Are you looking for a college or university in the Old Dominion State of Virginia where you can pursue a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree? If so then you should find the following list of schools in Virginia offering nationally accredited MSN programs quite helpful in your search.


Eastern Mennonite University Department of Nursing

Eastern Mennonite University’s Department of Nursing offers a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree. Students can choose from two tracks: the Leadership & Management track and the Leadership & School Nursing track. The programs require 37 credit hours or 38-39 credit hours to complete, respectively. They take 24 months as a full-time student or 48 months as a part-time student to complete.

Applicants to the program must hold a Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution with a 3.0 or higher grade point average (GPA). Candidates must be licensed to practice as a registered nurse and have at least one year of full-time clinical practice experience as a Registered Nurse (RN).

Program Accreditations

Commission of Collegiate Nursing Education

Program Contact Information

1200 Park Road
Harrisonburg, VA 22802
(540) 432-4187

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George Mason University School of Nursing

The School of Nursing at George Mason University offers two pathways to a Master of Science in Nursing degree. They offer both an RN to MSN pathway and a traditional MSN pathway.

The RN to MSN pathway is designed for Registered Nurses who have significant clinical practice experience within the past two years. If accepted to the program, students are required to complete one RN to MSN bridge course: Community Health and Epidemiology. Once the course is completed, students progress into the MSN coursework for their chosen specialization.

Students seeking their MSN can choose from the following areas of specialization:

  • Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
  • Family Nurse Practitioner
  • Nurse Educator
  • Nursing Administration

Applicants to the RN to MSN program must have graduated from an NLNAC/ACEN or CCNE accredited diploma or Associate’s program in nursing. They must have completed all general education and nursing prerequisite courses from a regionally accredited institution with at least a 3.0 GPA. Candidates must hold a license in the U.S. to practice as a Registered Nurse. They should have at least one year of experience as an RN, but two years experience is preferred.

Applicants to the traditional MSN program are required to hold a Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution with a 3.0 or higher undergraduate GPA. All MSN applicants must hold an active license as a Registered Nurse in the U.S. with work experience as an RN. They must also have completed an undergraduate course in Statistics and be CPR certified.

Applicants to the Nurse Practitioner programs have additional requirements. They must hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree from a nationally accredited program with a 3.0 or higher GPA on a 4.0 scale for the last 60 hours of undergraduate work. Nurse Practitioner program applicants must also have completed an course in Health Assessment.

Program Accreditations

Commission of Collegiate Nursing Education

Program Contact Information

4400 University Drive
Mail Stop 3C4
Fairfax, VA 22030
(703) 993-1904

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Hampton University School of Nursing

Hampton University’s School of Nursing offers a Master of Science in Nursing degree in the following specialty areas:

  • Family Nurse Practitioner
  • Nurse Educator (Concentrations available in Advanced Adult Nursing, Community Health Nursing, and Community Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing)
  • Nursing Administration (Concentrations available in Advanced Adult Nursing, Community Health Nursing, and Community Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing)

Applicants to the program must hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from an accredited program with undergraduate cumulative and nursing GPAs of 2.7 or higher on a 4.0 scale. Students must submit acceptable Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores. Candidates must have completed undergraduate courses in Statistics and Physical Assessment. Students should hold and maintain a valid license to practice as a Registered Nurse in the state where they will participate in clinical experiences. They must also have one year of full-time experience as an RN beyond that required for their BSN prior to enrolling in graduate clinical courses.

Program Accreditations

Commission of Collegiate Nursing Education

Program Contact Information

100 East Queen Street, William Freeman Hall
Hampton, VA 23668
(757) 727-5654

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James Madison University Department of Nursing

The Department of Nursing at James Madison University offers a Master of Science in Nursing degree in a variety of roles and specializations. Those include the following:

  • Adult-Gerontological Nurse Practitioner
  • Family Nurse Practitioner
  • Nurse-Midwifery (in affiliation with Shenandoah University)
  • Clinical Nurse Leader
  • Nurse Administrator

The programs are delivered in a hybrid format with most courses delivered on campus. Classes meet on Wednesdays of each week. The Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner program requires 46 credit hours. The Family Nurse Practitioner program requires 49 credits. The Clinical Nurse Leader and Nurse Administrator programs require 38 credits. And the Nurse-Midwifery program requires 41 credit hours to complete.

Applicants are required to hold a Bachelor’s degree in nursing or another field with a cumulative GPA of 2.8 or higher. Those with lower GPAs will be considered for provisional admission on an individual basis. Students must submit acceptable GRE or Miller Analogy Test (MAT) scores. They must have successfully completed undergraduate courses in Statistics and Health Assessment with a grade of “C” or higher. Candidates must hold a current unrestricted licensed as a Registered Nurse with relevant clinical work experience. They must also be CPR certified.

Program Accreditations

Commission of Collegiate Nursing Education

Program Contact Information

820 Madison Drive, MSC 4305
Burruss Hall Room 105
Harrisonburg, VA 22807
(540) 568-6314

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Jefferson College of Health Sciences Department of Nursing

Master of Science in Nursing programs are offered by the Department of Nursing at Jefferson College of Health Sciences. MSN programs are available in the following two roles/specializations:

  • Family Nurse Practitioner
  • Nursing Administration

The Family Nurse Practitioner program requires 50 credit hours to complete. It can be completed in eight consecutive semesters as a part-time student. The Nursing Administration program consists of 36 credit hours.

Applicants to the Nurse Practitioner programs must hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing with a GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale. Students must have completed a college level Statistics course with a grade of “C” or higher. GRE scores are required if the applicant has no Master’s degree. They must hold a current unrestricted license to practice as an RN in the state where their clinical practice will occur. Candidates must have at least one year of full-time work experience as an RN within the last three years.

Those applying to the Nursing Administration program must hold a Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution with a 3.0 or higher GPA recommended. If the Bachelor’s degree is in a field other than nursing, RNs can enter the programs if they complete a course in Contemporary Nursing Issues & Theory with a grade of “B” or better as well as a Nursing Research course with a grade of “C” or better. GRE scores are required if the applicant has no Master’s degree. Applicants must hold a current unrestricted license to practice as an RN in the U.S. or one of its territories.

Program Accreditations

Commission of Collegiate Nursing Education

Program Contact Information

101 Elm Avenue SE, Room 1022
PO Box 13186
Roanoke, VA 24031
(540) 985-8531

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Liberty University Department of Nursing

Liberty University’s Department of Nursing offers two pathways to a Master of Science in Nursing degree. They offer both a traditional BSN to MSN pathway and an RN to MSN pathway.

MSN programs are offered in the following specializations:

  • Nurse Educator
  • Nurse Administrator

The programs require 42 credit hours. Students are allowed to transfer in up to 6 credit hours.

Applicants entering via the RN to MSN pathway must hold a diploma or Associate’s in nursing as well as a Bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field. Students entering via this pathway must complete a series of bridge courses during the first year of the MSN program: Research in Nursing, Strategies for Community Health, Leadership/Management in Nursing, Population Health, and Nursing Management. Students must also have completed undergraduate Statistics and Health Assessment courses. Students must hold an unencumbered license to practice as a RN within the U.S.

Those seeking admission via the traditional BSN to MSN pathway must hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. Candidates must have completed undergraduate degrees in Statistics and Health Assessment. They must hold an unencumbered license as a Registered Nurse in the U.S.

Program Accreditations

Commission of Collegiate Nursing Education

Program Contact Information

1971 University Boulevard
Lynchburg, VA 24502
(434) 582-2519

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Lynchburg College Department of Nursing

Lynchburg College’s Department of Nursing offers a Master of Science in Nursing degree. Students can enter the programs via two pathways: an RN to MSN pathway and a traditional BSN to MSN pathway.

The RN to MSN pathway allows RNs without a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree or RNs with a non-nursing Bachelor’s to earn an MSN degree. Students in the program are required to complete additional bridge coursework prior to progressing to the graduate coursework.

MSN degrees are offered in two roles/specializations:

  • Clinical Nurse Leader
  • Nurse Educator

Both specialties require 37 credit hours to complete. All MSN courses are taught online.

Those seeking admission to the RN to MSN program are required to hold a diploma or Associate’s degree in nursing. Those with a Bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing discipline need only complete 4 online bridge courses before progressing into the MSN coursework. Those without a Bachelor’s must complete at least 57 credit hours including 9 hours of online bride programs. Applicants must hold a current unrestricted RN license in the U.S. with two years of nursing experience preferred. Those without two years of experience are required to submit GRE scores.

Applicants entering via the BSN to MSN pathway are required to hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. They must have completed undergraduate courses in Statistics and Health Assessment with a grade of “C” or better. The GRE requirement is waived for those with at least two years of experience practicing nursing. Students must hold a current unrestricted license to practice as a Registered Nurse in the U.S. as well as a current CPR certification.

Program Accreditations

Commission of Collegiate Nursing Education

Program Contact Information

1501 Lakeside Drive
Lynchburg, VA 24501
(434) 544-8100

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Marymount University Malek School of Health Professions

A Master of Science in Nursing degree is offered by the Malek School of Health Professions at Marymount University. The MSN program prepares students for a career as a Family Nurse Practitioner or Nurse Educator.

Applicants to the program must hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from an accredited college or university with a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Candidates must hold licensure as a Registered Nurse in Maryland. Those entering the Family Nurse Practitioner program must also be licensed in Maryland and DC with at least two years of full-time nursing experience prior to placement in clinical courses.

Program Accreditations

Commission of Collegiate Nursing Education

Program Contact Information

2807 North Glebe Road
Arlington, VA 22207
(703) 284-5901

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Old Dominion University School of Nursing

Old Dominion University’s School of Nursing offers a Master of Science in Nursing degree. Programs are available in a variety of roles/specializations including the following:

  • Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist/Nurse Educator
  • Family Nurse Practitioner
  • Nurse-Midwifery (in affiliation with Shenandoah University)

RNs seeking admission to the MSN program are required to hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from an NLNAC/ACEN or CCEN accredited program or a Bachelor’s degree in a related field. The student must have a 3.0 or higher cumulative GPA and GPA in their major. They must have completed undergraduate course in Statistics and Health Assessment. Candidates must be licensed as a Registered Nurse and have at least one year of recent clinical nursing experience. Those entering the Family Nurse Practitioner program must also submit MAT or GRE scores from the last five years.

Program Accreditations

Commission of Collegiate Nursing Education

Program Contact Information

4608 Hampton Boulevard
Health Sciences Building, Room 2154
Norfolk, VA 23529
(757) 683-4297

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Radford University School of Nursing

The MSN programs at Radford University’s School of Nursing have been replaced by BSN to DNP programs.

Program Accreditations

Commission of Collegiate Nursing Education

Program Contact Information

501 Stockton Street
Box 6964 Radford Station
Radford, VA 24142
(540) 831-7700

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Shenandoah University Eleanor Wade Custer School of Nursing

Two pathways to a Master of Science in Nursing degree are offered by Shenandoah University’s Eleanor Wade Custer School of Nursing. They offer an RN to MSN pathway as well as a traditional MSN pathway.

The RN to MSN pathway allows Registered Nurses without a Bachelor of Science in Nursing to earn an MSN degree. Students in the program must complete 24 general education prerequisites and then take 13 credit hours of undergraduate bridge courses before progressing into their Master’s coursework.

MSN programs are offered in several areas of specialization including:

  • Family Nurse Practitioner
  • Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
  • Nurse-Midwifery
  • Health Systems Management

Applicants entering via the traditional BSN to MSN pathway must hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from a nationally (NLNAC/ACEN or CCNE) accredited program. Those holding BSN degrees not nationally accredited will be evaluated on an individual basis. Those entering via the RN to MSN program must hold a diploma or Associate’s in nursing and possibly a non-nursing Bachelor’s. Students must have at least a 2.8 GPA on a 4.0 scale. They must have completed courses in Statistics, Community Nursing, and Physical Assessment with grades of “C” or higher. Candidates must be licensed as a Registered Nurse. If not licensed in Virginia then they must apply and receive reciprocity. Students must hold RN licenses in all states where clinical experiences occur. They must have at least one year of full-time relevant RN work experience prior to enrolling in specialty track courses for all specializations except Health Systems Management. Students must also hold BCLS certification from the American Heart Association including infant, child, adult, and AED.

Program Accreditations

Commission of Collegiate Nursing Education

Program Contact Information

1775 North Sector Court
Winchester, VA 22601
(540) 678-4374

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University of Virginia School of Nursing

Multiple pathways to a Master of Science in Nursing degree are offered through the School of Nursing at the University of Virginia. They offer a Direct Entry pathway, an RN to MSN pathway, and a traditional MSN pathway.

The Direct Entry pathway is designed for those with a desire to become a Registered Nurse who have a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a discipline other than nursing. It first prepares the students to pass the NCLEX exam to become a Registered Nurse. Then students progress into the Master’s curriculum where they are prepared as Clinical Nurse Leaders, an advanced generalist program.

The RN to MSN pathway is designed for Registered Nurses with a diploma or Associate’s degree in nursing who also have a Bachelor’s in a non-nursing discipline. Students in the RN to MSN program are prepared as Clinical Nurse Leaders. They are required complete two bridge courses before progressing to the Master’s curriculum: Pathophysiology as well as Clinical Practice & Decision-Making: Community Health.

RNs entering via the traditional BSN to MSN program can choose from the following roles/specializations:

  • Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Clinical Nurse Specialist
  • Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
  • Clinical Nurse Leader
  • Family Nurse Practitioner
  • Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
  • Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
  • Health Systems Management
  • Public Health Nursing Leadership
  • Public Health Nursing Leadership with Nurse Practitioner

Those seeking entry into the MSN program via the Direct Entry pathway must hold a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a non-nursing discipline from a regionally accredited school. Their undergraduate GPA must be at least a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Before enrolling in the program, students must first complete several prerequisite courses: Human Anatomy & Physiology, Microbiology, Human Life Span Development, and Statistics. The GRE is required but can be waived for those with a 3.25 or higher undergraduate GPA. It is recommended that candidates have prior work or volunteer experience in healthcare, preferably in a setting where they are exposed to nursing.

Those seeking admission via the RN to BSN pathway must hold a diploma or Associate’s degree in nursing from an NLNAC/ACEN accredited institution. They must also hold a Bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing discipline from a regionally accredited college or university. Students must have at least a 3.0 undergraduate cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale. They must have completed an undergraduate Statistics course in the last five years. Candidates must be licensed as a RN in the U.S. and have a Virginia RN license before the first day of classes.

Those entering via the traditional BSN to MSN pathway must hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from a nationally accredited nursing program with a 3.0 or higher cumulative undergraduate GPA. Students must have completed an undergraduate course in Statistics within the last five years. They must be licensed as an RN in the U.S. and have license to practice as an RN in Virginia prior to starting MSN coursework.

Program Accreditations

Commission of Collegiate Nursing Education

Program Contact Information

Claude Moore Nursing Education Building
225 Jeanette Lancaster Way
Charlottesville, VA 22903
(434) 924-0063

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Virginia Commonwealth UniversitySchool of Nursing

Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Nursing offers two pathways to a Master of Science in Nursing degree. They offer both an RN to MSN pathway and a traditional BSN to MSN pathway.

The RN to MSN pathway is designed for Registered Nurses who have not yet completed a BSN program. The program utilizes elements of the RN to BSN track. Students must complete the general education requirements for a BSN and several nursing courses before being awarded their BSN and progressing to the MSN coursework.

MSN programs are offered in the following roles and specializations:

  • Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
  • Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
  • Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist
  • Family Nurse Practitioner
  • Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
  • Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
  • Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner
  • Nursing Administration and Leadership

Applicants entering via the RN to MSN pathway must hold a diploma or Associate’s degree in nursing. They must be licensed as a Registered Nurse.

Applicants entering via the traditional BSN to MSN pathway must hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. If their cumulative undergraduate GPA is less that 3.25 on a 4.0 scale then they must submit GRE scores. They must be licensed as an RN.

Program Accreditations

Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (Formerly NLNAC)

Program Contact Information

1100 East Leigh Street
PO Box 980567
Richmond, VA 23298
(804) 828-0724

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