Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est Cost | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| MSN – PMHNP | $23,040–$24,480 | 2–2.5 years (full-time) |
| Post-Master’s PMHNP Certificate | $9,600 | 1–1.5 years |
The university is a National League for Nursing Center of Excellence in Nursing Education (one of 17 nationwide in 2020) with graduates consistently achieving pass rates above 96% on national certification exams, and students benefit from flat-rate online tuition ($480 per credit hour) with no out-of-state tuition or additional operational fees.
Master of Science in Nursing with PMHNP
The estimated cost for the MSN-PMHNP program is $23,040-$24,480 and would take 2-2.5 years to complete on a full-time basis.
Estimate based on $480 per credit × 48-51 credits.
This CCNE-accredited program prepares students to function as psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners in a variety of settings including hospitals, behavioral clinics, primary care clinics, outpatient settings, and inpatient settings.
Graduates work alongside psychiatrists, social workers, and other psychiatric mental health NPs to provide counseling and therapy, playing a critical role in assessing, diagnosing, and developing treatment plans for patients across the lifespan.
MSN Curriculum
The 48-51 credit curriculum prepares advanced practice nurses through:
- comprehensive theoretical foundations
- research methodology
- pharmacotherapeutics
- health assessment
- diagnostic reasoning
- specialized psychiatric mental health coursework
Students complete either a thesis (6 credits of NURS 599) or a focused scholarly project (3 credits of NURS 595). All students must earn a minimum grade of “B” in all coursework and maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0; courses with grades below “B” must be repeated, and a course may only be repeated once.
Required Courses (48-51 credits)
NURS 500 – Theoretical Foundations of Advanced Nursing (3)
Students examine core nursing theories and related frameworks that guide advanced practice. Students craft a clear personal nursing philosophy for use across care settings.
NURS 505 – Applied Statistics for the Health Sciences (3)
Students apply statistical tests common in health research and interpret outputs. Students connect findings to practical clinical and quality questions.
NURS 517 – Pharmacotherapeutics for Advanced Practice Nursing (3)
Students use pharmacologic principles to select and manage therapies across the lifespan, including natural and alternative options. Students plan education and monitoring for safe outcomes.
NURS 502 – Generating Evidence for Nursing Practice (3)
Students learn research logic, design, measurement, and analysis with an evidence-based focus. Students develop a concise, practice-ready research proposal. Prereq: NURS 500 or 830, and NURS 505.
NURS 507 – Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning for Advanced Practice (3)
Students perform advanced, culturally aware assessments for individuals and families. Students use diagnostic reasoning models to distinguish normal from abnormal findings.
NURS 508 – Diagnostic Considerations and Psychopharmacology for Psychiatric Disorders (3)
Students match psychotropic therapies to specific mental illnesses using current standards. Students plan for optimal outcomes with clear monitoring strategies. Prereq: NURS 517.
NURS 509 – Population-Based Primary Care (3)
Students analyze theory, data, and policy that shape primary care for populations. Students synthesize evidence to inform equitable, cost-aware interventions. Prereq: NURS 500 or 830.
NURS 518 – Pathophysiology for Advanced Practice Nursing (3)
Students link advanced physiological and pathological processes to prevention and health promotion. Students apply concepts across diverse families and age groups.
NURS 590 – Psychotherapy for the Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurse (3)
Students study major psychotherapy approaches and the evidence behind them. Students plan therapy selections that fit diagnosis, context, and goals. Prereq: NURS 500, 502; Pre/Coreq: NURS 508.
NURS 591 – Advanced Nursing Practice: Psychiatric Mental Health I (5)
Students conduct initial diagnostics, risk assessments, and basic psychotherapeutic care for common disorders. Students manage cases using differential diagnosis and outcome tracking. Prereq: NURS 590.
NURS 599 – Thesis Research and Thesis (3–9)
Students design and complete a formal thesis that advances nursing knowledge. Students produce rigorous written work suitable for academic review. (MSN requires 6 thesis credits if this option is chosen.)
NURS 592 – Advanced Practice Nursing: Psychiatric Mental Health II (5)
Students advance competencies in diagnosis, clinical management, and group therapies for complex disorders across the lifespan. Students analyze risk and evaluate outcomes. Prereq: NURS 591.
NURS 595 – Focused Scholarly Project (3)
Students execute a practice-focused project that applies evidence to a real setting. Students deliver a product that improves teaching, research, or care processes. Prereq: NURS 502.
NURS 593 – Advanced Nursing Practice: Psychiatric Mental Health III (5)
Students refine the professional PMHNP role while expanding advanced clinical skills. Students provide lifespan care in clinical and community contexts with clear competency goals. Prereq: NURS 592.
NURS 581 – Business, Leadership, and Health Policy for Nurse Practitioners (3)
Students apply business, leadership, legal, and policy concepts to NP practice and service delivery. Students plan system-level improvements that align quality, cost, and access. Prereq: NURS 591 (PMHNP) or NURS 582 (FNP).
More curriculum details are available here.
MSN Clinicals
Students complete a minimum of 600 precepted direct patient care clinical hours distributed across three clinical practicum courses:
- NURS 591
- NURS 592
- NURS 593
All clinical experiences must be completed in the state of Louisiana under the supervision of approved preceptors.
Clinical rotations prepare students to work in diverse settings including hospitals, behavioral clinics, primary care clinics, outpatient and inpatient psychiatric settings, and provide experience with patients across the lifespan.
MSN Admissions Requirements
Prerequisites:
- Baccalaureate degree from an accredited undergraduate program
- Minimum overall undergraduate GPA of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale
- Statement of purpose
- Current resume or curriculum vitae
- Evidence of immunization
- Completion of a physical assessment (across the lifespan) course or evidence of physical assessment skills
- Completion of an undergraduate course in introductory statistics
- Unencumbered licensure as a registered nurse in Louisiana
- Application deadlines: Spring admission or Fall admission only
Students should note that the MSN program reserves the right to limit enrollment to make effective use of educational resources, with students selected by academic ranking based on overall GPA in graduate nursing courses.
Post-Master’s Certificate – PMHNP
The estimated cost for the Post-Master’s PMHNP Certificate program is $9,600 and would take 1-1.5 years to complete.
Estimate based on $480 per credit × 20 credits.
This accelerated certificate program is designed for advanced practice nurses who have earned an MSN degree from a nationally accredited nursing program and hold current national certification as an Acute Care NP, Adult NP, Family NP, Geriatric NP, or Women’s Health NP.
The program addresses the critical workforce shortage in Louisiana, where all 64 parishes have been designated as shortage areas for mental health professionals.
Certificate Curriculum
The 20-credit accelerated curriculum is delivered in four semesters with year-round course scheduling, allowing students to complete as a cohort.
Didactic courses are 100% online, while clinical courses include an online didactic component plus direct patient care experiences.
Students must earn a minimum grade of B- or greater in all courses; if less than B- is earned, the course must be repeated once, with failure to achieve B- or greater after one repeat resulting in disenrollment.
Required Courses (20 credits):
Semester 1 (6 credits):
- NURS 508 – Diagnostic Considerations and Psychopharmacology for Psychiatric Disorders (3)
- NURS 590 – Psychotherapy for the Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurse (3)
Semester 2 (5 credits):
- NURS 591 – Advanced Nursing Practice: Psychiatric Mental Health I (5)
Semester 3 (5 credits):
- NURS 592 – Advanced Practice Nursing: Psychiatric Mental Health II (5)
Semester 4 (4 credits):
- NURS 597 – Advanced Practice Nursing: Psychiatric Mental Health III (4)
More curriculum details are available here.
Certificate Clinicals
Post-Master’s Certificate students complete a minimum of 510 direct patient care clinical hours in Louisiana distributed across the four semesters:
- 60 observational hours in Semester 1
- 180 clinical hours in Semester 2
- 210 clinical hours in Semester 3
- 120 clinical hours in Semester 4
Students work with approved advanced practice preceptors guided by graduate faculty, with clinical experiences including direct patient care in hospitals, treatment centers, clinics, and telehealth services.
Certificate Admissions Requirements
Prerequisites:
- MSN degree from a CCNE or ACEN accredited graduate nursing program
- Minimum overall graduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
- Current unencumbered Louisiana or Multistate Registered Nurse license
- Current unencumbered Louisiana Advanced Practice Registered Nurse license
- National certification as Acute Care NP, Adult NP, Family NP, Geriatric NP, or Women’s Health NP
- Prerequisite coursework demonstrating adequacy of content across the lifespan including Advanced Health Assessment, Advanced Pharmacotherapeutics, and Advanced Pathophysiology
- Two letters of recommendation (one attesting to clinical competencies at Advanced Practice level; one from faculty, supervisor, or nursing leader)
- Current resume or curriculum vitae
- Statement of purpose
- Application fee ($25)
- Application deadlines: October 30 for spring enrollment; June 30 for fall enrollment
Official transcripts must be submitted directly to the Graduate School.
Tuition
Online graduate students pay a flat-rate tuition of $480 per credit hour for both programs. This rate applies to all students regardless of residency status, with no out-of-state tuition or additional operational and activity fees assessed.
Additional costs:
- Application fee: $25 (Post-MSN Certificate)
- Course fees including materials, labs, and proctoring fees (not included in per-credit rate)
The College of Nursing & Health Sciences provides scholarships each semester to graduate nursing students through the generosity of supporters.
See the official tuition page for more details.
Accreditation
The Master of Science in Nursing program at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and fully approved by the Louisiana State Board of Nursing. The program is offered through an affiliation with the Intercollegiate Consortium for a Master of Science in Nursing (ICMSN), a consortium of McNeese State University, Nicholls State University, Southeastern Louisiana University, and University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
Graduates are eligible to sit for the national Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner certification examination and apply for advanced practice licensure.
Other Nursing Programs
The LHC Group · Myers School of Nursing at University of Louisiana at Lafayette offers multiple degree programs:
Undergraduate Programs:
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) – Traditional four-year program
- RN to BSN (online)
Graduate Programs:
- Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) with Family Nurse Practitioner Concentration
- Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) with Nursing Education Concentration
- Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) with Nursing Executive Concentration
- Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Post-Master’s Certificates:
- Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Post-Master’s Certificate
Recognitions:
- National League for Nursing Center of Excellence in Nursing Education (2020 – one of 17 nationwide)
- Ranked among best nursing programs by U.S. News & World Report (2022)
- Stellar School designation by National Student Nurses’ Association
- BSN graduates achieve above 95% pass rate on NCLEX-RN for past 25 years
- MSN graduates achieve above 96% pass rate on national certification exams
Related PMHNP Programs
- Loyola University - New Orleans
- LSU Health - New Orleans
- Southeastern Louisiana University - Hammond