Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Cost | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Master of Science in Nursing – PMHNP | $26,054 | 2–2.5 years |
| Post-Master’s Certificate – PMHNP | $11,940 | 1–1.5 years |
The program requires Tennessee residency and addresses the growing demand for psychiatric mental health providers through affordable, flexible education.
Master of Science in Nursing – PMHNP
The estimated cost for the MSN-PMHNP program is approximately $26,054 for in-state students (42 credits × $597/credit + program services fees) and would take 2-2.5 years to complete on a full-time basis.
MSN Curriculum
The 42-credit curriculum includes core nursing courses, concentration courses, and specialty PMHNP courses:
NURS 6010 – Theory and Evidence-Based Practice
This course builds skills in nursing inquiry and scholarship for evidence-based practice. Students study how theory, research, quality improvement, and clinical evidence connect to improve patient care and health outcomes.
NURS 6011 – Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Across the Life Span
This course applies evidence-based guidelines to promote health and prevent disease across diverse populations. Content emphasizes risk reduction, early detection, and population-focused strategies for individuals, families, and communities.
NURS 6013 – Ethics, Healthcare Policy, and Economics
This course examines ethical principles, healthcare policy, and economic factors that shape care delivery. Students explore moral reasoning, policy development, and financial forces that affect providers, patients, and health systems.
NURS 6014 – NP Role and Leadership in Health Care
This course analyzes the nurse practitioner role within multiple leadership contexts. Students apply leadership concepts such as systems thinking, quality improvement, accountability, and fiscal stewardship to advanced practice.
NURS 6110 – Advanced Health Assessment
This course develops advanced health assessment skills for patients across the lifespan. Students perform comprehensive and focused assessments, interpret findings, and strengthen diagnostic reasoning.
NURS 6111 – Advanced Pathophysiology
This course covers pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying common acute and chronic conditions in primary care. Students integrate scientific concepts from nursing and related disciplines to understand disease processes across the lifespan.
NURS 6112 – Advanced Pharmacology
This course addresses pharmacology and therapeutics for conditions frequently managed by advanced practice nurses. Emphasis is on safe prescribing, monitoring, and clinical decision making that aligns drug therapy with patient needs.
NURS 6310 – Psychopharmacology
This course reviews the use of psychotropic medications to treat psychiatric symptoms and disorders across the lifespan. Students study indications, mechanisms, side effects, and safety considerations for appropriate prescribing.
NURS 6311 – Psychiatric Mental Health Diagnosis and Management I and Clinical
This course introduces core skills for psychiatric assessment and diagnosis. Students practice health screening, psychiatric history taking, mental status examination, DSM-5–based diagnosis, and therapeutic interviewing in clinical settings.
NURS 6312 – Psychiatric Mental Health Diagnosis and Management II and Clinical
This course deepens skills in psychiatric diagnosis and ongoing treatment. Students focus on building therapeutic relationships, applying theory to care planning, and refining clinical decision making with diverse mental health populations.
NURS 6313 – Psychiatric Mental Health Diagnosis and Management Intensive Clinical
This intensive clinical course centers on identifying complex clinical problems and system-level issues. Students use technology to locate and evaluate evidence and complete a comprehensive evidence-based review paper tied to their clinical practice.
More curriculum details are available here.
MSN Clinicals
The program requires 630 direct patient care clinical hours distributed across three clinical courses:
- 180 hours in NURS 6311
- 180 hours in NURS 6312
- 270 hours in NURS 6313.
Clinical rotations are arranged with approved preceptors in the student’s home area when possible, with assistance available for preceptor selection.
MSN Admissions Requirements
- Tennessee residency
- Current, unencumbered RN license in Tennessee
- Bachelor’s degree in nursing with minimum 3.0 GPA (conditional admission considered with 2.9 GPA)
- Completion of undergraduate statistics course (3-4 credit hours)
- TOEFL scores if applicable
- Application deadline: October 1 for spring admission, February 1 for fall admission
- Official transcripts from all universities attended
- Updated resume or vita
- Copy of RN license
Post-Master’s Certificate – PMHNP
The estimated cost for the Post-Master’s PMHNP Certificate is approximately $11,940 for in-state students (20 credits × $597/credit) and would take 1-1.5 years to complete.
Certificate Curriculum
The 20-credit certificate curriculum focuses on psychiatric mental health specialty courses:
Concentration Course (3 hours):
- NURS 6310 – Psychopharmacology
PMHNP Specialty Courses (12 hours):
- NURS 6311 – Psychiatric Mental Health Diagnosis and Management I and Clinical
- NURS 6312 – Psychiatric Mental Health Diagnosis and Management II and Clinical
Specialty Intensive (5 hours):
- NURS 6313 – Psychiatric Mental Health Diagnosis and Management Intensive Clinical
Additional prerequisite courses may be required as determined by the School of Nursing Admissions Committee and program coordinator.
Certificate Clinicals
The certificate program requires 630 direct patient care clinical hours with the same distribution as the MSN track across the three clinical courses.
Certificate Admissions Requirements
- Tennessee residency
- Current, unencumbered RN license in Tennessee
- Bachelor’s degree in nursing with minimum 3.0 GPA (conditional admission considered with 2.9 GPA)
- Completion of undergraduate statistics course (3-4 credit hours)
- Earned Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree from accredited institution
- TOEFL scores if applicable
- Application deadline: October 1 for spring admission, February 1 for fall admission
- Official transcripts from all universities attended
- Updated resume or vita
- Copy of RN license
Tuition
Graduate tuition is $597 per credit hour for in-state students and $1,651 per credit hour for out-of-state students (hours 1-10).
Program services fees range from $94 to $1,128.50 per semester depending on credit load.
See the official tuition page for more details.
Accreditation
The master’s degree program in nursing at Middle Tennessee State University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
Graduates are prepared to sit for national PMHNP certification examinations, with approximately 90% of advanced practice nursing graduates passing on the first attempt.
Other Nursing Programs
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) – On Ground
- Master of Science in Nursing – Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Concentration – Online
Related Programs
View All PMHNP Programs in Tennessee
- Austin Peay - Clarksville
- East Tennessee State University - Johnson City
- Tennessee Tech University - Cookeville
- University of Tennessee - Knoxville
- Vanderbilt University - Nashville