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Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
The Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner DNP prepares students to provide primary mental healthcare services to groups, patients and families across the lifespan.
Program at a Glance
- Time to complete: 3 years with full-time study
- Entry options: Full-time or part-time study
- Application deadline: Apply by June 1 for a fall start
- Format: Hybrid program. Courses are online with a two week-long courses on-campus in Kansas City.
- Credit hours: 67 total
- Practice experiences: 1,000 hours
- Already have your DNP? Specialize with one of our certificates.
Need more information? Join a 30‑minute info session for an overview of KU graduate nursing programs, admissions, and the application process.
Can’t join us at these times? Email soninfo@kumc.edu to schedule a one-on-one conversation with a nursing academic advisor.
Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Specific Courses
All DNP students take the same core courses, and we participate in the Nursing Education Xchange program to further tailor your learning. Those in the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) specialty take these courses as well.
| Course Number | PMHNP Specialty Course Name | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| NURS 801 | Advanced Health Assessment and Clinical Reasoning | 3 |
| NURS 802 | Advanced Pathophysiology | 3 |
| NURS 803 | Advanced Pharmacology | 3 |
| NURS 830 | Advanced Psychiatric Assessment Across the Lifespan | 3 |
| NURS 831 | Psychotherapeutic Interventions I | 3 |
| NURS 832 | Psychopharmacology for Advanced Nursing Practice | 3 |
| NURS 930 | Pediatric Mental Health: Foundations of Assessment and Early Intervention | 3 |
| NURS 931 | Psychotherapeutic Interventions II | 3 |
| NURS 932 | Common Medical Conditions in PMHNP Care | 3 |
| NURS 935 | Psychotherapeutics Practicum I | 3 |
| NURS 936 | Psychotherapeutics Practicum II | 3 |
| NURS 937 | Psychotherapeutics Practicum III | 3 |
What PMHNP Students Learn
Conduct developmentally appropriate, culturally responsive, and trauma-informed psychiatric evaluations.- Develop skills in interviewing, differential diagnosis, and clinical reasoning through simulated and case-based learning.
- Assess vulnerabilities, personal and community-level influences, and resilience factors that influence mental health.
- Apply psychopharmacology concepts for treating psychiatric disorders across the lifespan.
- Examine neurobiological mechanisms, neurotransmitter systems, and the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of psychotropic medications.
- Examine typical and atypical development and analyze the impact of biopsychosocial, environmental, and contextual factors on pediatric mental health conditions.
- Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams and families to ensure individualized, contextually appropriate interventions.
Students should refer to the course catalog for full course information. Contact Student Affairs if you have questions.
Ready to take the next step?
All applications must be received by June 1, 2026 for fall 2026 admission.
Not sure you’re ready to apply? Request information to receive details about admissions requirements, program format, and upcoming info sessions.
Clinical Practice Preceptors, Sites and Experiences
Clinical practice sites are generally located in the Kansas City metropolitan area but may extend across the state of Kansas and to other communities where students are located.
In academic year 2024-2025, KU School of Nursing had at the graduate level:
- 98 clinical sites
- 156 preceptors
During your clinical experiences you’ll obtain a beginning level of competence in completing psychiatric assessment and comprehensive evaluations, documentation according to federal and state requirements, strategies for the implementation of individual, family and group therapy and medication initiation and management.
Recent APRN Certification Pass Rates
Upon completion, graduates are eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the Family Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and to apply for the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) license.
PMHNP APRN Certification Rates by Graduating Cohort
| Graduation Year | Goal for FNP or PMHNP Certification 1st Time Pass Rate | Number of DNP 1st Time Test Takers | 1st Time Test Taker Certification Rate | Number of Post Graduate Certificate 1st Time Test Takers | 1st Time Test Taker Certification Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 80% | 6 | 83.3% | 0 | -- |
| 2023 | 80% | 6 | 83.3% | 2 | 50% |
| 2022 | 80% | 6 | 100% | 1 | 100% |
Graduate Nurse Training Scholarships
Are you interested in the KU Family Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, or Nurse Midwifery specialties? You may be eligible for a graduate nurse training scholarship.
Graduate Nurse Training Scholarships are funded through two Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) opportunities: MIDWIVES KAN and Advancing Nursing Education Workforce (ANEW): Grow and Stay.
Accreditation & Recognition
The KU School of Nursing is nationally accredited and state approved. See accreditation details.
Accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
Approved by the Kansas State Board of Nursing