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Graduate Programs

Advance your nursing career at UL Lafayette with an online MSN, a post-master's PMHNP certificate, or a Doctor of Nursing Practice.

Master's-prepared nurses promote evidence-based practice in health care in multiple settings. Whether you want to become a nurse practitioner in your community, a nurse educator, or a leader in a complex health care system, our online graduate programs help you take the next step while you keep working.

Find Your Graduate Program

Compare UL Lafayette's graduate nursing programs
ProgramWho it's forFormat
Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)Registered nurses with a BSNOnline, with clinical or practicum experiences in Louisiana
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Post-Master's CertificateNurse practitioners with an MSN and national certification who want to add the psychiatric/mental health specialtyOnline, with direct patient care experiences in Louisiana
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)Nurses with a master's degree in an area of advanced nursing practiceOnline, with residency hours in your area of practice

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

Choose from three concentrations. UL Lafayette offers the MSN through the Intercollegiate Consortium for a Master of Science in Nursing (ICMSN), with McNeese State University, Nicholls State University, and Southeastern Louisiana University. The program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and fully approved by the Louisiana State Board of Nursing.

Explore the Online MSN  |  See Graduate Application Deadlines

MSN Concentrations

Prepare to practice as a primary care family nurse practitioner (FNP), caring for a wide range of clients across the lifespan in multiple settings, in collaboration with the health care team. With a focus on prevention and primary care, many FNPs choose to work in health professional shortage areas to increase access to care. Graduates meet the educational requirements to take the Family Nurse Practitioner national certification examination and to apply for an advanced practice license.

Prepare to assess, diagnose, and develop treatment plans for patients across the lifespan as a psychiatric/mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP). PMHNPs work alongside psychiatrists, social workers, and other providers, or lead a team of providers, in hospitals, behavioral clinics, primary care clinics, and outpatient and inpatient settings. Graduates meet the educational requirements to take the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner national certification examination and to apply for APRN licensure.

Help fill the nationwide shortage of nursing faculty. You'll build competencies in nursing theory, research, and teaching principles and strategies, along with master's-level pathophysiology, pharmacology, and advanced physical assessment, preparing you to become nursing faculty, a clinical instructor, or an educator in staff development settings.

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Post-Master's Certificate

Already a nurse practitioner? Add the psychiatric/mental health specialty to your practice. This online post-master's certificate is for nurses who hold an MSN and current national certification as an acute care, adult, family, geriatric, or women's health nurse practitioner, and it prepares you to sit for the national PMHNP certification examination.

Explore the PMHNP Post-Master's Certificate  |  See Graduate Application Deadlines

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

The DNP prepares nurses for the highest level of practice through advanced knowledge in leadership, quality improvement, evidence-based practice, and health systems transformation. The curriculum emphasizes organizational and systems leadership, health policy, and theoretical foundations for advanced nursing practice, so you can improve patient outcomes in your clinic, community, and health system and influence health care policy.

Our post-master's DNP is designed for working nurses who already hold a master's degree in an area of advanced nursing practice. Coursework is online, new cohorts begin each fall, and you'll complete a DNP synthesis project that you present on campus at the end of the program.

Explore the Online DNP  |  See Graduate Application Deadlines

Scholarships and Tuition

Thanks to the generosity of the college's supporters, scholarships are available to graduate nursing students each semester, and the Graduate Coordinator shares details with students every semester. Online graduate students pay a flat per-credit-hour rate with no out-of-state fees. See tuition and costs.

Studying From Outside Louisiana?

Because these programs are offered online, they may not be available in every state, and they may not meet licensure requirements outside Louisiana. Review state authorization for online programs before you apply.

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