{"id":194,"date":"2026-09-03T23:37:29","date_gmt":"2026-09-03T23:37:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.degreequery.com\/?p=194---2cdc6a2e-8af4-41c2-98d9-533370bdcc16"},"modified":"2026-10-02T08:56:54","modified_gmt":"2026-10-02T08:56:54","slug":"degree-need-become-nurse","status":"publish","type":"query","link":"https:\/\/www.degreequery.com\/queries\/degree-need-become-nurse\/","title":{"rendered":"Which degree do you need to become a nurse?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Have you always wanted to become a nurse but aren\u2019t sure what you need in the way of education and training? If so, continue reading and learn all the facts you need to help you decide which nursing path you want to choose.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Different Degrees for Different Career Paths<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re interested in becoming a nurse, there are several paths you can choose to achieve this goal, depending on what type of nursing career you want. The final goal for becoming a nurse is eligibility to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) through the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncsbn.org\/nclex.htm \">National Council of State Boards of Nursing<\/a>. Reaching this goal is not contingent on earning one specific degree but rather on earning the degree appropriate for your career choice, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nursingworld.org\/ana\/\">American Nurses Association<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Regardless of what degree you choose, your curriculum will always include coursework, laboratory classes and clinical education. As a potential nursing student, you can choose to study at the undergraduate or graduate level.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Undergraduate Programs<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Diploma \u2013 Diploma nursing programs, generally offered at hospital-based nursing schools and some community colleges, can usually be completed in less than 18 months. At one time, diploma nursing programs were the most common path towards becoming a registered nurse (RN). Although graduates of nursing diploma programs may become RNs, they may be required to earn a degree to be considered for career advancements. Graduates of diploma programs may have the option of becoming an RN or an LPN (licensed practical nurse).<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Associate Degree in Nursing \u2013 This two-year degree, also referred to as ADN, is typically offered at hospital-based schools and community colleges. This degree is today the most common method chosen to become part of the nursing profession. As of 2010, more than 45% of the nurses in the U.S. have started their nursing careers by earning an ADN, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BS\/BSN) \u2013 This four-year degree, which can be earned at colleges and universities, is a popular degree among nurses and employers. Students who earn the bachelor\u2019s degree in nursing have the groundwork laid for advanced education in nursing. Although bachelor degree programs generally take four years to complete, nursing students who earn their nursing degrees through diploma or associate degree programs enroll in RN-to-BSN or an ADN-BSN programs, which are accelerated programs.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Graduate Programs<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) \u2013 The MSN is an advanced-level degree that can be used if you, as an RN, want to advance your career and become a nurse educators, nurse administrators or Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN). Students who are enrolling in doctoral degree nursing programs often use the MSN as a prerequisite. Students who are interested in specializing in a specific area of nursing often choose to pursue the MSN. A bachelor\u2019s degree in nursing is generally a requirement for MSN programs.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) \u2013 This program is chosen by students who are interested in either teaching nursing education or performing research. Earning a PhD generally takes at least three years. The student usually takes a comprehensive exam after two years and an oral exam after the third year. At this point, the student still needs to complete a dissertation, which can take from one to five years to complete. Students generally need at least a bachelor\u2019s degree to enroll in a PhD program; in some cases, they may need a master\u2019s degree.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) \u2013 The DNP program represents the highest level of the nursing profession. It\u2019s generally used for nurses who want to become APRNs and specialize in a chosen area of nursing such as midwife, nurse anesthesiologist, or nurse practitioner, among others.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Have you always wanted to become a nurse but aren\u2019t sure what you need in the way of education and training? If so, continue [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"mobius_hide_qdf":false,"mobius_hide_el":false,"mobius_limit":"","mobius_degree":"","mobius_category":"","mobius_subject":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[33,31,13,16,34,32,30],"class_list":["post-194","query","type-query","status-publish","hentry","category-nursing-2","tag-adn","tag-bsn","tag-career","tag-degrees","tag-dnp","tag-msn","tag-rn"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Which degree do you need to become a nurse? - DegreeQuery.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.degreequery.com\/queries\/degree-need-become-nurse\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Which degree do you need to become a nurse? - DegreeQuery.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Have you always wanted to become a nurse but aren\u2019t sure what you need in the way of education and training? 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