Program Track Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graduate Certificate in PMHNP | $13,176 | 1–2 years | 24 |
UAA’s Defining Advantage
UAA is built for advanced practice nurses who are already certified as an NP in another specialty and are licensed to practice in Alaska. It’s the only PMHNP program in the state, and every clinical hour is completed locally.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Type | Graduate Certificate only |
| Format | Hybrid — online didactic coursework with 1–2 required campus intensives per semester |
| Clinical Hours | 750, all completed within Alaska |
| Clinical Placement | Priority placement near the student’s home community, subject to preceptor availability |
| Population | Across the lifespan |
| RN/NP Requirements | Active, unencumbered Alaska RN license and Alaska APRN license as a certified NP in another specialty |
| Tuition | $549/credit resident; $1,173/credit non-resident (WRGP not eligible for certificates) |
| Accreditation | ACEN (nursing); NWCCU (institutional) |
Curriculum
The 24 credits assume the student’s original nursing master’s already covered advanced pharmacology, pathophysiology, and health assessment; any of the three that are missing get added through a gap analysis with a faculty advisor.
- NSG A611 – Psychopharmacology for Advanced Nursing
- NSG A670 – Advanced Practice Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing I
- NSG A671 – Advanced Practice Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing II
- NSG A672 – Advanced Practice Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing III
- NSG A673 – Advanced Practice Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing IV (capstone practicum and seminar)
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
The program admits once a year: UAA does not run rolling or multiple admission cycles for this certificate, so missing the annual deadline means waiting a full year to reapply.
Clinical Requirements
- 750 total clinical hours of direct patient care
- All PMHNP clinical experience must be completed within the state of Alaska
- Clinical hours must align with the preceptor’s schedule, typically Monday through Friday
750 hours matches the direct patient care floor in the 2022 NTF Standards exactly. UAA prioritizes placing students near their home community, but final site decisions depend on local preceptor and agency availability, particularly in rural areas.
Admissions
- Graduate degree in nursing (master’s or doctoral) from a CCNE- or ACEN-accredited program
- Active, unencumbered Alaska RN license
- Active, unencumbered Alaska APRN license, with documented national certification as an advanced nurse practitioner in a specialty other than PMHNP
- Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA
- Faculty advisor meeting to build an academic plan based on a gap analysis of prior coursework
- Immunization records, current CPR certification, background check, health insurance, and professional liability insurance before clinical courses begin
You Should Know
This program is not open to new-to-practice nurses: applicants must already hold active NP licensure and certification in Alaska before applying. Nurses without an existing NP credential don’t qualify for this pathway at all.
Tuition
Cost per credit at UAA is $549 for Alaska residents and $1,173 for non-residents, current 2026–2027 rates. The Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP), which extends resident pricing to students from 14 western states, does not cover certificate programs at UAA.
- Alaska residents: $13,176 (24 credits at $549/credit)
- Non-residents: $28,152 (24 credits at $1,173/credit)
Be aware that:
- Students arrange and pay for their own transportation to clinical sites, and must purchase uniforms and specialized equipment separately from tuition.
See the official tuition page for current rates.
Why Choose This Program?
Best suited for an Alaska-licensed nurse practitioner in another specialty who wants to add PMHNP without leaving the state for clinical training.
Alaska’s only PMHNP program. For NPs who must remain in-state, there is no alternative in-state option, and every clinical placement happens locally rather than requiring travel out of state.
The trade-off is eligibility: this certificate is closed to nurses without existing NP licensure and certification, and clinical placement in rural Alaska depends heavily on local preceptor availability, which UAA does not guarantee.
Accreditation
The University of Alaska Anchorage’s nursing programs, including the associate, baccalaureate, master’s, and post-master’s certificate levels, are accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).
The University of Alaska Anchorage is institutionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU).
Graduates are eligible to sit for the national PMHNP certification exam through either the ANCC or the AANP.