Program Track Overview
This highly-ranked program emphasizes a holistic approach by blending neuroscience with advanced psychotherapy and psychopharmacology.
Master of Science in Nursing – PMHNP
The estimated cost for the full-time MSN program is $103,526 and would take 14 months to complete on a full-time basis.
The estimated cost for the part-time MSN program is $105,814 and would take three years to complete on a part-time basis.
Curriculum
The MSN curriculum requires a total of 14 Course Units (CUs) and focuses on biopsychosocial assessment, diagnosis, medication management, and advanced psychotherapy skills.
Core Courses (7 CUs)
NURS 6080 – Advanced Pharmacology and Therapeutics for Nursing Practice
Covers advanced clinical pharmacology for managing common acute and primary care conditions across the lifespan. Builds on undergraduate pharmacology to support safe prescribing, medication selection, and monitoring by advanced practice nurses.
NURS 6240 – Pathogenesis of Mental Disorders and Psychopharmacology Across the Lifespan
Explores brain–behavior relationships and biological bases of psychiatric diagnoses using DSM-5 frameworks. Emphasizes psychopharmacology, case-based application, and evidence-based decision making for diverse clients across the lifespan.
NURS 6560 – Professional Role Issues for Nurse Practitioners
Examines social, economic, health, and professional issues that shape primary health care delivery. Prepares future NPs to understand and respond to role expectations, practice challenges, and community-based care needs.
NURS 6570 – Advanced Physical Assessment and Clinical Decision Making
Develops advanced assessment skills through lecture and lab with live practice on peers, models, and patients. Focuses on data collection, patient interaction, and forming accurate clinical hypotheses before entering supervised clinical practice.
NURS 6070 – Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology
Integrates advanced physiology and pathophysiology with clinical implications across the lifespan. Reviews cellular, genetic, and organ-level changes in disease and links recent scientific advances to new diagnostic and management approaches.
NURS 6370 – Introduction to Research Methods and Design
Introduces research methods, design, and statistics needed to evaluate nursing studies and outcomes. Stresses critical appraisal of published research and development of evidence-based projects for advanced practice nurses.
NURS 5470 – Scientific Inquiry for Evidence-based Practice
Strengthens understanding of scientific inquiry, quantitative and qualitative methods, and analytic techniques. Prepares students to appraise research, rate evidence, use health information technology, and translate findings into quality improvement and evidence-based practice.
Theory Courses (5 CUs)
NURS 5260 – Child and Adolescent Mental Health
Prepares advanced practice nurses to prevent, assess, and treat psychiatric disorders in children, adolescents, and their families. Addresses pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic care, school and primary care systems, special populations, and mental health policy.
NURS 5320 – Cognitive Behavioral Strategies in Health Care
Introduces cognitive therapy principles for a wide range of clinical problems, including mood and anxiety disorders and health-related issues. Highlights the link between thoughts and emotions and helps students apply CBT-based self-help and therapeutic techniques.
NURS 6250 – Clinical Modalities Across the Life Cycle in Advanced Practice Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing
Reviews key therapeutic approaches such as crisis intervention, brief psychotherapy, group work, milieu therapy, and family interventions. Focuses on selecting and using these modalities in psychiatric mental health nursing across the life span.
NURS 6260 – Family and Organizational Systems Across the Life Span
Applies Bowen Family Systems Theory to families and organizations over time. Uses a systems lens to understand family life cycles, emotional problems, and organizational behavior, with discussion of related research and comparison to other theories.
NURS 6280 – Mental Health and Aging
Examines psychosocial and cultural factors that shape coping and behavior in older adults. Emphasizes strategies to promote mental health, and approaches to assess and manage common acute and chronic psychiatric conditions in later life.
Clinical Courses (3 CUs)
NURS 7050 – Advanced Practice Nursing Practice: Psychiatric Mental Health NP I
Provides supervised PMHNP practice with children, adolescents, adults, or older adults and their families in varied settings. Emphasizes clinical assessment, diagnosis, and early decision making with required practice hours and small-group supervision.
NURS 7060 – Advanced Practice Nursing Practice: Psychiatric Mental Health NP II
Continues supervised PMHNP practice with a more diverse caseload across the lifespan. Focuses on refining interventions, expanding clinical skills, and deepening therapeutic work under structured supervision.
NURS 7070 – Advanced Practice Nursing Practice: Psychiatric Mental Health NP III
Completes the supervised PMHNP clinical sequence with attention to outcome evaluation, termination, and professional role development. Supports synthesis of advanced skills and readiness for independent practice through ongoing supervised hours.
More curriculum details are available here.
Clinicals
The program utilizes a three-semester clinical practicum where students are exposed to a variety of psychiatric populations across the lifespan.
Clinical placements, including onsite preceptors, are arranged and coordinated by the School within the Penn network and other leading health systems.
Students also participate in weekly small group seminars on campus to share experiences and receive supervision.
Prerequisites & Admissions
The program admits students for the Summer semester.
- Minimum qualifications: BSN degree with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
- Prerequisites: Successful completion of a college level statistics course.
- Licensure: Current RN license.
- The Leonard A. Lauder Community Care Nurse Practitioner Program Fellowship offers a free Penn education to students committed to working in underserved communities post-graduation.
Tuition
Tuition is charged per Course Unit (CU), not per credit hour, with a rate of $6,890 per CU for Summer 2025 enrollment or Fall/Spring registration of less than 4 CUs.
Full-time registration (4 CUs or more in Fall/Spring) is charged a flat tuition rate of $27,419 per semester, plus mandatory general, tech, and clinical fees.
See the official tuition page for more details.
Accreditation
Penn Nursing is highly-ranked by U.S. News and World Report and holds accreditation for its MSN program.
Graduates are eligible to apply for national certification through the designated certifying body for the PMHNP specialty.
Other Nursing Programs
Penn Nursing offers a diverse array of advanced programs, including:
- Acute Care APRN (Adult-Gerontology, Neonatal, Pediatric Acute Care NP)
- Primary Care APRN (FNP, Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP, Pediatric Primary Care NP, Women’s Health/Gender-Related NP)
- Advanced Specialist Program (Nurse-Midwifery)
- Leadership Program (Nursing and Healthcare Leadership)
- Master of Professional Nursing (MPN)
- Doctoral Programs (DNP and PhD in Nursing)
Related Programs
View All PMHNP Programs in Pennsylvania
- Drexel University - Philadelphia
- Jefferson University - Philadelphia
- Pennsylvania State University - University Park
- University of Scranton - Scranton
- York College - York