The compassion, dedication, and expertise of qualified nurses are the foundation of quality patient care. In fact, nurse executives directly affect patient care by playing a vital role in shaping the healthcare industry’s values, practices, and future. If you aspire to join the ranks of healthcare leadership and drive transformative change as a nurse executive, you may find yourself choosing between two graduate school degrees—a master of science in nursing (MSN) or a master of healthcare administration (MHA).

Both an MHA and an MSN are considered advanced degrees for those looking to move into a leadership role in this field. And while there may be some similarities in curriculum, it’s important to remember that an MHA is a healthcare degree while an MSN is a nursing degree. Whichever you choose, you will want to look for a master’s degree program that is specific to your nurse executive career path.

There is another important distinction to know. An MSN is a post-licensure nursing degree, so you must have a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) and be a certified registered nurse (RN) before entering an MSN nurse executive graduate program.

Both degrees are designed to help students adeptly navigate health administration and move into nurse executive leadership roles while maintaining a strong clinical foundation. Plus, each degree has its distinct advantages and potential career outlook. So, how can you choose? In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the nuanced intricacies of MHA vs. MSN programs so that you can make an informed decision for your nurse executive career.

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What is an MSN Degree?

If you possess the mind of a clinician and the spirit of a leader, a master of science in nursing (MSN) degree may offer you an unparalleled academic journey. The nurse executive leadership role is an advanced nursing practice. Nursing graduates often obtain a nurse executive certification so they can take on a nurse administrator position. A family nurse practitioner who excels in executive nurse leadership roles may also complete an MSN nurse executive program to further their career as a nurse manager or clinical nurse leader. MSN programs fuse clinical expertise with visionary leadership, guiding nurse executives to prioritize these two aspects within their careers.

So, while an MS nursing program is considered more of a clinical practice degree than a management degree, it can still help prepare you for any leadership role like the nurse executive leader position. An MSN with a nurse executive specialty can prepare you for a leadership role. To that end, let’s explore the intricacies of this particular degree for nurse executives, from coursework to potential career paths.

Curriculum Overview: What to Expect in an MSN Program

The core tenet of an MSN program’s curriculum is the degree’s title—science. These graduate programs are more clinically inclined, emphasizing in-hospital work and patient care. Most MSN programs take around two years to complete, but this may vary with part-time or accelerated programs. In an MSN degree with a nurse executive specialty track, you can expect to take any of the following courses:¹

• Communication and relationship management
• Healthcare environments & systems
• Health promotion & disease prevention
• Technology and informatics
• Leadership
• Healthcare finance and program design
• Advanced nursing theory and practice
• Research
• Clinical practice
• Organizational leadership
• Nursing Education
• Advanced information management
• Nursing Science
• U.S. health policy and advocacy

An MSN program with a nurse executive specialty will typically ask students to complete a thesis or research project. This project serves as a capstone experience, showcasing your ability to conduct independent research, critically analyze data, and contribute meaningfully to the field of nursing—a true test for future nurse leaders.

Career Opportunities for Prospective Nurse Executives with an MSN

Between its holistic overview of healthcare and fostering of leadership skills, an MSN could prepare you for any of the following career paths:²

• Nurse Executive
• Advanced managerial roles in healthcare organizations
• Clinical nurse
• Specialist or advanced practice nurse
• College or university faculty or professorship
• Policy development and analysis
• Health information manager
• Nursing instructor
• Nurse manager
• Director of Nursing Services
• Chief Nursing Officer (CNO)
• Healthcare administrator
• Nursing home administrator
• Clinical director
• Pharmaceutical executive
• Government healthcare consultant
• Group practice administrator
• Hospital Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Although, as a nurse executive, you might oversee multiple departments, choosing a specialty in your MSN degree program can give you more expertise and help develop nursing skills in one particular area. Your specialty can be either clinical or non-clinical. It will determine some of the courses you take, provide hands-on experience in a particular nursing department or discipline, and typically direct your future career path.

Benefits of Pursuing an MSN for Nurse Executives

The pursuit of an MSN with a nurse executive specialty is a profound commitment to nursing excellence and a testament to the enduring ambition of nurse executives. A nurse executive with an MSN is not only prepared to take on complex nursing tasks but also ready to lead others through them.

An MSN with a nurse executive specialty can position you for leadership positions in magnet hospitals, which are recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as the gold standard among medical facilities. This degree can also prepare you for teaching opportunities and provide a pathway toward earning a doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degree. Other benefits nurse executives may gain from pursuing an MSN:

• Clinical excellence through extensive experience and education
• Nursing specialization that aligns with specific career interests and goals
• Patient care advocacy through bridging clinical practice and managerial skills 
• Mentorship or educator opportunities with fellow nurses or RNs
• Prestigious clinical roles, including the four APRN positions

What is an MHA Degree?

Healthcare is where compassion intersects with strategy, leadership styles in nursing blend with clinical expertise, and ideals meet reality. For nurse executives who wish to orchestrate positive change in healthcare quality and wield influence on healthcare organizations, the MHA offers a higher education path to leadership and administrative roles in the industry.

Curriculum Overview: What to Expect in an MHA Program

An MHA is a master’s degree with one major intention—to prepare individuals for leadership, management, or oversight roles in health care administration. Typically, this means an MHA degree’s curriculum will include courses in both business and healthcare.

An MHA usually takes two years to complete, depending on the program’s structure and requirements. While every program will have its distinct lessons, here's a glimpse of what you can expect to study within a typical MHA program:³

• Foundations of healthcare management and operations
• Issues in healthcare
• Public health
• Financial and managerial accounting
• Healthcare economics 
• Healthcare policy and health management 
• Global health systems 
• Managed care and contractual services
• Principles of leadership 
• Public health ethics

Additionally, an MHA program will often require students to complete a capstone project or internship. These real-life experiences can help shape a student’s future career path, giving them a chance to explore a particular role or area of study.

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Career Opportunities with an MHA in Nursing Leadership

While an MHA can prime you to enter a nurse executive leadership role, it can also prepare you to step into other administrative and managerial roles. An MHA focuses on the skills necessary to manage the unique needs of health care facilities and their various personnel and could prepare you for any of the following career paths:⁴

• Nurse executive
• Chief Nursing Officer (CNO)
• Healthcare administrator
• Director of Nursing Services
• Health services manager
• Nursing home administrator
• Clinical director
• Pharmaceutical executive
• Government healthcare consultant
• Group practice administrator
• Hospital Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Benefits of Pursuing an MHA for Nurse Executives

An MHA is geared toward emerging leaders in healthcare and can provide a pathway to the C-suite of an organization. Other benefits for a nurse executive pursuing an MHA include:

• Leadership expertise, with an emphasis on key administrative and health systems management skills 
• Interdisciplinary knowledge across legal, ethical, and clinical nursing disciplines
• High impact on healthcare policy, from patient care to organizational structure
• Career advancement to high-level executive and leadership opportunities
• Financial management and knowledge for budgeting and operations

How Can You Decide Between an MHA vs. an MSN Degree?

Unsure which graduate degree will put you on the best path toward achieving your career goals as a nurse executive? The choice between pursuing an MHA vs. MSN degree can be a complex decision—but fortunately, a few careful questions can help make it easier.

Let’s consider how your personal and professional needs and aspirations can help you determine the best graduate degree for you:

• Educational and professional background – Both an MSN and an MHA require students to have prior education. Typically, MSN programs require candidates to have a two-year Registered Nurse degree or a bachelor’s degree (preferably in nursing). On the other hand, most MHA programs only require candidates to hold a bachelor’s degree—it doesn’t necessarily have to be in nursing.  However, it’s still preferable to have a bachelor’s degree that’s related to nursing or at least some educational or professional background in nursing to become a nurse executive through either of these degrees.
• Career skills – While a nurse executive combines both clinical practice and leadership skills, the role can vary across organizations. An MSN typically prepares students for nurse executive leadership roles that emphasize hands-on clinical practice, medical knowledge, and education. Alternatively, an MHA prepares students more for nurse executive roles that emphasize organizational structure, administrative skills, and visionary leadership.
• Ideal jobs – While both MHA and MSN degrees can help prepare you for a nurse executive leadership role, they can also open doors to different careers in the healthcare world. If you wish to pursue more leadership and administrative roles in the different levels of nursing, such as a hospital CEO or policy coordinator, you may find the MHA an ideal pathway. If you wish to pursue an advanced clinical position, such as a CNP or CRNA, then an MSN may suit your career path.

Enroll at Alliant International University and Earn Your MSN Degree

If a nurse executive leadership role is your ultimate career ambition, then you’ll need the right education—and Alliant International University can carve out your path, no matter where it starts.

Our Master of Science in Nursing, Nurse Executive program is a post-licensure degree for those who already have their BSN and RN certification and want to pursue a career as a nurse executive. This degree will increase your professional knowledge and understanding while developing your natural leadership skills.

In our MSN, Nurse Executive program, you’ll work with experienced nurse educators to prepare to take on more responsibility, expand your skills in professional decision-making, and gain valuable business and supervisorial experience.

The MSN, Nurse Executive online curriculum is aligned with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) New Essentials for Advanced-Level Nursing Education (AACN, 2021) and the American Organization of Nurse Leaders (AONL) Nurse Leader Competencies. This 36-credit nurse executive master’s program is taught entirely online, takes two years to complete, and incorporates 500 hours of completing a systems leadership project with a mentor.

Turn your passion for healthcare into a career. Check out all the available nursing programs at Alliant and apply today.

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Sources

1. Staff. Alliant International University 2024-2025 Catalog. Alliant International University. (n.d.). https://catalog.alliant.edu/content.php?catoid=43&navoid=1621. May 8, 2024.
2. Indeed Editorial Staff. “What Can You Do With a Master’s Degree in Nursing Leadership?” Indeed. April 18, 2024. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/do-with-masters-nurs… Accessed May 8, 2024.
3. Coursera Staff. “What Is the Master of Health Care Administration (MHA)?” Coursera. November 29, 2023. https://www.coursera.org/articles/master-healthcare-administration. Accessed May 8, 2024.
4. Staff. “What Is the Master of Health Care Administration (MHA)?” Coursera. November 20, 2023. https://www.coursera.org/articles/master-healthcare-administration. Accessed May 8, 2024.