By: The Capella University Editorial Team with Buddy Wiltcher, EdD, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, Interim Dean of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences
Reading Time: 7 minutes
Advanced nursing education opens new ways to deliver care and lead change.
The path typically begins with a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), which builds specialized clinical and functional expertise. Specializations range across care coordination, informatics, leadership, education and advanced practice.
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is the doctoral step that follows. It extends MSN-level expertise to the systems level through healthcare policy, advocacy and administration.
Explore what each program covers and where it can take you.
Expand your nursing skills. Explore what you can do with an online master’s in nursing degree.
The MSN is the first graduate-level step in nursing for registered nurses and Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) graduates.
An MSN builds advanced knowledge across leadership, evidence-based practice, healthcare technology and patient care.
The specialization you choose shapes which clinical or functional area you focus on once you finish.
Capella’s MSN degree offers many specializations that align with different nursing interests and professional goals. These programs include career-focused curricula and a capstone project that allows students to apply course concepts to nursing practice.
The career paths listed for each specialization below are examples. Some roles may require additional experience, licensure, certification or other qualifications. Capella cannot guarantee any specific job title, promotion, salary increase or career outcome. Research requirements for your intended role and state.
The MSN in Care Coordination focuses on helping nurses build skills used to coordinate care across providers, settings and patient needs. Students learn how to bridge gaps between healthcare teams and align resources to support more coordinated, culturally responsive care.
“Care coordinators blend deep clinical insight, advocacy and strategic resource management to guide patients seamlessly through their healthcare journey. They bridge communication gaps between multidisciplinary teams, patients and families to streamline transitions, reduce costly readmissions, and ensure equitable access to services. By design, care coordinators help transform fragmented systems into efficient, high-quality pathways that drastically improve both patient outcomes and organizational efficiency,” says Capella University’s Pelumi Hassan, DNP, RN, CCM, CNE, PMP.
Potential roles you could explore in care coordination include:
Care coordination may be a good fit if you enjoy problem-solving, collaboration and helping patients navigate healthcare challenges across multiple settings.
If you’re an RN with an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), an RN-to-MSN in Care Coordination pathway may help you build toward graduate-level nursing study without completing a separate bachelor’s program first, depending on program requirements.
The MSN in Nursing Informatics specialization focuses on the intersection of healthcare and technology. Students can build knowledge in how health information systems can support clinical decision-making, patient safety, workflows and healthcare operations.
Nursing informatics career paths to explore include:
Nursing informatics may be a strong fit if you’re interested in working with data, supporting healthcare systems and helping integrate technology into clinical practice.
If you’re an RN with an associate degree, you can explore the online RN-to-MSN in Nursing Informatics, which is designed to connect prior nursing education with graduate-level informatics coursework.
The MSN in Leadership and Administration is designed to help nurses build operational, communication and leadership skills used in healthcare settings. You study nursing leadership theories, healthcare safety and quality management, financial resource allocation and strategies for supporting organizational change.
“Nurse leaders combine clinical expertise, leadership and business skills to help improve health outcomes,” says Lisa Merritt, DNP, RN, PMHNP-BC, NE-BC. “They guide teams, optimize operations and implement strategies to help enhance patient care, especially crucial amid healthcare professional shortages. By fostering collaboration and innovation, nurse leaders help ensure high-quality, patient-centered care in a complex and resource-limited environment.”
Potential career paths to explore include:
This program may be a strong fit if you’re motivated to support healthcare teams, operations and patient care at a systems level.
If you already hold an RN license and an associate’s degree, Capella’s RN-to-MSN in Nursing Leadership and Administration may offer a route into master’s-level leadership study, subject to program requirements.
The MSN in Nursing Education prepares nurses to design and deliver effective learning experiences in both academic institutions and healthcare settings. You develop skills in curriculum design, instructional methods, learner performance evaluation and the integration of current technology into educational environments.
Potential career paths to explore include:
Nursing education may be a strong fit for you if you’re energized by teaching and want to support the development of future nurses in hospitals, academic settings or other healthcare learning environments.
RNs with an associate degree may be able to pursue Capella’s RN-to-MSN in Nursing Education without completing a separate bachelor’s program first, depending on program requirements.
Nurse practitioners (NPs) are advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) who provide comprehensive, patient-centered care in a variety of clinical settings. Depending on state regulations and specialty preparation, NPs may assess patients, diagnose conditions, prescribe medications and develop treatment plans. Scope of practice and prescriptive authority vary by state.
You can review your state’s clinical practice laws through this interactive map by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP).
The MSN – Nurse Practitioner program at Capella offers three specialization pathways:
To become a nurse practitioner, you must complete the relevant master’s degree program and practicum requirements and pass the national certification exam for your specialty. Typically, these exams are offered by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB) and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).
Potential career paths to explore include:
Advanced practice nursing may be a good pathway if you want to pursue direct patient care and develop long-term relationships with patients, while preparing for expanded clinical responsibilities, depending on state scope-of-practice rules.
If you hold an MSN and want to move into the nurse practitioner field, Capella offers online Post-Master’s Certificates in Nursing that may support focused preparation in a new advanced practice specialty, depending on your background and program requirements.
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is the doctoral degree for nurses who already hold a master’s in nursing and want to extend their work to the systems level.
DNP programs apply research, healthcare policy, organizational leadership and evidence-based practice to complex healthcare environments. The focus is on translating clinical and functional expertise into broader practice change.
Many programs also include supervised practice or practicum experiences, often totaling 1,000 post-baccalaureate practice hours, though requirements may vary by program and prior graduate preparation. These experiences allow students to examine real healthcare challenges and develop practice-informed solutions.
Dr. Ruby Parkzes, AGNP-C, a graduate of Capella’s DNP program who runs her own primary care practice, explains how the degree helped her: “Since earning my DNP, I have expanded my influence by precepting NP students, mentoring emerging clinicians, and using my doctorate-level training to improve care delivery and health outcomes in my community.”
Potential career paths you could explore with a DNP include:
The DNP may be worth considering if you want to take your master’s-level expertise into systems-level work and influence how healthcare is delivered across organizations.
Nurses focused on scholarly research or academic leadership may find a better fit in other doctoral pathways like a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) or Doctor of Education (EdD). Each pathway supports different professional goals and areas of impact.
Capella’s online MSN and DNP programs are Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)-accredited and offer learning formats designed for nurses balancing school with professional responsibilities.
The right next step depends on where you are in your education.
If you’re a registered nurse or BSN graduate, the MSN is the next milestone, and your specialization determines where you focus. The DNP comes later for nurses who already hold a master’s and want to take their work to the systems level.
Capella University’s Nicole Aclin, DNP, RN, CNE, puts it simply: “Reflect on your interests and strengths. Consider what aspects of nursing you are most passionate about and where your skills shine.”
Capella’s online MSN and DNP programs are built around that kind of intentional choice, with specializations designed to align with where you want to go next.
Ready to start your advanced nursing education? Explore our online MS in nursing degrees.
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