Online RN to MSN Programs in Alabama
To accommodate the schedules of working professionals, all of the Alabama colleges & universities in our school listings offer online or hybrid RN to MSN programs. A few things to note as you consider your options:
- Spring Hill College: SHC’s MSN is a mix of online courses and clinical integration with local preceptors. Check with the program coordinator to see if you can take any of the undergraduate bridge courses online.
- University of Alabama Birmingham: UAB’s online RN to MSN programs are often practice-based. Undergraduate coursework is online, but the MSN portion frequently includes on-campus intensives.
- University of North Alabama: Because UNA’s RN to MSN programs do not involve practitioner work, they are 100% online (undergraduate and graduate). You’ll be able to fulfill any clinical components in your own community.
- University of South Alabama: Bridge courses and graduate coursework at USA are online. But please check each individual MSN specialty to see what is required in the way of campus visits (e.g. clinical orientations, final exam and presentations, etc.). Nurse practitioner specialties usually have detailed campus components.
Cheapest RN to MSN Programs in Alabama
This ranking of the most affordable Alabama RN to MSN programs is based on per credit graduate tuition rates. These are ballpark figures! You’ll need to factor in the total number of credits, any additional fees (especially for online/distance learning), and undergraduate tuition rates for bridge coursework. Remember, too, that you may be able to transfer credits or ask for a portfolio review on selected courses.
- University of North Alabama: In-State & Out-of-State—View Tuition Rates
- Spring Hill College: View Tuition Rates
- University of South Alabama: In-State & Out-of-State—View Tuition Rates
- University of Alabama Birmingham: In-State and Out-of-State—View Tuition Rates
Alabama’s Healthcare Landscape
As a hard-working RN, you’ll already be aware of Alabama’s healthcare challenges. Faced with high rates of Medicaid coverage and threatened closure, rural hospitals have been struggling to survive. Rising obesity rates and poor nutrition remain major areas of concern in public health. Firearm deaths, homicide statistics, and infant mortality rates exceed the national average. And the ASNA continues to advocate for positive interventions in nurse safety, domestic violence, mental health, and the opioid epidemic.
Fortunately, some Alabama institutions have been working hard to remedy the situation. UA System schools have a number of initiatives in play to improve rural healthcare & patient access (e.g. UA’s Pickens County Partnership). Birmingham’s Office of Peace and Policy and community groups are taking steps to reduce gun violence. The state has instituted an Alabama Infant Mortality Reduction Initiative. And providers are using a coordinated approach to treate addiction and improve mental health (e.g. UAB Medicine’s Addiction Recovery Program). Newly qualified APRNs will be able to make a difference in a number of realms.
Jobs for Alabama RN to MSN Graduates
Career Outlook for RN to MSN Graduates
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) tracks job & wage data for Nurse Practitioners and Nursing Instructors & Teachers, Postsecondary. If you’re looking for a hospital job, you may also want to consult U.S. News & World Report’s rankings of the Best Hospitals in Alabama.
- One look at the BLS job maps will tell you that Alabama has a particularly high concentration of NPs, particularly in the Florence-Muscle Shoals area—home of the North Alabama Medical Center (NAMC), Shoals Hospital, and Helen Keller Hospital.
- Thanks to the presence of UAB and UAH (and their affiliated hospitals), Birmingham and Huntsville are well-known employment hubs for both categories. UAB Hospital is a Magnet Facility.
- In particular, Huntsville has been experiencing a population boom, which has led to a continued expansion of services at places like Huntsville Hospital and WellStone.
Hoping to serve in rural areas? Alabama’s Office of Primary Care and Rural Health has information on HPSAs, loan repayment programs, and telehealth initiatives.
Career Resources for Future APRNs
Alabama Nursing Job Boards
- ASNA Career Center: Job listings for Alabama nurses
- CANPA Career Center: Job listings for Alabama nurse practitioners
- ALHospitalJobs.com: Openings for healthcare professionals in Alabama hospitals
- UAB Medicine Open Nursing Jobs
Alabama APRN Salary & Wage Data
- Annual Mean Wages for Alabama Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations: Categories can include “Nurse Practitioners,” “Nurse Midwives,” and “Nurse Anesthetists”
- Annual Mean Wages for Alabama Nursing Instructors & Teachers, Postsecondary
- AANP National Compensation Survey: Available to AANP members
Alabama Nursing Organizations
State Board of Nursing
AL Nursing Associations & Coalitions
- Alabama Coalition of Nursing Organizations (ACNO)
- Alabama Health Action Coalition (AL-HAC)
- Alabama Hospital Association (AlaHA)
- Alabama National Association of Hispanic Nurses (Alabama NAHN)
- Alabama State Nurses Association (ASNA)
- Birmingham Black Nurses Association (BBNA)
- Central Alabama Nurse Practitioner Association (CANPA)
- Montgomery Black Nurses Association (MBNA)
- Nurse Practitioner Alliance of Alabama (NPAA)
AL Nursing Specialty Organizations
- Alabama Association of Nurse Anesthetists (ALANA)
- Alabama Association of Nursing Students (AANS)
- Alabama Association of School Nurses (AASN)
- Alabama League for Nursing (ALN)
- Alabama Organization for Nursing Leadership (AlaONL)
- Alabama Organization of Nurse Executives (AlaONE)
- American College of Nurse-Midwives – Alabama Affiliate (Alabama ACNM)
- American Psychiatric Nurses Association – Alabama Chapter (APNA Alabama)
- Association of Women’s Health, Obstetrics and Neonatal Nurses – Alabama (AWHONN – Alabama)
- Healthcare Educators of Alabama (HEAL)
Alabama RN to MSN School Listings
4 Schools Found
Herzing University
School of Nursing
Birmingham, Alabama
Nursing School Overview
Herzing is a private, non-profit university with regional accreditation and on-campus locations in a number of states, including Birmingham. (This campus also delivers brick & mortar nursing training to undergraduates.) Alabama RNs are welcome to apply for any of the CCNE-accredited, online RN to MSN & RN-BSN-MSN programs. Because Herzing has an established presence in the city, we recommend you ask the MSN program coordinator about the nursing program's relationships with Birmingham-area hospitals.
RN to MSN Admissions & Curriculum
Herzing has a standard admissions policy for AL entrants - candidates should have an associate degree (ADN/ASN/AASN) or a diploma in nursing from a nationally or regionally accredited institution and a current, active & unencumbered RN license in Alabama. Herzing will also want to see you for an admissions interview. All of your coursework will be 100% online, with no mandatory log-in times. On average, RN to MSN tracks might take 20-24 months; RN-BSN-MSN pathways can last 28-32 months. You'll be expected to try & locate your own sites and preceptors for clinicals and the PMHNP 16-week internship, but Herzing does have a clinical placement pledge if you get stuck.
University of Alabama at Birmingham
School of Nursing
Birmingham, Alabama
Nursing School Overview
If you want a university with an outsized reputation in nursing and great graduate reviews, this is it. UAB's School of Nursing receives excellent U.S. News & World Report rankings for MSN and DNP programs, as well as NP specialties. The School is an NLN Center of Excellence and a PAHO/WHO Collaborating Center. It has established tons of clinical partnerships, it runs three nurse-managed centers, and it works closely with the VA and veterans. Finally, UAB Health Systems is one of the largest academic health centers in the country; many nursing faculty actively practice at UAB Medicine. Be sure to check out the graduate scholarships and fellowship & professional development programs for aspiring NPs.
RN to MSN Admissions & Curriculum
UAB's RN Mobility program comes in a dizzying array of specialties, from NP concentrations to leadership. It's offered in an online/hybrid format, with flexible scheduling and on-campus intensives. And it's relatively short - only 3 nursing courses are required for bridge coursework. Leadership MSNs can be completed in 2 to 2.5 years; NP concentrations will take longer. Just be aware that it is only open to nurses who have an associate's degree in nursing and a bachelor's degree in another field.
University of North Alabama
Anderson College of Nursing
Florence, Alabama
Nursing School Overview
Overall, UNA's Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions receives positive reviews from graduate students for the rigor of its nursing programs and faculty interest. And even though this RN to MSN program is online, it's a particularly strong pick if you're in the general geographic area. For instance, nurses in ASNA Districts 3 and 5, North Mississippi Health Services (NMHS) employees, and Huntsville Hospital employees are eligible to receive discounts & scholarships.
RN to MSN Admissions & Curriculum
UNA's affordable RN to MSN programs for future educators and leaders are designed for RNs who wish to earn a BSN on their way toward the master's degree. On a full-time schedule, students tackle 3 semesters (30 credit hours) of undergraduate coursework and any general education courses before proceeding to 5 semesters on the MSN. Part-time study will take longer. Coursework is completely online and clinical experiences are arranged in your own locale. One note: CA and Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands residents cannot apply for this program.
University of South Alabama
College of Nursing
Mobile, Alabama
Nursing School Overview
As you might expect, USA's College of Nursing has close ties to USA Health University Hospital and USA Children's and Women's Hospital, as well as local area institutions (e.g. Mobile Infirmary Medical Center, Thomas Hospital, Providence Hospital, etc.). It offers a number of scholarships to nursing students and participates in efforts such as the SANE program. This choice may be best for part-time students who are self-directed - student reviewers bill the MSN as flexible, but tough.
RN to MSN Admissions & Curriculum
Flexibility is the name of the game for USA. The standard RN to MSN program is open to RNs with a non-nursing bachelor's degree, but it also offers a pathway for nurses with an associate degree in nursing who would like to earn a BSN along the way. You can have your pick of specialties, including NP concentrations, and bridge coursework is completely online. RN to MSN students have to complete 4 bridge courses; RN to BSN/MSN candidates must tackle 6 courses (2 semesters). The length of the MSN will depend on the specialty.