Nursing degrees

There are multiple types of nurses including Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs), Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), and Registered Nurses (RNs). All have various specialties and require different training and licensing for their specific fields. 

RNs are professional nurses who have direct responsibility for patients within medical practice supervision. They perform patient assessment, develop nursing diagnoses, create plans of care, implement the care plan, and continuously evaluate the patient’s response to the plan. 

After becoming an RN, some decide to further their education. That’s where the University of Phoenix comes in. 

We offer various levels of advanced nursing degrees for a student with an RN:

• Two RN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs, one being competency-based
• Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) with four concentrations to choose from
• Post Master’s Certificate programs for administrators and educators 
• Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

While widely available, not all nursing degree programs or courses are available in all locations. Please check with a University enrollment representative.

Here’s how long it can take to complete post-licensure, graduate and doctoral programs for RNs (with active and unencumbered licenses):

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN-BSN)
  • Registered Nurse (RN) to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN): approximately 14 months when you transfer your ADN
• Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

• Master of Science in Nursing/Family Nurse Practitioner (MSN/FNP): approximately 2.5 years
  • Master of Science in Nursing with a concentration in Nurse Administration (MSN/ADM): approximately 21 months
  • Master of Science in Nursing with a concentration in Nurse Education (MSN/NED): approximately 21 months
  • Master of Science in Nursing with a concentration in Informatics (MSN/INF): approximately 21 months

• Post Master’s Graduate Certificates
  • Post Master’s Nursing Administrators Certificate: approximately 9 months
  • Post Master’s Nursing Educators Certificate: approximately 9 months
• Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP): approximately 2 years

Yes! You can take all our nursing programs online.

There are a lot of helpful and informative nursing resources for potential students. Here are just a few: 

• National League for Nursing
• American Nurses Credentialing Center
• American Association of Colleges of Nursing

Nurses with advanced degrees can contribute in innovative ways. They can also be educationally prepared to pursue new opportunities in the areas of leadership, systems thinking, evidence-based practice, health policy and teamwork.