You need at minimum a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) to become a nurse practitioner. Some programs now offer a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) as the entry-level degree instead, and that trend is growing. Either way, you’ll also need an active registered nurse (RN) license, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), and national board certification in your chosen specialty.
The Minimum: A Graduate Nursing Degree
Nurse practitioner programs are graduate-level programs, meaning you cannot enter one with only a bachelor’s degree in nursing. You must complete either an MSN or a DNP from a nationally accredited program. Both degrees qualify you to sit for a national certification exam and apply for state licensure as an NP. The key difference is depth and duration: an MSN focuses on advanced clinical training in your specialty, while a DNP adds coursework in leadership, health policy, and evidence-based practice at the doctoral level.
An important shift is underway. The National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) committed in 2018 to moving all entry-level NP education to the DNP by 2025. Not every program has made the switch, and many MSN programs still exist and produce fully licensed NPs. But if you’re just starting to plan your education, expect more programs to require the DNP in coming years. An MSN earned today still qualifies you to practice, and there’s no indication that existing MSN-prepared NPs will lose their credentials.
What You Need Before Applying
NP programs have two non-negotiable prerequisites: a BSN and an active RN license. According to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, baseline entry requirements include both of these along with core science and math coursework (sometimes called a pre-health sciences core). Many programs also prefer or require clinical nursing experience, typically one to two years of direct patient care as an RN, though requirements vary by school.
If you’re an RN with an associate degree (ADN) rather than a BSN, you’re not locked out. RN-to-BSN bridge programs let you complete your bachelor’s degree, often in 12 to 18 months online, before applying to an NP program. Some schools offer an RN-to-MSN pathway that bundles the bachelor’s and master’s coursework together, saving time. A BSN-to-DNP track is another option that skips the MSN entirely and takes you straight to a doctoral degree.
How Long Each Path Takes
The timeline depends on which degree you pursue and whether you attend full-time or part-time. MSN programs typically take 18 months to three years to complete. BSN-to-DNP programs often run three to four years. If you already hold an MSN and want to add a DNP, expect one to two years full-time or four or more years part-time.
These estimates assume you already have a BSN. If you’re starting from an ADN, add roughly one to two years for the bridge to a BSN. And if you’re starting from scratch with no nursing degree at all, you’ll need to complete a BSN (four years) and work as an RN before applying, so the full journey from high school to NP can span seven to ten years depending on the route you choose.
Choosing a Specialty Track
NP education isn’t one-size-fits-all. You select a population-focused specialty when you enter your program, and that specialty determines the patients you’re trained and certified to treat. The main tracks recognized nationally are:
- Family/Across the Lifespan: the most common track, covering patients of all ages in primary care settings
- Psychiatric-Mental Health: focused on diagnosing and managing mental health conditions across the lifespan
- Pediatric Primary Care: primary care for infants, children, and adolescents
- Pediatric Acute Care: managing acutely and critically ill children, often in hospital settings
- Neonatal: caring for newborns, particularly those who are premature or critically ill
- Women’s Health/Gender-Related: reproductive and gynecological care
Your specialty choice locks in early. Switching later means additional graduate coursework and a new certification exam, so it’s worth shadowing NPs in different roles before you commit.
Clinical Hours During Your Program
Every NP program requires hundreds of supervised clinical hours where you work directly with patients under the guidance of a licensed provider. The exact number varies by specialty and program, but most require a minimum of 500 to over 1,000 hours. These aren’t optional add-ons; national certification boards verify that you completed the required clinical training in your specialty before you’re eligible to sit for the exam. Clinical rotations typically happen in the second half of your program and can be the most time-intensive part of your education, especially if you’re balancing work or family obligations.
National Certification and Licensure
Graduating from an NP program doesn’t make you a nurse practitioner on its own. You must pass a national certification exam in your specialty area. Two organizations administer most NP certification exams: the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB). For the family NP track, for example, the ANCC exam runs 3.5 hours and includes 175 questions. Passing earns you a board-certified credential (such as FNP-BC for family nurse practitioners) that you then submit to your state board of nursing to obtain licensure.
Certification isn’t a one-time event. You’ll need to renew it periodically, which requires continuing education hours and sometimes proof of ongoing clinical practice. State licensure requirements sit on top of national certification, so you’ll want to check the specific rules in whatever state you plan to practice in, as they can differ on details like prescriptive authority and collaborative practice agreements.
MSN vs. DNP: Which Should You Choose?
If your goal is to start practicing as an NP as quickly as possible, an MSN is the faster route. It’s less expensive, takes less time, and qualifies you for the same certification exams and clinical roles as a DNP. Most NPs currently in practice hold an MSN.
A DNP makes more sense if you’re interested in leadership, teaching at the university level, or shaping healthcare policy alongside clinical work. Some healthcare systems are beginning to prefer or incentivize doctoral-prepared NPs, and the degree may offer a salary edge in certain markets. Given NONPF’s push to make the DNP the standard entry-level degree, choosing a BSN-to-DNP program now could save you from returning to school later. That said, MSN-to-DNP bridge programs will likely remain available for years to come, so starting with an MSN and adding the doctorate later is a perfectly viable strategy if time or money is tight right now.