You’ve Earned Your RN. Here’s How to Become a Nurse Practitioner in New York.
You’ve put in the years. The long shifts, the night rotations, the moments where your clinical judgment made the difference between a good outcome and a crisis. As a registered nurse in New York, you already know what advanced patient care looks like from the inside — and you’ve probably wondered more than once what it would mean to practice at a higher level.
Becoming a Nurse Practitioner is the answer to that question. As an NP, you diagnose, treat, prescribe, and manage patient care with a scope and autonomy that simply isn’t available at the RN level. The Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual wage for Nurse Practitioners at $129,480 — and demand for the role is accelerating, driven by an aging population and a physician shortage that NPs are uniquely positioned to address.
CITE Nursing has partnered with two accredited New York institutions — Russell Sage College and St. Joseph’s University, New York — to offer NP programs built around the reality of working nurses’ lives. These are the lowest-cost NP programs in New York State, with exclusive discounts available only through the CITE partnership.
The Opportunity in Front of You
New York is facing a genuine healthcare access gap. Projections suggest the U.S. will be short between 17,800 and 48,000 family practice physicians by 2034. Nurse Practitioners are the profession best positioned to close that gap — and the Family Nurse Practitioner specialty is among the top three most in-demand NP tracks nationally, according to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.
For registered nurses in New York, this isn’t abstract workforce data. It’s a career opportunity — and the clinical experience you’ve already built is exactly the foundation these programs are designed to build on.
Programs Through Russell Sage College
CITE’s partnership with Russell Sage College offers three NP specialties, so you can pursue the track that best fits your clinical interests and career goals.
Psychiatric Mental Health NP — This 48-credit program prepares you to assess, diagnose, and treat clients with acute and chronic mental illness and substance use disorders. Treatment modalities include individual, group, and family psychotherapy, psychoeducation, case management, and prescribing medications. Graduates are eligible for New York State certification as psychiatric nurse practitioners and can sit for the national ANCC certification exam — at both the adult and family psychiatric levels. Tuition is $970 per credit, making this one of the most affordable psychiatric NP pathways in the state.
Adult Gerontology Primary Care NP — Focused on primary and preventive care across the adult lifespan, this track prepares you for the autonomous and collaborative clinical roles that define modern primary care practice — a growing area of need across New York State.
Adult Gerontology Acute Care NP (Coming Soon) — Designed for nurses who thrive in complex, high-acuity settings, this track will provide clinical experiences with faculty and preceptors across varied geographic locations and diverse patient populations.
Programs Through St. Joseph’s University, New York
CITE’s partnership with St. Joseph’s University, New York brings two additional NP tracks to their Brooklyn campus, both structured around the schedule of a working nurse.
Family Nurse Practitioner MS — This 39-credit program is completable in two years (six semesters), with students on campus just one full day per week. The curriculum spans the entire care spectrum — from conception through end-of-life — and students benefit from clinical placements at prestigious healthcare institutions across New York City. Tuition is $1,270 per credit with a 15% discount for CITE students, and participating hospital employees receive a 25% discount. There are no tuition increases for continuously enrolled students, and financial aid may be available. Applications are open now for the Summer 2026 cohort.
Adult Gerontology NP — Focused on adult and older adult populations, this track prepares you for one of the fastest-growing areas of healthcare need in New York, with particular demand in geriatric, long-term care, and specialty settings.
Built for Nurses Who Are Already Working
These programs weren’t designed for people who can step away from their careers. They were designed for nurses who are already in the field, carrying patient loads, and building the clinical foundation that NP practice requires. Courses are available online, in-person, and in hybrid formats, with faculty who are career practitioners — not just academics. The CITE partnership pricing means you’re accessing the lowest-cost NP programs in New York State, with discounts that aren’t available anywhere else.
Admission requirements are what you’d expect at this level: an active New York RN license, a BSN from a nationally accredited program, a minimum 3.0 GPA, and at least one year of full-time clinical experience. The experience you bring isn’t just a checkbox — it’s the foundation everything else is built on.
Start Here
Visit citenursing.com to explore all five NP tracks, review admissions requirements, register for an information session, and connect with the CITE team. Programs are enrolling now — and the sooner you start, the sooner you’re practicing at the level your experience has already prepared you for.
