Prepare for an Expanding Role in Patient-Centered Care
Nurse Practitioner Jobs Expected to Grow 40%
Prepare for this fast-growing field with Chamberlain’s MSN program and choose from four specializations.
Transitioning from being a registered bedside nurse to becoming a provider is surreal. You start learning more and more and start understanding more and more, and you see things in a different light than most people have, and you can provide a lot more help to the current providers that you’re working for.
Deborah Olff
MSN '25
Explore Advanced Practice Nursing Career Pathways
Nurse practitioners work in settings across healthcare. Depending on their passions and specialty, they may work at hospitals or urgent care clinics, hospice centers or assisted living facilities, and other places where patients are cared for.
Chamberlain offers four specializations: Family Nurse Practitioner, Adult-Gerontology Primary Care and Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, and Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. You can choose the patient population that speaks to you.
People with a passion for care—people like you—are expected to be in demand over the next decade. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has predicted 40% job growth for nurse practitioners between 2024 and 2034.1
1Source: www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/nurse-anesthetists-nurse-midwives-and-nurse-practitioners.htm - tab-6
Support for Every Stage of Your Nurse Practitioner Journey
At Chamberlain, we’re dedicated to helping you achieve your goals. Our in-person Immersion Skills Event and our Intensive Review are designed to help you prepare for your practicum and board certification exams.
The Immersion Skills Event, located in the Chicago area, is held right before a student’s practicum, allowing them to practice essential clinical skills in a supportive environment and step into their first day with confidence. All NP students also receive an Intensive Review test prep during their last course to prepare them for their board certification exams. Real-time, personalized feedback from our expert faculty helps prepare them for the advanced care that a nurse practitioner provides.
We offer dedicated support for our students throughout their programs, including our Practicum Commitment®—dedicated to finding one preceptor or site located within an area geographically accessible to the student. Our Experiential Learning Team provides coaching, resources, and tips to help students secure the site that is right for them.
Additional savings for Chamberlain Grads! Now save 20% off your MSN-NP Degree
Earning your MSN-NP is closer than you think, save 20% on tuition, for a total savings of over $5,900 – and, no application fees ever for alumni so you have nothing to lose, and everything to gain!
Plan for the Cost of Your NP Education
NP Program Costs
Chamberlain provides you with individualized support throughout your educational journey beginning with the admissions process. Your admissions representative will work with you to build a schedule that will work with your life and finances, whether that's one class or three.
What types of financial assistance are available?
Commitment to Completion Grant™ - Chamberlain University is committed to offering meaningful tuition savings as well as reward student’s progress with two courses tuition and fee free. See Scholarships & Grants to learn about eligibility and additional scholarship opportunities. View tuition and expenses information for the MSN Nurse Practitioner tracks.
- 135+ years of empowering healthcare professionals
- 11,000+ partner locations
- Community of more than 185,000 students, faculty and alumni
Search
The Practicum Commitment® ensures that we’ll find one preceptor or site located within 100 miles and/or geographically accessible to achieve program outcomes
Connect
We’ll provide you with an available preceptor’s contact information
Apply
You connect with the preceptor to secure their commitment and submit your practicum application
Clinical Placement Support to Move You Forward
Dedicated support when you need it most
The Practicum Commitment® is designed to ensure that you receive the essential practicum experiences needed on your path to completing your NP. To help prepare you for Nurse Practitioner practicum courses, you will be paired with our Experiential Learning Team who will provide resources throughout the process, including coaching sessions and tips on how to approach a potential site. We are committed to helping you successfully secure any needed practicum sites to complete your degree.
Our new Practicum Commitment® is supporting you by:
- Comprehensive practicum readiness tools
- Streamlined contracting procedure for sites, preceptors, and Chamberlain
- Dedicated team of Academic Student Advisors, available for student assistance
Strengthen Your Clinical Skills and Prepare for National Boards
Our in-person immersion and intensive events are designed to enhance clinical skills, prepare you for your board certification exams, provide you with real-time, individual feedback from faculty and prepare you for advanced practice.
Your immersion experience occurs during NR-509 Advanced Physical Assessment course in the Chicago area before you start your practicum. During this two-day event, you will:
- Observe, practice and receive evaluations on your clinical assessment skills
- Rotate through different nurse practitioner skills stations
- Build camaraderie with faculty and fellow students
- Gain confidence in your clinical skills before your practicum experience
- AGACNP students have a second immersion lab
At the end of your program, during your last course, you will meet for a two-day intensive review session in the Chicago area. This event will focus on preparation for your national board certification exam. During this session, you will:
- Attend live lectures presented by expert faculty
- Participate in a comprehensive review of your knowledge
- Learn test taking skills and strategies
- Prepare for post-graduation success
That White Coat Life
Get a glimpse into student life at Chamberlain and in our nurse practitioner programs on Instagram
How long does it take to become an NP?
The first step is earning your registered nurse (RN) licensure, which typically requires completing an accredited associate or bachelor’s degree in nursing and passing the NCLEX-RN exam. From there, gaining hands-on clinical experience as an RN is essential. Most nurse practitioner programs require at least one or two years of practice before admission, to help you build confidence and skills to support your advanced studies.
Once you’re ready for the next step, enrolling in an accredited nurse practitioner program is where the transformation really begins. These graduate-level programs—offered at the master’s (MSN) or doctoral (DNP) level—prepare you to assess, diagnose, and treat patients with a level of autonomy and expertise that makes a meaningful difference. You’ll choose a specialty population focus, such as family, adult-gerontology, or psychiatric-mental health, and complete rigorous coursework and supervised clinical hours.
After completing your NP program, the final steps include passing a national certification exam through a recognized certifying body—such as ANCC or AANP—and applying for your state license as an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN). From there, you can pursue next steps with the knowledge, credentials, and community support to thrive.
While a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is the most traditional pathway into a nurse practitioner program, it is not always a strict requirement—and at Chamberlain, we believe in meeting you where you are in your nursing journey.
Many accredited NP programs offer bridge pathways specifically designed for registered nurses who hold an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a diploma in nursing. These RN to MSN programs allow you to move directly from your current license into graduate-level study, often incorporating BSN-level coursework into the curriculum.
If you already hold a non-nursing bachelor’s degree, direct-entry or accelerated nurse practitioner programs may also be available to you, offering an intensive path into the profession that combines foundational nursing education with advanced clinical preparation.
What matters most is your commitment to providing excellent patient care and your drive to grow as a healthcare professional. Our Enrollment Representatives are here to help you identify the NP program pathway that best fits your background, goals, and timeline, so you can move forward with clarity.
As a nurse practitioner, you bring together the compassionate, patient-centered foundation of nursing with the diagnostic and prescriptive authority of advanced clinical practice. You don’t just support care—you lead it.
The demand for nurse practitioners has never been stronger. With a growing national shortage of primary care providers and an aging population requiring more complex, ongoing care, NPs are filling a critical gap—and the profession is projected to grow significantly over the coming decade. That suggests strong job growth and the opportunity to practice in a wide range of settings, from hospitals and private practices to community health centers and telehealth platforms.
Other reasons to pursue a nurse practitioner program are deeply personal. You can gain a greater level of autonomy, the ability to build lasting relationships with your patients, and the satisfaction of knowing your advanced expertise is making a measurable difference in people’s lives. Whether you’re drawn to family medicine, mental health or another specialty, an NP program can give you the training to pursue the nursing future you envision.
We believe the journey to becoming a nurse practitioner is one of the most meaningful paths in healthcare—and we’re proud to support you every step of the way.
To become a nurse practitioner, you need to hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree, as well as a master’s or doctoral nursing degree. At Chamberlain, we offer a Master of Science in Nursing program that prepares you to sit for national NP board certification exams. Depending on your education level, our RN-BSN to MSN Online Option and Graduate Certificate in Family Nurse Practitioner can also meet the nurse practitioner school requirements. We recommend that you visit your state professional licensing board website for details specific to your state.
As you consider advancing your nursing education, your first question is likely how long is nurse practitioner school? This will depend on if you enroll full or part time, what your education level is, as well as your specialty within your nurse practitioner schooling. At Chamberlain, you can complete our online nurse practitioner programs in less than three years if you hold a bachelor’s degree and are a registered nurse.
Before pursuing nurse practitioner schooling, you’ll need to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree and become a registered nurse. You will then enroll in a nurse practitioner program, either at the master’s or doctoral level, or in some cases, certificate level. The final step to becoming a nurse practitioner is successfully passing a certification exam.
|
If you hold the following … |
an associate degree or diploma |
a Bachelor of Science in Nursing |
a master’s degree in nursing or higher |
|
Then you’ll want to consider the… |
RN-BSN to MSN Online Option (similar to RN to NP programs) |
MSN Family Nurse Practitioner track, MSN Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner track or MSN Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (similar to BSN to NP programs) |
|
|
You can graduate in… |
Less than 4 years |
Less than 3 years |
Less than 2 years |
|
And will earn… |
BSN & MSN degrees |
MSN degree |
Graduate Certificate |
We recommend that you visit your state professional licensing board website for details specific to your state.
The cost for NP school will depend on the specialty you choose. Any partner tuition rates, scholarships, and grants that you may qualify for can reduce your net cost. In addition, you may qualify for other financial aid such as loans. Chamberlain Admission representatives can help you identify all of your financing options, and refer you to an expert financial aid advisor to pursue your funding options to earn a MSN nurse practitioner degree . Request information to learn more.
Chamberlain offers an RN-BSN to MSN Online Option, which will get you from RN to NP. You’ll earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s in the program.
NPs have a wide variety of important responsibilities that vary depending on where they work and their specialties. They can diagnose illnesses, treat patients, prescribe medications, and interpret X-rays and lab results, among other responsibilities.
Chamberlain offers four specializations to allow you to serve the patient population that speaks to you: the Family Nurse Practitioner specialization, the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care and Adult-Gerontology Primary Care specializations, and the Psychiatric-Mental Health specialization.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth for nurse practitioners between 2024 and 2034 is projected to be 40%.1
1Source: www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/nurse-anesthetists-nurse-midwives-and-nurse-practitioners.htm - tab-6
You complete exams and quizzes online using Chamberlain’s secure assessment platforms, which help ensure a fair and consistent testing experience.
During each assessment, the system records your screen and uses your camera and microphone for remote proctoring. You also complete a brief environmental scan using your camera. These steps create a secure testing environment and support your academic success.
Chromebooks and iPads are not permitted for testing.
Assessment integrity promotes fairness, supports learning, and helps prepare you for board certification exams. For full requirements and technical resources, review the Student Handbook.
An environmental scan requires you to use your camera to show your testing space before you begin an exam or quiz. You scan your desk or work surface and the equipment you are using, such as your keyboard and mouse.
This scan confirms that your environment does not contain notes or materials that could provide an unfair advantage. Completing the environmental scan is required. Failure to do so may result in a Student Code of Conduct violation.
FNP vs. NP: What’s the Difference?
When becoming a nurse practitioner, one may choose to specialize in a particular field of nursing. Nurse practitioners may specialize and achieve certification in areas including adult-gerontology and family.
DNP vs. NP: What’s the Difference?
A Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is a terminal educational degree, while a nurse practitioner (NP) is a professional role and job title. Nurse practitioners can be prepared at the master’s level or earn a DNP degree. Read more on our blog.
Accreditation? Check.
Join a proudly accredited institution for your nurse practitioner program
Chamberlain University accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), www.hlcommission.com an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Chamberlain University confers online degrees from its Main Campus in Addison, IL.
Practicum option availability varies by state/location. Chamberlain reserves the right to update information as it becomes available. For a complete list, and to learn more, check out our authorizations or view our approvals in your state.
