MSN Programs in Connecticut

By EveryNurse Staff on January 16, 2023

A growing trend sweeping the nursing profession is the urging of health care professionals to increase their level of education. With more opportunities to balance being employed with getting an advanced degree, an increasing number of nurses are looking into completing a Master of Science in Nursing program in Connecticut. Across the state, a handful of accredited MSN programs are currently preparing the next crop of administrators and educators to enter the field.

Schools With MSN Programs in Connecticut

Yale University, located in New Haven, is home to an MSN program at its School of Nursing that admits registered nurses who have a baccalaureate degree, as well as accepts college graduates possessing no previous nursing education. Specialties offered through the two-year Master’s program include Adult Advanced Practice Nursing, Family and Women’s Health Primary Care, Nurse-Midwifery/Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner, Nursing Management: Policy and Leadership, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, and Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing. The program grants one hour of credit per term for each hour of classroom work per week; and one hour of credit per term for three hours of clinical work per week.

The three tracks available in the CCNE accredited MSN degree program offered at Fairfield University are centered on grooming nurses to become leaders, family nurse practitioners, and psychiatric nurse practitioners. With the choice to focus on clinical systems or integrated healthcare while pursuing an MSN in Nursing Leadership, nurses will learn how to better manage the needs of an aging population, chronic illness management, and disease prevention. The Family Nurse Practitioner MSN degree prepares a graduate to address the healthcare needs of individuals of all ages and their families – from newborns to the elderly, as well as issues related to women’s health. Those pursuing the Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Track will focus on issues concerning medical illness and chronic pain.

For nurses with an interest in pursuing a career centered on anesthesia, the Hospital of St. Raphael offers a degree program that stays in line with the current standards and guidelines set by the Council on Accreditation of Educational Programs of Nurse Anesthesia. The program starts annually in May and includes 29 months of coursework offered at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain and at the Hospital of Saint Raphael in New Haven.

In addition to offering nurse practitioner tracks, Sacred Heart University has a CCNE accredited master’s degree program for nurses that wish to assume leadership and administrative roles within the field. The only track offered through campus-based instruction is the 42-credit Family Nurse Practitioner program, which also provides the option to take classes online. The Clinical Nurse Leader track includes 300 hours of role immersion, while those pursuing the Patient Care Services Administration track will graduate with the credentials needed to fill a healthcare position with administrative responsibility after completing 120 hours of clinical practicum. The 39-credit Nursing Education program is comprised of both graduate-level core and specialization courses.

The University of Connecticut (UCONN) offers part-time and full-time options for nurses looking to earn a Master of Science in Nursing. The University’s master programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate College Nursing of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, which is the national accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Specialty tracks that a student may pursue include Adult/Gero Acute Care, Neonatal Acute Care, Adult/Gero Primary Care, Clinical Nurse Leader, and Family Nurse Practitioner.

The MSN program at University of Hartford offers tracks in Nursing Education (concentrates on theories of teaching and learning), Nursing – Public Health (focuses on leadership and administration skills), and Nursing Management (touches upon the science of public health, public health theory, and healthcare policy and politics). Students at the University have the option to finish their advanced nursing degree in two, three or four years on a part-time basis, where some nurses have enrolled in one or two courses per semester and during the summer. The graduate-level programs at the university are fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

The Department of Nursing at Southern Connecticut State University offers a graduate program for nurses looking to earn a Master of Science degree with the following tracks: Nursing Education, Family Nurse Practitioner, and Clinical Nurse Leader.

Connecticut MSN Checklist

Become licensed in Connecticut as a Registered Nurse (RN).
Successfully complete an MSN program that meets the requirements outlined in the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies.
Fulfill requirements regarding supervised clinical experience.
Apply for licensure with the Connecticut Board of Nursing (~$180 fee). The Board will need an official transcript of nursing education that verifies the award of a degree.
Pass the NCLEX-RN (Na tional Council Licensure Examination) in Connecticut.

Connecticut MSN Salary & Job Outlook

Nurses who earn an MSN degree in Connecticut become equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to fill advanced placement job positions within the industry. The nursing field offers plenty of opportunities to earn higher pay and make a greater impact, such as teaching the next generation of nursing students. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Connecticut is one of the top five highest-paying states in the United States for medical and health service managers with professionals making a median salary of $111,680.

The BLS also reports that nurses with an MSN also stand to make the following median salaries in Connecticut when pursuing job titles such as: nursing instructor or teacher ($80,570), nurse practitioner($94,700), and nurse midwife ($86,130).