Best Online RN to MSN Programs in New York for 2027 (No BSN Needed)
The following professionals lent their expertise to this article:
Healthcare Pre-Nursing Nursing
Healthcare Education Nursing Advanced Nursing
Nursing Nursing Ed.If you’re an RN without a BSN, an RN to MSN program can help you move into leadership or specialized practice roles through a flexible and affordable format. This guide highlights top online RN to MSN programs in New York, with clear details on curriculum, learning formats, timelines, and costs to help you choose the best fit.
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Profiling Two RN to MSN Programs in New York
Online RN to MSN programs are designed to accommodate working professionals through online coursework, hybrid formats, and flexible field placements. However, most clinical MSN programs, such as advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) programs, require clinicals be attended in person, typically at healthcare facilities in the student’s or school’s local area.
To help you better understand how these programs work, we’ve profiled below two current online RN to MSN programs in New York. As you review these profiles and others in your program search, be sure to consider these elements:
- Fully-online vs. hybrid format: Programs in clinical specialties will include in-person clinical experiences. Programs in non-clinical specialties may include practicums or projects.
- Synchronous vs. asynchronous delivery: Online program content may be synchronous (requiring logging on and participating in live-streamed class sessions a specifically-scheduled times) or asynchronous (allowing students to log on and attend to their coursework at any time.)
- Program lengths: Programs may be full-time, part-time, or self-paced.
Roberts Wesleyan University
Roberts Wesleyan University’s fully-online RN to MS in Nursing Program prepares students to be leaders in a wide range of education and practice settings.
Students in the program earn both their nursing bachelor’s and master’s degrees through a combined, accelerated course of study, saving both time and money when compared to taking on full BSN and MSN programs.
Students choose between two specialty options:
- Nursing Education
- Nursing Leadership and Administration
Tuition discounts are available to eligible employees, spouses, and dependents of the school’s corporate partners.
The program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
Duration: 20 months
Mode: Fully online
Cost: $39,551 (total tuition, not including fees)
Admissions Requirements:
- ADN or nursing diploma
- Bachelor’s Degree in a non-nursing discipline
- Current, active RN license (U.S. or Canada)
- Current employment of at least 16 hours per week as a registered nurse
Curriculum:
BSN Coursework
- Research & Statistical Methods (if no statistics course transferred in)
- Intro to Baccalaureate Nursing Practice
- Health Assessment
- Quality & Safety in Nursing Practice
- Clinical Judgment & Decision-Making
- Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing
- Population Health
- Emerging Trends in Nursing Leadership
- Research & Evidence-Based Practice for Advanced Nursing Practice
- Nursing Science & Theory for the Master’s Prepared Nurse
- Foundations of Nursing Practice [
- Psychosocial Health Concepts
- Adult Health Concepts I
- Perioperative Practicum
- Women’s Health Issues
Nursing Education Specialty (MSN)
- Education Theory & Curriculum Development
- Teaching with Technology
- Teaching Strategies & Evaluation
- Lean Six Sigma for Healthcare
- Role of the APN in Transformation of Practice
- Advanced Clinical Foundations
- Teaching Practicum
Nursing Leadership and Administration Specialty (MSN)
- Lean Six Sigma for Healthcare Improvement
- Role of the Advanced Practice Nurse in Transformation of Practice
- Human Resources, Ethics, Policy & Law
- Strategic Leadership in Healthcare
- Healthcare Finance Management
- Informatics in Healthcare
- Internship in Healthcare Leadership and Administration
Programs that might interest you:
Empire State Univeristy
Study convenience and fast completion times are both features of the Accelerated Online RN to MSN program at Empire State University (SUNY).
All coursework is delivered 100% online. Both full-time and part-time options available, with part-time students able to complete all degree requirements in three to four years.
Additionally, tuition costs for ESU’s RN to MSN program are among the lowest offered anywhere.
Students choose between Nursing Administration and Nursing Education specialty tracks.
Career options for graduates include:
- Clinical Nurse Leader
- Health Program Manager
- Nurse Educator
- Nursing Administrator
- Patient Care Coordinator
Duration: Three to four years part-time. Full-time option also available.
Mode: Fully online
Cost: Nursing Administration: $22,623; Nursing Education: $24,036 (total tuition, not including fees)
Admissions Requirements:
- ADN degree with minimum 3.0 GPA
- Active, unencumbered New York State RN license
- One year working experience as an RN
- Ability to pursue college-level work (as evidenced by essay)
- Demonstrated capacity to develop graduate level academic skills
Preference is given to New York State residents.
Curriculum:
BSN Courses
- Transition to Baccalaureate Nursing
- Health Assessment
- Pharmacology
- Healthcare Delivery Systems and Policy
- Population and Community Health Nursing
- Undergraduate Nursing Elective
Core MSN Courses
- Theoretical Foundations of Nursing Practice
- Professional Role Development & Ethics
- Nursing Research & Evidence-Based Practice
- Contemporary Issues in Health Care
- Informatics and Health Care Technology
- Population Health, Human Diversity & Social Justice
- Graduate Nursing Elective
Nursing Administration Specialty (MSN)
- Healthcare Finance and Budgeting
- Organizational Theory and Human Relations
- Innovative Leadership in Healthcare Organizations
- Nursing Administration Capstone
Nursing Education Specialty (MSN)
- Curriculum and Program Development
- Instructional Design and Teaching with Technology
- Measurement, Assessment & Evaluation
- Advanced Pathophysiology, Health Assessment & Pharmacology
- Nursing Education Capstone
- Graduate Nursing Elective
NY Student RN to MSN FAQs
If you’ve read this far, you likely have a foundational understanding of how online RN to MSN programs in New York work. You’ve also likely come up with a few questions of your own.
To help you out, here are answers to five questions frequently asked by prospective New York RN to MSN students.
What Can You Do with an MSN in New York?
Generally speaking, an MSN degree prepares students for careers in nursing leadership and advanced clinical practice. In regard to advanced practice, most MSN graduates pursue roles as nurse practitioners in any of a number of specialized practice areas, including:
- Acute care
- Adult health
- College health
- Community health
- Family health
- Gerontology
- Holistic health
- Neonatology
- Obstetrics and gynecology
- Oncology
- Palliative care
- Pediatrics
- Perinatology
- Psychiatry
- School health
- Women’s health
Nurse midwives also need, at minimum, an MSN degree.
You may also pursue a career as a clinical nurse specialist if your degree is specifically in a CNS track. While nurse practitioners focus on direct patient care, clinical nurse specialists focus on improving patient outcomes throughout a specific population or system through research education, research, and leadership.
Common CNS areas of practice include:
- Adult health
- Pediatrics
- Psychiatric and mental health
- Oncology
Non-clinical fields you can pursue with your MSN include:
Remember also that with your MSN you can continue your academic studies in pursuing a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) or PhD in Nursing degree.
Will I Earn My Bachelor’s Degree During My RN to MSN Program?
That depends on the specific program. For example, both of the programs profiled above award BSN degrees as part of their RN to MSN courses of study.
An example of an RN to MSN program in New York that does not award a BSN is the RN To MS Accelerated Program at Daemen University.
How Will an RN to MSN Program in New York Prepare Me for More Opportunities?
Earning your MSN opens the door to leadership careers in nursing administration and advanced specialized clinical practice. With these advanced roles come higher salaries and expanded career opportunities.
According to recent (2024) figures from the Center for Health Workforce Studies (CHWS), only 16.5% of all registered nurses employed in New York State hold a MSN degree. What that means to you is that, by earning your nursing master’s, you place yourself in an elevated position among New York RNs for top-level jobs with higher-quality, higher-paying employers.
Expert Insight
With a graduate nursing degree, you can make a difference at the foundational level, such as developing software systems to improve healthcare delivery as a nurse informaticist, designing curriculum for nurses and nursing students as a nurse educator, and developing new and improved workplace policies as a nursing administrator.
How Long Does It Take to Complete an RN to MSN Program in New York?
Completion times vary for New York online RN to MSN programs due mainly to these factors:
- Study pace (full-time, part-time, self-paced, traditional vs. accelerated)
- Chosen specialty (longer program lengths are common for students in specialties that require substantial clinical practice experiences)
Given these factors, expect program lengths for RN to MSN programs of:
- Nurse Practitioner (various specialties): 36 to 48 months or more
- Nursing Administration/Leadership: 20 to 36 months
- Nursing Education: 16 to 32 months
- Nursing Informatics: 18 to 24 months
How Affordable are RN to MSN Programs in New York?
Afforability is a relative term. But when you compare the costs of RN to MSN programs against those for completing both traditional BSN and MSN programs, RN to MSN programs can certainly be described as affordable.
That being said, the total price tags for online RN to MSN programs in New York vary from school to school depending on the same completion time factors listed above, plus:
- Public vs. private schools: Private school programs tend to be more expensive than public school programs.
- In-state vs. out-of-state residency: Public school programs often charge higher tuition rates to out-of-state residents than they do to in-state residents.
Bearing all of this in mind, you can expect to encounter total tuition costs for RN to MSN programs in New York ranging from:
- Public schools: $18,000 to $30,000 (NYS residents); $25,000 to $50,000 (out-of-state residents)
- Private schools: $30,000 to $60,000
Remember that these are estimated tuition costs only and do not include additional program fees, the costs of books, equipment, etc. Also remember that these figures do not take into account any financial aid funding you receive.
RN vs. MSN Salary & Careers in New York
| Area | Occupation | 10th Percentile | Median | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | RNs | $79,760 | $109,440 | $157,090 |
| NPs | $112,730 | $153,510 | $198,060 |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
| Area | Occupation | Curr.Jobs | Proj.Jobs | NewJobs | Growth % | Avg. Ann.Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | RNs | 204,040 | 256,080 | 52,040 | 25.50% | 5,200 |
| NPs | 16,600 | 20,970 | 4,370 | 26.30% | 440 |
Source: Projections Central
