Nursing Administration & Leadership Programs in Kansas
Compare Kansas-based MSN, DNP and post-master's leadership programs by format, cost and practicum
Reviewed by NurseAdministrator.org TeamUpdated October 2, 202618 min read
What you’ll learn in this article…
KU offers a 63-credit DNP with an Executive Leadership concentration.
Wichita State's online MSN in Nurse Executive, Leadership and Administration runs 37 credits.
Kansas issues no separate administrator license; an active RN license is required.
A Kansas RN can reach a manager, director or CNO role through a master's degree, a doctorate or a post-master's certificate, and the three differ sharply in credit load, cost and practicum time. A 37-credit MSN and a 63-credit DNP are not interchangeable investments, even when both carry a leadership label.
Kansas-based MSN, DNP and certificate programs are compared by credential, format, cost, practicum hours and accreditation. It then closes with the licensing and certification steps.
Kansas has few options, and some publish incomplete data, so the details matter before you apply.
Top Nursing Administration & Leadership Programs in Kansas
These are the Kansas-based colleges in our directory that offer graduate nursing administration or leadership study, from a doctoral executive track to online MSN options. Each card shows the credential and format as the program's own information states them. If a Kansas school is not listed here, it is simply not in our directory. For online programs nationwide, see our guide to the MSN in nursing administration at /msn-in-nursing-administration/.
Factors considered
Student-to-faculty ratio
Median graduate debt
Kansas campus location
Leadership-focused curriculum
Cost transparency and format flexibility
Data sources
Internal program database
National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS) — nces.ed.gov
Independent program research
University of Kansas
#1
Lawrence, KS · $12,000 – $27,000/yr
Best for: Future nurse executives seeking a doctorate
The University of Kansas is the doctoral option on this list. Its DNP with an Executive Leadership concentration suits registered nurses aiming at senior health system leadership rather than first-line management. Online coursework is paired with on-campus experiences, and the curriculum covers health care economics, strategic workforce management and data-driven decision making.
Best for: Working nurses needing online flexibility
Fort Hays State University offers an online MSN in Nursing Administration built for working registered nurses moving into manager, director or executive roles. Students can add an emphasis in healthcare financial management, quality improvement or strategic management. The program runs on 16-week fall and spring terms plus 8-week summer terms, with a 90-hour practicum.
Clinical clearance requirements apply before practicum
Ottawa University-Kansas City
#3
Overland Park, KS · $13,000/yr
Best for: RNs bridging into an MSN in leadership
Ottawa University, with its Kansas City area campus in Overland Park, offers online MSN study in nurse leadership. One option is a standard MSN with a Nurse Leadership specialization. The other is an RN to MSN bridge with an executive leadership focus. Both suit nurses who want management preparation through business, legal and health systems coursework.
Two concentration options: Nurse Educator or Nurse Leader
Prerequisite courses required
Capstone required
Prepares for the Executive Nurse Leader role
University of Saint Mary
#4
Leavenworth, KS · ~$9,000/yr (est.)
The University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth offers an online MSN with a Nurse Administrator concentration that most students can finish in about two years. It suits nurses who want a private-college option with a leadership, finance and healthcare management curriculum and a substantial practice immersion. Alumni of the university may qualify for a tuition discount.
Online, with no on-campus requirements for core courses
35 to 38 total credit hours
Tuition listed at $475 per credit hour
About two years to complete
BSN from an accredited program and current RN license required
2.75 GPA minimum and three recommendation letters
500 practice immersion hours
Tuition discount for university alumni
MSN Vs. DNP Vs. Post-Master's Certificate: Which Leadership Path Fits You
The DNP has shifted from an academic credential toward a leadership credential in many health systems, but the right path still depends on the role you want. National enrollment data from 2025 show both MSN and DNP pipelines growing, with MSN up 6.8% and DNP up 5.9%; DNP graduates dipped slightly, so the degree is not yet the default leadership entry point.
Which credential matches the job
MSN: Nurse manager, assistant director, clinical director, educator, quality, informatics, and similar leadership roles.
DNP: Chief nursing officer, system executive, academic faculty or program director, evidence-based practice or quality improvement leader.
Post-master's certificate: A focused leadership credential for nurses who already hold an MSN in another specialty and want to add administration coursework.
MSN: fastest route to manager and director roles
Most MSN nursing administration tracks assume a BSN and include roughly 30 to 45 credits, though exact credit loads vary by Kansas school. Full-time students typically finish in about 2 years; part-time students often take 3 to 4 years. Practicum hours are usually in the 300 to 600 hour range, but always check the program's published requirements. This is the best-fit for nurses who want a nurse manager, assistant director, or clinical director role with nurse administrator duties and responsibilities without committing to doctoral-level research and systems coursework.
DNP: deeper systems leadership and the 1,000-hour benchmark
BSN-to-DNP programs usually run 70 to 80+ credits, and full-time learners often finish in 3 to 4 years; part-time learners may need 4 to 6 years. MSN-to-DNP tracks are shorter, often 35 to 45 credits, and may be completed in about 2 to 3 years part-time. DNP programs are built around the 1,000-hour practice immersion benchmark and emphasize evidence-based practice, quality improvement, and system-level leadership. Employers tend to expect the doctorate for CNO, system executive, and academic leadership roles, while hospital employers may not require it universally for every leadership title.
Post-master's certificate: targeted add-on for MSN-prepared nurses
These certificates generally assume you already hold an MSN, even if it was in a different specialty. Credit loads vary by school; Fort Hays State's nursing administration certificate is 9 credits, and full-time students can sometimes finish in 1 to 2 years, with part-time options taking longer. The certificate is most useful when you already have an MSN in, say, nursing education or clinical nurse specialist and want to add nursing administration coursework without repeating a full degree. It does not independently establish the same doctoral-level qualification for executive roles; its value depends heavily on your existing MSN, licensure, target employer, and nurse administrator salary expectations.
Admission Requirements for Kansas Nursing Leadership Programs
Requirements differ by school and credential, so use this as a screening checklist, not a final word. Always confirm current terms and deadlines on each program's admissions page.
RN license
An active RN license is required at KU's DNP and Wichita State's MSN. Wichita State asks for licensure in your state of practice. The pages we reviewed don't spell out whether a Kansas license, a Nurse Licensure Compact multistate license, or an unencumbered status is required. Ask each school before you apply.
Degree and accreditation
A BSN is the standard entry point. KU asks for a BSN from a CCNE- or NLNAC-accredited program, and Wichita State asks for a nursing bachelor's from an NLN- or CCNE-accredited school. KU's post-master's DNP route requires a nursing master's.
GPA
Published minimums run from 3.0 to 3.5. KU and Wichita State list 3.0. Wichita State measures it on the last 60 credit hours of nursing coursework. Pittsburg State's MSN-DNP Leadership shows 3.5 in its state approval document, but its application page doesn't display a GPA, so verify it.
RN experience
KU and Wichita State list one year of RN experience, and both describe it as recommended, not mandatory. Pittsburg State doesn't state a minimum.
References and screening
Pittsburg State asks for three letters of reference. It and Wichita State also require a background check. Pittsburg State lists TOEFL or IELTS for applicants who need an English-proficiency exam. The sources we reviewed don't specify formal leadership-experience or personal-statement rules, so ask each program.
Alternate pathways
Pittsburg State's leadership program is for BSN completers entering a BSN-to-DNP route. KU's MSN Direct Entry is not accepting applications for 2026–2027. Our directory doesn't show an RN-to-MSN or non-nursing-bachelor's bridge for nursing leadership in Kansas.
Start terms and deadlines
KU's DNP admits for fall only, with a May 1 deadline for the following August. Wichita State's MSN also lists May 1. Pittsburg State's start term and deadline aren't stated on its application page, so confirm current dates directly.
Cost and Financial Aid for Nursing Administration Programs in Kansas
Kansas public universities publish graduate tuition through the Kansas Board of Regents, but complete 2026 cost data is not yet available for every nursing leadership program. The figures below are the latest published rates. Treat every total as an estimate and confirm fees with the school before you build a budget.
What Kansas Programs Charge
Fort Hays State University, MSN in Nursing Administration (online): $362.73 per credit. The university's own semester estimate is $3,264.57, based on a 9-credit online load, and it notes that actual costs vary by course load and location. Itemized fees for this program are not published, and Regents fees can change each year.
The Fort Hays MSN requires 36 credits, so you can project full-degree tuition from the published per-credit rate. Once admissions confirms the credit total, multiply it by the per-credit rate and add a cushion for fees. Published cost data for other Kansas leadership programs in our directory is not yet available for 2026.
Resident, Non-Resident and Flat Online Rates
Regents policy matters here. Online tuition rates apply only to fully online programs, and students in an online major are charged at the resident rate, including at the graduate level. For you, that means an out-of-state nurse enrolled in a fully online Kansas MSN may pay the same rate as a Kansas resident. Fort Hays does not list a separate resident or non-resident online rate for this MSN. The Regents' 2026-27 tuition and fee report also lists a graduate online rate of $367.92 per credit with a $53.43 fee, though it doesn't specify which institutions use it.
Campus and blended pricing works differently. Emporia State's 2026-27 fee schedule, a useful window into Regents pricing, sets graduate base tuition at $286.44 per credit for Kansas residents and distance students versus $429.66 for non-residents. It then adds an $85.43 per-credit distance education fee and a $15 per-credit technology fee. That's roughly $100 per credit on top of base tuition, which is why you should always budget past the headline rate.
Financial Aid Worth Checking
If you're enrolled at least half-time at an eligible school, file the FAFSA to access federal graduate loans. Then look at Kansas-specific options:
Kansas Nursing Service Scholarship: 2025-26 awards run $5,000 to $6,250 for RN students ($4,000 to $5,000 for LPN students).1 It requires a commitment to practice nursing in Kansas and lists a 5% interest rate, so read the repayment terms carefully. Eligibility for graduate leadership students isn't spelled out, so ask your financial aid office.
Kansas Nurse Educator Service Scholarship: Open to graduate nursing students who agree to teach in a Kansas nursing program. Amounts vary by institution. It fits only if teaching is part of your leadership plan.
Federal Nursing Loan (KU Medical Center): Awards up to $5,000, with a $26,928 aggregate maximum, 5% interest, half-time enrollment required and a March 1 deadline. It's offered through KU Medical Center, not every Kansas school.
Finally, ask your employer's HR team about tuition assistance before you apply. For working RNs, it can cover a meaningful share of a leadership degree.
Many Kansas hospital systems reimburse graduate tuition, but the benefit often requires a CCNE- or ACEN-accredited program, a service commitment after graduation, or advance approval. Get the policy in writing before you enroll, because it can change which program is actually cheapest for you.
Practicum and Residency Hours for Kansas Students
Your required practicum hours depend less on the state than on the credential you pursue, and Kansas programs follow that pattern closely. A doctoral residency asks for far more immersion time than a master's or certificate practicum, which is why you should confirm the exact total in your program's handbook before you build a timeline.
Why the Hour Totals Differ
DNP residencies carry the heaviest load because national accreditation expects roughly 1,000 post-baccalaureate hours at the doctoral level. The University of Kansas DNP Program Catalog details a DNP immersion course that runs 1 to 3 credits, which students repeat across terms to accumulate the required time. MSN and post-master's certificate practicums are shorter, since they target a narrower set of leadership competencies rather than a full doctoral project.
A quick caution: among the Kansas programs we reviewed, published handbooks do not always state a single fixed hour total for the administration or leadership track. Treat any number you see on a course page as a starting point and verify it with the program coordinator.
Who Arranges the Preceptor
Most Kansas programs expect you to identify a preceptor in partnership with a course coordinator rather than handing you a pre-assigned site. The Washburn University DNP Preceptor Handbook, for example, asks that a preceptor hold at least one year of advanced-practice experience, at least one year at the agency, and a current in-state APRN, MD, or DO license. Kansas Administrative Regulation 60-17-104 more broadly allows a physician, APRN, or licensed interdisciplinary professional holding a master's degree or higher to serve, provided they complete an orientation. For an administration focus, aim for a preceptor in a genuine nurse-executive role.
Current Employer and Rural Placements
Can you complete hours where you already work? Often yes, but expect guardrails: many programs require a different unit, a different supervisor, or project work outside your daily responsibilities so the experience stretches you. Confirm your program's specific rule, since the handbooks we reviewed do not all spell this out.
Rural Kansas raises a real constraint. Executive-level preceptors concentrate in Wichita, Kansas City, and Topeka, so nurses in smaller communities may need to travel or negotiate a telehealth-friendly placement. Online students typically secure a local site near home with coordinator support rather than relocating, which makes early outreach to your coordinator the smartest move you can make.
The 1,000-Hour Benchmark Behind Every DNP
If you are weighing a Doctor of Nursing Practice in executive leadership, one number sets the floor for hands-on practice work. Kansas programs build their practicum plans around it.
New graduates sit for the NCLEX-RN, while nurses already licensed elsewhere transfer by endorsement. Either route ends in the same place: an active RN license, which is the only license the role requires. Kansas has no separate nurse administrator license. The standard path is an RN license, a graduate credential, and a Nursing Administrator Certification.
The Sequence
Licensure: Apply to the Kansas State Board of Nursing. Exam applicants register with Pearson VUE for the NCLEX-RN (currently $200). Endorsement applicants submit license verification and a $75 application fee instead of retaking the exam.
Compact option: Kansas has belonged to the Nurse Licensure Compact since July 1, 2019. A multistate license requires fingerprints, a background check, and a Kansas driver's license. A nurse holding a multistate license from another compact state can practice here until Kansas becomes their primary residence.
BSN: Complete a bachelor's degree in nursing if you entered with an associate degree.
Leadership experience: Charge nurse, unit educator, or assistant manager roles build the hours certification bodies count.
Graduate degree: An MSN, DNP, or post-master's certificate in nursing administration.
Which Certification Fits
NE-BC (ANCC): Aimed at managers. It calls for a bachelor's degree in nursing, 2,000 hours of leadership or administration work within the last three years, and 30 continuing education hours in the same window.
NEA-BC (ANCC): Aimed at executives. It requires a graduate degree, with the same 2,000 hours and 30 continuing education hours.
CENP (AONL): Built for executive practice. It requires a valid, unrestricted RN license and 4,160 hours of experience. Confirm current degree rules with AONL before applying.
Certification is optional in most hiring decisions, but employers often prefer it for director and executive postings. For timelines and salary context, see the full career guide.
What Health Services Managers Earn in Kansas
Kansas medical and health services managers earn a median of about
Nursing Administration Programs in Kansas: Common Questions
These are the questions nurses ask most often as they weigh a move into leadership. Answers reflect general credentialing practice plus the Kansas job postings and state labor data we could verify in 2026.
You need an active RN license, which in Kansas is issued through the Kansas Board of Nursing. There is no separate nursing administrator license. Employers such as AdventHealth's MidAmerica Region list a current RN license as a requirement for executive-level care management roles3, so keep yours in good standing.
It depends on your role. NE-BC (ANCC) generally suits nurse managers and mid-level leaders. NEA-BC (ANCC) targets executive-level leaders. CENP (AONL) is geared toward nurse executives and senior managers. Check each credential's current eligibility rules, then match it to the job you want in the next few years.
We could not confirm a Kansas projection specific to medical and health services managers. The 2024 Kansas Economic Report from the Kansas Department of Labor rates registered nurses as high-demand and projects about 16,847 new jobs in health care and social assistance through 2032.1 That figure covers the whole sector, not managers alone.
Often, especially at the executive level. AdventHealth's 2026 Regional Executive Director posting lists an MSN, MHA, MBA, or related degree as preferred alternatives.3 A 2026 KU Health System nurse manager posting prefers a master's in nursing.2 Preferences vary by employer and role, so review postings for the job you want.
Sometimes, but it is the employer's policy that decides. Many benefits require regionally accredited schools and CCNE or ACEN accredited nursing programs, whether you choose a nursing administration certificate or a DNP in nursing administration, and some cap annual reimbursement or require you to stay employed after completing the program. Ask HR for the written policy and get approval before you enroll.
