University of Arizona PMHNP Program (Psych NP)

Program Tracks Overview

Students complete 720 clinical hours across hybrid learning formats combining online coursework with on-campus intensives. The program serves an average cohort size of 30 students.

Program	Est. Cost (Residents)	Duration (Full-Time)
DNP-PMHNP Program	$70,551	2.5 years
PMHNP Certificate Program	$35,802	1.25 years

DNP-PMHNP Program

The estimated cost for the DNP-PMHNP program is approximately $70,551 for residents ($105,702 for non-residents) and would take 2.5 years to complete on a full-time basis.

Curriculum

The rigorous 67-credit curriculum includes the following courses:

NURS 629 – Statistical Inference for Evidence-based Practice
Introduces principles of statistical inference and their application to analyzing and interpreting quantitative data. Students learn to interpret data in the context of answering clinical practice questions.

NURS 652 – Methods for Scholarly Inquiry
Covers research methodologies for identifying and solving clinical problems. Students learn to search and evaluate literature, assess quantitative evidence, and use methods such as needs assessments, surveys, and focus groups.

NURS 695B – DNP Forum: The Scholarship and Practice of Nursing
Provides an introduction to doctoral-level education for advanced practice nurses. Focuses on ethics, scholarship, leadership, and APA-format scholarly writing skills essential to the DNP role.

NURS 704 – Philosophy and Theory for the DNP
Explores philosophical and theoretical foundations of nursing knowledge with emphasis on middle-range theories. Students develop conceptual frameworks connecting theory, philosophy, and practice for doctoral inquiry.

NURS 501 – Advanced Physiology & Pathophysiology
Examines physiological and pathophysiological processes across the lifespan, including cellular, molecular, immune, neurological, endocrine, cardiovascular, hematologic, muscular, pulmonary, renal, and digestive systems.

NURS 642 – Health Policy and Economics
Analyzes health policy development, economics, and advocacy. Students compare U.S. and international systems and explore the role of advanced practice nurses in policy and healthcare reform.

NURS 751 – Evidence-Based Practice
Teaches methods for finding, translating, and applying evidence to improve patient outcomes. Covers evaluating research, generating practice-based evidence, and integrating findings into policy and clinical practice.

NURS 572 – Advanced Pharmacotherapeutics for Nursing
Reviews clinical pharmacology for managing acute and chronic diseases across the lifespan. Emphasizes drug selection, dosage adjustment, adverse effects, and prescribing considerations for older adults.

NURS 752 – Evaluation Methodologies for Safety and Quality Improvement
Focuses on evaluating safety and quality in healthcare. Covers research integrity, outcome measurement, evaluation designs, cost-effectiveness, and methods for communicating findings.

NURS 573 – Psychopharmacology
Examines the neurophysiological basis of psychiatric disorders and the pharmacology of related medications. Emphasizes mechanisms, side effects, contraindications, discontinuation, and patient/family education across the lifespan.

NURS 609A – Health Assessment
Prepares students to conduct comprehensive physical and mental health exams. Focus includes history-taking, wellness assessment, screening, and development of differential diagnoses.

NURS 646 – Healthcare Informatics: Theory & Practice
Covers the theoretical foundations of healthcare informatics, focusing on data management, regulations, organizational applications, and emerging trends in health technology.

NURS 688 – Organizational Leadership and Finance in Health Systems
Examines leadership strategies, emotional intelligence, and change management in healthcare systems. Addresses financial principles, economics, and planning for quality improvement initiatives.

NURS 542 – Pediatric Pharmacotherapeutics
Focuses on pharmacologic principles and prescribing considerations specific to pediatric patients.

NURS 628 – Introduction to Behavioral Health Therapy Across the Lifespan
Introduces individual, group, and family therapy concepts. Addresses biological, emotional, social, cultural, and spiritual influences while emphasizing health promotion, disease prevention, and therapeutic relationships.

NURS 629A – Advanced Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing I
Covers advanced mental health assessment, diagnosis, and management across the lifespan. Includes pharmacologic and therapeutic approaches, cultural considerations, and 180 supervised clinical hours.

NURS 629C – Advanced Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing III: Child and Adolescent
Focuses on psychiatric assessment, diagnosis, and treatment for children and adolescents. Emphasizes cultural and biopsychosocial considerations with supervised practicum experiences.

NURS 629B – Advanced Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing II
Expands on skills from NURS 629A with deeper focus on assessment, diagnosis, and management. Includes 180 practicum hours emphasizing psychotherapy, psychopharmacology, and direct patient care.

NURS 695C – Interprofessional Collaboration in Healthcare Teams
Examines competencies for effective interprofessional collaboration, including communication, teamwork, ethics, and patient-centered care in community and population health settings.

NURS 683 – Advanced Practice Nursing Issues in the Care of Older Adults
Explores physiological and psychological aging, assessment, and management of geriatric conditions. Addresses polypharmacy and the APRN’s role in evidence-based, collaborative care.

NURS 629D – Clinical Residency
Provides supervised clinical experiences to develop advanced practice competencies. Students apply clinical decision-making skills within their specialty scope of practice.

NURS 753 – Population Health for DNPs
Covers epidemiology, prevention, and population health concepts. Students evaluate practice issues and social trends affecting health outcomes.

NURS 922 – DNP Project
Involves independent doctoral-level research or practice inquiry, leading to a final scholarly project that integrates evidence-based solutions into practice.

More curriculum details available here:

Clinical requirements include 720 hours of supervised practice distributed across multiple placements. Students engage in advanced family psychiatric mental health nursing rotations, clinical residency experiences, and specialized practicum opportunities focusing on diverse patient populations across the lifespan.

PMHNP Certificate Program

The estimated cost for the PMHNP Certificate program is approximately $35,802 for residents ($53,703 for non-residents) and would take 1.25 years to complete on a full-time basis.

Curriculum

The 34-credit certificate curriculum covers essential psychiatric nursing competencies including psychopharmacology, advanced pharmacotherapeutics, and behavioral health therapy across the lifespan. Core courses include health assessment, advanced physiology and pathophysiology, and specialized psychiatric mental health nursing practice.

The program culminates in a comprehensive clinical residency experience.

Students must complete 720 clinical hours through structured practicum experiences. The certificate prepares graduates to function as psychiatric providers treating patients across the lifespan and qualifies them to sit for the PMHNP national board certification examination.

Prerequisites & Admissions

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from regionally accredited institution
Current registered nurse (RN) licensure
Minimum GPA of 2.75 on 4.0 scale
For certificate program: Master’s or doctorate as Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN)
Applications submitted through NursingCAS and University of Arizona Graduate College
Personal statement and letters of recommendation required
Proof of English proficiency for international applicants from non-English speaking countries

Tuition

Graduate tuition costs $1,053 per credit hour with additional AFAT fees of $30.50 for 1-6 units or $61.00 for 7+ units per semester. See the official tuition page for more details.

Accreditation

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program at The University of Arizona College of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. The university holds recognition as a top 1% higher education institution according to the Center for World University Rankings (2024).

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