Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN | $51.7K | 19 months | 58 |
| Certificate | $40.7K | 12 months | 40 |
Per-course material fees make up a quarter to a third of each total, so the $675 credit rate alone understates the real cost.
National University’s defining advantage is that it assigns clinical preceptors and pays them itself. Coursework is online in 4-week blocks, with three to four OSCE sessions that can be held on campus or virtually.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Types | MSN (BSN entry); Post-Graduate Certificate (MSN, DNP, or PhD entry) |
| Format | Mostly Online: 4-week online courses, virtual orientation, 3 to 4 two-day OSCEs |
| Clinical Hours | 540 preceptored hours across three practicum courses |
| Clinical Placement | Preceptors assigned and paid by NU; student-found preceptors also paid by NU |
| Population | Lifespan: adults/aging adults and children/adolescents |
| Distinctive Coursework | Separate child/adolescent practicum; psychotherapy practicum; board-style capstone exam (MSN) |
| RN License Requirements | Active, unencumbered RN license in state of residence (MSN: employment or residence) |
| Enrollment Restriction | Certificate: California or Texas residents only. MSN: not offered in all states |
| Start Dates | Year-round enrollment |
| Tuition | $675/credit plus $695 to $1,145 material fee per course |
| Accreditation | CCNE (MSN-PMHNP and certificate); California BRN approved; WSCUC |
Master of Science in Nursing, Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (Lifespan)
The estimated tuition for the MSN at National University is approximately $51,660 (58 credits at $675/credit plus 18 course material fees of $695). The program can generally be completed in about 19 months, which is NU’s stated average for post-BSN students.
Master of Science in Nursing, Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner – Lifespan
MSN Curriculum
Structure. The 58-credit plan has three blocks: six MSN core courses (18 credits), three “3P” preparation courses (10 credits), and nine PMHNP specialization courses (30 credits). Courses run in 4-week blocks, one at a time, year-round.
Sequencing. The 3P courses can run alongside the core, which shortens the front end. All core and 3P courses must be passed before any specialization course starts. That gate is the main pacing constraint.
Specialty design. Each population course is paired with its own practicum, taken as a corequisite. Adult/aging adult and child/adolescent care are split into separate course-and-practicum pairs rather than folded into one lifespan practicum. Psychopharmacology includes pharmacogenomics. The program closes with a capstone that combines a scholarly paper and an exam modeled on the national PMHNP board exam.
- NSG 682 Advanced Pathophysiology
- NSG 641 Advanced Pharmacology I
- NSG 681 Advanced Physical Assessment
- MNP 643 Psychopharmacology in MH Care
- MNP 694 / 694C MH Care: Adults/Aging Adults + Practicum
- MNP 687 / 687C MH Care: Children/Adolescents + Practicum
- MNP 688A / 688C Introduction to Psychotherapy + Practicum
- MNP 697 PMHNP Capstone
More curriculum details are available here
MSN Clinical Requirements
- Total: 540 preceptored hours (240 adult/aging adult + 180 child/adolescent + 120 psychotherapy).
- Setting: In-person immersion practicums at faculty-approved sites.
- Preceptors: Assigned and compensated by NU. Students may recruit their own preceptor; NU pays that preceptor at the university rate.
- Paying preceptors: NU discourages students from paying preceptors themselves.
- OSCEs: Three to four, each scheduled over two days with skills review, held at an NU campus or virtually.
540 hours clears the 500-hour floor for national certification but sits well below the 750 direct patient care hours in the 2022 NTF Standards. Ask NU whether it plans to raise the requirement during your enrollment. The placement model is the strength here. NU both finds and pays the preceptor, which removes the two biggest practicum risks: a delayed start and an out-of-pocket preceptor fee.
MSN Admissions
Admission is rolling with no essays, exams, or application fee. Two professional recommendations are required only from applicants whose BSN is not from NU.
- BSN from a nationally accredited nursing program, or enrollment in the final course of an RN-BSN program.
- Active, unencumbered RN license in your state of employment or residence.
- Cumulative GPA of 3.0.
- E-Resources application and a required meeting with an enrollment advisor.
- Before specialization courses: malpractice insurance, immunizations, physical exam, drug screen, background check, BLS.
- Progression: 3.0 cumulative GPA and a B (83%) in every course.
Post-Graduate Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certificate
The estimated tuition for the Post-Graduate Certificate at National University is approximately $40,740 (40 credits at $675/credit plus 12 course material fees of $1,145). The program can generally be completed in about 12 months, NU’s stated average, and faster if you waive preparation courses.
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certificate
Certificate Curriculum
The certificate is the MSN’s specialty sequence minus the capstone, plus NSG 600 Advanced Practice Nursing. It totals 12 courses: five preparation courses (16 credits) and seven PMHNP courses (24 credits).
The waiver rules are the main feature. Practicing APRNs can waive NSG 641, 681, and 682 if taken before. Any applicant can waive NSG 600, 641, 680, and 681 if taken within five years, and NSG 682 within seven. Doctoral coursework also counts. A recent MSN graduate may start directly in the PMHNP sequence.
- NSG 600 Advanced Practice Nursing
- NSG 680 Diversity Issues in APN
- MNP 643 Psychopharmacology in MH Care
- MNP 694 / 694C MH Care: Adults/Aging Adults + Practicum
- MNP 687 / 687C MH Care: Children/Adolescents + Practicum
- MNP 688A / 688C Introduction to Psychotherapy + Practicum
More curriculum details are available here
Certificate Clinical Requirements
Clinical requirements match the MSN: 540 preceptored hours in the same three practicums, with NU-assigned and NU-paid preceptors and the same three to four OSCE sessions.
For an APRN adding a specialty, the paid-preceptor model matters most. Certificate students often work full time and have the least time to cold-call practices for a psych preceptor.
Certificate Admissions
The certificate carries a residency restriction: applicants must live in California or Texas.
- Master’s or doctoral degree in nursing from a CCNE-, ACEN-, or CNEA-accredited program (or equivalent national accreditation).
- Residence in California or Texas.
- Active, unencumbered RN license in your state of residence.
- Cumulative GPA of 3.0.
- E-Resources application and a required meeting with an enrollment advisor.
- Same pre-specialization clearances and progression standards as the MSN.
Tuition
All figures below are estimates derived from National University’s published rates. They are not a quote from the university.
National University charges $675 per semester credit for both PMHNP tracks, plus a course material fee charged per course. There is no resident or non-resident distinction.
- MSN: approximately $51,660
- Post-Graduate Certificate: approximately $40,740
Credit count alone does not set the bill. The material fee is charged per course, not per credit, and it is large: $13,740 on the certificate, equal to about half of its tuition. Waiving or transferring a course removes both its credits and its fee.
- MSN tuition: 58 credits × $675 = $39,150
- MSN material fees: 18 courses × $695 = $12,510
- MSN total: $39,150 + $12,510 = $51,660
- Certificate tuition: 40 credits × $675 = $27,000
- Certificate material fees: 12 courses × $1,145 = $13,740
- Certificate total: $27,000 + $13,740 = $40,740, matching NU’s published total
⚠️ NU’s tuition table lists one MSN row at 59.33 credits and $52,560. That credit count matches the FNP specialization, not the 58-credit PMHNP plan, so the MSN estimate applies the row’s $675 rate and $695 fee to the PMHNP course list. The certificate charges $1,145 per course for the same PMHNP courses. If the MSN bills PMHNP courses at a similar rate, the MSN total would run higher. Confirm the MSN-PMHNP fee with an enrollment advisor.
You Should Know
- A one-time $450 fee may apply. NU notes its totals may include a one-time learning management fee. The estimates above exclude it.
- No rate lock is published. NU does not state whether rates are fixed at enrollment. Budget for possible increases on a 19-month MSN.
- OSCE travel is on you. If your OSCE sessions are held in person, travel and lodging for the two-day sessions fall outside tuition.
National University tuition and fees
The real lever is course count. Every waived or transferred course removes $675 per credit plus its full material fee, which is why prior coursework moves the certificate price more than any scholarship.
Why Choose This PMHNP Program?
Best suited for California nurses who want a fast, year-round path to PMHNP practice without hunting for or paying a preceptor.
NU finds and pays your preceptor. Preceptors are assigned by the program and compensated by NU. If you already know a psychiatric provider willing to precept, NU pays that person at its standard rate. The practicum is where many online PMHNP students stall, searching for months or paying a preceptor privately. NU removes both problems for all 540 hours.
Short timelines with rolling starts. NU reports average completion of 19 months for the MSN and 12 months for the certificate. Courses run in 4-week blocks year-round, so you do not wait for a fall cohort. The in-person burden is small: three to four OSCE sessions, which NU may hold virtually.
Prior coursework cuts the certificate price. An APRN who waives NSG 641, 681, and 682 removes 10 credits and three material fees, saving about $10,185 and bringing the certificate to roughly $30,555. An applicant whose five preparation courses are recent enough to waive saves about $16,525, for roughly $24,215. MSN students can transfer up to 9 credits, worth about $8,160 at the MSN rates. Bring transcripts to your enrollment advisor meeting, and check the NU Key Grant for need-based aid.
Where another program may fit you better. If you want clinical volume near the 750-hour NTF benchmark, a doctoral pathway, or a certificate you can take from outside California or Texas, look elsewhere. Material fees make up a quarter to a third of the total, so compare all-in totals rather than credit rates. But for a California nurse whose biggest worry is securing a psych preceptor, NU solves that problem outright and gets you to the certification exam quickly.
Accreditation
The MSN-PMHNP specialization and the Post-Graduate PMHNP Certificate are both accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), and both are approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing. National University is institutionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). NU states that graduates of both tracks are eligible for the ANCC Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (Lifespan) certification exam.
You Should Know
- MSN availability varies by state. NU states the MSN is not available in all 50 states. Check NU’s licensure disclosures page before applying.
- California BRN approval matters in California. BRN approval supports California NP certification and furnishing privileges. Nurses in other states should confirm their own board accepts the program.
- Only ANCC is named. NU does not state AANPCB exam eligibility. Confirm with NU if you plan to test through AANPCB.
Review More PMHNP Programs in California
- Azusa Pacific University - Azusa
- Charles R Drew - Los Angeles
- CSU Fresno (Fresno State) - Fresno
- Loma Linda University - Loma Linda
- San Diego University - San Diego
- Touro University - Vallejo
- UC Davis - Sacramento
- UCLA - Los Angeles
- University of California San Francisco - San Francisco
- University of San Francisco - San Francisco
- Vanguard University - Costa Mesa
- Western University - Pomona