Post-Graduate Certificate in Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners (PMHNPs) are advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) certified to assess, diagnose and treat individuals and families with psychiatric disorders using their full scope of therapeutic skills, including the prescription of medication and administration of psychotherapy.
This post-graduate certificate provides graduate-prepared nurses with the knowledge and skills to seek certification as a PMHNP. It is available to those holding a previous graduate degree in nursing and an active, unencumbered RN license in the state of Texas.
Graduates are eligible to sit for Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (Across the Lifespan) Certification (PMHNP-BC™) from the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
Course instruction is delivered asynchronously online. Clinical hours are required.
The following programs may lead to a professional license or certification that is required for employment. Professional licensure/certification requirements vary from state to state, which may affect a student’s ability to apply for a professional license/certification upon the completion of the program. The U.S. Department of Education regulation, 34 CFR 668.43 (a) (5) (v), requires an institution to disclose whether the program will fulfill educational requirements for licensure or certification for each state. The administrative departments that offer the programs have made the following determination regarding their curriculum.
| Program | Meets State or U.S. Territory Requirements | Does not meet | A determination has not been made | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Traditional, Second Degree) | TX, AL, AK, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY, District of Columbia (DC), Puerto Rico (PR), Virgin Islands (VI), American Samoa (AS), Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), Guam (GU), Marshall Islands (MH) | Federated States of Micronesia (FM), Palau (PW) | ||||
| Master of Science in Nursing-Family Nurse Practitioner | TX, AL, AK, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY, District of Columbia (DC), Puerto Rico (PR), Virgin Islands (VI), American Samoa (AS), Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), Guam (GU) | Marshall Islands (MH), Federated States of Micronesia (FM), Palau (PW) | ||||
| Post-Graduate Certificate in Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner | TX, AL, AK, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY, District of Columbia (DC) | Puerto Rico (PR), Virgin Islands (VI), American Samoa (AS), Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), Guam (GU), Marshall Islands (MH), Federated States of Micronesia (FM), Palau (PW)Federated States of Micronesia (FM), Palau (PW) | ||||
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We recommend students contact the appropriate state licensing agency in their state or the state where they intend to work to seek the most up-to-date information about state licensure/certification requirements before beginning the program. Review additional licensing board information. |
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CURRICULUM
Students complete 26 hours of required coursework. All courses, except the clinical courses (NURS 673, NURS 677 and NURS 678), are offered online.
|
Semester |
Curriculum |
Hours |
|
Fall |
NURS 670: Introduction to Psychopharmacology NURS 671: Pre-Clinical Essentials for the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Role |
2 2 |
|
Spring |
NURS 672: Family Psychiatric-Mental Health I: Adult/Acute NURS 673: Family Psychiatric-Mental Health Clinical I |
3 3 |
|
Summer |
NURS 674: Family Psychiatric-Mental Health II: Child-Adolescent NURS 675: Family Psychiatric-Mental Health Clinical II |
3 3 |
|
Fall |
NURS 676: Family Psychiatric-Mental Health III: Older Adult and Chronic Mental Illness NURS 677: Family Psychiatric-Mental Health Clinical III |
3 3 |
|
Spring |
NURS 678: Family Psychiatric-Mental Health Clinical Practicum |
4 |
Application Deadlines
| Entry Term | Fall |
|---|---|
| Application Opening Date | Oct. 1 |
| Application Deadline | Jan. 1 |
| Mandatory Orientation | TBD |
| First Class Day | August |
Application Requirements
- Previous graduate degree in nursing and an active, unencumbered RN license in the state of Texas
- NursingCAS application
- Official transcripts from all schools attended must be sent to NursingCAS using its transcript request process (Texas A&M students must request to have their Texas A&M transcript sent to Nursing CAS)
- Elementary statistics with a minimum grade of "B" completed by the first-class day
- Successful completion of advanced pharmacology, advanced physical assessment and advanced pathophysiology prior to admission with a minimum grade of "B."
- Professional resume or curriculum vitae
- Three academic and/or professional references from individuals familiar with the applicant’s aptitude for graduate-level scholarship
- Essay/personal statement
- Minimum overall grade point averages of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) in all graduate and undergraduate course work
- Applicants with foreign credentials must submit a transcript evaluation report directly to the College of Nursing and official documents to the university. See other requirements. Because the majority of course content is delivered online, international students often are not eligible to apply.
All required documents must be received by the deadline date.
Degree & Licensure
Applicants must hold an advanced degree in nursing from an institution of higher education that is both accredited by the appropriate regional accrediting agency, either the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850, Atlanta, GA 30326, 404-975-5000 or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.
Applicants must hold a current, unencumbered Registered Nurse license.
Application
Complete a NursingCAS post-graduate certificate application.
Official Transcripts
The College of Nursing requires official school transcripts from each institution attended be sent to NursingCAS. You must request ALL transcripts early so they are received by the application deadline date.
In order to qualify for admission into a post-graduate, non-degree (G6) program of study, an official transcript showing completion of an advanced nursing degree is required. For degrees completed outside the United States, a separate statement of award of degree or diploma is also required. Applicants currently pursuing an advanced nursing degree may apply; however, the degree must be completed before starting post-graduate certificate coursework.
Applicants MUST list all schools attended. Failure to list all institutions attended will result in an incomplete application.
Supporting Documentation
One Required Essay/Personal Statement
The required essay should be added to the NursingCAS application where indicated.
Write to the following prompt: Why do you want to become a psychiatric nurse practitioner?
Please limit your discussion to 600 words.
Professional Resume
Resume must be uploaded electronically to NursingCAS.
Applicants will be notified of the admission decision within six weeks of the application deadline. All communication from the Texas A&M College of Nursing is electronic. Official notifications will come through NursingCAS.
- Cumulative GPA on all undergraduate and graduate course work
- Admission essay
- Professional resume or CV
- Volunteer/community/military service
- Leadership/involvement/awards in professional activities
- TOEFL score, required by international applicants only
- Interview, if requested by Selection Committee
- History of withdraws, repeats or failures will place applicant at a disadvantage
Information Sessions
Interested students are invited to attend an information session to learn more about our programs of study. These sessions provide details on admission requirements, prerequisite coursework, student life, clinical experiences and other opportunities. Students are required to attend an information sessions prior to requesting an individual appointment.
- Reservations are required to attend a session.
- Guests of registered attendees are welcome.
- Sessions last approximately 60-90 minutes.