MSN-to-DNP Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) programs are designed for nurses who already hold a Master of Science in Nursing and want to earn a Doctor of Nursing Practice while advancing their psychiatric nursing education. Compared with BSN-to-DNP pathways, MSN-to-DNP programs are generally shorter because students enter with graduate nursing coursework already completed.
These programs typically emphasize evidence-based psychiatric practice, healthcare quality improvement, organizational leadership, and completion of a scholarly DNP project. The table below compares MSN-to-DNP PMHNP programs nationwide, including estimated cost per credit, delivery format, and participating schools.
| School | Location | CPC | Delivery |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of South Alabama | Mobile, AL | $594 | Mostly Online |
| Samford University | Birmingham, AL | $1,000 | Mostly Online |
| University of San Francisco | San Francisco, CA | $1,635 | Hybrid |
| San Diego University | San Diego, CA | $2,210 | Campus |
| University of North Florida | Jacksonville, FL | $408 | Online |
| Florida State University | Tallahassee, FL | $444.26 | Online |
| Mercer University | Macon, GA | $1,285.50 | Hybrid |
| University of Iowa | Iowa City, IA | $1,191 | Hybrid |
| Rush University | Chicago, IL | $1,436 | Mostly Online |
| Washburn University | Topeka, KS | $727 | — |
| UMKC | Kansas City, MO | $779.50 | — |
| Walden University | National | $775 | Online |
| Stony Brook University | Stony Brook, NY | $471 | — |
| Ohio University | Athens, OH | $584 - $658 | — |
| Pennsylvania State University | University Park, PA | — | |
| University of Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh, PA | $1,000 | — |
| South Dakota State University | Brookings, SD | $614 | — |
| East Tennessee State University | Johnson City, TN | — |