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Master's Degree

MSN-WHNP Online Program
BSN to MSN

Program Length

24 Mo.

Credits

54

Format

Online

DNP

Dual Credit
calendar

NEXT START March 3rd

Waived Enrollment Fee

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Discover your new career path as a WHNP with Herzing University

AccreditationCCNE accredited,†Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission
Format100% online classwork with hands-on clinical practicum experience
EligibilityDesigned for current licensed RNs who hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
Future pathwaysGraduate with an MSN and become qualified for our online Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program; you can earn dual credit towards a DNP. You may also choose a BSN to DNP-WHNP program.
Our pledgeWe pledge your clinical placement!
QuickPathsTransfer credit, stackable credentials, and adaptive learning technology build a faster pathway to a higher education with Herzing University

Learn More Today!

Classes start: March 3rd

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Ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the best online graduate nursing programs in 2024

Earn an MSN-WHNP online with Herzing

The MSN – Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner degree (BSN to WHNP) is a 54-credit graduate program which prepares you for a career as a women’s health nurse practitioner. The degree program provides students with fundamental knowledge and skills in advanced practice nursing, gynecology and obstetrics (OBGYN), prenatal care and assessment, care from reproductive age through post-menopausal transition, and much more.

Women's health nurse practitioner discussing treatment options with patient

  • Career-focused curriculum

    Discover the crucial knowledge and skills required to succeed in your work and build a foundation for continued career growth.

  • Flexible schedule

    We work hard to help you maintain school-life balance, striving to be as flexible as possible for busy non-traditional students.

  • Virtual services

    Access to extensive virtual services, including academic advising, tutoring, support services, technical support and library services.

  • Lifelong support

    We support your ongoing career advancement by providing comprehensive, personalized student services with lifelong career coaching.

  • Rolling admissions

    No application deadlines to worry about. Apply when you’re ready and prepare to get started soon.

Curriculum

MSN-WHNP courses & curriculum details

All didactic lecture-style courses are delivered 100% online. You will also be required to complete 630 clinical practicum hours.

We also offer an RN to MSN-WHNP program for nurses who hold associate degree in nursing. Choose to go from RN to MSN or earn your BSN on the way in our RN to BSN to MSN track. You may also choose to begin working towards a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) by applying for our BSN to DNP-WHNP program.

ProgramMonths iCredits
Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) in Women's Health Nurse Practitioner (MSNWHNP)2454

i. Average number of months for students to complete program. Program availability varies by location.

Required Core Courses

All courses, 15.00 semester credit hours, are required.

This course focuses on the integration, translation, and application of established and evolving theoretical, evidence-based, and disciplinary nursing knowledge as the basis for clinical judgment and innovation in nursing practice. Students examine frameworks for knowledge and propose a practice application informed by leadership principals and ethical decision making.

The course focuses on a systems-based approach to enhance quality and minimize risk of harm to patients and providers through system effectiveness and individual performance using established and emerging principles of safety and improvement science. Students will review metrics and data driven benchmarks to analyze quality and safety initiatives, employ change theory and improvement science processes to design evidence‐based interventions, and demonstrate advocacy to promote a just institutional culture reflecting resiliency, civility, and respect.

This course will explore information and communication technologies and informatics processes used to provide care, gather data, drive decision making, and manage and improve the delivery of safe, high‐quality, and efficient healthcare services in accordance with best practice and professional and regulatory standards. Students will perform an information technology analysis of their practice and develop strategic planning to direct the selection and implementation of new information and communication technologies for their practice setting.

This course applies the principals of best practices, change theory, and improvement and implementation science to the development of innovative solutions for complex health systems to ensure optimal care. Course key concepts include organizational structure, including relationships among macro‐, meso‐, and microsystems across healthcare, and financial and payment models for cost management and reimbursement. Students will engage in a strategic planning initiative for a complex healthcare system which enhances value, access, quality, and cost‐effectiveness, including policy to address health equity and eliminate structural discrimination.

The course focuses on the application, evaluation, and dissemination of knowledge in practice to improve health and transform health care. The processes for the generation, critique, synthesis, and translation of knowledge will be examined. Students will complete human subject protection certification, determine best practices for a specified clinical initiative, and apply evidence to clinical decision making using a framework of evidence-based practice and improvement science.

Required Direct Care Courses

All courses, 9.00 semester credit hours, are required.

This course is an examination of the process of holistic assessment (physical, psychosocial, and cultural) of individuals across the lifespan. Focus is critical thinking and decision-making related to the role of the advanced practice nurse in a primary care setting.

The course examines scientific concepts of pathophysiology essential to diagnostic reasoning and clinical management of common disease states. The dilemma of cost and need for laboratory and radiographic evidence to support diagnosis is examined.

This course is designed to advance the student's knowledge of pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacotherapeutics in the management of health and disease states. Major categories of pharmacological agents are examined in the context of the life span, culture, and health and disease states. State and federal regulation related to purchase, possession, administration and patient education about controlled substances, pharmacologic agents and non-pharmacologic agents used as medications are examined.

Required Specialty Courses

All courses, 30.00 semester credit hours, are required.

This course is an examination of the processes applicable to clinical decision making. Models for clinical decision making will be presented.  An overview of key assessments and the wide range of clinical activity categories that impact clinical decision making will be provided. Application of course concepts will be accomplished through engagement with hypothetical clinical scenarios.

This introductory course focuses on integrating theoretical knowledge, evidence-based guidelines, and contemporary practice in the assessment and management of health and disease states specific to women across the lifespan. Personal, family, cultural, community, and societal influences are analyzed for their impact on women's physical and emotional health. Health risk identification, health promotion, maintenance, and treatment alternatives are examined.

This clinical course introduces the foundations of women's healthcare, including topics such as health assessment, reproductive stages, and family planning. In addition, this course focuses on the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of primary care concerns for women from reproductive age through post-menopausal transition. The primary care clinical component allows for the application of theoretical knowledge to the patient care setting.

The focus of this clinical course is introducing common gynecologic problems and standard obstetric care to women from reproductive age through post-menopausal transition. The assessment and decision-making process will be applied in order to evaluate, diagnose, and treat common gynecologic concerns. In addition, there is a focus on standard obstetric care including components of prenatal care and assessment, normal physiologic changes in pregnancy, management of common discomforts in pregnancy, and routine postpartum care. Disparities in obstetric outcomes across populations will be explored. The clinical component of this course will be completed in an OB/GYN setting and will allow for application of these concepts to the clinical arena.

This course focuses on the further development of theoretical knowledge, evidence-based guidelines, and contemporary practice in the assessment, diagnosis, prevention, and management of gynecologic and obstetric care for women from reproductive age through post-menopausal transition. Building upon the concepts of previous Women's Health Nurse Practitioner courses, emphasis is on complex gynecologic concerns. Topics include malignancies impacting the reproductive health system, pelvic pain disorders, and sexual health. In addition, this course focuses on the identification and management of pregnancy and postpartum complications including pregnancy loss. There will be a continued application of women's health theoretical concepts in the OB/GYN clinical setting.

This course is an immersion experience into women's health practice and the role of the Women's Health Nurse Practitioner. This final precepted practicum will prepare the student to assume the full scope of advanced nursing practice and demonstrate the entry-level core and population-focused Women's Health Nurse Practitioner competencies. Emphasis is on refining theoretical knowledge, evidence-based guidelines, and contemporary practice in the assessment and management of health and disease states of women from reproductive age through post-menopausal transition in a variety of healthcare settings and in collaboration with other health professionals.

This course focuses on proficient multidimensional leadership for healthcare. Leadership theory, managing change in complex environments, mentoring, and creating a workplace environment that promotes social justice and equity, self‐care, personal health, and well‐being, and lifelong learning will be emphasized. Student will examine their personal, professional, and leadership development process, and create a three-dimensional advocacy-based approach to provide leadership in for the healthcare, professional, and community arenas.

This course examines the healthcare delivery continuum from public health prevention to disease management of populations and describes collaborative activities with both traditional and non‐traditional partnerships from affected communities, public health, industry, academia, health care, local government entities, and others for the improvement of equitable population health outcomes. For a selected population, students will analyze health priorities and the potential for collaboration and partnerships to provide a basis for interventions, policy, advocate strategy, and emergency preparedness.

Clinical Proficiency Exam and Policy Courses

The following courses are 0.00 semester credit hours associated with the policy outlined above. Students are required to take as co-requisite courses along with NU 611, NU 642, NU 664 or NU 671, depending on the program of study. NSG 0600 - Clinical Proficiency Course Semester Credit Hours: 0.00 NSG 0600R - Clinical Proficiency Remediation Course (if needed) Semester Credit Hours: 0.00

Tuition & Cost

Tuition & Cost

The cost of tuition for the MSN-WHNP program is $755 per credit.

You can potentially earn even greater savings by transferring credit from prior college coursework, applying for financial aid, or potential partnership opportunities through your employer.

Our goal is your career advancement. That’s why we are always working to improve our curriculum and processes to make our program as affordable as possible while preparing you best for success in your work.

Find My Estimate 

  • Scholarships & Financial Aid

    You may be eligible for multiple scholarships and grants—including our Nurses Circle of Achievement scholarship, which offers up to 10% tuition reduction.

    Find scholarships and grants  

  • Military/Veteran Discounts

    Veterans, Active Duty U.S. Servicemembers, and spouses may qualify for a 10% tuition discount or tuition reduction to $250 per credit.

    VA/Military benefits  

Find My Estimate 
Requirements

Enrollment Requirements

To enroll in Herzing’s online MSN - Women's Health Nurse Practitioner program, prospective students must live in a state where Herzing University is authorized to offer the MSN-WHNP program, and:

  1. Hold a current, active and unrestricted license as a registered nurse (RN) in the same state in which they live. (Note: Holding a multi-state, compact state license and being a resident in a compact license state will be deemed to have met this requirement.)
  2. Hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree from an accredited university or college with an overall minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

Eligible states for enrollment: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Your clinical placement is our pledge.

We understand securing clinical placement as part of an MSN-WHNP program is one of the biggest concerns students face. At Herzing, we offer guidance and support through our step-by-step Clinical Guidance Process to ensure you can get the clinical practice experiences you need.

As a Herzing student, we’ll encourage you to find your own preceptor and clinical sites as there are many benefits to doing so. However, we provide extensive support should you find difficulty along the way. With Herzing, you are never on your own.

Because of our strong relationships with healthcare providers across the U.S. and our comprehensive Clinical Guidance Process, we are confident in our ability to help you find clinical placement. So much so that if you are unable to find a clinical site on your own, we pledge to step in and help you secure clinical placement.*

* Subject to terms and conditions outlined in the enrollment documents.

MSN Clinical Placement Pledge Herzing Badge
U.S. News & World Report Best Online Graduate Nursing Programs 2024

Ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the best online graduate nursing degree programs in 2024.

CCNE Accreditation

✝The master's degree program in nursing at Herzing University Madison is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org). Herzing University is approved to offer programs in an online learning modality through association with the main campus in Madison, Wisconsin.

Herzing University is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), a regional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

View all Herzing University Accreditations and Approvals.

Accreditation & Recognition

Our accredited & recognized online school

We strive to earn rank as one of the top private, nonprofit universities in the United States. Just as you work every day to become the best version of yourself, so do we as a university.

We are proud to have attained institutional and programmatic accreditation in addition to industry recognition for our accomplishments helping students earn a college education and find career success.

Classes Start: March 3rd

Waived Enrollment Fee

Discover the educational pathway designed to maximize your career potential. Reach for greater heights with Herzing University.

Request Info Apply Now 
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The Student Experience at Herzing

My advice to others is to never give up. Do not think that things are tougher than you are because you are tough and can conquer anything!

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Nursing | Online Campus
Disclosures

Accreditation & Disclosures

Not all programs approved in all states. Individual considering the MSN-WHNP program should be aware that state requirements for availability of required clinical courses and eligibility to apply for licensure as a women's health nurse practitioner vary from state to state. Applicants should check with their applicable state board of nursing before enrolling in any graduate nursing program.

Herzing University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

View Herzing University Accreditation and Approvals

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Classes Start: March 3rd

Waived Enrollment Fee

Discover the educational pathway designed to maximize your career potential. Reach for greater heights with Herzing University.

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