When comparing BSN vs MSN degrees, the main differences come in the requirements for attaining each, the intensity of the given program, and the future career opportunities it can open. Generally, an MSN degree like Marquette offers will provide more flexibility in shaping a future career in nursing.
Nurses make a life-saving impact daily and are some of the most important patient-facing workers in healthcare. That is probably partly why you feel called to become one. Nurses are in high demand due to a shortfall, and a nursing career delivers plenty of opportunities for specialization and leadership. All these factors mean that earning a nursing degree can set you up for a wonderful career.
If you already have a non-nursing bachelor’s degree, you have several options for earning a nursing degree. This can range from a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, offered at many institutions in traditional and accelerated formats, to a Master of Science in Nursing degree like Marquette University’s Direct Entry Master of Science in Nursing program. The appeal of a direct-entry MSN program lies in your ability to earn a master’s-level education in a condensed timeframe. Before making any decisions, you need to determine whether a BSN vs. MSN degree is right for you and your career goals.
Understanding the Basics of MSN and BSN Degrees
When it comes to choosing between earning a BSN degree and an MSN degree, know you can have a successful, fulfilling nursing career, regardless of which degree path you choose.
What is a BSN Degree?
A Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree is the most common option for nursing education, as it will afford you the opportunity to work as a registered nurse through a traditional bachelor’s-level degree path. While there are many associate degree-level RNs still in the workforce, many hospitals are moving toward hiring only those nurses with a BSN or higher.
What is an MSN Degree?
A Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree allows you to work as a registered nurse while preparing you for a greater range of specializations. A master’s degree can help qualify you to become a nurse educator and is required for many nurse manager positions. Additionally, some master’s degrees can put you on a path to career advancement through certification in multiple advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) specialties.
Differences Between BSN and MSN Degrees
Both Accelerated BSN (ABSN) and Direct Entry MSN programs allow you to use your previous non-nursing education to earn a degree in less time than a traditional program would take. When comparing an MSN vs a BSN, there are a range of factors to consider. While direct-entry MSN programs require a non-nursing bachelor’s degree, the requirements for ABSN programs vary, with some requiring a certain number of credits and others a previous degree.
What is nursing school like? See what your experience as a student working toward a degree might have in store.
Educational Requirements
Educational requirements for BSN and MSN degrees can differ, depending on the program format you are considering. A traditional MSN degree requires prior completion of an undergraduate nursing degree, but a direct-entry program like Marquette’s can differ. With our direct entry MSN program, applicants simply need to have completed a previous non-nursing bachelor’s degree in addition to meeting our GPA and prerequisite requirements.
Time and Financial Investment
If you have a non-nursing bachelor’s degree and meet requirements, you can earn your nursing degree through a five or eight-semester curriculum with our Direct Entry MSN program in Pleasant Prairie and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. That’s just a few months longer than an Accelerated BSN program. With many Accelerated BSN programs at a similar cost as our Direct Entry MSN program, it makes sense to take the MSN route, especially when you consider that a BSN-prepared nurse who ultimately wants a position requiring an MSN degree will have to pay for both a BSN education and an MSN education separately.
Career Opportunities
One of the biggest reasons for choosing to earn your master’s in nursing vs a bachelor’s in nursing is what you can do with a master’s in the long term. Though you’ll start your career as an entry-level nurse, thanks to the additional knowledge and training you receive as an MSN student, additional experience can bring opportunities that may not exist for BSN-educated nurses. A direct entry master’s in nursing also accelerates the pathway toward obtaining an APRN specialty.
Choosing Your Nursing School Path: BSN or MSN
With different institutions and degree options to choose from, knowing the difference between a BSN and an MSN in nursing can inform you on which option best aligns with your own goals. Let’s look at some of the factors you should consider when making your choice.
Assessing Your Career Goals
Before you make a choice for your education, think about what you want your nursing career to look like. If you simply want to provide care as an RN, an accelerated BSN degree could be a slightly faster and more accessible path to get there. A BSN degree also allows a pathway to future education and certifications, though it would take longer to achieve these.
If you know you would like to pursue an advanced practice or nurse leadership career, an MSN degree is a way to work toward these more quickly. Evaluate what you want from your future and choose what you think will give you the best chance of achieving that.
Discover more about nurse practitioner practice areas when researching advanced practice nursing roles.
Examining Lifestyle and Time Commitment
There’s no way around it, any nursing degree you pursue will require hard work and dedication. This certainly applies to any program that offers a more rapid path to a degree. Traditional prelicensure pathways are less intensive than their direct-entry and accelerated counterparts due to the timeframe, and a direct-entry program like Marquette’s will require more intensive effort in a shorter timeframe. You will need to evaluate whether you want to earn your nursing degree more quickly or if you need more time to balance other life responsibilities.
Evaluating Your Current Qualifications
Have you earned a bachelor’s degree? If not, you will need to begin working toward nursing without entering an MSN program like Marquette’s directly. BSN degrees are increasingly becoming required as the entry-level degree into nursing, with some highly desirable employers like Magnet Hospitals even requiring a BSN from 100% of nursing employees leaders. If you are qualified for both a direct-entry MSN program and an accelerated BSN program, decide which is a better fit for your future.
Benefits of Direct Entry MSN Programs
As we have explored regarding BSN vs MSN degrees, direct entry MSN programs can be a valuable educational option that lays a foundation for a successful future nursing career. You might be best suited to earning your nursing degree in this fashion if you:
- Have a previous non-nursing bachelor’s degree
- Want to earn a higher degree than a BSN in a comparable timeframe
- Are interested in becoming a nurse educator or nursing leader later in your career
- Want to lay a foundation to work toward a future advanced practice nursing role
While you will need to work hard to earn an MSN degree, especially on an accelerated timeline, the access to future opportunities with an MSN is greater than with a BSN.
See Where an MSN Degree Can Take You
If you’ve been called to switch careers to nursing, an MSN degree could open the door to a world of opportunities. Contact us today to find out if Marquette University’s second-degree Direct Entry MSN program offered in Pleasant Prairie and Milwaukee aligns with your career goals. An admissions adviser will reach out to continue the conversation and help you make the best decision for your future.