- To gain the registered nursing license necessary to become a nurse practitioner, students must earn an undergraduate degree in nursing. Although state boards of nursing will accept an associate degree for registered nurse licensure, most graduate nurse practitioning programs prefer applicants who earned baccalaureate degrees. Bachelor's degree programs in nursing require four years of full-time study to complete. Nursing students take coursework in anatomy, biology, chemistry and nursing fundamentals. They also participate in clinical internships, giving them the opportunity to work with adults, children and the elderly in hospitals and other settings.
- Prospective nurse practitioners have various options for the type of graduate education they can pursue. A minimum of a Master of Science in nursing degree is typically necessary. These programs usually last 18 to 24 months. Nurses must choose a program related to their chosen field of specialty to qualify for later certification. Some colleges offer one-year post-graduate certificate programs for nurses who gain M.S.N. degrees in another nursing specialty, such as leadership or nurse education, who later decide to become nurse practitioners. Doctor of Nurse Practitioner programs typically require the longest time commitment, lasting for three or four years for nurses with only a baccalaureate degree. All graduate programs for nurse practitioning include at least one clinical internship. Many require students to complete a research project or thesis paper as well.
- Two organizations accredit nurse practitioner training programs in the United States: the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission. The CCNE is a unit of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. As of 2010, CCNE had accredited more than 275 Master of Science and 55 Doctor of Nursing Practice degree programs. The NLNAC is an independent organization based in Atlanta, Georgia. The league had accredited 102 master's and one doctorate program as of December 2010.
- As of 2010, "U.S. News and World Report" last ranked nurse practitioner training programs in 2007. At that time, the top school for both adult, pediatric and geriatric nurse practitioner training was the University of Pennsylvania. Located in Philadelphia, the school is a private, nonsectarian institution. Another nonsectarian school, Yale University, tied with Penn for for the first place spot in pediatrics. The university is in New Haven, Connecticut. A public institution in Seattle, the University of Washington, ranked first in family nurse practitioner training.
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