nursing courses. Evidence-based practice, critical thinking, teaching/learning, professional behaviors, communication, collaboration, skills/technology, and professional development are embodied and exhibited. The student engages in the application of the nursing process in collaboration with the RN preceptor or clinical instructor, who guides the clinical experience. 

This course is designed to further develop and apply concepts related to the nursing process of acute and chronically ill patients. Teamwork and collaboration are introduced to enhance safe and quality nursing care in a variety of clinical settings. Classroom and clinical experiences integrate the concepts of caring, collaboration, communication, cultural sensitivity, community, and clinical judgment to facilitate the wellbeing of individuals and prepare the student as a provider of care. In the clinical setting, students will care for patients with select medical and/or surgical problems in various settings, state knowledge of pathophysiology and psychosocial dynamics, apply the nursing process, utilize information technology, interact with other health care professionals, and practice clinical decision making and critical inquiry while caring for culturally diverse, ill adults.

This course focuses on the role of the nurse in caring for patients with alterations in mental health. Focus is placed on the nursing process framework with emphasis on assessment, therapeutic communication, neurobiological and psychosocial theories, pharmacology, and current practices related to the care of the mentally ill. Interventions focus on aspects of care to include professional communication, patient and family teaching, review of community resources, and practical application in various clinical settings. 

This course provides a clinical practicum for the application of concepts learned in mental health and medical surgical nursing courses. Evidence-based practice, critical thinking, teaching/learning, professional behaviors, communication, collaboration, skills/technology, and professional development are embodied and exhibited. The student engages in the application of the nursing process in collaboration with the RN preceptor or clinical instructor, who guides the clinical experience. 

This course introduces the student to family-centered care and the health needs of the childbearing family. Students review concepts, skills, and techniques needed to care for culturally diverse maternal, infant, and pediatric patients and their families. The nursing process is utilized to emphasize the concepts of family-centered care, collaboration, communication, cultural competence, and community. The clinical experiences focus on concepts and skills required to provide safe and evidence-based care in a variety of clinical settings. 

This course expands on previous nursing knowledge and skills to provide care to patients that have complex health alterations in a variety of clinical settings.  Students will explore the concepts of professionalism, collaboration, communication, and cultural competency within the context of illness and their role as provider of care, educator, and patient advocate. In the clinical setting, students will care for selected patients in various settings, applying knowledge of pathophysiology and psychosocial dynamics for patients with medical and/or surgical problems. Focused on nursing care of complex patients, families, and groups in unstable situations with unpredictable outcomes. The course focuses on nursing practice that facilitates the wellbeing of individuals within the context of critical or complex illness and continues in preparing the student as a provider of care.  In the clinical setting, students care for selected patients in various settings, integrating knowledge of pathophysiology and psychosocial dynamics for patients with acute or complex medical and/or surgical problems. 

This course provides a clinical practicum for the application of concepts learned in maternity, newborn, pediatric, and advanced medical surgical nursing courses. Evidence-based practice, critical thinking, teaching/learning, professional behaviors, communication, collaboration, managing care, management/leadership, skills/technology, and professional development are embodied and exhibited. The student engages in the application of the nursing process in collaboration with the RN preceptor or clinical instructor, who guides the clinical experience.

This course provides a clinical practicum for the application of concepts learned throughout the program. Evidence-based practice, critical thinking, teaching/learning, professional behaviors, communication, collaboration, managing care, management/leadership, skills/technology, and professional development are embodied and exhibited. The student engages in the application of the nursing process in collaboration with the RN preceptor or clinical instructor, who guides the clinical experience. 

This course will provide the student with the opportunity to synthesize knowledge and skills that increase competence and confidence as a nurse. This course will utilize the components of nursing knowledge gained and translate it into development of a culminating experience with a capstone project. This course requires decision making skills, utilization of nursing science, analysis of data, evaluation and creation of new ideas to help patients. All students are required to complete a final capstone project that reflects mastery of the program outcomes. This course is part one of the capstone project.

This course is part two of the capstone project. The student will implement the proposed project and evaluate the results related to the change/plan. This is a small-scale project to encourage growth of the student nurse as they transition to a graduate nurse. This course requires decision making skills, utilization of nursing science, analysis of data, evaluation, and creation of new ideas to help patient populations. All students are required to complete a final capstone project that reflects mastery of the program outcomes.

This course focuses on current national and global trends, policies, and challenges which impact health and healthcare delivery. An overview of ethical and legal issues commonly presented to nurses and other health care providers is discussed with emphasis on the identification and analysis of legal and ethical principles underlying clinical judgment in nursing. This course examines organizations from a systems perspective, addressing the concepts of leadership, motivation, and behavior. Strategic planning, fiscal responsibility, legal and ethical issues, and performance improvement are explored. 

This course provides the student with the opportunity to evaluate his/her strengths and weaknesses in preparation for the NCLEX-RN® exam. Utilization of the nursing process and integration of all previous concepts will be emphasized through the use of case studies, integrated testing, and directed study. 

This course explores the research process and its contributions to professional nursing practice. The skills related to reading published research findings and utilizing that evidence as a basis for professional nursing practice are developed. This course will introduce, and apply research methods and designs, knowledge-based research techniques, evidence-based practice, outcome evaluation, and evaluation of research processes. Grant writing and national guidelines regarding human subject research protection will be covered. Students will be exposed to the critique of qualitative and quantitative research methods. Ethical issues in research and the value of nursing and healthcare research will be critically explored. In addition, students will be able to develop a research proposal or carry out a quality improvement project. 

This course will explore information and communication technologies and informatics processes used to provide care, gather data, drive decision making, and manage and improve the delivery of safe, high‐quality, and efficient healthcare services in accordance with best practice and professional and regulatory standards. Students will perform an information technology analysis of their practice and develop strategic planning to direct the selection and implementation of new information and communication technologies for their practice setting.

This course applies the principals of best practices, change theory, and improvement and implementation science to the development of innovative solutions for complex health systems to ensure optimal care. Course key concepts include organizational structure, including relationships among macro‐, meso‐, and microsystems across healthcare, and financial and payment models for cost management and reimbursement. Students will engage in a strategic planning initiative for a complex healthcare system which enhances value, access, quality, and cost‐effectiveness, including policy to address health equity and eliminate structural discrimination.

This course examines the healthcare delivery continuum from public health prevention to disease management of populations and describes collaborative activities with both traditional and non‐traditional partnerships from affected communities, public health, industry, academia, health care, local government entities, and others for the improvement of equitable population health outcomes. For a selected population, students will analyze health priorities and the potential for collaboration and partnerships to provide a basis for interventions, policy, advocate strategy, and emergency preparedness.

Online & In person

What's Online, and What's In-person?

Online

All online didactic, lecture-style courses may be completed asynchronously (24/7 on your schedule) through the Herzing University Canvas Learning Management System.

Clinical instructor and peer collaboration requirements will be done via synchronous (live) distance learning, which will be required at times throughout the program.

Our online classes provide the foundational nursing knowledge and skills you need to prepare for in-person clinicals and intensives.

In-person

Practical, hands-on training supplements your online learning to provide the well-rounded education you need to succeed as an MSN-prepared RN. Our curriculum includes:

Clinicals. You’ll complete a total of 585 clinical hours over the course of the Direct Entry MSN program. We use a precepted model for student clinical experiences in our online nursing programs, and we have a dedicated team to help you find clinical placement.

Labs, clinicals, and/or intensives. You will attend three 2-4 day intensives at our Nashville campus if you elect the online format. They will include skills introduction, skills checks, testing and faculty advisement to ensure you’re on the right track. The hybrid format includes labs and simulations held at our Kenosha campus.

Tution & Cost 

Tuition & Cost

The cost of tuition for the MSN - Direct Entry program is $775 per credit.

You can potentially earn even greater savings by transferring credit from prior college coursework, applying for financial aid, or potential partnership opportunities through your employer.

Our goal is your career advancement. That's why we are always working to improve our curriculum and processes to make our program as affordable as possible while preparing you best for success in your work.

Find My Estimate 

  • Scholarships & Financial Aid

    You may be eligible for multiple scholarships and grants—including our Nurses Circle of Achievement scholarship, which offers up to 10% tuition reduction.

    Find scholarships and grants  

  • Military/Veteran Discounts

    Veterans, Active Duty U.S. Servicemembers, and spouses may qualify for a 10% tuition discount or tuition reduction to $250 per credit.

    VA/Military benefits  

Find My Estimate 
Requirements

MSN Direct Entry Enrollment Requirements

Prerequisites to enroll in the Herzing Direct Entry MSN program include:

  • Prior education

    Evidence of graduation from a non-nursing bachelor’s degree program awarded by an accredited institution of higher education

  • Minimum GPA

    3.0 GPA

  • Entrance testing

    Aggregate score of 66 on the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS). No GRE required.

Students will be assessed on their collegiate cumulative GPA from either a non-nursing bachelor’s degree or master’s degree program.

The following courses, or the equivalent, must be successfully completed prior to entry in the Master of Science in Nursing - Direct Entry core nursing courses:

  • Statistics

    3 credits

  • Anatomy & Physiology I

    4 credits; must earn "B" or better

  • Anatomy & Physiology II

    4 credits; must earn "B" or better

  • Chemistry

    3 credits

  • Microbiology

    3 credits

Alternative entry points: if your GPA is too low, or you do not hold a non-nursing bachelor’s degree, you may also consider several undergraduate nursing degree options. We offer nursing programs at the bachelor’s, associate, and diploma levels—if you want to become a nurse, we offer a pathway to help you start your journey.

Meet Our Leadership

Tricia Wagner

"The MSN Direct Entry is a great program for someone who is looking at a career change, second career, or has been a displaced worker.

The degree provides a long list of opportunities after graduation in combination with success on the NCLEX-RN. This dream can be a reality in less than 2 years!"

Tricia Wagner

Associate Dean of Nursing for Graduate Programs

A leader, educator, and advanced practice nurse that currently serves as the Associate Dean of Nursing for Graduate Programs, Dr. Wagner has a practice specialty as both an adult-gerontology and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. She completed her Diploma RN and BSN in Springfield, Missouri and her MSN and DNP through the University of South Alabama, Mobile. She has 30 years' experience in healthcare with 20 years as a nursing executive in both academia and healthcare organizations. She has been ensuring that nurses have the opportunity to reach their desired education potential for many years.

Careers

What Can You Do With an MSN?

Medical assistant speaking with patient in office Image
Image

The purpose of our Direct Entry MSN program is to fully prepare you to take the NCLEX-RN and become a Registered Nurse (RN).

The Direct Entry MSN pathway is designed to expedite the process for students who already hold a non-nursing bachelor’s degree.

While a master’s degree is not required to become an RN, a master’s-level education gives you a head start on advancing your nursing career.

Earning an MSN opens doors to many possibilities in advanced practice nursing. This is an opportunity for you to pursue graduate-level nursing pathways and minimize your cost and time.

Job Outlook

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment of registered nurses is expected to increase 9% from 2020-2030.*

Now is an excellent time to begin working towards becoming an RN with goals of advancing even higher.

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN) are also projected to be in very high demand in coming years. The BLS expects employment of nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners to greatly increase—largely boosted by a 45% growth estimate for nurse practitioners from 2022-2032.*

Specialties

Advance to the highest levels faster

By committing to the MSN pathway right from the start, you can position yourself best for graduate-level specialization in the future. Upon graduation, you can potentially leverage your MSN into post master’s certificate programs in several different specialties:

The Student Experience at Herzing

All the courses provided by Herzing during my program were valuable in preparing me for my career. The best part was that it didn’t take me that long to complete my degree!

Jacqueline Elaine White
Nursing Student | Online Campus

Faq

Frequently Asked Questions

Didn't find the answer to your question? Send us an inquiry and we will be happy to answer all your questions!

Request Info

The highest degree, or terminal degree, in nursing is the doctoral degree.

We offer the practice-focused Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) for students seeking to ascend to the highest ranks of the nursing field and begin making a significant impact in how nursing is implementing evidence-based practice and researching into the practice setting.

After completing the direct entry MSN program, you may be eligible to enroll in our post master’s DNP program.

No, but you can get much closer to reaching that goal. You will need to complete additional education in the NP specialty of your choosing before becoming eligible to practice.

After completing the direct entry MSN program, you are eligible to enroll in a post master’s certificate program to help you prepare to become a nurse practitioner.

We currently offer post master’s certificate concentrations in:

Increasingly yes, but it ultimately depends on the institution who issued the degree.

As the popularity of online degrees continues to rapidly trend upward in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, so has mainstream acceptance of online degree programs.

Attitudes toward online degrees were already becoming more positive before the pandemic forced the issue. According to a 2019 study from Northeastern University, 61 percent of HR leaders say online learning is “of equal or greater quality to more traditional methods.” More than half believe that in the future, most advanced degrees will be online.

Regarding nursing applicants who earned online degrees, there are a few important factors employers consider:

  • The school and degree program’s accreditation. Herzing University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and programmatically accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).i
  • If you have earned nursing licensure. Our programs are designed to help you pass any necessary exams and become licensed before getting your first job.
  • The school’s reputation and history of producing excellent employees. Consider our many happy graduates and 50+ years producing more than 40,000 alumni.

For all these reasons employers know what it means when they see “Herzing University” on a resume!

i. Programmatic accreditation varies by program and by campus location. Find details about all Herzing University accreditations and approvals.

We use a precepted model for clinical experiences in our MSN Direct Entry program.

Upon admission, you have the opportunity to complete a form that will help us select and place you with a preceptor. This will be locations that you have in your area that you desire to complete your clinical or even a location that you might be interested in working in the future.

Our dedicated clinical placement team will assist you in preceptor placement. We work with many clinical sites to ensure you can find the right fit (ideally within 100 miles of where you live).

Ultimately, our clinical placement team is responsible for providing assigned preceptors—but your ability to identify potential sites and preceptors in your community is integral to the process. However, we cannot guarantee you will be assigned to a preferred or specific preceptor or location.

Occasionally you will have virtual clinicals for basic skills checks and faculty advisement, which may be done via synchronous remote sessions.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, registered nurses earn an average salary of $94,480 per year ($45.42 per hour).*

We recommend that you keep work to a minimum during the program given the required synchronous sessions and overall volume of work needed for success.

There are a wide variety of different career paths in nursing, and depending on what makes the most sense for you there are several different types of nursing degrees you may consider:

  • Diploma in Practical Nursing. The fastest way to start your nursing career is to earn a diploma in practical nursing and become a Licensed Practical Nurse. This isn’t a “degree” but it’s an alternative starting point if you’re ready to get your feet wet in nursing.
  • Associate degree in nursing. Earn an associate’s degree in nursing and you’ll be eligible to sit for the NCLEX and become a Registered Nurse (RN).
  • Bachelor’s in nursing. A bachelor’s degree is becoming the new educational standard for registered nurses, and it will qualify you for a master’s degree program.
  • Master’s in nursing. Many roles up the ladder in nursing will require a master’s degree.
  • Doctorate in nursing. Earn the terminal degree in nursing and reach the top of the field.

All schools have their own distinct degree programs based on their qualifications and areas of focus. Herzing University offers many different options to provide the shortest path to your destination no matter where you are right now, including campus bridge programs and online programs to help you reach the next level in your education. View all of our nursing programs.

Request Info 
Locations

Program Finder

MSN - Direct Entry Degree Programs / Showing 1 program for the Online campus

  • MSN - Direct Entry

    Online

    To learn more about this program, click the Request Info button.

    Request Info

Request Information

Ready to get started?

Contact us to request more information

Opt-In to Receive SMS Messages

By selecting this button you agree to receive updates and alerts from Herzing University. Text HELP to 85109 for help, Text STOP to 85109 to end. Msg & Data Rates May Apply. By opting in, I authorize Herzing University to deliver SMS messages and I understand that I am not required to opt in as a condition of enrollment. By leaving this box unchecked you will not be opted in for SMS messages. Click to read Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Disclosures

Accreditation & Disclosures

  • 1. Completion time based on transfer credit for undergraduate general education courses.
  • 2. The master's degree program in nursing at Herzing University-Madison is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org). Herzing University is approved to offer programs in an online learning modality through association with the main campus in Madison, Wisconsin.
  • 3. Eligible states for enrollment: Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana,i Michigan, Minnesota,i Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Limited to 100 mile radius of physical campus (Minneapolis, New Orleans)

Herzing University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics 2023 / Occupational Outlook Handbook 2022. BLS estimates do not represent entry-level wages and/or salaries. Multiple factors, including prior experience, age, geography market in which you want to work and degree field, will affect career outcomes and earnings. Herzing neither represents that its graduates will earn the average salaries calculated by BLS for a particular job nor guarantees that graduation from its program will result in a job, promotion, salary increase or other career growth.

View Accreditation and Approvals

Latest

Recent Blog Posts

A Nurse’s Essential Guide to Networking

A Nurse’s Essential Guide to Networking

Herzing Staff Herzing Staff
Optimizing the Opportunities of the Clinical Experience
Campus & Community | Career Development | College Tips

Optimizing the Opportunities of the Clinical Experience

Herzing Staff Herzing Staff
What is Nurse Practitioner Credentialing?

What is Nurse Practitioner Credentialing?

Jessica Dickenson Jessica Dickenson

Classes Start: September 4th

Waived Enrollment Fee

Discover the educational pathway designed to maximize your career potential. Reach for greater heights with Herzing University.

Request Info Apply Now