Nurse practitioners and physician assistants are advanced healthcare practitioners with similar responsibilities, such as diagnosing illnesses and prescribing medications. However, their training and paths toward certification differ in significant ways. This blog post unpacks the key differences between NPs and PAs to help you determine which career path best aligns with your goals. What Is a Nurse Practitioner? A nurse practitioner (NP) is a licensed clinician who provides comprehensive healthcare to patients of all ages. An NP can work in virtually any healthcare setting, diagnosing patient conditions and prescribing medications. As of October 2022, nurse practitioners have full practice authority in 27 states, meaning that they can practice Read more
College of Health Sciences Graduate Programs
USAHS’ College of Health Sciences is home to graduate degree programs for students who are preparing to launch or advance their careers in nursing and other health sciences. Our flexible programs combine online study with optional virtual immersion weekends.
Health Sciences Programs
If you want to improve systems in your healthcare organization, earn your Master of Health Administration (MHA) degree to gain more expertise in finance, operations, policy, and more. We also offer a unique Doctor of Education (EdD) degree designed for healthcare professionals who aspire to educating the next generation of healthcare workers.
School of Nursing
Looking for a graduate school that offers a flexible program? Earn your advanced nursing degree at USAHS. In your Master of Science in Nursing degree program (MSN), you will choose a role specialty as a family nurse practitioner, nurse educator, or nurse executive. Or explore leadership and advocacy positions and expand your influence in health professions with your Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). For those who want to earn a second role specialty, we offer Post-Graduate Nursing Certificates.
See All Nursing ProgramsUpcoming Events
MondayDecember 5, 2022
Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) – Academic Webinar – 4PM PT
TuesdayDecember 6, 2022
Flex Doctor of Physical Therapy (Flex DPT) – Academic Webinar – 4PM PT
WednesdayDecember 7, 2022
Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology (MS-SLP) – Academic Webinar – 4PM PT
Leader in health sciences education
USAHS has been dedicated solely to graduate education in health sciences for more than 40 years. You will join a community of like-minded faculty and students focused on delivering excellent patient care and taking on advanced roles within their professions.
We’re interprofessional.
Our core courses and optional virtual immersions emphasize interprofessional education, enabling students from different healthcare professions to learn together and practice working in a team. You will contribute your nursing perspective to solving patient problems in collaborative scenarios.
