Post-Master's Psych-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certificate Online
This innovative online nursing program prepares you to take the ANCC Psychiatric-Mental Health NP exam and transition to professional opportunities working with mental healthcare organizations or independently in your own private practice.
Program Overview
Take a closer look at our online PMHNP post-master’s certificate
Expand your professional practice into the mental health sector with the Post-Master's Psych-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certificate online from Northern Kentucky University. This accelerated certificate program is an expansive addition to your MSN and will enable you to treat individuals and families with acute or chronic psychiatric needs using comprehensive assessment, psycho-social intervention, and prescription medications, integrating the diagnosis, treatment, and management of mental health disorders for patients of all ages.
Coursework for this program is delivered online with embedded supervised clinical residencies in a variety of settings. The program's mental health nursing courses synthesize neuroscientific principles, neurophysiological theory, and a broad range of therapeutic methods, including how to incorporate variables of lifestyle, culture, religion, socio-economics, and genetics into risk assessments. The curriculum emphasizes advanced psychopharmacology and aligns with NKU's strategic mission to address a regional opioid issue and our overall commitment to be agents of change by promoting population health.
In this online program, you will:
- Engage with, assess, diagnose, and suggest treatment and management for patients of all ages in a series of supervised clinical residencies
- Use evidence-based practice to demonstrate advanced levels of clinical judgment, systems thinking, and accountability while implementing change to improve healthcare outcomes
- Assess risk of psychiatric mental health problems by studying variables such as lifestyle, culture, religion, socio-economics, and genetics
- Explore the appropriate clinical application of non-pharmacological methodologies and interventions including group, play, and family therapies while analyzing the use of self, the therapist-patient relationship, and phases of the therapeutic relationship
- Demonstrate effective communication in order to facilitate nursing practice at an advanced level
- Utilize cultural, genetic, religious, and behavioral laboratory data as well as patient history, neuroscientific principles, and his or her comprehensive assessment to form diagnoses
- Engage with, assess, diagnose, and suggest treatment and management for patients of all ages in a series of supervised clinical residencies
- Use evidence-based practice to demonstrate advanced levels of clinical judgment, systems thinking, and accountability while implementing change to improve healthcare outcomes
- Assess risk of psychiatric mental health problems by studying variables such as lifestyle, culture, religion, socio-economics, and genetics
- Explore the appropriate clinical application of non-pharmacological methodologies and interventions including group, play, and family therapies while analyzing the use of self, the therapist-patient relationship, and phases of the therapeutic relationship
- Demonstrate effective communication in order to facilitate nursing practice at an advanced level
- Utilize cultural, genetic, religious, and behavioral laboratory data as well as patient history, neuroscientific principles, and his or her comprehensive assessment to form diagnoses
As a graduate and certified psychiatric nurse practitioner, you will be able to practice in many public and private healthcare settings, such as:
- Hospitals, clinics, and mental health facilities
- County and municipal health departments
- Military and veteran hospitals
- Private PMHNP practices or consulting organizations
- Hospitals, clinics, and mental health facilities
- County and municipal health departments
- Military and veteran hospitals
- Private PMHNP practices or consulting organizations
Also available:
Northern Kentucky University offers a variety of Nursing programs online. View our selection.
Accreditation
The baccalaureate degree in nursing, master’s degree in nursing, postgraduate APRN certificate, and Post-Master's Doctor of Nursing Practice degree programs at Northern Kentucky University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).
Tuition
Earn a high-quality degree with a low tuition
The Post-Master's Psych-Mental Health NP Certificate online program offers the same affordable, pay-by-the-course tuition for in-state and out-of-state students. Financial aid may be available to eligible students.
| Program | Per Credit Hour | Required Fees | Total Program with Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Post-Master’s Psych-Mental Health NP Certificate | $578 | $5,598 | $25,828 |
Tuition and fees subject to change at any time. Some fees are course-based and subject to change based on date student enters such course.
Tuition Breakdown:
#6 among Kentucky's Online Colleges
Ranked #6 among "The Best Online Colleges in Kentucky" by TheBestSchools.org (2022)
Calendar
View the upcoming dates and deadlines
The Post-Master's Psych-Mental Health NP Certificate online program is flexible and efficient for busy schedules, with accelerated courses that start multiple times a year. View the calendar to find the best start date for you, and be sure to submit your application, registration, documents and tuition by the corresponding deadlines.
| Session | Program Start Date | Application Deadline | Document Deadline | Registration Deadline | Payment Due |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring 1 | 1/13/25 | 1/3/25 | 1/7/25 | 1/10/25 | 1/13/25 |
| Spring 2 | 3/17/25 | 3/5/25 | 3/10/25 | 3/14/25 | 3/17/25 |
| Summer 1 | 5/12/25 | 4/30/25 | 5/5/25 | 5/9/25 | 5/12/25 |
| Summer 2 | 6/30/25 | 6/18/25 | 6/23/25 | 6/27/25 | 6/30/25 |
Now enrolling:
Admissions
Review this admission checklist for our online post-master’s PMHNP nursing program
The admission process is the first step toward earning your Post-Master's Psych-Mental Health NP Certificate online. Before you apply, please review the Program Map to determine eligibility of this program in your state.
Admission Requirements:
- 3.0 GPA or higher on accredited MSN degree
- RN license current and unencumbered
- 1,000 clinical hours of practice as a Registered Nurse
Post-Master's Psych-Mental Health NP Online Admission Requirements
- Completed application for graduate admission
- $40 application fee paid
- Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate academic work
- Verification of your current, unencumbered RN license with expiration date in the state in which you are licensed and practice
- A criminal background check (state and federal) is required for admission to the program. Applicants are required to use PreCheck StudentCheck to purchase the background check. Instructions on how to purchase and initiate the background check can be found here.
- Master of Science in Nursing degree from an ACEN, CCNE, or CNEA-accredited nursing program
- Minimum 3.0 GPA in MSN graduate coursework
- 1,000 clinical hours of practice as a Registered Nurse; fill out the verification form here
Official documents may be mailed or emailed to:
NKU Office of Graduate Education302 Lucas Administrative Center
Highland Heights, KY 41099
During our application review, you may receive a request for syllabi for the courses listed below and/or program curriculum information, to ensure the courses you have taken in your master’s program are equivalent to the corresponding NKU course.
- MSN 610 – Diagnostic Reasoning & Advanced Physical Assessment*
- MSN 611 – Clinical Pharmacology & Intervention*
- BIO 669 – Advanced Human Physiology*
- MSN 612 – Role Development in Advanced Practice Nursing
*must be over the lifespan
Upon this review, if our faculty determine you do not have equivalent coursework, you may need to take those courses at NKU if admitted. Click here to search the syllabi for each of the courses above as taught at NKU.
Have a question? Call us at 800-985-7215.
Courses
Explore the online PMHNP Post-Master’s Certificate courses
For the Post-Master's Psych-Mental Health NP Certificate online program, students must complete a total of 35 credit hours. These include nine core courses (27 credit hours), five supervised Psych-Mental Health NP clinical residencies with a total of 750 clinical hours, and 3 credit hours for a capstone project.
