Want to know more about Vanderbilt Nursing undergraduate program? If so, then continue reading to find out detailed information about Vanderbilt University Nursing School and Vanderbilt NP Program!

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Even if you have no nursing background, you can become an advanced practice nurse through our accelerated program of PreSpecialty master’s entry (entry with a BA/BS in a field other than nursing). With three semesters of generalist-level nursing courses and completion of the program in your chosen specialty, often just three additional semesters, you can earn your Master of Science in Nursing degree.

Vanderbilt’s Accelerated Program

If you have no background in nursing but you are interested in pursuing a career in advanced practice nursing without sacrificing excellence in education, entry into the Vanderbilt Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program through the PreSpecialty master’s program offers you this opportunity. This PreSpecialty year provides the foundation equivalent to the bachelor’s degree in nursing for course work in the selected nursing specialty. The three-semester PreSpecialty year will prepare you for taking the National Council for Licensure Exam (NCLEX) to become a Registered Nurse (RN). The Prespecialty year courses are only offered full time in a face-to-face format so during the prespecialty year students are required to live within daily commuting distance of Vanderbilt campus. However, the Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner-Primary Care, Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner and Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner/ AGPCNP specialties allow prespecialty entry students to complete their specialty year outside of the middle Tennessee area (OMTA).

Upon completion of three semesters of PreSpecialty courses, you will enter an additional sequence of courses in your declared specialty in order to earn the MSN degree. PreSpecialty applicants are eligible to apply to one of these specialty areas: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner , Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, Nurse-Midwifery, Nurse-Midwifery/Family Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner-Primary Care, Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner and Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner/ AGPCNP. The NW/FNP and WHNP/AGPCNP programs are dual specialties that require additional semesters. MSN specialties not listed above require RN work experience and are therefore not open to applicants who do not have an associates or bachelor’s degree in nursing.   

Admission Requirements

The best ways to learn about the Vanderbilt School of Nursing MSN Admissions process and requirements are to join us for Open House in October or March or attend one of the weekly MSN information sessions. 

Applicants are encouraged to attend an information session conducted by an Admission Counselor for assistance with the application process. Information sessions are held on most Tuesdays from 10-11:30 am (central time), Wednesdays from 4-5:30 and Fridays from 10-11:30 am (all central time). In consideration of the health and safety of the VU community and visitors to our campus due to COVID-19, all on-campus recruitment events have been cancelled.  Therefore, the information sessions will be conducted online.Please register now if you are interested in attending an information session. 

Prerequisite Courses

Students entering with a bachelor’s or higher degree in a non-nursing field must have completed the following  courses:

• Eight (8) semester hours of Human Anatomy and Physiology taken within 5 years of application
• Three (3) semester hours of Microbiology taken within 5 years of application
• Three (3) semester hours of Lifespan Development, Human Growth and Development or Developmental Psychology (course must cover lifespan from birth to death)
• Three (3) semester hours of Statistics (course must include inferential statistics)
• Two to Three (2-3) semester hours of Nutrition

In order to satisfy the prerequisite requirement, courses must be taken at an accredited community college, college or university and completed with a grade of C or higher. Applicants can apply before the six courses are completed but an offer of admission will be contingent upon successful completion of the courses. Prerequisites can be completed online.

Your PreSpecialty Clinical Experience

During the three semesters of your PreSpecialty year, you will complete a minimum of 700 hours in a variety of clinical settings:

• Hospital Inpatient Units
• Children’s Hospital
• Community Agencies
• Mental Health Centers
• Psychiatric Hospitals

Registered Nurse (RN) Licensure

PreSpecialty students are eligible to apply to the National Council for Licensure Examination to become a Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN) upon meeting the requirements specified by the Tennessee State Board of Nursing. Students in good academic standing following the PreSpecialty program take the exam in the first semester of the Specialty program and are required to be RNs prior to beginning specialty level clinical courses.

Pros and Cons of Accelerated Nurse Practitioner Programs

Recently, a ThriveAP reader posted a question on the message board inquiring about my experience in a nurse practitioner bridge program. She noted that, while I have several articles on the topic of programs for students without a background in healthcare, I hadn’t shared much about my personal experience. Guilty as charged. So, today I’ve decided to pull together my thoughts on the advantages and disadvantages of accelerated programs for NPs, based on my own experiences.

In case you missed the more detailed background about how I ended up in an accelerated NP program, you can read more about it here. As an accelerated, or ‘bridge’ nurse practitioner, student, my experience in school was much different than that of my colleagues who attended traditional nurse practitioner programs. I did not have a background in healthcare, and was not a nurse when I entered the program. This unique experience has its own set of ups and downs, highs and lows. Here are the pros and cons of accelerated nurse practitioner programs based on my experience:

Pros

1. Expedited Education 

I attended Vanderbilt University’s accelerated NP program. And, as a result, I became a nurse practitioner quickly. Very quickly. In just two short (but sometimes seemingly endless…) years, I added RN and MSN degrees to my bachelor’s degree. Without the school’s expedited format for bridge students, my journey to becoming a nurse practitioner would have been significantly longer.

2. Community

Accelerated NP programs are almost exclusively on campus. Some schools offer a partially online curriculum, but overall, as an accelerated student, you can plan to be face to face with your classmates. While online courses offer flexibility, campus based courses lead to camaraderie. I made lifelong friends during my nurse practitioner program. Nothing brings people together like taking the NCLEX, and the NP boards within a single calendar year of each other. From study sessions to letting loose on Saturday nights, I have a wealth of memories to look back on from my time as an accelerated nurse practitioner student.

3. Prestige 

Join us on June 8 at 7pm for a webinar on Orthopedic Low Back Pain Care, taught by ThriveAP’s VP of Programs and Content, Veronica Hill, MSN, CRNP. 

It’s certainly not necessary to attend a highly regarded institution for your nurse practitioner education. But, it never hurts. Most schools offering fast-track programs for second degree students are more well known, and often prestigious, universities. Having a name like Yale, Columbia, Vanderbilt, or the University of San Diego on your resume can boost your future career cred.

Cons

1. RN Year Exasperation 

I entered my NP program with the intent, of, well, working as a nurse practitioner. On the fast track to an NP degree, I was set on diagnosing and treating patients. I wanted to be the one writing the orders, not the one carrying them out. Setting my sights on the end result of my education made the RN year of my program difficult. Yes, it was necessary to get a nursing foundation upon which to build my NP skill set. Enduring the RN year of the program, particularly clinicals, however, was frustrating. I knew I would not be working in the hospital, and found myself constantly itching to focus on curriculum that related more directly to my career goal.

2. Cost

Accelerated NP programs are pricey. Aspiring nurse practitioners have a number of other, more affordable paths to the NP career. As you look at financing your education, however, don’t forget to take into account that with an accelerated program you will be able to begin your career more quickly, your salary offsetting some of this increased cost.

3. Post-Grad Learning Curve 

Many nurse practitioners have an extensive nursing background and knowledge to fall back on. As an accelerated NP program grad, however, I began working as an NP without any nursing experience outside of my program. This made to post-graduate learning curve steep. While all nurse practitioner new grads have a lot of learning to do on the job, this challenge is particularly formidable for those NPs who graduate at an expedited pace. Be prepared to ask a lot of questions, and face a few hurdles in your first job if you graduate from an accelerated program. Finding a job in a supportive learning environment helps.

4. Job Search Setbacks

Finding a job as a nurse practitioner without nursing experience can be difficult. Employers in locations without such programs may not be familiar with them, and lack confidence in the ability of graduates. Finding a supportive work environment is essential for graduates of accelerated NP programs given the steep learning curve which can make landing that first job even more difficult. Obtaining your first NP position as an new grad nurse practitioner can be an initial challenge, but it is a surmountable obstacle.

Overall, I wouldn’t change a thing about the path I took to becoming a nurse practitioner. The speed of my education allowed me to enter practice quickly. The challenge of continued learning as a new graduate was overwhelming at times, but also motivating. The relationships I made in my NP program have stuck with me and become an irreplaceable asset to both my personal and professional lives. If you are interested in becoming a nurse practitioner, but don’t have a background in healthcare, accelerated programs are certainly worth considering.

vanderbilt nP program cost

2021 – 2022 Tuition and Fees

To determine your charges, multiply the per credit hour rate by the number of hours you will enroll in for each semester, then add the applicable fees as they are listed by semester.  (Example: $1,793 x 15 hours = $26,895).

PER CREDIT HOUR TUITION RATE AND FEES

Item	Cost per Year
Tuition – Per Credit Hour	$1,793
Health Insurance*	$3,515
Student Service Fees	$658
Student Health Fee	$798
Transcript Fee (one time)	$100
Books**	$1,800

*	Health insurance is required for all students. You will be billed automatically for the university’s student health insurance plan if you do not provide proof of adequate coverage by another insurer. The automatic coverage does not account for spouses or dependents.
**	The charge for books is an estimated because book prices and where students buy books varies. The charge for books will not appear on your bill and it’s best to purchase your books before classes begin.

Cost of Attendance for MSN, DNP, and PMC

When a student is awarded financial aid, it is more than the tuition and fees and is referred to as the cost of attendance (COA)  budget.  The COA is considered sufficient to cover tuition, fees and moderate living expenses a single student. It does not include expenses for dependents, travel, vacations, or luxury items such as automobiles, household furniture, or appliances. The cost of attendance is the budget we use to determine the financial aid amount offered each year and is more than a student’s full time tuition and fees to provide assistance for living expenses if needed. 

vanderbilt nursing undergraduate

Pre-Nursing Studies at Vanderbilt

The master of science in nursing (MSN), the first-professional degree in nursing at Vanderbilt, is specialty-related and offered at the graduate level. The increase in knowledge required of nurses and the scope of their responsibilities, as well as changes in role, functions, and practice settings, require post-baccalaureate nursing education built on a rich undergraduate liberal education or baccalaureate nursing degree or its equivalent. The school of nursing does not offer a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree.

Prospective students interested in nursing at Vanderbilt may apply for admission to any Vanderbilt undergraduate school awarding a BA or BS . In addition to their undergraduate faculty advisers, pre-nursing students are encouraged to work with a pre-nursing adviser to assist in planning their program of studies.

Qualified students may apply to the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program after earning a baccalaureate degree at Vanderbilt and completing all admission requirements. After reviewing the handbook, students are encouraged to visit the School of Nursing Office of Admissions, Room 170, 416 21^st Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37340 or call (615) 322-3800 or 888-333-9192 or email VUSN-admissions@vanderbilt.edu for additional program information

Become Both A Registered Nurse (RN) and an Advanced Practice Nurse

The first three semesters in the MSN degree program are generalist-nursing courses and prepares students for the NCLEX exam to become a Registered Nurse (RN). Students take the NCLEX after completing the generalist nursing courses and become RNs during the MSN program of studies. The generalist nursing courses provide the foundation equivalent to the bachelor’s degree in nursing for course work in the selected nursing specialty. Upon completion of three semesters of generalist nursing courses, students enter a minimum of an additional three-semester sequence of courses in their declared specialty in order to earn the MSN degree. After completing the MSN degree, students are eligible to take the advanced practice certification exam in their selected specialty. The MSN program requires a minimum of 6 semesters in a fall-spring-summer, fall-spring-summer calendar. Some specialties take one or two additional semesters.

In an increasingly complex health care industry, advanced practice nurses are playing a vital role. Education and clinical training are preparing these professionals to assume such positions as Nurse–Midwife and Nurse Practitioner. Advanced practice nurses are offering and designing new ways of delivering cost-effective care and increasing access to qualified practitioners – often providing health care to underserved populations.

Advanced practice nurses work in collegial capacities with physicians and other health care providers, and many are prepared to diagnose and treat patients with acute and chronic illnesses. These responsibilities require nursing professionals who are as smart and savvy as they are caring and compassionate. Vanderbilt School of Nursing prepares advanced practice nurses with an excellent education, real-world clinical experience and a solid grounding in theory, research and leadership.

Pre-Nursing Requirements

Students are eligible to apply to the MSN program after graduation from any of Vanderbilt’s undergraduate programs (A&S, Blair, Engineering or Peabody). Prior to beginning the MSN program, these courses must be completed:

• BSCI 2101 & 3101 Human Anatomy & Physiology (4 credits each) fall/spring; must take BSCI 2101 before BSCI 3101. BSCI 1510 is a prerequisite for BSCI 2101; BSCI 1511 is a prerequisite or corequisite.
• BSCI 3234 Microbiology (3 credits)  Offered only in spring semester. If course is taken in spring 2023 or later, students will be required to complete the BSCI 1511 prerequisite before registering for BSCI 3234.
• MHS 1600 Introduction to Nutrition and Health for a Changing World (3 credits) Offered in the fall semester
• Statistics (3 credits): A number of undergraduate statistics courses are offered
• Lifespan Development (3 credits): HOD 1250 Applied Human Development or Psy-PC 1250 (Developmental Psychology course) meets this requirement

The prerequisite courses listed above do not need to be completed at the time of application. However, all pre-requisite courses must be completed prior to the beginning of MSN classes in August.

MSN Admission Requirements

Students must apply by October 15 of their senior year. If admitted, students begin the MSN degree program the following August.

The MSN application includes the following:

• Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher
• Three letters of reference
•  Statement of Purpose
• Responses to application questions
•  Official VU transcript and any other colleges/universities transcripts you attended

MSN Advanced Practice Specialties Available

• Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
• Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
• Family Nurse Practitioner
• Nurse- Midwifery*
• Nurse – Midwifery/Family Nurse Practitioner* (dual certification)
• Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (primary care focus)
•  Psychiatric-Mental-Health Nurse Practitioner (lifespan)
• Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner
• Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner/Adult Nurse Practitioner* (dual certification)

* Requires additional semester(s)

Pre-Nursing Society

The Pre-nursing society is a Vanderbilt endorsed student organization that serves to support pre-nursing students on campus. The group acts as a resource for information regarding career opportunities in advanced practice nursing and the various specialty areas. A formal meeting is held each month (September – April) at the School of Nursing with volunteer/community service activities scheduled throughout the academic year. Shadowing experience with an advanced practice nurse can also be arranged for active members of the pre-nursing society.

Opportunities for Doctoral Studies

After successful completion of the MSN degree, you can continue your studies to earn a doctoral degree in nursing. The School of Nursing offers both a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and a PhD in Nursing Science. If pre-nursing students are interested in doctoral studies, they are encouraged to discuss their career goals with one of the pre-nursing advisors.