Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Estimated Tuition | Estimated Duration |
|---|---|---|
| DNP-PMHNP | ≈ $81,600 | ≈ 3 years FT |
| Post-Graduate Certificate PMHNP | ≈ $28,800 | ≈ 1.5–2 years FT |
The DNP option lets BSN-prepared nurses move straight into doctoral-level advanced practice, while the certificate route helps experienced NPs add a second specialty in psychiatric mental health with a strong focus on social justice and holistic care.
Doctor of Nursing Practice – PMHNP
The estimated cost for the DNP-PMHNP program is about $81,600 in tuition and would take about 3 years to complete on a full-time basis, with a 4-year option for added flexibility.
DNP Curriculum
The DNP-PMHNP curriculum starts with doctoral nursing foundations and APRN “3P” courses, then moves into advanced psychiatric content, psychotherapy, systems leadership, and quality improvement.
Students complete 67–68 credits that cover assessment, pathophysiology, pharmacology, informatics, policy, economics, and PMHNP role development.
Key courses include:
NURS 7140 Foundations of Advanced Nursing Practice — 3 credits
Introduces the core knowledge base for advanced nursing practice, emphasizing how different ways of knowing shape nursing care, innovation, and practice change. Students examine, critique, and apply knowledge from nursing and related disciplines to support new or improved clinical practices.
NURS 8150 Leadership for Advanced Nursing Practice — 3 credits
Focuses on leading change in complex health systems with attention to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Students learn to identify improvement needs, manage change initiatives, collaborate with stakeholders, and evaluate outcomes linked to organizational goals.
NURS 7080 Informatics for Advanced Nursing Practice — 3 credits
Covers how health information and communication technologies support clinical judgment, quality improvement, and safe care delivery. Students apply informatics concepts to use data, information, and knowledge to improve systems and address ethical and regulatory issues in digital practice.
NURS 8300 Advanced Outcomes Measurement and Evaluation — 3 credits
Prepares students to design and evaluate quality improvement, program evaluation, and evidence-based practice projects using outcome measures. Learners develop SMART aims, logic models, data plans, and dissemination strategies using QI and data science principles.
NURS 6223 Advanced Pharmacology across the Lifespan — 3 credits
Examines core pharmacology concepts, including pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, pharmacogenomics, and toxicology across age groups. Students review major drug classes and learn to recognize, prevent, and manage drug-related health problems.
NURS 6160 Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology Across the Lifespan — 3 credits
Provides an advanced look at how cellular function, inflammation, genetics, and immunology drive common disease processes across the lifespan. Body system content supports nurse practitioners in understanding mechanisms of disease and the impact of social determinants on illness.
NURS 7560 Clinical Psychopharmacology Across the Lifespan — 2 credits
Explores psychopharmacology principles and major medication classes used to treat psychiatric conditions across the lifespan. Students learn to evaluate adverse effects, treatment responses, and non-pharmacologic options within a framework of ethics, social justice, and holistic care.
NURS 6143 Advanced Health Assessment Across the Lifespan — 3 credits
Builds advanced history taking, physical examination, and documentation skills for patients from infancy through older adulthood. The course prepares students to perform independent assessments as nurse practitioners.
NURS 7570 Neurobiology & Psychopathologic Disorders Across the Lifespan — 2 credits
Covers neurobiologic foundations and common psychopathologic changes across the lifespan, linking anatomy and physiology to mental health conditions. Emphasis is placed on environmental and genetic influences and current evidence-based guidelines for care.
NURS 7580 The Business of Providing Care for Patients with Psychiatric-Mental Health Disorders — 1 credit
Introduces key business, regulatory, and practice management concepts for starting and sustaining a PMHNP practice. Students review practical tools for billing, insurance, compliance, and day-to-day operations in psychiatric settings.
NURS 7590 Holistic Interventions for Patients with Psychiatric-Mental Health Conditions — 1 credit
Presents integrative and holistic strategies that PMHNPs can use alongside conventional treatment for patients with mental health disorders. Students explore selected therapies and consider how to apply them within an ethical, social justice–oriented, and person-centered framework.
NURS 7510 Assessment, Diagnosis and EBM of Psychiatric Mental Health Conditions for Adults and Older Adults — 3 credits
Focuses on advanced assessment, diagnostic reasoning, and evidence-based management of psychiatric and mental health conditions in adults and older adults. The PMHNP role is framed by holistic care, ethics, and social justice.
NURS 7520 Assessment, Diagnosis and Evidence Based Practice Management of Psychiatric and Mental Health Conditions — 3 credits
Examines advanced assessment and management of psychiatric and mental health conditions in children and families. The course emphasizes advocacy, collaboration, and ethically grounded, family-centered care within the PMHNP role.
NURS 7530 PMHNP 3: Role of the PMHNP – Integrated Care Across the Lifespan — 3 credits
Explores how psychiatric disorders affect function, quality of life, and recovery across the lifespan. Students apply evidence-based psychotherapies and collaborative care strategies while expanding the PMHNP role through interprofessional work and community resource use.
NURS 7515 Psychotherapeutic Interventions Across the Lifespan – Clinical I — 1 credit
Provides initial immersive clinical experience applying assessment, diagnosis, and evidence-based management for psychiatric conditions across age groups. Students begin practicing psychotherapeutic interventions in real-world settings.
NURS 7525 Psychotherapeutic Interventions Across the Lifespan: PMHNP Clinical II — 3 credits
Builds on the first clinical course by deepening the PMHNP’s role as advocate and collaborator with patients, families, and groups. Students refine therapeutic skills while managing diverse psychiatric conditions in clinical practice.
NURS 7535 Psychotherapeutic Interventions Across the Lifespan: PMHNP — 2 credits
Advances clinical competence in assessing and managing psychiatric disorders at varying levels of complexity across the lifespan. Students integrate prior learning to provide comprehensive, therapy-focused care in multiple settings.
NURS 8536 Healthcare Economics and Finance — 3 credits
Introduces core health care economics and finance concepts and applies them to clinical practice and system-level decisions. Students build a project budget, analyze financial value, and consider how payment models and policy shape quality, safety, and access.
NURS 8523 Advanced Evidence-based Practice — 3 credits
Focuses on finding, appraising, and using evidence from nursing and other sciences to improve care and outcomes. Students compare practice patterns with benchmarks, identify gaps, and design evidence-based solutions for clinical and population-level problems.
NURS 8543 Health Care: Power, Policy and Politics — 3 credits
Examines how national and global health systems, technology, culture, and policy influence everyday practice. Students learn strategies to lead and shape policy through advocacy, coalition building, and evaluation of policy impact on equity and health outcomes.
NURS 8515 DNP Practicum I: Leading QI — 2 credits
Centers on assessing an organization, population, and practice problem as the first step in a DNP quality improvement project. Students apply theories and process improvement methods to design an initial project plan.
NURS 8516 DNP Practicum II: Strategic project planning — 2 credits
Guides students in designing a quality improvement project that translates evidence into system-level change. Learners complete a focused literature review, define interventions, and select measurable outcomes, with attention to ethics and social justice.
NURS 8517 DNP Practicum III: QI implementation and data analysis — 2 credits
Supports implementation of the DNP quality improvement project, including data collection and communication with stakeholders. Students apply leadership skills to interpret findings and recommend next steps.
NURS 8518 DNP Practicum IV: Sustaining and disseminating QI — 2 credits
Focuses on consolidating the DNP role through synthesis and dissemination of the completed quality improvement project. Students prepare a scholarly paper, executive summary, and poster presentation, and craft a professional biography.
More curriculum details are available here.
DNP Clinicals
DNP-PMHNP students complete about 810 in-person clinical hours, which count toward national PMHNP certification when combined with their DNP practicum work.
A clinical placement specialist arranges sites and preceptors so students do not have to find their own placements.
During these experiences, students strengthen key advanced practice skills, including:
- Diagnostic reasoning and psychiatric assessment
- Medication selection, monitoring, and medication management
- Integrating psychotherapy into patient care
- Collaborating with interprofessional mental health teams
- Providing leadership across a variety of mental health care settings
DNP Admissions
The DNP-PMHNP is a full-time program for registered nurses who hold a BSN or similar entry-level nursing degree. Applicants move through core DNP courses, nurse practitioner foundations, and PMHNP specialty work and must be able to attend weekly or scheduled on-campus learning days in a hybrid format. State restrictions may apply for students living outside Minnesota, and all applicants must meet the program’s essential cognitive, communication, sensory, psychomotor, and behavioral health abilities.
PMHNP Post-Graduate Certificate
The estimated cost for the PMHNP Post-Graduate Certificate is about $28,800 in tuition and would take about 1.5 to 2 years to complete on a full-time basis.
Certificate Curriculum
The PMHNP post-graduate certificate is designed for advanced practice nurses who already hold a graduate degree and primary care NP certification and want a second specialty in psychiatric mental health.
The 23–24 credit plan focuses on psychopharmacology, neurobiology, diagnosis, psychotherapy, holistic interventions, and practice management.
Core courses include:
- NURS 7560 – Clinical Psychopharmacology Across the Lifespan
- NURS 7570 – Neurobiology and Psychopathologic Disorders Across the Lifespan
- NURS 7510 – Assessment, Diagnosis and EBM of Psychiatric Mental Health Conditions for Adults and Older Adults
- NURS 7520 – Assessment, Diagnosis and Evidence Based Practice Management of Psychiatric and Mental Health Conditions
- NURS 7530 – PMHNP 3: Role of the PMHNP – Integrated Care Across the Lifespan
- NURS 7515, 7525, 7535, 8135 – Psychotherapeutic Interventions Across the Lifespan I–IV
- NURS 7580 – The Business of Providing Care for Patients with Psychiatric-Mental Health Disorders
- NURS 7590 – Holistic Interventions for Patients with Psychiatric-Mental Health Conditions
Certificate Clinicals
The certificate program also includes 810 supervised clinical hours, using the same coordinated placement support available to DNP students.
Clinical experiences help post-graduate students apply advanced assessment, psychopharmacology, and psychotherapy skills in practice while integrating holistic approaches and attention to social determinants of mental health.
Graduates are prepared to function as PMHNPs in a range of settings, including primary care practices that want to expand mental health services.
Certificate Admissions
The PMHNP post-graduate certificate is for advanced practice nurses who already hold a master’s degree or higher in nursing and certification in an existing NP population focus.
Applicants must have an active, unencumbered RN license, current NP certification, and the ability to attend hybrid on-campus sessions and complete in-person clinical hours.
The program also requires that students meet essential ability standards and any state-based authorization rules.
Prerequisites and Admissions At-a-Glance
- Active, unencumbered U.S. RN license
- For DNP-PMHNP: BSN or equivalent entry-level nursing degree and full-time study capacity
- For PMHNP Certificate: graduate nursing degree with NP preparation and existing primary care NP certification
- Ability to complete 810 in-person clinical hours at approved sites
- Compliance with St. Catherine University’s essential abilities and state authorization rules
Tuition
Doctor of Nursing Practice nurse practitioner programs at St. Catherine University, including the PMHNP track, are billed at $1,200 per credit for the 2025–2026 academic year.
The PMHNP post-graduate certificate uses the same DNP NP rate, so a 24-credit plan is estimated at about $28,800 in tuition before any scholarships or partner discounts.
More information at the tuition and fees page.
Accreditation
St. Catherine University’s graduate nursing programs, including the DNP nurse practitioner tracks and post-graduate NP certificates, are accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), as listed on the Nursing Accreditation page.
This confirms that both the DNP-PMHNP and PMHNP certificate follow national standards for advanced nursing education and clinical practice preparation.
Other Nursing Programs
St. Catherine University also offers several related advanced practice and doctoral nursing options, including:
- DNP: Pediatric Nurse Practitioner – Primary Care
- DNP: Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
- DNP: Post-Master’s
- Other MSN and DNP nursing specialties such as nurse educator and nursing informatics
Related Programs
View All PMHNP Programs in Minnesota
- University of Minnesota. - Minneapolis