University of North Florida PMHNP Program

Brooks College of Health Jacksonville, FL

The University of North Florida’s Brooks College of Health offers two fully online PMHNP programs designed for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses seeking specialized mental health credentials.

    • DNP PMHNP – Post-MSN Doctor of Nursing Practice (68 credit hours)
    • PMHNP Certificate – Post-MSN Certificate (36 credit hours)

All programs are delivered entirely online with flexible full-time and part-time enrollment options, allowing students to complete clinical hours within their own communities.

Program Tracks Overview

Program TrackEst. Cost*Est. Duration
DNP PMHNP (Post-MSN)$33,560~4.5 years
PMHNP Certificate (Post-MSN)$17,766~3 years

*resident cost

The programs are built on AACN Essentials and NONPF Standards, preparing graduates to address the growing demand for mental health providers across various settings including outpatient clinics, hospitals, schools, correctional facilities, and telehealth environments. UNF limits enrollment to 14 total students per spring term across both tracks, ensuring personalized attention and quality clinical placements.

DNP PMHNP Program

The estimated cost for the DNP PMHNP program is approximately $33,560 for Florida residents ($71,010 for non-residents) and takes 4.5 years to complete on a full-time basis.

Curriculum

The DNP program spans nine semesters with courses covering the following:

NGR6531C – Psychotherapeutic Modalities & Nursing Theory for the PMHNP
Explores psychotherapeutic theories, modalities, and skills under PMHNP faculty guidance. Students apply nursing theoretical frameworks and develop therapeutic communication skills for individual, family, and group settings. Focus is on cognitive and didactic approaches to assess and treat dysfunctional mental health patterns and promote healthy interpersonal dynamics.

NGR6530 – Neuropathophysiology of Mental Illness for PMHNP
Covers neuroanatomy and pathophysiology related to brain function in mental illness. Integrates concepts from genetics, neurophysiology, and neuropsychiatry to support advanced practice. Applies neuroanatomy to clinical care, including psychopathology, psychotropic prescribing, and understanding learning, memory, and maladaptive behaviors.

NGR6538 – Psychopharmacology
Focuses on evidence-based pharmacological treatments for psychiatric conditions across the lifespan. Examines molecular, developmental, and environmental factors influencing mental illness. Reviews neurological anatomy, receptor function, and PMHNP responsibilities in achieving optimal treatment outcomes.

NGR6532 – Advanced Practice in Mental Health Nursing I: Psychiatric Assessment across the Lifespan
Provides foundational skills for mental health assessment across age groups. Emphasizes holistic, culturally sensitive evaluations guided by DSM criteria and other resources. Incorporates mental status exams, bio-psycho-social histories, lab data, genetic diagnostics, and screening tools.

NGR6532L – Advanced Practice in Mental Health Nursing Clinical Experience I: Assessment
Offers clinical practice in assessing and diagnosing mental health conditions across the lifespan. Students perform comprehensive, evidence-based evaluations using DSM criteria and validated tools. Includes application of mental status exams, histories, lab data, and genetic diagnostics.

NGR6673 – Principles of Epidemiology for Advanced Practice
Introduces frequency, distribution, and determinants of health states in populations. Covers epidemiological history, core concepts, statistics, and study design. Uses scientific literature to build skills in analyzing and applying epidemiological data.

NGR6533 – Advanced Practice in Mental Health Nursing II: Diagnostic Reasoning and Management of Adults
Focuses on diagnosing and managing adult mental health disorders using therapeutic and pharmacological strategies. Addresses pharmacogenomics and the influence of socio-political and environmental factors. Promotes holistic care for optimal treatment outcomes.

NGR6533L – Advanced Practice in Mental Health Nursing Clinical Experience II: Adults
Provides hands-on experience in assessing and managing adult mental health cases. Students apply DSM criteria, conduct mental status exams, gather histories, and use diagnostics. Emphasizes culturally sensitive, evidence-based practice.

NGR7767 – Practice Management in Advanced Nursing and Healthcare
Analyzes factors impacting the development and sustainability of healthcare practices. Evaluates business models, reimbursement systems, privileging, contracting, and human resource management.

NGR6534 – Advanced Practice in Mental Health Nursing III: Diagnostic Reasoning and Management in Pediatrics
Concentrates on pediatric and adolescent mental health, especially severe mental illnesses. Covers diagnostic reasoning, therapeutic approaches, psychopharmacology, and pharmacogenomics. Considers political, social, and environmental influences on care.

NGR6534L – Advanced Practice in Mental Health Nursing Clinical Experience III: Pediatrics
Engages students in clinical assessment and treatment of child and adolescent mental health disorders. Uses DSM criteria, mental status exams, histories, and diagnostics. Stresses holistic, culturally sensitive practice.

NGR7843 – Statistical Interpretation for Advanced Practice
Covers statistical methods used in healthcare research. Focuses on selecting and interpreting techniques for specific research questions. Emphasizes inferential methods to assess the strength of evidence.

NGR6535 – Advanced Practice in Mental Health Nursing IV: Simulation
Provides virtual simulation experiences for assessing and treating mental health conditions across the lifespan. Applies DSM criteria, mental status exams, and diagnostics to simulated cases, including severe mental illness and acute presentations.

NGR6536 – Advanced Practice in Mental Health Nursing V: Practicum
Integrates advanced practice nursing concepts into real-world settings. Focuses on professional role development, interdisciplinary collaboration, advocacy, and leadership within the PMHNP role.

NGR7850 – Evidence Based Practice I
Teaches strategies for implementing evidence-based practice to improve care quality. Guides students in forming clinical questions, conducting literature searches, and critically appraising research for patient outcome improvement.

NGR7851 – Evidence Based Practice II
Builds on EBP I by focusing on quality improvement methods. Involves designing and implementing processes to evaluate care outcomes and promote efficient, equitable, and patient-centered services.

NGR6536L – Advanced Practice in Mental Health Nursing Clinical Experience V: Practicum
Offers final clinical practicum for comprehensive mental health assessment and treatment. Involves applying DSM criteria, conducting mental status exams, and using diagnostics across the lifespan.

NGR6892 – Public Policy Implications for Advanced Practice
Examines healthcare policy creation, implementation, and change. Explores legislative and administrative processes and their impact on advanced nursing practice.

NGR6740 – Role Development in Advanced Practice Nursing
Prepares students for the advanced practice role through skill-building in communication, collaboration, and professional role analysis. Reviews historical, political, legal, and economic influences on nursing roles.

NGR7871 – Healthcare Informatics for Advanced Practice
Introduces informatics theory and practices for managing healthcare information. Discusses technology, telehealth, database development, and related ethical and legal issues.

NGR7946 – Residency in Advanced Nursing Practice
Provides a practicum for acquiring advanced clinical skills not achieved at the master’s level. Learning is guided by a preceptor and structured through a personalized learning contract.

NGR7974 – Doctoral Project
Involves developing a scholarly project addressing a healthcare or educational problem. Uses evidence-based analysis and national benchmarks to assess and improve practice or patient outcomes, with dissemination of results.

More curriculum details available here: https://catalog.unf.edu/programs/DNP-COH-DNP-68-MAJOR

The program requires 1,100 clinical hours distributed across assessment, adult care, pediatric care, simulation, and practicum experiences. Advanced courses cover practice management, role development, and a doctoral project with residency component.

DNP Program Requirements:

  • MSN from CCNE or ACEN accredited program
  • Active national NP certification (or CNM, CNS, CRNA with grade B or better in pathophysiology, pharmacology, and lifespan assessment)
  • Minimum graduate GPA of 3.50
  • Current APRN licensure in state of practice
  • One year RN experience at application
  • Current resume/CV of nursing roles
  • 500-word APA format essay via proctored platform addressing career goals, personal/professional changes for program success, and contemporary mental health issues
  • Admission interview
  • Must be located in Florida or intend Florida employment

PMHNP Certificate Program

The estimated cost for the PMHNP Certificate is approximately $17,766 for Florida residents ($37,592 for non-residents) and takes 3 years to complete on a full-time basis.

Curriculum

The 36-credit certificate curriculum focuses specifically on psychiatric mental health competencies without doctoral-level coursework.

Students complete core psychiatric courses including:

  • psychotherapeutic modalities
  • neuropathophysiology
  • psychopharmacology
  • advanced practice in mental health nursing

The program requires 800 clinical hours focusing on psychiatric assessment, adult mental health management, pediatric mental health care, simulation experiences, and comprehensive practicum rotations. Financial aid is not available for this non-degree certificate track.

Certificate Program Requirements:

  • MSN from accredited institution
  • Current APRN licensure
  • Active national NP certification (or CNM, CNS, CRNA with grade B or better in required core courses)
  • One year RN experience
  • Located in Florida or intend Florida employment
  • Same essay and interview requirements as DNP track

Tuition

Graduate programs cost $493.53 per credit hour for Florida residents and $1,044.27 per credit hour for non-residents. Additional distance learning fee of $30 per credit hour applies to online courses.

Eligible UNF alumni receive exclusive rates of $353.78 per credit (Florida residents) or $911.17 per credit (non-residents).

See the official tuition page for more details.

Accreditation

UNF’s nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The University of North Florida is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate, master’s, and doctorate degrees.

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