Post-Master's Certificate in Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

Certificate Level: Graduate
Admission Requirements: Master's degree
Certificate Type: Post-Master's
Number of Credits to Completion: 34.0; 640 clinical hours
Instructional Delivery: Online
Calendar Type: Quarter
Expected Time to Completion: 2 years
Financial Aid Eligibility: Aid eligible*

Classification of Instructional (CIP) Code: 51.3801
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Code: 29-1171

*The current plan of study for this program would only allow for federal financial aid (including Federal Direct Student Loans) for terms that are at least a minimum of 4.5 credits for graduate courses and 6.0 credits for undergraduate courses. This is based on current regulations from the U.S. Department of Education.

About the Program

The online Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) program prepares practitioners to provide a wide range of services to patients across the lifespan and their families. This certificate is offered to those individuals who have earned a master's degree in nursing and seek further preparation as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. Once the certificate program is successfully completed, students will be eligible to sit for the ANCC's Psychiatric and Mental Health Certification Examination.

The nurse practitioner faculty is committed to quality and excellence in the nurse practitioner (NP) programs. Students meet on campus for mandatory on-campus intensive (OCI) learning experiences, simulation and evaluation. There are a maximum of two OCIs in each program. Students will attend an OCI during week one of their first clinical course for three to four days (summer quarter). An additional OCI visit may be required for two to three days in another clinical quarter. Dates are subject to change. Mandatory on-campus visits are essential to students transitioning into the NP role.

During the OCIs, students engage in simulated clinical learning experiences conducted in the College of Nursing and Health Professions' state-of-the-art, multidisciplinary patient simulation lab. These visits provide direct guidance and mentoring from faculty, as well as the opportunity to collaborate with peers.

The program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

Program Requirements

Required Courses
Support Courses
NURS 548Advanced Pathophysiology3.0
NURS 549Advanced Pharmacology3.0
NURS 550Advanced Health Assessment & Diagnostic Reasoning4.0
NURS 664Professional Issues for Nurse Practitioners1.0
Concentration Courses
NURS 555Psychopharmacology Across the Lifespan3.0
NURS 592PMHNP I: Advanced Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Theoretical Foundations and Psychopathology I5.0
NURS 593PMHNP II: Advanced Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Theoretical Foundations and Psychopathology II5.0
NURS 594PMHNP III: Advanced Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Theoretical Foundations and Psychopathology III5.0
NURS 595PMHNP IV: Adv Mental Hlth NP Management and Care of Clients in Diverse Pop Across the Lifespan5.0
Total Credits34.0

Sample Plan of Study

First Year
Term 1CreditsTerm 2CreditsTerm 3CreditsTerm 4Credits
NURS 5483.0NURS 5553.0NURS 5504.0NURS 5925.0
NURS 5493.0 NURS 6641.0 
 6 3 5 5
Second Year
Term 1CreditsTerm 2CreditsTerm 3Credits 
NURS 5935.0NURS 5945.0NURS 5955.0 
 5 5 5 
Total Credits 34

Additional Information

For more information about this program, contact:

Graduate Nursing Division

CNHPGraduateDivision@drexel.edu

Additional information is also available on the Drexel's College of Nursing and Health Professions Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Post-Master's Certificate webpage and on Drexel University Online's Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Postmaster's Certificate webpage.

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