• Cardiology: Nurse practitioners may choose to specialize in cardiology, which is the study of the heart and circulatory system. Heart attacks are relatively common, and many medical facilities rely on nurse practitioners to aid cardiac patients during the recovery process. 
• Surgery: Surgeons rely on nurses and nurse practitioners to assist them during long and complex surgical procedures. Surgical NPs must have special training, as most nursing schools do not cover surgery in depth. Surgical NPs can be some of the highest paid, but these positions are somewhat rare, and therefore more competitive. 
• Oncology: Oncology is the study and treatment of cancer. Cancer patients require constant care, and nurse practitioners in cancer treatment wards are essential, as they can fill in when doctors are scarce. Nurse practitioners who work in oncology have the benefit of working with patients for long periods of time and developing close relationships, but they must be emotionally prepared for loss as well. 
• Psychiatry: Not all psychiatrists hire nurse practitioners, but some of the larger psychiatric departments may do so. Psychiatric nurses must be able to work with challenging patients, and special training is typically required. Understanding medical prescriptions is also important for nurse practitioners in psychiatry. 
• Rehabilitation: Rehabilitation clinics often employ nurse practitioners to help their patients, who may be suffering from withdrawals as they recover from drug or alcohol addiction. These NPs must be extraordinarily dedicated, and prepared to work with difficult and demanding patients. Specialized knowledge of drug and alcohol addiction is essential for this specialization. 
• Geriatrics: Geriatric nurses work with the elderly, a specialty that is expected to be more in demand than ever in the coming years, due to the aging baby boomer population. Elderly patients have special needs, and geriatric nurse practitioners must be able to accommodate and understand these needs. A strong understanding of pharmaceuticals can help prospective NPs in this field. 
• Pediatrics: Pediatric nurses are specifically prepared to work with babies and children. Therefore, they must study development and infant nutrition more than other nurses. This is one of the most popular nursing specializations, as many enjoy working with newborn children, where some of the most important responsibilities include training new mothers. Pediatric nurses may also be able to work in schools. 

• Associate Degree: 2 years to complete
• Bachelor's Degree: 4 years to complete
• Master's Degree: 2 years to complete

In order to become a nurse practitioner, a student must first become a registered nurse. Registered nurses hold bachelor's degrees, usually in nursing, though sometimes in a related field like public health or biology. After completing their chosen training program, nurses must pass a rigorous licensing exam, making them national board certified. After completing this, and usually after gaining some practical experience, an aspiring nurse practitioner must attend graduate school. Normally, this leads to a master's degree; however, there is currently a movement toward abolishing the master's degree requirement in favor of a doctoral degree requirement. Were this to take effect, the education requirements for NPs would not be dissimilar from the education requirements of a doctor. 

Nurse practitioner master's programs will include some core courses, such as research skills and writing methods, but will generally focus on helping students acquire the practical skills that are most in demand in the medical world. Therefore, as part of nurse practitioner programs, students can expect to take courses in clinical assessment, pharmacology, physiology, primary healthcare, and women's healthcare. Elective courses like surgical techniques or health problems of the aging will usually be available to students who wish to specialize.

There is currently a national nursing exam that is mandated by all 50 states: the National Council Licensure Examination. This exam is administered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. Nurses have up to six hours to complete the exam. Nurse practitioners must pass an additional board certification exam that is in their specific area of study.

Because degree programs for aspiring nurse practitioners are for nurses who already have a strong educational foundation, most programs allow for students to specialize in one aspect of the field, such as family medicine, pediatrics, neonatal nursing, etc. Based on your own background and interests, your courses may be quite different from the examples below.

• Pediatric Primary Care: This course gives nurses information for how to handle health management plans for young children. Nurses study common physical and psychiatric development in children, as well as ilnesses and how to diagnose them.
• Management of Chronic Illness: Nurses study practical solutions to managing health plans for patients experiencing chronic pain. The course covers how to diagnose chronic pain and develop a long-term plan that will work for individual patients based on their needs.
• Childbirth: Some nurse practitioners focus entirely on pregnant women and their babies, and many of these nurses focus primarily on midwifery. A course on childbirth is essential for these nurses to prepare them for delivering babies and managing any problems that may occur.
• Legal and Ethical Issues in Nursing: Good nurse practitioners are aware of the laws that pertain to the healthcare field and themselves in particular. Similarly, nurses need to be prepared for ethical dilemmas that may arise when providing care to patients; this course covers these rules and conflicts, and focuses on ethical decision-making.
• Health Promotion: This course gives nurses instruction on dispensing health information to many different populations, including marginalized societal groups. Students cover the importance of disease prevention and risk reduction in patient behavior.

On-site training is absolutely required for all nursing students. Candidates for nurse practitioner programs will already have several years of nursing education and professional experience by the time they enter their program, and they are expected to continue to see patients and hone their skills. Because nurse practitioners often operate as primary care providers, keeping up with patient treatment and interaction is an essential part of their education.

Nurses who would like to do research in healthcare and nursing care delivery could alternatively pursue a PhD program in nursing. Individuals without a bachelor's degree in nursing could complete a BSN to master's degree program, which allows nurses with an associate degree to more quickly earn both their bachelor's and master's degrees. Nurses who already have a master's degree might be interested in a master's to doctoral degree program, which allows for accelerated completion of the PhD. Specialized dual master's programs are also available for nurses with a bachelor's degree who would like to earn their master's in nursing, plus a master's in public health or an MBA at the same time.

People with a bachelor's degree in another field could look into second degree bachelor's in nursing programs, which let individuals without a healthcare background enter the field in as little as two years.