UCLA PMHNP Programs

Joe C Wen School of Nursing • Los Angeles, CA • Mostly Online • $440 /Credit

UC offers a 12-month, hybrid PMHNP Post-Graduate Certificate developed in collaboration with UC Irvine, UCSF, and UCLA.

Program Track Overview

Program NameEst. TuitionEst. DurationCredit Hours
Certificate$21,1151 year48

Delivered primarily online with three virtual immersions, the program includes regional clinical placements across California and weekly case conferences to fully prepare graduates for ANCC board certification.

Quick Facts

Program TypesPost-Master’s Certificate (single track); no MSN or DNP option
FormatHybrid — online coursework hosted via UC Davis, plus 3 virtual immersions per year; full-time only, 4 consecutive quarters
Clinical Hours500+ minimum (16-24 hrs/week)
Clinical PlacementFaculty arrange placements across California by student location; simulation labs available for synchronous practice statewide
PopulationAcross the lifespan
Distinctive CourseworkTelehealth practice preparation; case-based, systems-wide curriculum taught by faculty shared across UC Davis, UC Irvine, UCLA, and UCSF
ConcentrationsSingle PMHNP focus; no sub-concentrations
RN License RequirementsActive APRN licensure in California; current unencumbered RN license
Admission CyclePriority deadline Jan. 5 (decisions early March); space-available deadline May 1
Entrance ExamNot clearly stated; no GRE mentioned
Tuition$21,115/yr CA resident, $36,297/yr non-resident; rate varies by home UC campus — UC Davis’s published total for the same shared curriculum is $45,925
AccreditationCCNE (shared multicampus approval) + WSCUC institutional

Certificate Curriculum

The UC PMHNP Certificate requires 48 units of graduate academic coursework completed over four consecutive quarters.

Core courses are offered primarily online through UC Davis with virtual sessions for clinical case conferences and three virtual immersion sessions in summer, fall, and winter quarters.

The curriculum prepares students to sit for the ANCC Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (Across the Lifespan) Board Certification examination.

Program Structure:

  • Full-time enrollment required (12 units per quarter)
  • Four consecutive quarters (summer, fall, winter, spring)
  • Case-based immersion courses at UC Davis
  • Virtual classroom learning with clinical case conferences
  • Evening and weekend courses and clinical experiences may be required
  • Integrative case-based learning with technology and systems-wide perspectives

Required Content Areas:

  • Psychiatric assessment and symptom management across the lifespan
  • Psychopharmacology
  • Therapy modalities (individual, group, family psychotherapy)
  • Sociocultural factors affecting health care access
  • Structural barriers and system-level approaches to patient care
  • Clinical decision-making and leadership skills
  • Telehealth practice preparation

Specific course listings are determined through gap analysis based on prior graduate nursing education. Faculty from UCI, UCLA, and UCSF are involved in recruiting clinical placements, mentoring students, and teaching curricula.

Certificate Clinicals

The certificate requires at least 500 hours of supervised clinical experiences completed across all four quarters in students’ regional communities throughout California.

Students complete 16-24 hours per week of supervised clinical training in diverse psychiatric settings.

Clinical placements are arranged by nursing faculty across the UC system throughout the state to accommodate students’ geographic locations. Simulation labs allow for synchronous practice and feedback anywhere in California.

The hybrid/online model equips students with skills for serving as a PMHNP in telehealth environments.

Certificate Prerequisites & Admissions

  • Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree or equivalent, or higher degree at time of application
  • Foundation as Nurse Practitioner, Certified Nurse Midwife, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, or Certified Nurse Specialist
  • Current unencumbered Registered Nurse (RN) licensure
  • Licensed and certified as APRN in California with valid license for practice throughout program
  • Minimum cumulative bachelor’s degree GPA of 3.0
  • Completion of five ANCC prerequisite courses:
    • Advanced Physiology/Pathophysiology (including general principles across lifespan)
    • Advanced Physical/Health Assessment (all human systems, advanced techniques)
    • Advanced Pharmacology (pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, pharmacotherapeutics)
    • Health Promotion and/or Disease Prevention
    • Differential Diagnosis and Disease Management
  • Must meet ANCC national certification guidelines to sit for PMHNP board certification examination
  • Three letters of recommendation (academic performance, work supervisor, academic or professional reference from within last two years)
  • Statement of purpose (maximum 4,000 characters) addressing academic preparation, motivation, interests, career goals, understanding of PMHNP role, and professional goals
  • Personal history and diversity statement (maximum 4,000 characters) describing how personal background informs decision to pursue mental health specialization
  • Resume or CV (maximum four pages) including mental health experience, leadership, teaching, community service, research involvement
  • Official transcripts from all institutions attended
  • TOEFL scores for international applicants (scores valid two years, minimum TOEFL not specified, IELTS alternative accepted)
  • Completed UC Davis Office of Graduate Studies application
  • Application fee: $135 ($155 for international applicants)
  • Priority deadline: January 5 (decisions announced early March)
  • Space-available deadline: May 1 (decisions announced late May if spaces remain)
  • Admissions decisions made case-by-case basis; meeting criteria does not guarantee admission

Tuition

The program costs approximately $21,115 annually for California residents and $36,297 annually for non-California residents.

Full-time enrollment of 12 units per quarter is required. Additional costs may include textbooks, clinical supplies, liability insurance, clinical onboarding fees, and other program-specific materials.

Fee remissions may be available for graduate students who meet AAP eligibility requirements through their hiring department.

Be aware that:

  • This same collaborative certificate is also offered through UC Davis, UC Irvine, and UCSF, and published tuition differs by home campus — UC Davis’s own published total is $45,925, more than double UCLA’s resident rate.
  • Students are billed according to whichever UC campus formally admits them, not by which faculty teach a given course, so confirm the exact rate for your intended home campus before applying.

See the official tuition page for more details.

Why Choose This PMHNP Program?

UCLA’s published tuition for this shared UC-wide certificate is meaningfully lower than the same program’s cost at UC Davis, since certificate students are billed by their formally admitting campus.

The structured four-quarter, full-time format includes three virtual immersions and faculty-arranged clinical placements across California, with explicit preparation for telehealth psychiatric practice.

Faculty from UCI, UCLA, and UCSF all contribute to teaching and clinical mentoring, giving students exposure to instructors across the UC system rather than a single campus.

Accreditation

The UC PMHNP Certificate Program, delivered collaboratively with UC Davis, UC Irvine, and UCSF, is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

UCLA is institutionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC).

Graduates are prepared to sit for the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (Across the Lifespan) Board Certification examination.

Review More California PMNHP Programs

Check out our California PMHNP comparison page for help choosing a program