Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (Post-MSN Certificate) Online
"When nurses graduate, they can expect to use everything they learned in getting their education because when you're approaching someone who has psychiatric illness, you have to take a holistic approach and look at their whole body."
You should pursue a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (Post-MSN Certificate) if:
- You’re an advanced practice nurse interested in specializing your skillset.
- You want to fulfill a vital role in patient care as a mental health care provider.
- You’re passionate about improving health care access and providing care to underserved populations.
The PMHNP (Post-MSN Certificate) provides advanced training to nurses who have earned an MSN degree from a nationally-accredited nursing program and hold a current national certification as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Adult Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, Geriatric Nurse Practitioner, or Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner.
Students who complete the program are eligible to sit for the National PMHNP certification examination.
Apply by Oct. 30 to enroll for the spring semester or June 30 to enroll for fall.
Program Requirements
To be considered for admission to the PMHNP (Post-MSN Certificate) Program, you must have:
- MSN degree from a CCNE accredited graduate nursing program
- Overall graduate GPA of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale)
- Current unencumbered ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥ or Multistate Registered Nurse license
- Current unencumbered ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥ Advanced Practice Registered Nurse license
- National certification as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Adult Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, Geriatric Nurse Practitioner, or Women’s Health Nurse practitioner
To complete your application, you'll need to provide the following. With the exception of transcripts, all documents can be submitted through the online application portal.
- Application fee ($25)
- Resume or curriculum vitae
- Statement of purpose
- Official transcripts from the institution attended are required for the following:
- All institutions where any degree was awarded
- All institutions where any graduate coursework was attempted
- Two letters of recommendation
- One recommendation must be from someone who can attest to the clinical competencies of the applicant at an Advanced Practice level.
- One recommendation must be from a former faculty member in a nursing program, a current or former nursing supervisor, or a nursing leader who can speak to the applicant’s potential for success in the graduate certificate program.
Transcripts must be submitted from your previous institution directly to the Graduate School at gradschool@louisiana.edu or by mail at:
UL Lafayette Graduate School
Martin Hall Suite 332
PO Box 43716
Lafayette, LA 70504-3716
Once enrolled in the program, you’ll complete 20 credit hours over four semesters along with a minimum of 510 direct patient care hours in ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥.
Didactic courses are 100% online, and clinical courses include an online didactic component plus direct patient care clinical experiences in which you’ll work with an approved advanced practice preceptor guided by graduate faculty.
Curriculum
Semester 1
- NURS 508: Diagnostic Considerations & Psychopharmacology for Psychiatric Disorders (3 Credits)
- NURS: 590: Psychotherapy for the Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurse (3 Credits)
60 observational hours
Semester 2
- NURS 591: Advanced Practice Nursing: Psychiatric Mental Health I (5 Credits)
180 clinical hours
Semester 3
- NURS 592: Advanced Practice Nursing: Psychiatric Mental Health II (5 Credits)
210 clinical hours
Semester 4
- NURS 597: Advanced Practice Nursing: Psychiatric Mental Health III (4 Credits)
120 clinical hours
Online graduate students have the benefit of flat-rate tuition at $480 per credit. Based on the total credit hours of this program, total tuition is estimated at $9,600.
Because courses in this program will only be available online, the program may not be available to all applicants. The University of ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥ at Lafayette and its online programs must be in compliance in every state where a student is located. (Visit the Graduate Admissions page to learn more.) International students also may not be eligible. According to U.S. immigration regulations, F-1 students cannot pursue online degrees; international students in other visa categories (i.e., H-4, L2) are exempt from this restriction.
Resources
Apply NowQuestions? Let's talk!
Graduate School
- 337-482-6965
- gradschool@louisiana.edu
- Martin Hall, Room 332