Western Governors University offers an online, competency-based Master of Science in Nursing Informatics for registered nurses, with a BSN-to-MSN option and an RN-to-MSN option for nurses who hold an associate degree or diploma. The program combines MSN core courses with informatics coursework in data science, database design, and systems analysis, and it ends with a field experience and a capstone system optimization proposal.
Quick Facts
| School | Western Governors University |
| Location | Washington (WGU Washington state affiliate); program delivered online |
| Degree | Master of Science, Nursing – Nursing Informatics |
| Credits | 36 competency units (BSN to MSN); 141 competency units, including 50 for RN licensure, in the RN-to-MSN option |
| Format | Online, competency-based, with clinical/practice experiences |
| Typical Length | WGU reports 64% of BSN-to-MSN graduates finish within 24 months; 63% of RN-to-MSN graduates finish within 36 months |
| Estimated Tuition | $5,050 per six-month term plus a $200 resource fee; about $10,500–$21,000 for two to four terms (est.) |
| Admissions | Active, unencumbered RN license; BSN for the BSN-to-MSN option, or ADN/diploma for RN to MSN; background check and immunizations |
| Completion Options | BSN to MSN; RN to MSN |
| Clinical Hours | 505 integrated clinical practice experience hours (BSN to MSN) |
Program Overview
The Western Governors University MSN in Nursing Informatics prepares registered nurses to design, implement, and evaluate health information systems. WGU describes the curriculum as aligned with CCNE expectations, the AACN Essentials, and the ANA Scope and Standards for Nursing Informatics. WGU’s nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
WGU is a private, nonprofit online university based in Salt Lake City. In Washington, it operates as WGU Washington, which was established by Substitute House Bill 1822, effective July 22, 2011. The state’s Career Bridge directory lists WGU Washington at an office in Kent. Coursework is delivered online from the national university, so Washington students complete the same curriculum as students in other states.
Nurses without a bachelor’s degree can choose the WGU Nursing Informatics RN-to-MSN option. It starts with BSN-level coursework and continues into the same graduate informatics sequence.
Curriculum and Degree Options
The BSN-to-MSN option has 14 courses totaling 36 competency units (CUs), according to the WGU Institutional Catalog (September 2026 edition). WGU counts one competency unit as equivalent to one semester credit. The catalog lists this program version as MSNUNI 202003.
Eight MSN core courses (21 CUs) cover professional presence, advanced nursing roles, quality outcomes, leadership, evidence-based innovation, advanced pathopharmacology, and advanced health assessment. The core also includes Informatics for Transforming Nursing Care. Six specialty courses (15 CUs) focus on informatics:
- Foundations in Nursing Informatics (2 CUs)
- Data Science and Analytics (2 CUs)
- Data Modeling and Database Management Systems (2 CUs)
- Informatics System Analysis and Design (3 CUs)
- Nursing Informatics Field Experience (4 CUs)
- Nursing Informatics Capstone (2 CUs)
The catalog states that the program includes 505 integrated clinical practice experience (CPE) hours across the MSN core and specialty courses. In the field experience course, students analyze an existing health information system and plan an optimization. The capstone requires more practice experience and a final system optimization proposal. All other MSN courses must be finished before the field experience.
The RN-to-MSN option (version MSRNNUNIFGR 202202) totals 141 CUs. That total includes 50 CUs of advanced standing for RN licensure, 55 CUs of undergraduate general education and BSN-level nursing coursework, and the same 36-CU graduate sequence. WGU’s program guide page links a downloadable guide for each option, but the downloadable guides carry older print dates than the current catalog.
Admissions Requirements
BSN-to-MSN applicants need a bachelor of science in nursing from an accredited institution or a state board of nursing approved program. They also need an active, unencumbered RN license in their state of residence or employment, though they do not have to be working as an RN at enrollment. Compact licenses must be endorsed by the student’s state of residence.
RN-to-MSN applicants need an associate degree or diploma in nursing, along with the same RN license. Applicants to both options must pass a criminal background check through DISA Healthcare Technology and provide proof of current immunizations, which carry additional fees. WGU charges a one-time $65 application fee.
Washington residents are eligible. WGU’s nursing admissions requirements exclude Washington from its FNP and PMHNP programs, but the nursing informatics MSN carries no Washington restriction. Prospective students should confirm current requirements and state availability with WGU before applying.
Tuition, Fees, and Funding
WGU charges a flat rate per six-month term rather than per credit. WGU’s nursing tuition page lists $5,050 per term for the BSN-to-MSN option in 2026, plus a $200 e-books and resources fee. That makes $5,250 per term. The 2026–2027 tuition schedule keeps the same rate for terms starting on or after October 1, 2026.
Total cost depends on how many terms a student needs. The following are estimates:
- Two terms (est.): 2 × $5,250 = $10,500, or $10,565 with the application fee
- Three terms (est.): 3 × $5,250 = $15,750, or $15,815 with the application fee
- Four terms, matching the catalog’s standard path (est.): 4 × $5,250 = $21,000, or $21,065 with the application fee
RN-to-MSN students pay $5,325 per term during the undergraduate portion and $5,050 per term during the graduate portion, plus the $200 fee each term. An illustrative six-term path, three terms in each portion, would come to about $32,325 (3 × $5,325 + 3 × $5,050 + 6 × $200). These estimates exclude background check and immunization costs, travel to practice sites, transcript fees, and certification exam fees.
Students may use federal financial aid, employer tuition support, and WGU scholarships. WGU’s WGU Washington Community College Graduate Scholarship is open to bachelor’s and master’s students and pays up to $3,000 ($750 per term for up to four terms). The listing showed the 2026–27 cycle as closed.
Online Format and Time to Completion
Coursework is online and self-paced within each term. Students work with a program mentor and course instructors and move on after passing each course assessment. Graduate students must enroll in at least 8 CUs per term, and undergraduate students must enroll in at least 12 CUs.
WGU reports that 64% of BSN-to-MSN graduates finish within 24 months and 63% of RN-to-MSN graduates finish within 36 months. The catalog’s standard path lays out the BSN-to-MSN courses over four terms. Students who finish more courses in a term pay less overall. WGU’s program guide suggests some students spend 15–20 hours per week on coursework, while others need more.
The clinical/practice experiences are not fully remote. WGU states that field experiences take place in facilities near the student’s location. Washington students should plan for those hours alongside work schedules.
Career Preparation
The curriculum targets informatics nurse specialist roles in hospitals, health systems, and health technology settings. Graduates may work on electronic health record optimization, clinical decision support, data analysis, and system implementation. WGU notes that the curriculum aligns with the ANCC Informatics Nursing board certification (NI-BC) and the CPHIMS exam. Its program pages also mention an optional NAHQ HQ Principles certificate.
Career fit depends on each nurse’s clinical background, technical experience, and local employer needs. The degree does not promise a specific job, salary, or certification result, and certification boards set their own eligibility rules.
Who Is This Program For?
WGU may fit working Washington RNs who want a low, predictable flat-rate cost and a self-paced online format. The RN-to-MSN option also gives associate-degree nurses a single path to both a BSN and an MSN.
Students who want a research-focused degree, a non-nursing informatics degree open to other backgrounds, or scheduled classes with a cohort may prefer a traditional health informatics master’s. Nurses who need structure to stay on pace should weigh the self-directed model carefully.
Related Health Informatics Programs
- University of Washington - Seattle