Your Pathway to Becoming a Nurse Practitioner

Nursing students

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Program Interest

If you are unsure which program you are interested in, we encourage you to attend a virtual event hosted by the Recruiting & Admissions team or Program Faculty to gain further information. Find details and registration for upcoming events

Go from BSN to NP and dare to provide health for all.

Ranked Among the Nation's Best Nursing Programs
  • MSN Program Ranked #6 in 2026.
  • U.S. News & World Report

Your path to becoming a nurse practitioner begins with a Master of Science in Nursing—and a commitment to elevating your ability to care for patients.

Earning your MSN at the University of Michigan School of Nursing—one of the nation’s largest public research universities and top 10 nursing schools—means you have access to more resources, more experts, and more opportunities. That access includes one-on-one support to help you find the right clinical placement among our 600+ clinical partners.

Choose from five specializations that prepare you to confidently sit for your board certification exam and become a nurse practitioner who changes lives.

BSN Required. GRE Not Required.

We Dare to Change the World

We believe nurse practitioners can change the world—if we have the courage to try. Studying at a top-ranked nursing school opens the door to more opportunities for you—and your ability to provide health for all.

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We Find Your Clinical Placements

Many schools require students to find their own clinical placements. We work one-on-one with you to find the right fit among 600+ clinical partners.

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World-Renowned Faculty

Work alongside leading health scholars and nurse scientists, even advancing your own research within 7 distinct research centers and initiatives.

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Focus Your Degree Further

Explore areas of interest with certificates (Nursing Education, Trauma-Informed Practice, LGBTQ+ Health) or a Global Health concentration.

Adult-Gerontology Acute Care

  • 2- or 3-year MSN

Work with young adult to older adult patients to help reduce hospital stays and improve the experience for both patients and their families. Adult-Gerontology Acute Care nurse practitioners are experts in caring for acutely ill patients with multiple, complex health problems. Graduates work in hospital settings, subspecialty clinics, and inpatient services.

Nurse with a patient outdoor

Adult-Gerontology Primary Care

  • 2- or 3-year MSN (Online MSN available)

Expand your impact to improve the well-being of families and communities. As an Adult-Gerontology Primary Care nurse practitioner, you'll be able to engage in health care management, health promotion and disease prevention for teen to adult patients. Graduates work in a variety of settings, including outpatient, family and internal medicine, and subspecialty clinics.

Nurse with an elderly patient

Primary Care Family Nurse Practitioner

  • 2- or 3-year MSN (Online MSN Available)

Lead and shape patient care in an ever-changing primary health care system. Working with individuals, including pregnant women and families across their lives allows you to have a long-term impact on health and disease prevention. Graduates serve patients in family and internal medicine, subspecialty clinics, and outpatient settings.

Nurse practitioner with a pregnant patient

Nurse-Midwifery and Primary Care Family Nurse Practitioner (Combined)

  • 3-year MSN

Earn a degree that combines the Nurse-Midwifery and Primary Care Family Nurse Practitioner specialties, giving you the ability to sit for certification exams in both areas. The additional skills learned in the Nurse-Midwifery specialty, will prepare you to support patients with pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum and newborn care, with the advanced knowledge and skills to also address women's family planning and gynecological needs. It’s the only program of its kind in Michigan.

Nurse/Midwife with a newborn

Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner

  • 2- or 3-year MSN (Online only)

Have an impact on patients from the start. As a pediatric nurse practitioner, you’ll have the skills to provide specialized care—including managing minor acute and chronic health conditions—to infants, children, and teens, giving them a strong foundation for lifelong health. In addition, you'll have the ability to support families in their role as caregivers. Graduates work in primary care and subspecialty clinics.

Nurse practitioner with a child patient

Why Ann Arbor

Michigan Nursing campus

Consistently ranking in the top 10 college towns, Ann Arbor is the perfect location to grow your career. The U-M School of Nursing is located less than a mile from the nationally renowned University of Michigan Medical Center. And, with partnerships with nearly every health system in the state of Michigan, you're connected to some of the nation's top health care facilities.

Online MSN Options

Lecturer

Michigan's Adult-Gerontology Primary Care, Primary Care Family Nurse Practitioner, and Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner pathways are available online. Get access to the same opportunities as on-campus students via interactive learning modules, skills demonstrations, advanced simulations, and more. And because courses take place primarily in an asynchronous format, you’ll have greater flexibility to fit your studies into your schedule.

Start Your Path to Nurse Practitioner Certification

Apply now or request more program details to learn about the right nurse practitioner program for your goals.

Online Graduate Programs Licensure Disclosure

As of August 1, 2025, The U-M School of Nursing has determined that its online curriculum meets state regulations and educational requirements for licensure and/or certification in the following states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington D.C., West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

The U-M School of Nursing has determined that it cannot yet offer its online MSN programs* to students located in the following states, due to state regulations on distance education and/or state educational requirements for licensure/certification that the U-M School of Nursing does not yet meet: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

*Leadership, Analytics, and Innovation Exceptions: U-M School of Nursing can accept applications to the Leadership, Analytics, and Innovation Program from students located in the following states: New York and Oregon.

The School of Nursing is currently only offering an MSN pathway for our online programs. Those interested in a DNP have the opportunity to pursue a Post-Master's DNP upon successful completion of their MSN.

U-M School of Nursing is not currently accepting international applicants to its online programs due to regulatory, licensure, and placement constraints.

If you have any questions regarding U-M School of Nursing Advanced Practice Nursing Programs and licensure or certification in your state, please contact the Office of Practice and Professional Graduate Programs at [email protected]. For additional information concerning distance education disclosures please visit the Office of Academic Innovation.

Distance Education Students in Texas: The University of Michigan School of Nursing is not regulated by Texas Education Code Chapter 132. The University of Michigan School of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and is a member of NC-SARA. Questions and/or complaints should be directed to the agency contact for the Michigan NC-SARA portal. For more information, refer to the University of Michigan complaints resolution process for distance education students.

Please visit Digital Education at University of Michigan School of Nursing for more details.

Information for Prospective International Applicants

The University of Michigan School of Nursing is unable to consider applications from international students seeking F-1 or J-1 student sponsorship. This is because U.S. Federal Immigration Regulations allow for only one online/distance course to be counted towards the minimum required courses in any term for international students in the U.S. on a student visa or status. As many courses are taught in an online or remote format in our professional graduate programs, the MSN, Post-Baccalaureate DNP, and Post-Master's DNP programs in the School of Nursing currently do not qualify for F-1 or J-1 student sponsorship. Additionally, because the School of Nursing is unable to modify program plans to fully comply with TN visa requirements, we are unable to consider applications from TN visa holders.

For questions, please contact the Office of Admissions and Records at [email protected].