Psychiatric Mental Health Curriculum

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) curriculum consists of the DNP core coursework (information systems and patient care technology, epidemiology, analytical methods, translating research into practice, and health policy), a DNP Scholarly Project, the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner specialty coursework, and the clinical specialty core.  The Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner core coursework focuses on primary care services to the psychiatric-mental health population. PMH-ARNPs are prepared to assess, diagnose, and treat individuals and families with psychiatric disorders or the potential for such disorders using their full scope of therapeutic skills, including the prescription of medication and administration of psychotherapy.

Total semester credit hours: 90

Class schedule: For the most part, classes are held on one evening and one full day each week. Class schedule changes every term, your classes may fall on a different day for other terms. There may be a few daytime courses in the summer and January terms.

Summer 2023 8 credits
NURS 700 Advanced Practice Roles (2)
NURS 701 Theoretical Foundations and Evidence-Based Practice (3)
NURS 702 Information Systems and Patient Care Technology (3)

Fall 2023 9 credits 
NURS 703 Organizational and Systems Leadership (3)
NURS 720 Analytical Methods (Research I) (3)
NURS 721 Epidemiology and Biostatistics (3)

January 2024 3 credits
NURS 704 Policy and Politics: Implications for Health Care (3)

Spring 2024 9 credits 
NURS 730 Advanced Pathophysiology (3)
NURS 731 Advanced Pharmacotherapeutics (3)
NURS 734 Evaluation and Outcomes Research (Research II) (3)

Summer 2024 6 credits
NURS 732 Advanced Physical Assessment (4)
NURS 733 Advanced Health Promotion (2)

Fall 2024 12 credits – Tuition: $13,776
NURS 651 Psychopharmacology Across the Lifespan (3)
NURS 652 Management of Substance-related and Addictive Disorders (2)
NURS 653 PMHNP I Assessment, Diagnosis and Management Across the Lifespan (7) (180 clinical hours)

January 2025 3 credits
NURS 705 Clinical Resource Management (3)

Spring 2025 11 credits
NURS 654 PMHNP II Assessment, Diagnosis and Management (7) (180 clinical hours)
NURS 790 Translating Research (3)
NURS 791 Proposal Seminar (1) (60 practicum hours)

Summer 2025 7 credits 
NURS 792 DNP Project I (2) (120 practicum hours)
NURS 655 PMHNP III Psychotherapies across the life span (5) (120 clinical hours)

Fall 2025 10 credits
NURS 793 DNP Project II (2) (120 practicum hours)
NURS 656 PMHNP IV Psychotherapies across the lifespan (5) (120 clinical hours)
NURS 712 Trauma Informed Care (3)

January 2026 4 credits
NURS 794 DNP Project III (2) (120 practicum hours)
NURS 750 Primary Care for Psych (2)

Spring 2026 8 credits
NURS 657 PMHNP capstone (4) (1 seminar and 3 clinical credits) (180 clinical hours)
NURS 799 DNP Scholarly Project IV (3)
NURS 795 Transition to DNP Practice (1)

BSN to DNP Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Sample Course Sequence – Full-Time (3 years)

BSN to DNP Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Sample Course Sequence – Part-Time (4 years)