Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

As an MSN student, you’ll begin with core courses that lay the foundation for your program and strengthen your skills in key areas of nursing theory and practice. From there, you’ll move into the coursework for your chosen specialization to grow your expertise and advance toward your final project.

Capella University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

Accreditation and recognitions provide assurance that we meet standards for quality of faculty, curriculum, learner services, and fiscal stability. See all our accreditations and recognitions.

Applicants to the MSN program must provide the following information for admission:

• A bachelor’s degree from an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, or from an internationally recognized institution
• Your official BSN transcripts, with a cumulative grade point average of 2.8 or higher on a 4.0 scale
• Verification of your current, unrestricted RN license to practice in the United States
• A valid, government-issued form of photo identification
• A $50 nonrefundable application fee, required at the time of application, to cover transcript requests, transcript evaluation and other administrative costs

Applicants to the RN-to-MSN program must provide the following information for admission:

• A  minimum of 135 completed undergraduate credits or 90 semester credits
• Your official undergraduate transcripts, with a grade point average of 2.8 or higher on a 4.0 scale
• Verification of your current, unrestricted RN license to practice in the United States
• A valid, government-issued form of photo identification
• A $50 nonrefundable application fee, required at the time of application, to cover transcript requests, transcript evaluation and other administrative costs
• Applicants for our FlexPath self-paced learning option will be evaluated for admission with a holistic review. Applicants with a GPA of less than 2.8 (recommended minimum) may be required to submit additional documents for review. Contact an enrollment counselor to learn more about the FlexPath admission requirements.

Applicants to the MSN-AGPCNP program must provide the following for admission:

• A BSN from an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, or from an internationally recognized institution 
• Your official BSN transcripts, with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale 
• Verification of your current, unrestricted RN license to practice in the United States 
• One year of verified nursing experience within the past two years 
• A valid, government-issued form of photo identification 
• A $50 nonrefundable application fee, required at the time of application, to cover transcript requests, transcript evaluation, and other administrative costs 
• A background check is required

GRE and GMAT are not required for admission.

View full admission requirements for each MSN specialization: Care Coordination, Nursing Education, Nursing Informatics, Nursing Leadership and Administration, RN-to-MSN Care Coordination, RN-to-MSN Nursing Education, RN-to-MSN Nursing Informatics, RN-to-MSN Nursing Leadership and Administration, Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner

The total cost of your MSN program will depend on your specialization, scholarships and finances, transfer credits, academic performance and other factors. 

Find detailed tuition information and cost scenarios for each specialization: Care Coordination, Nursing Education, Nursing Informatics, Nursing Leadership and Administration, RN-to-MSN Care Coordination, RN-to-MSN Nursing Education, RN-to-MSN Nursing Informatics, RN-to-MSN Nursing Leadership and Administration, Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner