Thomas Jefferson University Online MSN Programs
The Thomas Jefferson University (TJU) Jefferson College of Nursing offers multiple online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degrees designed to train nurses to provide quality care to a large variety of patient populations. Seven distinct MSN programs are available. Featured specializations include adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner (AGACNP), adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioner (AGPCNP), family nurse practitioner (FNP), neonatal nurse practitioner (NNP), pediatric primary care nurse practitioner (PPCNP), psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP), and women’s health nurse practitioner (WHNP).
AGACNPs are often found in hospital settings and other environments where their presence is vital to providing care to acutely ill patients. Responsibilities an AGACNP may hold include patient assessment, diagnosis, order and review of diagnostic testing, treatment plan development, pain management care and advocating on behalf of patients and their families.
AGPCNPs are also trained to work with adults as well as older adults. Whereas AGACNPs may work in settings like hospitals and long term care facilities an AGPCNP often provides routine care to patients in other settings like primary care practices.
FNPs are trained to work with individual patients across the human lifespan as well as their families. The scope of practice for FNPs often varies by state. Typical FNP responsibilities include patient care management, performing physical exams, diagnosing and treating common, acute and chronic conditions, developing treatment plans, and educating patients and their families on healthy lifestyle choices.
NNPs typically work with critically ill neonates (newborns up to four weeks old) and their mothers. Often this includes premature neonates. These high-risk infants may have heart abnormalities, infections, low birth weight, respiratory difficulties, and other complications from birth. Part of the NNP role is to educate parents and families about high-risk infants and to provide the necessary support in this critical time.
PPCNPs play a critical role in the care and nurture of patients anywhere from newborns to young adults within the human lifespan. PPCNPs perform various tasks including assessing and recording growth and developmental milestones, gathering patient history information, ordering and interpreting lab tests, diagnosing and treating common acute illnesses, ordering immunizations and more.
PMHNPs provide mental health care to patients with common, chronic, acute and life-threatening mental health conditions. PMHNPs may work with patients from across the lifespan in various settings and provide short- and long-term care.
Finally, WHNPs specialize in the particular healthcare needs of women across the lifespan. WHNP duties may include performing routine gynecological examinations, screening for breast cancer, prescribing contraceptives, and providing both pre- and postnatal care to babies and mothers.
Thomas Jefferson University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). TJU’s MSN programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). TJU is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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What to Expect from the Thomas Jefferson University Online MSN Programs
Admission Requirements: Applicants to the TJU MSN Programs may apply online using a MyJefferson account. Applicants must submit official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate transcripts from all regionally accredited institutions they have attended and/or where they earned academic credit, a 750-1,000 word personal statement, a current professional resume, two letters of reference, and proof of a current, unencumbered RN license that notes the license expiration date. Applicants must have a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) from a regionally accredited institution with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. All MSN tracks require applicants to have completed undergraduate-level coursework in elementary statistics, physical assessment, and nursing research.
Individual MSN programs typically will have their own additional experience and other requirements. For example, three of TJU’s programs have specific clinical experience requirements:
- AGACNP – Applicants are required to have a minimum of one year of clinical RN experience.
- NNP – Applicants are required to have a minimum of one year of clinical RN experience in a Level 3 or 4 NICU.
- PPCNP – Applicants are required to have a minimum of one year of pediatric or neonatal RN experience.
Applicants should carefully review the specific requirements of their programs of interest before applying.
International applicants are welcome to apply. International students or those with international education must submit transcript reviews. In addition, if English is not an applicant’s primary language, the applicant must demonstrate sufficient English language proficiency to be offered admission.
State Restrictions: TJU accepts students from many states. However, some programs have restrictions on which states students may come from. Applicants should carefully review program requirements to ensure no residency restriction applies to them and confirm whether the TJU MSN program they seek to study in will provide the necessary training to meet the requirements of the state board of nursing in the state where they ultimately plan to practice.
Study Plan: All students complete a one-day in-person orientation before the program begins. The MSN program can be completed in two years if students take two courses per semester. Part-time students can also complete the program in three to four years. Students will develop a study plan at the initial orientation.
Courses include online coursework, six to ten campus visits in Philadelphia, PA, and locally approved clinical preceptorships. Students should expect to spend at least six to ten hours per week on each course.
MSN Curriculum: All MSN NP degrees require the completion of 12 courses for a total of 36 credit hours. Students are required to complete a minimum of 16 clinical hours per week during their three clinical courses. After the program, students of all MSN programs will have earned 750 clinical hours. Graduates of all seven MSN programs profiled here have the education necessary to be eligible to take the certification examination for their specialization.
All MSN students complete a common curriculum consisting of 18 credits of graduate core courses and most MSN degrees have a common set of three APRN courses that total nine credits. Graduate core curriculum courses include health policy, legal and ethical dimensions of practice, research for advanced practice nursing I, philosophy, foundations, and methods for evidence-based practice, role of the advanced practice nurse, leadership and critical decision making and advanced topics in health informatics. aprn core courses for all msn degree programs but one are pathophysiology of human disease/pathologic aspect of disease, comprehensive assessment for clinical decision-making, and advanced pharmacotherapeutics.
Please note that a number of programs will feature alterations to their curricula beginning in the summer 2025 academic term.
MSN-AGACNP Curriculum: Specialty courses are diagnostic reasoning and clinical decision-making for acute care advanced practice nurse I, II and III (three courses).
MSN-AGPCNP Curriculum: Specialty courses are management of common health problems in primary care, diagnostic reasoning and clinical decision-making for adult care advanced practice nurse, and management of the adult and older adult ambulatory care.
MSN-FNP Curriculum: Specialty courses are management of common health problems in primary care, management of women and children in ambulatory care and management of the adult and older adult ambulatory care.
MSN-NNP Curriculum: The APRN courses are different from other programs. APRN courses include pathophysiology of human disease/pathologic aspect of disease, comprehensive assessment for clinical decision-making for the mother and the neonate, and advanced pharmacotherapeutics for neonatal nurse practitioners. specialty courses include diagnostic reasoning and clinical decision-making for neonatal nurse practitioner I, II, and III (three courses).
MSN-PPCNP Curriculum: Specialty courses include diagnostic reasoning and clinical decision-making for pediatric advanced practice nurse I, II, and III (three courses).
MSN-PMHNP Curriculum: Specialty courses include management of common psychiatric and mental health problems of adults, management of psychiatric and mental health problems in children and management of psychiatric and mental health problems in special populations.
MSN-WHNP Curriculum: specialty courses include diagnostic reasoning and clinical decision-making for women’s health care nurse practitioner I, II, and III (three courses).
Online Experience: TJU utilizes Canvas as its online Learning Management System (LMS). Courses may be asynchronous with live lectures that are recorded for later viewing. Other courses or course elements may be asynchronous. Students should have a microphone and headset or earbuds instead of using computer speakers. Files must be saved in MS Office formats if students do not have the MS Office suite.
Faculty have weekly business hours to respond to email and voicemail messages, and students can request one-on-one appointments. Student services include technical support from the IT support desk, library services through the Scott Library, and support for the learning management system through EdTech support. Students also have access to academic support services, the Student Writing Center, disability accommodations, and career counseling.
On-Site Requirements: Students come to the Philadelphia, PA campus for six to ten visits and an initial orientation before starting the program. Students also complete clinical placements in person. Identifying and securing a clinical placement is shared between students and faculty. Enrolled students receive support in their search for a suitable clinical site. The weekly total number of hours of clinical site work may vary among programs but, as previously noted, students of all MSN programs profiled here are expected to work at least 16 hours per week during their clinical placement training.
Paying for the Thomas Jefferson University Online MSN Programs
Thomas Jefferson University charges the tuition rates listed below. Prospective students should contact the Jefferson College of Nursing for current and full tuition information, as tuition costs may increase from year to year.
TJU offers federal Stafford loans and Graduate PLUS Loans according to the FAFSA. Other ways to fund a graduate nursing degree might be tuition reimbursement programs through an employer, tuition discounts, and organizational or community grants and scholarships.
MSN – Adult-Gerontology Acute Care NP
MSN – Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP
MSN – Family (Individual Across the Lifespan) NP
MSN – Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP)
MSN – Pediatric Primary Care NP
MSN – Psychiatric-Mental Health NP
MSN – Women's Health – Gender Related NP
901 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107
Program Essentials
MSN – Master of Science in Nursing
AG-ACNP – Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
Fall, Spring, Summer
No
1
45
750
CCNE – Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
Program Admissions
BSN – Bachelor of Science in Nursing
No GRE Required
3.0 or higher
AL, CA, CO, GA, ID, IA, KY, LA, MN, MO, NE, NH, NY, ND, OK, OR, PR, SC, SD, TN, UT, WV, WI, WY
Program Tuition
45
$1,298.00
$58,410.00
$1,298.00
$58,410.00
Program Essentials
MSN – Master of Science in Nursing
AG-PCNP – Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
Fall, Spring, Summer
No
1
45
750
CCNE – Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
Program Admissions
BSN – Bachelor of Science in Nursing
No GRE Required
3.0 or higher
AL, CA, CO, GA, ID, IA, KY, LA, MN, MO, NE, NH, NY, ND, OK, OR, PR, SC, SD, TN, UT, WV, WI, WY
Program Tuition
45
$1,298.00
$58,410.00
$1,298.00
$58,410.00
Program Essentials
MSN – Master of Science in Nursing
FNP – Family Nurse Practitioner
Fall, Spring, Summer
No
1
45
750
CCNE – Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
Program Admissions
BSN – Bachelor of Science in Nursing
No GRE Required
3.0 or higher
AL, CA, CO, GA, ID, IA, KY, LA, MN, MO, NE, NH, NY, ND, OK, OR, PR, SC, SD, TN, UT, WV, WI, WY
Program Tuition
45
$1,298.00
$58,410.00
$1,298.00
$58,410.00
Program Essentials
MSN – Master of Science in Nursing
NNP – Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
Fall, Spring, Summer
No
1
45
750
CCNE – Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
Program Admissions
BSN – Bachelor of Science in Nursing
No GRE Required
3.0 or higher
AL, CA, CO, GA, ID, IA, KY, LA, MN, MO, NE, NH, NY, ND, OK, OR, PR, SC, SD, TN, UT, WV, WI, WY
Program Tuition
45
$1,298.00
$58,410.00
$1,298.00
$58,410.00
Program Essentials
MSN – Master of Science in Nursing
PNP-PC – Pediatric Nurse Practitioner – Primary Care
Fall, Spring, Summer
No
1
45
750
CCNE – Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
Program Admissions
BSN – Bachelor of Science in Nursing
No GRE Required
3.0 or higher
AL, CA, CO, GA, ID, IA, KY, LA, MN, MO, NE, NH, NY, ND, OK, OR, PR, SC, SD, TN, UT, WV, WI, WY
Program Tuition
45
$1,298.00
$58,410.00
$1,298.00
$58,410.00
Program Essentials
MSN – Master of Science in Nursing
PMHNP – Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Fall, Spring, Summer
No
1
45
750
CCNE – Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
Program Admissions
BSN – Bachelor of Science in Nursing
No GRE Required
3.0 or higher
AL, CA, CO, GA, ID, IA, KY, LA, MN, MO, NE, NH, NY, ND, OK, OR, PR, SC, SD, TN, UT, WV, WI, WY
Program Tuition
45
$1,298.00
$58,410.00
$1,298.00
$58,410.00
Program Essentials
MSN – Master of Science in Nursing
WHNP – Women's Health Nurse Practitioner
Fall, Spring, Summer
No
1
45
750
CCNE – Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
Program Admissions
BSN – Bachelor of Science in Nursing
No GRE Required
3.0 or higher
AL, CA, CO, GA, ID, IA, KY, LA, MN, MO, NE, NH, NY, ND, OK, OR, PR, SC, SD, TN, UT, WV, WI, WY
Program Tuition
45
$1,298.00
$58,410.00
$1,298.00
$58,410.00
Tuition is calculated based on credits, at the published tuition rate. Rates may change, so please check here for the latest tuition information. For programs with variable tuition rates, we use the rates for part-time students. “Resident” and “non-resident” refer to the student’s school-recognized state residency status. Tuition number represents the cost of tuition for the entire program, not per semester or year. Estimated total tuition does not include additional fees.
Bernd Geels
WriterBernd Geels is a Berlin, Germany-based freelance writer and artist. He holds an undergraduate degree in atmospheric science and two graduate degrees. He completed his most recent graduate degree in international environmental studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in 2011. He is interested in healthcare, climate change, marine conservation, indigenous science, and refugee issues. You can reach him directly at [email protected].
Sara Navratil
WriterSara Navratil is a freelance writer and a Certified Canfield Success Principles Trainer. She’s the owner of Sara Liza Life, a company dedicated to helping people rewrite their lives. She enjoys researching and writing about healthcare-related topics, including information on online NP programs. When not working she likes to read, bake, and spend time with her family.