Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Cost | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| BS to DNP – PMHNP | ~$73,000 | ~3 years |
| Post-Master’s Certificate – PMHNP | ~$30,000 | ~2 years |
Bachelor of Science to Doctor of Nursing Practice – PMHNP
The estimated cost for the BS to DNP – PMHNP program is approximately $73,000 based on 79 total credits at $321.60 per credit hour plus differentials and fees, and would take 3 years (8 semesters) to complete on a full-time basis.
BSN DNP Curriculum
The BS to DNP – PMHNP curriculum includes core DNP coursework plus specialty emphasis courses:
Core DNP Courses:
- NURS 6670 – Advanced Evidence-Based Practice and Research
- NURS 6671 – Biostatistics for Evidence-Based Practice
- NURS 6672 – Advanced Population Health
- NURS 6673 – Quality and Safety
- NURS 6674 – Systems-Based Practice and Leadership
- NURS 6675 – Healthcare Finance and Economics
- NURS 6676 – Informatics and Healthcare Technologies
- NURS 6760 – Role of the Nurse Practitioner
- NURS 6767 – Clinical Diagnostic Reasoning
- NURS 6780 – Advanced Pathophysiology Across the Lifespan
- NURS 6782 – Advanced Pharmacotherapeutics Across the Lifespan
- NURS 7482 – Professional Issues for the Nurse Practitioner
- NURS 7911 – Doctor of Nursing Scholarly Project Planning
- NURS 7912 – Doctor of Nursing Scholarly Project Implementation
- NURS 7913 – Doctor of Nursing Scholarly Project Evaluation and Dissemination
PMHNP Emphasis Courses:
NURS6781 – Advanced Health Assessment Across the Lifespan
Builds doctoral NP students’ advanced, evidence-informed assessment skills to determine health status from infancy through older adulthood. Emphasizes holistic synthesis of history, exam, diagnostics, and social determinants to form precise clinical judgments.
NURS7160 – Foundations of Psychotherapeutics I
Introduces the core elements of individual psychotherapy—therapeutic alliance, empathy, boundaries, and reflective practice—within diverse cultural contexts. Students practice healing-oriented techniques while integrating self-awareness into lifespan care.
NURS7161 – Foundations of Psychotherapeutics II
Expands to family and group treatment using systems and process frameworks. Learners plan and facilitate developmentally appropriate interventions for varied populations and settings.
NURS7424 – Advanced Psychopharmacotherapy
Applies pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics to the safe, effective use of psychotropics across diagnoses and age groups. Stresses differential selection, monitoring, adverse-effect management, and collaborative prescribing.
NURS7425 – Introduction to Mental Health Assessment
Develops competence with evidence-based interview methods and standardized tools to generate differential diagnoses and initial care plans. Includes assessment at the individual, family, and community levels.
NURS7292 – Child and Adolescent Mental Health
Covers developmentally tailored screening, diagnosis, medication management, and psychotherapies for pediatric behavioral and psychiatric conditions. Emphasizes family engagement, school collaboration, and stepped-care approaches.
NURS7839 – Diagnosis & Management: Psychiatric/Mental Health Disorders I
Begins a sequenced deep dive into assessment and treatment of prevalent psychiatric disorders. Learners integrate guidelines with measurement-based care to craft person-centered plans.
NURS7951 – Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Practicum I
First clinical in a four-course series (120 direct hours) emphasizing foundational skills in interviewing, diagnosis, psychotherapy, and treatment planning under preceptor supervision.
NURS7840 – Diagnosis & Management: Psychiatric/Mental Health Disorders II
Builds on Part I with complex co-occurring conditions and multimodal interventions. Focuses on risk assessment, crisis stabilization, and care coordination across settings.
NURS7426 – Psychiatric Care of Older Adults
Prepares students to assess, diagnose, and treat late-life mental health conditions, including neurocognitive and mood disorders. Highlights age-related pharmacology, polypharmacy risks, and non-pharmacologic strategies that preserve function and dignity.
NURS7952 – Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Practicum II
Second clinical (120 direct hours) advancing NP role competencies in diagnostic reasoning, medication management, psychotherapy, and outcomes evaluation across the lifespan.
NURS7841 – Diagnosis & Management: Psychiatric/Mental Health Disorders III
Capstone didactic in the series addressing refractory illness, special populations, and integrated medical-psychiatric care. Emphasizes algorithmic treatment, ethical complexity, and interprofessional collaboration.
NURS7953 – Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Practicum III
Third clinical (240 direct hours) focusing on higher complexity cases, leadership at the point of care, and population-based quality improvement. Students refine autonomy while maintaining collaborative practice.
NURS7954 – Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Practicum Immersion
Final immersive clinical (360 direct hours) consolidating full-scope PMHNP competencies. Students manage diverse caseloads, demonstrate advanced psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy skills, and prepare for transition to independent practice.
More curriculum details are available at https://catalog.utah.edu/programs/NURPDNP.
BSN DNP Clinicals
Students complete a minimum of 900 direct patient care clinical hours across four practicum experiences:
- Practicum I (180 hours)
- Practicum II (120 hours)
- Practicum III (240 hours)
- Practicum Immersion (360 hours)
BSN DNP Admissions Requirements
- Completed College of Nursing Graduate Program Application by December 1 deadline
- Bachelor’s degree in nursing from regionally accredited university and nationally accredited nursing school (CCNE or ACEN)
- Active RN licensure in at least one NCSBN jurisdiction
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on 4.0 scale
- Minimum 1-2 years healthcare experience
- Upper division pathophysiology course completed within 5 years with minimum B- grade
- Statistics course completed within 5 years with minimum B- grade
- English proficiency exam (TOEFL or IELTS) required for non-native English speakers
- GRE not required
Post-Master’s Certificate – PMHNP
The estimated cost for the Post-Master’s Certificate program is approximately $30,000 based on 32 credits at $321.60 per credit hour plus differentials and fees, and would take approximately 2 years to complete.
Certificate Curriculum
The certificate curriculum includes focused psychiatric mental health coursework:
- NURS 6301 – Foundations of Psychotherapy: The Art & Science of Healing in Relationship
- NURS 6302 – Mental Health Assessment & Diagnostic Reasoning
- NURS 6310 – Mood and Anxiety Disorders
- NURS 6316 – Child/Adolescent Mental Health Assessment and Treatment
- NURS 6322 – Serious & Persistent Mental Illness
- NURS 6355 – Advanced Pathophysiology of Mental Illness
- NURS 6369 – Advanced Psychopharmacology
- NURS 7344 – Substance-Related and Addiction Disorder Therapy and Management
- NURS 7360 – Mental Health Assessment and Treatment of Older Adults
- NURS 7661 – Psychiatric/Mental Health Practicum I
- NURS 7662 – Psychiatric/Mental Health Practicum II
- NURS 7665 – Psychiatric/Mental Health Practicum V
- NURS 7666 – Psychiatric/Mental Health Residency
Certificate Clinicals
Certificate students complete clinical practicum hours through Practicum I, Practicum II, Practicum V, and a Psychiatric/Mental Health Residency experience.
Certificate Admissions Requirements
- Application as non-degree seeking student to University of Utah
- Certificate application submitted to College of Nursing
- Statement of interest
- Resume/CV
- Educational transcripts
- Current APRN certificate (Nurse Practitioner or Nurse Midwife)
- Board certification in at least one population focus (family, adult/gerontology, nurse midwifery, pediatrics, or women’s health)
- Master’s or doctorate degree in nursing
- Letters of recommendation
- Applications reviewed January/February using holistic review process
Tuition
Graduate nursing students pay $321.60 per credit hour plus a per-credit differential fee of $119.39 and mandatory fees including ASUU Activity ($23.70), Athletic ($82.69), Building, Computing, Fine Arts, Gardner Commons, Publication Council, Recreation, Student Life Center, and Transportation fees.
See the official tuition page for more details.
Accreditation
The program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME).
Additional Opportunities
University of Utah College of Nursing and Salt Lake City Veterans Affairs Medical Center offer an innovative 12-month Post-Graduate PMHNP Residency Training program designed for new PMHNPs committed to serving the veteran population.
Other Nursing Programs
The College of Nursing offers additional DNP specialty tracks:
- Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
- Nurse Midwifery
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
- Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner
- Nurse Midwifery and Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner
- Nursing Organizational Leadership (Master’s to DNP only)
- Dual DNP-PhD program
Other UTAH PMHNP Programs
View All PMHNP Programs in Utah
- Rocky Mountain University - Provo
- Weber State University - Ogden