Quick Highlights
Can you teach nursing with an MSN, or do you need a DNP? An MSN qualifies a nurse for most clinical instructor, adjunct and full-time faculty roles, while a DNP adds doctoral-level practice and education preparation that some institutions require or prefer for full-time faculty, program leadership or tenure-track appointments. Tenure rules vary by employer, institution and appointment, so neither degree guarantees it.
If you already precept every new hire on your unit and want to know exactly which credential turns that into a title, the honest answer is that both the MSN and the DNP get you into a classroom. What changes between them is which classrooms, which titles and which doors open next. Arkansas State University (A-State) offers both paths online: the MSN – Nurse Educator and the DNP – Education.
MSN vs. DNP for Nurse Educators, Side by Side
The table below lines up the two paths on the details that drive most nurses’ decisions: what credential gets you in, which teaching settings each one opens and what it costs at A-State in 2026. Credit hours and admission requirements come straight from each program’s official page, so use this as a fast side-by-side before checking the full details there.
| Factor | MSN Nurse Educator | DNP Education |
|---|---|---|
| Entry credential | BSN from an ACEN-, CCNE- or CNEA-accredited program | MSN from an ACEN-, CCNE-, COA- or CNEA-accredited program, non-A-State graduates must submit a letter verifying MSN clinical hours (A-State’s own MSN graduates are reviewed by transcript instead) |
| Typical teaching settings | Clinical instructor, adjunct faculty, hospital-based educator, many classroom/didactic roles | The settings are the same as MSN Nurse Educator, plus roles some institutions reserve for a terminal degree: full-time faculty lines, program coordinator and academic leadership tracks |
| Doctoral preference | Not required; sufficient for most clinical instructor and adjunct postings | Meets the terminal-degree line many four-year nursing programs list as required or preferred for full-time faculty |
| Educational focus | 32 credits built around teaching methods, curriculum and an 180-hour practicum, leading to Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) eligibility | 36 credits of doctoral-level practice and education preparation (although the total may depend on MSN clinical hours already completed), with a workplace-based capstone project instead of traditional precepted clinicals |
| A-State program length and cost (2026) | As few as 12 months, $11,200 total ($350/credit) | As few as 14 months, $20,160 total ($560/credit) |
The next two questions get more specific about which line in a job posting each credential satisfies. Start with the question most working nurses ask before they ask anything else: whether the MSN alone is enough.
Can I Teach With Just an MSN?
Yes, for most roles. An MSN Nurse Educator is the standard, sufficient credential for clinical instruction, adjunct teaching and many full-time community college or hospital-based faculty positions. National League for Nursing (NLN) administers the Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) certification that is available to MSN-prepared nurse educators and can further strengthen a candidacy.
That MSN in Nurse Education already aligns with NLN eligibility rules: a graduate degree with a nursing education emphasis, or a master’s plus nine or more credit hours of education-focused coursework. The one scenario where an MSN falls short is a job posting that names a terminal degree as a firm requirement rather than a preference, since only the DNP or PhD satisfies that line outright.
Does Tenure Require a DNP or PhD?
Not automatically, and not the same way at every institution. Tenure is a status a specific college or university confers, not a credential a degree program hands out, so the honest answer depends on the hiring institution rather than on any national rule:
- If the posting says “terminal degree required”: a DNP satisfies that line at most nursing programs, since AACN recognizes it as nursing’s practice-focused terminal degree. An MSN typically does not. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine has separately called for expanding the ranks of doctorate-prepared nursing faculty to meet the same demand these postings reflect.
- If the posting says “terminal degree preferred” or is silent on it: an MSN with strong teaching experience and CNE certification can still be competitive, particularly for clinical instructor and adjunct lines.
- If the goal is a tenure-track research appointment specifically: some universities reserve tenure lines for PhD-prepared faculty because tenure traditionally rewards a research and publication record. A DNP can lead to tenure at institutions that extend it to practice-focused doctorates, but policies vary enough that it is worth confirming directly with a specific school’s provost or nursing department before assuming either way.
No degree, including A-State’s DNP Education program, can promise a tenure-track offer. Tenure decisions belong to the hiring institution’s own bylaws and budget, not to any credential.
Three Starting Points, Three Paths
You hold a BSN and want to move into teaching for the first time. The MSN Nurse Educator is the direct route: it is built for this transition, adds the CNE-eligible coursework a BSN alone doesn’t cover and helps to get you into a classroom in as few as 12 months.
You already hold an MSN in a clinical specialty and want to add teaching. The graduate certificate covers the education-specific coursework without repeating core MSN classes.
You already teach with an MSN and want the terminal credential. The DNP Education track adds doctoral-level practice and education preparation on top of what you are already doing, positions you for program leadership and full-time faculty lines that specify a terminal degree and does it without requiring a second round of precepted clinicals since the capstone project is typically completed at your own workplace.
“Everything is simplified and streamlined,” noted Cassandra Elliott, A-State DNP-Education 2023 graduate. “You’re able to work and do the things that you need to do, but you’re still learning.”
Important Note
A-State’s own DNP Education and MSN Nurse Educator program pages carry the official, current word on credits, cost and admission requirements. Treat the comparison above as a decision framework and confirm exact figures on those pages before making a final call.
Base the Decision on the Job Posting, Not the Degree Alone
Both credentials respond to the same nursing faculty shortage driving demand for qualified nurse educators nationwide, and either one gets a working nurse into a classroom faster than most other paths into academia. The NCSBN 2026 Environmental Scan names staffing and faculty shortages as a continuing risk to the nursing education pipeline nationwide. What decides between them isn’t ambition or timeline so much as the specific line in a job posting: “terminal degree required” points toward the DNP, “terminal degree preferred” or silence on the topic leaves the MSN fully competitive, and a tenure-track research line depends on the hiring institution’s own policy more than either degree.
Before enrolling in either program, pull the actual job postings for the teaching role at hand and check which of those two phrases appears. That single detail is a more reliable planning signal than any general comparison, including this one. Nationally, nursing instructors and postsecondary teachers earn a median wage of roughly $80,800 a year, with the middle half of the field earning between about $63,000 and $103,000. This is a useful baseline for weighing either program’s added cost and time against.
Ready to see which path fits your teaching goal? Explore Arkansas State’s online MSN – Nurse Educator and DNP – Education programs and compare admission requirements side by side.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can DNP graduates teach in nursing schools?
Yes. A DNP qualifies a nurse for the same teaching settings an MSN does, plus roles that specify a terminal degree, such as many full-time faculty and program leadership positions.
What roles and career paths does a DNP open up that an MSN alone typically doesn’t?
Mainly, meet a “terminal degree required” line in a job posting and be considered for program-coordinator or academic-leadership roles that some institutions reserve for faculty with a doctorate. Day-to-day classroom and clinical teaching duties otherwise overlap heavily between the two.
Is a DNP required for a tenure-track nursing faculty position?
Not universally. Some institutions extend tenure to DNP-prepared faculty; others reserve tenure lines for PhD-prepared researchers. Confirm the specific institution’s policy rather than assuming either way.
Does a DNP replace a PhD for someone who wants to do nursing education research?
No. The DNP is a practice-focused doctorate built around applying evidence in education and practice settings. A nurse whose primary goal is producing original research should compare the DNP against a PhD directly.
Which option fits if I hold an NP credential and want to move into academia?
Either can work. An NP with an MSN can pursue A-State’s graduate certificate to add teaching-specific coursework without a second master’s, or move directly into the DNP Education track if a terminal degree and program leadership are the eventual goal.
How much more does the DNP cost and take compared with the MSN?
As of 2026, the DNP Education track runs about $9,000 more in total tuition and roughly two months longer than the MSN Nurse Educator track. Confirm current numbers before budgeting.