Graduate Certificate in Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

Program Overview

The Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) post-master’s certificate is a hybrid graduate certificate program that enables post-masters registered nurses to expand their role to include evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, and management of clients of all ages with psychiatric and mental healthcare needs.  Graduates of this program will be prepared to work in a rapidly changing field of mental health to provide quality care utilizing evidence-based practice for a growing population with mental and behavioral health needs. 

The Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner graduate certificate program is a 20-credit hour lockstep program in which registered nurses with a Master of Science in Nursing degree advance their skills as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner upon successful completion of the PMHNP national board certification and licensure as an APRN.  After completion of the program, students are eligible to apply for licensure as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse with a PMHNP specialty. 

Instruction will be an online format with required on campus learning intensives typically scheduled two times per semester at the St. David’s School of Nursing in Round Rock. The on-campus learning intensives augment the online course work and allow assessment of students to ensure that advanced level competencies have been met.

Faculty facilitate practicum course work online and during the on-campus intensives through skills labs and simulations; however, required clinical hours will be spent with individual preceptors in a clinical setting. The curriculum requires students to complete hours with a preceptor and log 545 required clinical hours as a combination of on-campus clinical experiences, simulations, and preceptor-led clinical practicums. 

The PMHNP graduate certificate program prepares graduates to assume a healthcare provider role as an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) to provide healthcare for clients across the lifespan with psychiatric and mental healthcare needs.  The PMHNP graduate certificate program prepares graduates to assess, diagnose, and provide clinical management through psychotherapy, psychopharmacology, and collaborative interventions to facilitate wellness and treatments for clients and their families in a variety of settings. 

Graduates of this certificate program are qualified to apply to take the following certification examination:

• American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Certification Exam (PMHNP)

The PMHNP certificate program is offered  as part-time track to help students manage school, work, and lifestyle. The certificate program requires specific sequencing of courses. Students are required to be advised before each semester by a graduate advisor.

PMHNP Graduate Certificate Program Outcomes

Graduates of the PMHNP graduate certificate (post-masters) program will gain knowledge, skills, and competencies around the following program educational outcomes:

1. Engage in advanced nursing practice through integration of scientific findings from nursing, humanities, and sciences into the delivery of psychiatric and mental health care to diverse patients, families, and communities. 
2. Participate in organizational and systems leadership through promotion of high quality, safe patient care which emphasizes ethical decision making, effective working relationships, and a systems-perspective.
3. Lead quality improvement processes to communicate effectively, evaluate health outcomes, and advocate for changes in the care environment to improve health outcomes.
4. Synthesize and critique research to integrate the best evidence to resolve practice problems, work as a change agent, and assist in disseminating findings into clinical practice.
5. Utilize healthcare technologies and informatics to analyze and evaluate data to promote safe practice environments, cost containment and health outcomes.
6. Demonstrate leadership in professional nursing practice through commitment to reflective practice, accountability, and maintaining active roles in health policy and professional organizations. 
7. Actively participate as a member and leader of interprofessional teams to promote safety, reduce risk, and address healthcare disparities for patients and populations.
8. Integrate clinical prevention and population health concepts, including global and social determinants of health, into the diverse psychiatric and mental health care  needs of patients, communities, and populations.
9. Lead health education, treatments, and care through incorporation of biocultural perspectives of patients, communities, and populations as they relate to integrative healthcare practices in psychiatric and mental health care.
10. Practice as an advanced practice nurse using evidence based, cost effective integrative healthcare approaches to positively influence health outcomes of patients, families, and the global community.

Application Requirements

The items listed below are required for admission consideration for applicable semesters of entry during the current academic year. Submission instructions, additional details, and changes to admission requirements for semesters other than the current academic year can be found on The Graduate College's website. International students should review the International Admission Documents page for additional requirements.

• Completed online application with Texas State University and complete the admissions procedures listed on The Graduate College website.

• Bachelor of Science in nursing (B.S.N.) degree from a regionally accredited institution and from a nursing program accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or other nationally recognized nursing education accrediting body. The student's B.S.N. degree must be reflected on the transcript at the time of application.

• Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) degree from a regionally accredited institution and from a nursing program accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or other nationally recognized nursing education accrediting body. The student's M.S.N. degree must be reflected on the transcript at the time of application.

• Official transcripts from each institution where course credit was granted.

• Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in graduate (masters) nursing courses from an accredited college or university.

• Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in undergraduate and graduate nursing courses from an accredited college or university.

• a 3.0 overall GPA or a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale in the last 60 hours of undergraduate course work (plus any completed graduate courses).

• Completed college course in statistics with a grade of C or higher. Course must be completed at the time of application and reflected on submitted transcripts.

• Current, valid, unencumbered Registered Nurse licensure in Texas. Copy of registered nursing (RN) license with date issued from the Board of Nursing and Nursys must be uploaded into the application system. Multistate licenses are accepted as long as Texas is the declared home state.  

• If applicant holds advanced practice registered nursing (APRN) license, applicant must submit copy of current, valid, unencumbered licensure in Texas with date issued from the Board of Nursing and Nursys into the application system. 

• Resume or CV showing minimum equivalent of one-year full time experience as in the master’s prepared nurse role prepared for (i.e. APRN, nurse educator, nurse leader, etc.) prior to the application deadline for the program. Employment will be verified.

• Resume or CV showing minimum three years full-time experience as a RN prior to the application deadline for the program.  Employment will be verified.

• Three (3) professional letters of recommendation from persons competent to assess the applicant's academic capability, clinical expertise, and interest in pursuing a career for this program. This is a form completed by your identified reference as part of the application system.

• Completed written personal essay and goal statements using guidelines provided for the program.

• As part of the application process, applicants are required to participate in and complete an interview.

Note:  Applicants who are not licensed Advanced Practice Registered Nurses or Nurse Practitioners, will be required to take Advanced Pathophysiology, Advanced Pharmacotherapeutics, and Advanced Health Assessments to meet the foundational pre-requisites and requirements of an APRN degree or certificate program. 

GRE is not required.

Approved English Proficiency Exam Scores

Applicants are required to submit an approved English proficiency exam score that meets the minimum program requirements below unless they have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or the equivalent from a country on our exempt countries list.

• official TOEFL iBT scores required with a 78 overall
• official PTE scores required with a 52
• official IELTS (academic) scores required with a 6.5 overall and minimum individual module scores of 6.0
• official Duolingo Scores required with a 110 overall
• official TOEFL Essentials scores required with an 8.5 overall

This program does not offer admission if the scores above are not met.

Once a student has been offered admission, additional criteria specific to the School of Nursing must be completed and met prior to admission and the required due date while in the program.

The Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Graduate Certificate requires 20 semester credit hours and fulfillment of the required practicum hours. 

Course Requirements