MSN Career Outcomes

Graduates can become clinical nurse educators, unit supervisors, care coordinators, nurse navigators, clinical instructors, and more.

Did You Know?
About 31,900 openings for nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners are projected each year, on average, over the decade across the United States.¹

MSN Experiential Learning

Some of our MSN programs may require clinical practice.² For over 40 years, the School of Nursing has maintained affiliations and placements for experiential learning with over 100 institutions in Greater Boston for nursing students, including in facilities such as hospitals, specialty clinics, and urgent care clinics.

Northeastern will partner with students to identify clinical placements within 100 miles of their home. The online students will be responsible for identifying and proposing a clinical preceptor for review and approval by their program director.

Study Options:

• On ground (Boston Campus)
  
• Full-time or part-time
  

The Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program prepares nurses for advanced practice roles and to care for patients with acute, episodic, and complex chronic illnesses in the acute care setting. The program culminates in the Master of Science degree in Nursing. As a nurse practitioner, you will apply your skills through direct nursing care, consultation, collaboration, coordination, and referral.

Curriculum:

• Advanced Pathophysiology
• Pharmacology of the Adult/Older Adult
  
• Nursing Management of Acute and Episodic Illness
  

Program-Specific Admission Requirements:

• Successful completion of a statistics course that includes probability theory and hypothesis testing within the last 5 years
  
• 2 letters of recommendation (academic and professional)
  
• At least 2 years of active, full-time nursing experience in an acute care setting. Attention will be given to former nursing positions that required a high level of independence. Experience in care of adult as well as elder adult populations is encouraged
  

Study Options:

• Online
  
• Full-time or part-time
  

Our program is offered fully online, with a mix of synchronous and asynchronous* courses. This offers flexibility in completing coursework online while you attend your clinical rotations locally. Students will come to Northeastern’s campus three times during the program for two-day clinical intensives, where they’ll have the opportunity to connect with faculty, perfect clinical skills, and prepare for certification exams.

Graduate preparation expands the comprehensiveness of the nurse practitioner role to include participation and use of research development, implementation of health policy, leadership, education, case management, and consultation. Upon completion of the program, graduates are eligible to sit for either of the available AGPCNP national certification exams (ANCC or AANP).

*Asynchronous refers to a recorded class you can do in your own time, vs. synchronous which refers to courses that are attended at specific times.

Curriculum:

• Health Promotion of Adult/Older Adult
  
• Pharmacology of Adults and Older Adults
  
• Primary Care of Adult/Older Adult Problems
  
• Health Assessment
  

Program-Specific Admission Requirements:

• Successful completion of a statistics course that includes probability theory and hypothesis testing, taken within 5 years of entering the program
  
• 2 letters of recommendation (academic or professional)
  
• At least 1 year of active, full-time nursing experience
  

Study Options:

• Online
  
• Full-time or part-time
  

The Family Nurse Practitioner Program is a specialty track focusing on the primary healthcare of individuals and families. The program is offered in a hybrid format with classes delivered online, coupled with live sessions within the didactic and clinical practicum courses. Live sessions are offered in a flexible format to accommodate student needs. Students can gain experience in their local area and are expected to find their own preceptors. Students are required to be on campus one weekend per clinical semester to connect with faculty, perfect clinical skills, and prepare for certification exams. This program offers coursework online while you attend your clinical rotations locally.

Curriculum:

• Epidemiology and Population Health
  
• Advanced Pharmacology
  
• Pharmacology of Adults and Older Adults
  
• Family Care of Pediatric and Adolescents Practicum
  
• Health Care of Women in Family Practice
  

Program-Specific Admission Requirements:

• Successful completion of a statistics course that includes probability theory and hypothesis testing, and taken within 5 years of entering the program
  
• 2 letters of recommendation (academic and professional)
  
• At least 1 year of active, full-time nursing experience. Attention will be given to former nursing positions that required a high level of independence. Experience in care of pediatric as well as adult populations is encouraged
  

Study Options:

• Online
  
• Full-time or part-time
  

This program prepares neonatal nurse practitioners to care for infants at high risk due to low birth weights, complications from premature birth, heart abnormalities, infections, long-term health issues, or other conditions affecting very young infants. Neonates are infants less than four weeks old, but NNPs can care for children up to two years old. Learn advanced diagnostic reasoning, carry out independent management of patients and their families, develop the expertise necessary to care for high-risk neonates and their families, and become proficient at delivery room management of high-risk neonates. Our graduates are prepared to make independent decisions in level 2 and level 3 NICUs, drawing on their experience and diagnostic abilities to affect lives every day.

Curriculum:

• Neonatal Pharmacology
  
• Advanced Health Assessment of the Neonate
  
• Nursing Management Critically Ill Neonatal
  

Program-Specific Admission Requirements:

• Successful completion of a statistics course that includes probability theory and hypothesis testing, and taken within 5 years of entering the program
  
• At least two years of full-time nursing experience in a level 3 or greater NICU before entering the MS program
• 2 letters of recommendation (academic and professional)
  
• Current Certification in Advanced Practice Role if appropriate
  

Study Options:

• On ground (Boston Campus)
  
• Full-time or part-time
  

The goal of the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) programs is to prepare PNPs who provide evidence-based, comprehensive, family-centered healthcare to infants, children, adolescents, and their families. The program provides a broad background of advanced pathophysiology, advanced general and pediatric pharmacology, and advanced health assessment. The highly immersive hands-on clinical core curriculum is intended to provide PNP students with real-life and/or simulated advanced patient care experiences.

Northeastern’s PNP program is the only graduate nursing program in New England to prepare Acute-Care Pediatric NPs. Upon completion of the PNP program, graduates are eligible to sit for all national certification exams in their area of practice.

Curriculum:

• Pediatric Pharmacology
• Health Promotion and Preventative Care in Pediatrics
  
• Care of Acute and Chronic Child Health Problems
  
• Care of Well Child
  

Program-Specific Admission Requirements:

• Official transcript(s) of ALL college-level study
  
• Evidence of successful completion of a statistics course that includes probability theory and hypothesis testing, taken preferably within five years of entering the program, and definitely within 10 years of entering the program (and/or being actively engaged in QI/research projects)
  
• 2 letters of recommendation (academic and professional) 
  

Degree Types:

• MS in Pediatric Primary Care
  
• MS in Pediatric Acute and Primary Care
  

Study Options:

• Online
  
• Full-time or part-time
  

The graduate program in Advanced Practice Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing at Northeastern University is designed to prepare nurses to provide a broad range of mental health services to children, adolescents, adults, and families throughout the lifespan in community mental health centers, residential programs, schools, and outpatient practice settings. The program offers online coursework, with most coursework completed asynchronously.* Some courses, such as the PMHNP specialty theory and practicum courses, also include synchronous remote meetings. 

Students will come to Northeastern’s campus twice during the program for long-weekend clinical intensives to connect with faculty, perfect clinical skills, and prepare for the certification exam. Upon completion of the program, graduates are eligible to sit for the national certification exams for the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, offered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).

*Asynchronous refers to a recorded class you can do in your own time.

Curriculum:

• Epidemiology and Population Health
  
• Dimensions of Clinical Psychiatric Practice
  
• Psychobiological Bases of Mental Health
  
• Contemporary Psychotherapies: Theory and Practice
  

Program-Specific Admission Requirements:

• Successful completion of a statistics course that includes probability theory and hypothesis testing within 5 years of entering the program
  
• At least 1 year of active, full-time psychiatric nursing experience is required for the MS
  
• 2 letters of recommendation (academic and professional)
  

Study Options:

• Online
  
• Full-time or part-time
  

The Master of Science in Nursing Leadership prepares future nurse leaders to advance their careers and improve care, integrating advanced evidence-based clinical practice, interdisciplinary collaboration, healthcare innovation, fiscal responsibility, and leadership principles. 

Students from all states are welcome to apply, as there are no geographic restrictions for this program.

Concentrations:

• Administration/Nurse Executive
  
• Patient Safety
  
• Postsecondary Teaching
  

Program-Specific Admission Requirements:

• At least 1 to 2 years of clinical experience in leadership/management/unit supervision, or education/clinical student mentorship
  
• 2 letters of recommendation (academic and professional)
  

Curriculum:

• Advanced Pharmacology
  
• Epidemiology and Population Health
  
• Health Policy and Law
  
• Leadership in Advanced Practice Nursing
  

Potential Career Opportunities:

• Educators
• Nurse managers
  
• Nurse executives and officers
  
• Clinical and nursing professors