MSN Programs in Virginia

By EveryNurse Staff on January 17, 2023

MSN programs in Virginia enable compassionate and dedicated nurses to pursue better-paying opportunities within their field. They can prepare registered nurses to take on education and administration jobs, as well as more specialized careers – from nurse practitioners and nurse anesthetists to pediatric nurses or nurse-midwives. Most MSN programs range from 2 to 6 years, depending upon the school and the amount of time the student has to devote to the program. Virginia offers several outstanding MSN programs across the state.

Schools With MSN Programs in Virginia

A private, Christian-based school, Eastern Mennonite University is based in Harrisonburg, Virginia, but offers an online MSN program. Their program offers two different tracks, the leadership and management or leadership/school nursing. Both require clinical hours to complete, and both are 24-month programs. The leadership and management track requires 38-39 credit hours while the leadership/school nursing requires 37 credits. The cost is $500 per credit hour, or between $18,500 and $19,500 total.

Located in Fairfax, George Mason University provides numerous specialization options with its MSN program: Adult Nurse Practitioner in Primary Care Concentration (29 credits), Gerontological Nurse Practitioner in Primary Care Concentration (35 credits), Family Nurse Practitioner in Primary Care Concentration (35 credits), Advanced Clinical Nursing Concentration (26 to 32 credits), Nursing Administration Concentration (24 credits), Nurse Educator Concentration (26 credits) and the Clinical Nurse Leader Concentration (25 credits). Tuition costs are $337 per credit, not including the application fee and new student fee.

Hampton University’s MSN program allows students to specialize in one of three different tracks, including education, administration and nurse practitioner. These tracks qualify nurses to become family nurse practitioners, gerontological nurse practitioners, pediatric nurse practitioners, women’s health nurse practitioners and more. Between 44 and 50 credits will be needed in order to complete the MSN program.

James Madison University has a great MSN program with five areas of study: the Clinical Nurse Leader Concentration (38 credits), the Nurse Administrator Concentration (32 credits), the Nurse Midwifery Concentration (41 credits), the Adult/Gerontology Primary Care Concentration (46 credits) and the Family Nurse Practitioner Concentration (49 credits). Located in the Shenandoah Valley, James Madison is one of the top universities in Virginia, and their MSN program is outstanding.

Jefferson College of Health Sciences offers up two types of MSN degree programs: Nursing Systems Management and Nurse Clinician Educator specialty. The courses are completed online with periodic campus visits for each course. The MSN program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nurse Education (CCNE), and it prepares nurses to pass American Nurse Credentialing Center exam for NE-BC or NEA-BC as well as the National League for Nursing exam for CNEs.

Marymount University’s MSN program is primarily for nurses who want to become family nurse practitioners. The program requires 42 credits to graduate and requires an application with the $42 fee included. In addition, applicants must hold a BSN as well as an RN license in the state of Virginia. They must also have 2 years of full-time nursing experience to qualify.

Old Dominion University offers a hybrid MSN program, which means some of the work is done online and the remainder of the work is done on campus. There are numerous specialization tracks, including those for students who want to become nurse anesthetists, administrators, educators, midwives and other specialists.

Shenandoah University offers up the Eleanor Wade Custer School of Nursing, where students can specialize in one of four tracks: nurse-midwifery, family nurse practitioner, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner and health systems management. The school is accredited by the CCNE as well as the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education.

The University of Virginia offers up possibly the largest MSN program in the state of Virginia, with ten areas of specialization, including the most popular options like family nurse practitioner and health systems management. The programs typically take anywhere from 2 to 6 years. Tuition is approximately $6336 for each semester, including fees.

The Virginia Commonwealth University MSN program has been ranked in the top 10% of nursing graduate programs by US News and World Report. There are two specializations, including nurse practitioner, (which includes family, women’s health, pediatrics, adult-gerontology primary care, adult-gerontology acute care and psychiatric mental health) and clinical nurse specialist which includes adult-gerontology. They also offer indirect patient care concentration in the form of nursing administration and leadership. The estimated tuition cost is just over $7,000 per semester.

Level Up Your Career

DNP Programs

Nurse Practitioner Programs

RN to MSN Programs

Virginia MSN Checklist

Obtain scores for the MAT test or the GRE test (for some schools).
Hold a BSN (for some schools).
Be currently registered as an RN in the state of Virginia, with a non-restricted license.
Pursue the MSN degree from a Virginia school.
Apply for a license as a nurse practitioner or licensed clinical nurse through the Virginia Board of Nursing and include the required $130 fee.
Pass the NCLEX examination if you have not already done so.

Virginia MSN Salary & Job Outlook

In the state of Virginia, a MSN enables you to pursue a variety of different careers, including that of a nurse practitioner, nurse anesthetist or licensed clinical nurse. Because of the wide variety of careers a MSN is used for, the salary of an MSN-holder can vary greatly. For instance, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that nurse midwives earned an annual median salary of $65,790, nurse practitioners earned $86,900, and nurse anesthetists earned $141,680. Many other variables also affect salary, including your experience and your location within the state of Virginia.