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Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

Graduates from the MSN program at Penn Nursing are prepared to creatively combine knowledge and skills, with special attention given to clinical decision-making and management.

Nurse Practitioner Programs

Acute Care APRN Track

Adult-Gerontology Acute Care
Neonatal
Pediatric Acute Care

Primary Care APRN Track

Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner*
Family*

Pediatric Primary Care
Psychiatric-Mental Health* 
Women’s Health/Gender-Related*

 

Advanced Specialist Programs

Nurse-Midwifery* 

Administration Programs

Health Leadership
Nursing and Healthcare Administration 

*Eligible for the Leonard A. Lauder Community Care Nurse Practitioner Program Fellowship, which offers a free Penn education to budding NPs who are committed to working in underserved communities after graduation.

Outcomes

7:00 a.m. - Nursing staff grab coffee as they head to their shifts in the Hospital of the Univers...At the completion of this advanced level of nursing education, Penn Nursing MSN graduates will:

  • Use scientific inquiry to translate evidence into practice and promote clinical scholarship
  • Perform advanced nursing skills for specialty and subspecialty nursing practice
  • Lead quality improvement and manage care delivery models across settings
  • Leverage strong networks to advance in professional role

These overarching outcomes for all MSN program/tracks reflect the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials. 

A MSN advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) will integrate theoretical and clinical expertise to demonstrate mastery of specific population focused student learning outcomes. The student learning outcomes specific to advanced nursing education for practice specialties include:

  1. Formulating plans of care for population-specific diagnoses.
  2. Delivering educational and therapeutic interventions using advanced health assessment, pathophysiology, pharmacology, and genetics.

While program curricula prepare students to sit for national certification within their role and population area, APRN graduates may be required to complete additional state specific requirements before being permitted to practice.

Other Student Related Outcomes

A minimum of 12 course units are required for most of our MSN programs. Depending on the program, full-time students will take between one and three full calendar years to complete their course of study. A maximum of five (5) calendar years, beginning with the initial graduate course following matriculation, is allowed for completion of the work for the MSN degree.

 

Why Our MSN Program?

  • <div class="lw_blurbs_body"><p><img width="250" height="250" alt="" data-decoration="true" src="/live/image/gid/27/width/250/height/250/crop/1/src_region/0,275,2133,2406/9615_Michelle_v2.rev.1564155972.jpg" class="lw_image lw_image9615 lw_align_left" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/27/width/250/height/250/crop/1/src_region/0,275,2133,2406/9615_Michelle_v2.rev.1564155972.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/27/width/250/height/250/crop/1/src_region/0,275,2133,2406/9615_Michelle_v2.rev.1564155972.jpg 3x" data-max-w="2133" data-max-h="3200"/>I’ve had so many interdisciplinary experiences at Penn throughout the years. Most recently, I pursued a health care informatics minor which included course work with first-year Wharton BA’s at the Institute of Biomedical Informatics that’s housed in the Perelman School of Medicine. My classmates included post-docs, medical residents and fellows, informaticians, and current administrators from the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Beyond this, school and work (for those who work part-time) are stressful enough and Penn Nursing faculty are constantly working in the background to identify supportive clinical placements and ensure that we are set-up to succeed. Even our p receptors are arranged, which has allowed me to simply focus on learning with the knowledge that they have been vetted by faculty and prior students. Most importantly, I’ve learned how to think critically, communicate, and collaborate with other medical colleagues to pursue the best interests of our patients.</p><p> –Michelle Lu, CRNP, MSN, RN<br/> Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner</p></div>
  • <div class="lw_blurbs_body"><p><img width="250" height="250" alt="" data-decoration="true" src="/live/image/gid/27/width/250/height/250/crop/1/src_region/0,473,2133,2604/9616_Brianna_web.rev.1564156068.jpg" class="lw_image lw_image9616 lw_align_left" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/27/width/250/height/250/crop/1/src_region/0,473,2133,2604/9616_Brianna_web.rev.1564156068.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/27/width/250/height/250/crop/1/src_region/0,473,2133,2604/9616_Brianna_web.rev.1564156068.jpg 3x" data-max-w="2133" data-max-h="3200"/>I originally came to Penn Nursing for my BSN as a first generation, low-income student from a small New Jersey town, raised by a single mother. An Ivy League education seemed like a far-reaching dream, but I was warmly welcomed and my eyes were opened to the endless possibilities afforded through a career in nursing. While at Penn, I was a peer tutor, an admin assistant at Student Financial Services, and actively involved in Community Champions and Dance for Health. I fell in love with Penn and community nursing as an undergrad, so I applied to sub-matriculate into the Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner program. I was a recipient of the Advanced Nurses Educating Workforce Scholarship through HRSA, which provided additional education and training in the social determinants of health for future nurse practitioners in primary care. My time at Penn Nursing has given me knowledge, opportunity, and a voice I could have never imagined possible.</p><p> –Brianna Garcia, MSN, AGNP-C<br/> Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner</p></div>
  • <div class="lw_blurbs_body"><p><img width="250" height="250" alt="" data-decoration="true" src="/live/image/gid/27/width/250/height/250/crop/1/src_region/0,454,2133,2585/9617_Heather_web.rev.1564156108.jpg" class="lw_image lw_image9617 lw_align_left" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/27/width/250/height/250/crop/1/src_region/0,454,2133,2585/9617_Heather_web.rev.1564156108.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/27/width/250/height/250/crop/1/src_region/0,454,2133,2585/9617_Heather_web.rev.1564156108.jpg 3x" data-max-w="2133" data-max-h="2131"/>I graduated from Penn’s undergraduate nursing program and then completed both the Pediatric Acute-Chronic NP Master’s and Nursing and Healthcare Administration Programs. Throughout both my undergraduate and graduate careers at Penn, I cannot emphasize enough how invested the professors have been in my success. Not to mention the numerous elective classes and opportunities to take classes outside the School of Nursing; in fact, this is how I became interested in the Healthcare Administration Program. Penn makes each and every opportunity available to you. It is a beautiful campus full of motivated people who are all uniquely talented. Penn and nursing go hand-in-hand: both are challenging, rewarding, and allow you to become a life-long learner. I wouldn’t trade my Penn experience for the world. Go Quakers!</p><p> –Heather Bong, MSN, RN, CPNP-AC<br/> Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Chronic Care Concentration;<br/> Nursing and Healthcare Administration</p></div>

MSN Minors

Designed to supplement and enrich our MSN programs, we offer multiple minors for those who want to more deeply engage with their chosen field.

How to apply

For details on our application process, see the Admissions section.