Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN | $36.8K | ~1.75-2.75 years | 49 |
| BSN-DNP | $48K-$56.3K | ~3 years (9 semesters) | 64 |
| Postgraduate Certificate | Not clearly stated | 4-5 semesters | Not clearly stated |
Jacksonville University’s defining advantage is a named, dedicated clinical placement team, though it places students exclusively within four Northeast Florida counties (Duval, St. Johns, Clay, and Nassau).
The programs also lean on simulation technology, including virtual reality labs and telepresence robots, alongside campus-based instruction.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Types | MSN; BSN-to-DNP; Postgraduate Certificate |
| Format | Campus-based, with virtual reality labs, telepresence robots, and simulation scenarios; the certificate requires one day per week on campus |
| Clinical Hours | Not clearly stated for any track on JU’s public pages |
| Clinical Placement | A dedicated clinical placement team, restricted to Duval, St. Johns, Clay, and Nassau counties only |
| Population | Across the lifespan |
| Distinctive Coursework | Neuroanatomy for the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner; a three-component MSN core, APRN core, and specialization structure |
| Concentrations | Single PMHNP focus; no sub-concentrations |
| RN License Requirements | Valid Florida RN license, or out-of-state license eligible for Florida endorsement; 1 year of professional nursing experience required before the first clinical course |
| Tuition | $750/credit across all nursing graduate levels (MSN, DNP, certificate) |
| Accreditation | CCNE (see Accreditation for a source discrepancy on which levels it covers) |
| Single Annual Intake | All three tracks admit once a year, for a fall start only |
MSN, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the MSN, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner at Jacksonville University is approximately $36,750 (49 credits at $750/credit). The program takes about 21 months full-time or 33 months part-time.
MSN Curriculum
The 49-credit program stacks three blocks: a 15-credit MSN core (theory, research, policy, leadership, informatics), a 9-credit APRN core (advanced assessment, pathophysiology, pharmacology), and a 25-credit PMHNP specialization.
- NUR 510 Nursing Theory and Research I
- NUR 512 Organization, Delivery and Policy in Healthcare
- NUR 514 Nursing Leadership and Advanced Roles
- NUR 516 Information Systems and Technology for Improved Healthcare
- NUR 520 Nursing Theory and Research II
- NUR 501 / NUR 502 / NUR 504 Advanced Health Assessment, Pathophysiology, and Pharmacology
- NUR 571 Psychiatric Assessment and Diagnostics Across the Lifespan
- NUR 573 Psychopharmacological Management Across the Lifespan
- NUR 574 Neuroanatomy for the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
- NUR 579 Psychotherapy Across the Lifespan for Individuals, Families and Groups
- NUR 553 Advanced Role Practicum
You Should Know
- JU’s own program pages do not publish a total clinical hour figure for the MSN track; the curriculum names one practicum course (NUR 553) without an hours total.
MSN Clinical Requirements
- Total clinical hours: not clearly stated on JU’s public program pages
- Placement: a dedicated clinical placement team finds every site, but only within Duval, St. Johns, Clay, and Nassau counties
- One year of professional nursing experience is required before starting the first clinical course
Because JU does not publish a total clinical hour figure, it isn’t possible to independently compare this program against the 500-hour national certification floor or the 750-hour NTF Standards benchmark; ask admissions for the current total before enrolling.
The four-county placement restriction is the more immediate practical fact: an applicant who doesn’t live in or near Jacksonville needs a firm plan for relocating for the clinical portion of the program, since JU does not arrange sites elsewhere.
MSN Admissions
JU admits the MSN PMHNP cohort once a year, for a fall start only.
- Graduation from a CCNE, NLN, or ACEN-accredited BSN program
- Minimum 3.0 undergraduate nursing GPA (4.0 scale)
- Evidence of an undergraduate statistics course
- GRE score of 290 or higher (waived for a 3.0+ GPA)
- Resume or CV, and a Statement of Intent (2 pages maximum)
- Valid Florida RN license, or an out-of-state license eligible for Florida endorsement
- One year of professional nursing experience before the first clinical course
- Virtual interview for qualified candidates; background check required after admission
- Applications for the Fall 2027 cohort open September 1, 2026
You Should Know
- Because JU admits only once a year, missing the fall cycle means waiting a full year for the next cohort.
BSN to DNP, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the BSN to DNP, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner at Jacksonville University is approximately $48,000 (64 credits at $750/credit, based on JU’s own published course list; JU’s program page states a broader 55-65 credit range). The program is designed for full-time-only completion in 9 semesters, about 3 years.
BSN-DNP Curriculum
JU’s own course catalog lists 21 required courses for this concentration, summing to 64 credits, which sits within the program page’s published 55-65 credit range. The sequence combines APRN core coursework, DNP core coursework, and the PMHNP specialty block.
- NUR 501 / 502 / 504 Advanced Health Assessment, Pathophysiology, and Pharmacology
- NUR 514 Nursing Leadership and Advanced Roles
- NUR 610 Information Systems and Technology of Advanced Practice
- NUR 652 / 690 Evidence-Based Practice I and II
- NUR 520 Nursing Theory and Research II
- NUR 600 Organizational Theory, Health Care Management and Finance
- NUR 630 Epidemiology and Biostatistics
- NUR 640 Clinical Manifestations of Disease Processes
- NUR 670 Leadership and Health Policy
- NUR 574 Neuroanatomy for the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
- NUR 571 Psychiatric Assessment and Diagnostics
- NUR 573 Psychopharmacological Management
- NUR 579 Psychotherapy Across the Lifespan
- NUR 620 Advanced Diagnostic Reasoning and Treatment
- NUR 609 BSN-DNP Practicum
- NUR 660 Ethics in Clinical Practice
- NUR 702 DNP Practice Project
- NUR 703 DNP Residency
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- JU’s own program page publishes a 55-65 credit range for this track rather than one fixed number; this profile uses the 64-credit total that the itemized catalog course list adds up to.
BSN-DNP Clinical Requirements
- Total clinical hours: not clearly stated on JU’s public program pages
- Same placement model as the MSN: a dedicated team places students only within Duval, St. Johns, Clay, and Nassau counties
Without a published clinical hour total, an applicant cannot independently check this track against the 500-hour certification floor or the 750-hour NTF Standards benchmark; confirm the current total directly with the Keigwin School of Nursing before enrolling.
BSN-DNP Admissions
This track admits full-time only, once a year, and sets a higher GPA bar than the MSN.
- Minimum 3.3 undergraduate nursing GPA (4.0 scale); applicants below 3.0 may need GRE or GMAT scores
- BSN from an accredited program
- Active U.S. nursing license
- Resume or CV, and a Statement of Intent
- Virtual interview
You Should Know
- JU’s most recently published deadlines were: first review November 3, 2025; priority January 26, 2026; final March 23, 2026, all for the cohort already in progress. Confirm the next cycle’s dates directly with admissions.
Post-Graduate Certificate, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Jacksonville University does not publish total credit hours or a tuition total for the Post-Graduate Certificate, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner on its own program page; tuition bills at the same $750/credit rate as JU’s other nursing graduate programs. The program takes 5 semesters for RNs without a master’s degree, or 4 semesters for current nurse practitioners.
Certificate Curriculum
The certificate draws on the same PMHNP specialty courses used in the MSN track above, plus the APRN core courses for applicants who haven’t already completed them.
- Advanced Health Assessment, Advanced Pathophysiology, Advanced Pharmacology
- Advanced Role Practicum for the Nurse Practitioner
- Psychiatric Assessment, Diagnostics, and Introduction to Psychopharmacology Across the Lifespan
- Psychopharmacological Management of Patients Across the Lifespan with Mental Health Disorders
- Neuroanatomy for the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
- Psychotherapy Across the Lifespan for Individuals, Families and Groups
You Should Know
- JU does not publish a total credit count for this certificate. An earlier estimate on this page (roughly $6,000) mismatched JU’s own $750-per-credit-hour rate against a per-course figure; this profile does not repeat that math and instead flags the total as unconfirmed.
Certificate Clinical Requirements
- Total clinical hours: not clearly stated on JU’s public program pages
- Campus attendance one day per week across the 4-5 semester sequence
- Same four-county placement model as the MSN and BSN-DNP tracks
As with JU’s other tracks, the absence of a published clinical hour total means an applicant cannot independently verify this program against the 500-hour certification floor or the 750-hour NTF Standards benchmark before enrolling.
Certificate Admissions
- Master’s degree or higher in nursing, from an accredited program
- Minimum 3.0 nursing GPA
- One year of RN experience before the first clinical course
- Valid nursing license, or an out-of-state license eligible for Florida endorsement
- Virtual interview and a Statement of Intent
- Applications for the Fall 2027 cohort open September 1, 2026
Tuition
Jacksonville University bills all three PMHNP tracks, MSN, BSN-DNP, and certificate, at the same published rate of $750 per credit hour. All totals below are estimates built from that rate and the credit counts JU itself publishes or, where noted, JU’s own course catalog.
- MSN: $750/credit x 49 credits = $36,750
- BSN-DNP: $750/credit x 55-65 credits (JU’s published range) = $41,250-$48,750; the 64-credit catalog course list comes to $48,000
- Certificate: total credits not published; a one-time subscription fee of $700-$1,800 applies at matriculation across JU’s nursing graduate programs, on top of per-credit tuition
Be aware that:
- The BSN-DNP’s credit total is a range, not one number. JU’s own program page states 55-65 credits; the itemized catalog course list totals 64.
- The certificate’s total cost isn’t published. Confirm total credits directly with admissions before budgeting.
- All three tracks admit once a year, fall only. Missing the cycle means waiting a full year.
- Clinical placement is restricted to four Northeast Florida counties for every track; JU does not place students elsewhere.
Because JU bills every track at the same flat per-credit rate, the real cost driver is which track and how many credits it actually requires. Get a written credit-count confirmation for the BSN-DNP and certificate tracks before enrolling, since both carry ranges or unpublished totals rather than one fixed number.
See JU’s graduate tuition and costs page for current rates.
Why Choose This PMHNP Program?
Best suited for nurses who already live in or near Jacksonville, want a named clinical placement team rather than an open search, and are comfortable choosing among an MSN, a full doctoral track, or a certificate built on the same specialty coursework.
A dedicated placement team, with a firm geographic boundary. JU’s clinical placement team handles every site, but only within Duval, St. Johns, Clay, and Nassau counties. That is real support for a local applicant and a hard constraint for anyone who isn’t already based in Northeast Florida.
Simulation technology beyond a typical skills lab. JU names virtual reality labs and telepresence robots as part of its experiential learning, alongside standard simulation scenarios, tools not every PMHNP program advertises.
The trade-offs are real, and largely about what JU doesn’t publish. None of the three tracks states a total clinical hour figure, so an applicant can’t independently verify the program against national benchmarks before enrolling.
The BSN-DNP’s credit total is a range rather than one number, and the certificate publishes neither a credit count nor a total cost. All three tracks also admit only once a year, in the fall.
Accreditation
Jacksonville University’s nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). JU’s own admissions pages describe accepted prior degrees as coming from a “CCNE, NLN, or ACEN-accredited program,” without stating in one place which specific JU credential levels (BSN, MSN, DNP, certificate) each accreditor covers; this profile reports CCNE as the confirmed accreditor and recommends confirming exact program-level coverage directly with the Keigwin School of Nursing.
Jacksonville University holds institutional accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Institutional accreditation is separate from CCNE’s program-level review and is what makes the university’s credits and degrees eligible for federal financial aid and generally transferable to other accredited institutions.
Graduates of all three PMHNP pathways are prepared to sit for the national PMHNP certification exam (ANCC or AANPCB) and, once certified, to apply for APRN licensure in Florida.
Review More PMHNP Programs in Florida
- Florida Atlantic University - Boca Raton
- Florida National University - Hialeah
- Florida Southern College - Lakeland
- Florida State University - Tallahassee
- St Thomas University - Miami Gardens
- University of Florida - Gainesville
- University of North Florida - Jacksonville
- University of St Augustine - St Augustine