Post Graduate Certificate Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program

The Post Graduate Certificate PMHNP program provides graduates with advanced knowledge and skills to assume the role of a PMHNP. Assessment, diagnosis and treatment of adults, children and families across the lifespan with psychiatric mental health needs are the foci of the program.

The Program requires a total of 28 credit hours and a 3-credit core course in Advanced Caring Science. The program of study is offered online. The curriculum contains a total of 780 hours of required clinical practice. Attainment of competencies may require more than 780 hours. Clinical placements may occur in acute care settings, private practice offices, substance treatment centers, community-based health centers, and other settings providing mental health care.

Graduates of the program are eligible for the Psychiatric Mental health Nurse Practitioner (Across the Lifespan) Certification Examination offered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and the American Holistic Nursing Credentialing Corporation Advanced Holistic Nursing examination.

The application deadline for the Post Graduate certificate option for the fall 2025 cohort is February 15, 2025

Admission Criteria

Post Graduate Certificate Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Admissions Criteria

Master’s degree in Nursing from an accredited university or college nursing program accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
A cumulative 3.0 GPA in the Master’s program is required.
Prerequisites: Basic Statistics course and Baccalaureate level Nursing Research course.
Curriculum vitae.
One letter of recommendation.
Philosophy of Nursing essay.
Current licensure in the State of Florida as a registered nurse.
An interview will be required.

*Annual state/federal criminal background checks are required for all admitted students. A drug screen may be required. All costs for these requirements are the responsibility of the student.

Application Process

*Application Deadline for Fall 2025 admission is February 15, 2025.

How to apply to the Post Graduate Certificate PMHNP Program

Complete the Florida Atlantic University GradCAS Application. Please make sure to select fall as the entry date. Due to a high volume of applications and the time needed to receive and process transcripts and application fees, the application may take up to 2 weeks to complete. Costs of the application are the responsibility of the applicant.

GradCAS is the centralized application service for students applying to the nurse practitioner concentrations. You will submit your application, and supplemental materials listed under admissions requirements, and request a letter of reference through GradCAS. Please note: You will request the letter of reference electronically in GradCAS. Be prepared with a reference name and current e-mail address. GradCAS requires its own set of official transcripts.

All admission requirements must be completed before the application deadline. Applications with missing documents/transcripts by the due date are considered incomplete. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

The following supporting documents must be uploaded in order to complete your application

Curriculum vitae (Required Format for CV).
One letter of recommendation.
Philosophy of Nursing essay.
Current licensure in the State of Florida as a registered nurse.
An interview will be required.

*You will request the letter of reference electronically via the application. Therefore, be prepared with reference name and their current e-mail address. We are unable to accept letters older than 6 months from the date of application. Letter must have a signature.

Information Sessions

Information Sessions

Please click the appropriate link to sign up for the graduate program information session that you would like to attend:

Click HERE to register for any of the dates below.

Thursday, September 18, 2025 4:00PM - 5:00PM
Tuesday, October 7, 2025 4:00PM - 5:00PM
Tuesday, October 28, 2025 4:00PM - 5:00PM
Thursday, November 13, 2025 4:00PM - 5:00PM
Tuesday, December 2, 2025 4:00PM - 5:00PM
Thursday, January 8, 2026 4:00PM - 5:00PM

Curriculum

PMHNP Curriculum

Course Information	Class	Credits	Clinic hrs.
Summer or Fall (3 credits)*
Advanced Practice Grounded in Caring	NGR 6110	3
Semester I FALL (8 Credits)
Psychopathological Disorders Across the Lifespan: Advanced Nursing Situations	NGR 6503	3
Psychopharmacology Across the Lifespan for Advanced Nursing Practice	NGR 6538	3
Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Across the Lifespan: Diagnosis and Medication Management in Advanced Practice Nursing	NGR 6507L	2	120
Semester 2 SPRING (7 Credits)
Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Across the Lifespan: Individual and Family Therapy in Advanced Nursing Situations	NGR 6509	3
Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Across the Lifespan Practicum 1: Individual and Family Therapy in Advanced Nursing Practice	NGR 6509L	4	240
Semester 3 SUMMER (6 Credits)
Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Across the Lifespan: Group Therapy in Advanced Nursing Situations	NGR 6508	3
Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Across the Lifespan Practicum 2: Group Therapy in Advanced Nursing Practice	NGR 6508L	3	180
Semester 4 FALL (4 Credits)
Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Across the Lifespan: Role Synthesis in Advanced Nursing Practice	NGR 6505L	4	240
Total Credits/Clinical Hours		28**	780

*Some students may have completed NGR 6110
**Total hours vary 25-28 hours, if student has completed NGR 6110

Estimated Cost Breakdown for PMHNP program

Instate (FL) tuition rate	$371.81 per credit hour
Out of State tuition rate	$1026.81 per credit hour
Credits needed to graduate	25 credits.
Total tuition	Instate (FL) $9,295.25 / Out of State $25,670.25

*Cost per credit and total cost are calculated using tuition per credit and associated fees for the current academic year. It does not include course materials, textbook expenses, and other potential expenses related to individual courses.

FAQ

Does the program require the GRE? No, this program does not require the GRE.
Is there an all on-line option this program? Yes, the curriculum is 100% on-line.
Can students find their own clinical sites / preceptors? No, we will find a clinical site and preceptor for you, however please note that all of our clinical sites are located in South Florida only (Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties). Due to all of the legalities involved we do not allow students to find their own clinical site.
Can students work full time while enrolled in this program? Yes, however you will need some flexibility with your supervisor / work schedule in order to complete the 780 clinical hours that are required for this program.