Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN | $36K in-state | 2–3 yrs | 46 |
| Post-MSN | Varies | Varies | Gap analysis |
Wright State’s defining advantage is direct PMHNP faculty supervision across all three practicums, combined with a psychiatric nursing experience requirement that creates a cohort of seasoned mental health RNs. The trade-off is geography: weekly Tuesday on-campus classes during practicum terms make this a Dayton-area commitment, not a distance program.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Types | MSN (BSN entry); individualized second master’s / post-master’s options |
| Format | Hybrid: online courses; weekly Tuesday campus classes in practicum terms; 2-day campus assessment |
| Clinical Hours | 560 total (112 + 168 + 280 across three practicums) |
| Clinical Placement | Model not clearly stated; school cites strong community clinical partnerships |
| Distinctive Coursework | Biostatistics for evidence-based practice; population health |
| RN License Requirements | Unencumbered U.S. RN license |
| Psychiatric Experience Gate | 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time psychiatric nursing required |
| Tuition | ~$35,880 in-state (46 credits × $780); out-of-state not clearly stated |
| Accreditation | CCNE (master’s program), verified from school’s pages |
MSN — Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Concentration
The estimated tuition for the MSN PMHNP concentration at Wright State is approximately $35,880 for Ohio residents (46 credits at $780/credit).
The program can generally be completed in about 2–3 years depending on full- or part-time pacing, with individualized plans built for part-time and transfer students.
MSN Curriculum
The 46 credits split into 24 credits of graduate nursing core and 22 credits of PMHNP specialty training.
Two design choices stand out:
First, statistics is taught as a dedicated biostatistics course aimed at appraising research data, not a token research-methods module — useful for nurses who plan to evaluate psychiatric treatment evidence critically.
Second, the specialty content is concentrated in three practicum courses that pair didactic psychiatric training directly with escalating clinical work, rather than separating theory courses from fieldwork. Assessment, pathophysiology, and pharmacology are all taught across the lifespan, consistent with the PMHNP role’s all-ages scope.
Core and Support Courses
- NUR 7001 – Role Development and Leadership
- NUR 7003 – Health Policy, Politics, and Issues
- NUR 7005 – Nursing Research and Evidence for Practice
- HLT 7001 – Introduction to Biostatistics for Evidence-Based Practice
- NUR 7102 – Advanced Pathophysiology Across the Lifespan
- NUR 7103 – Applied Pharmacology and Therapeutics Across the Lifespan
- NUR 7104 – Advanced Health Assessment Across the Lifespan
- NUR 7105 – Population Health
PMHNP Practicum Sequence
- NUR 7611 – PMHNP Practicum I: symptom assessment, diagnostic reasoning, prevention
- NUR 7612 – PMHNP Practicum II: pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatment selection
- NUR 7613 – PMHNP Practicum III: primary psychiatric care for complex needs
More curriculum details are available here.
MSN Clinical Requirements
- 560 total clinical hours: Practicum I (112) + Practicum II (168) + Practicum III (280)
- Three sequential practicums with escalating responsibility, all supervised by PMHNP faculty
- Required Tuesday on-campus classes during each practicum term
- Two-day on-campus physical assessment requirement
- Placement model (school-arranged vs. student-found) not clearly stated
At 560 hours, the clinical requirement sits just above the 500-hour national floor but below Ohio peers like University of Toledo (780) and Ohio University (750). What Wright State trades in volume it returns in oversight: direct PMHNP faculty supervision of every practicum is uncommon — most programs rely on off-site preceptors with periodic faculty check-ins. The weekly Tuesday campus sessions reinforce that model but require commuting to Dayton throughout the clinical phase. The final 280-hour practicum is nearly a half-time clinical load; working nurses should plan schedules accordingly.
MSN Admissions
The notable gate: applicants need documented psychiatric nursing experience, which screens out RNs coming from med-surg or other non-psych backgrounds.
- BSN from an accredited institution
- Minimum 3.0 GPA
- Unencumbered U.S. RN license
- 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time psychiatric nursing experience
- Two-step application: Graduate School application, then School of Nursing application
- Background check and supervisor/faculty references
Second Master’s / Post-Master’s Option
Wright State offers individualized second master’s and post-master’s pathways for nurses who already hold a graduate nursing degree and want psychiatric specialization.
Tuition, credits, and duration are not clearly stated because each plan is built from a gap analysis of prior didactic coursework and clinical hours — an NP switching specialties completes only what their transcript lacks. This can meaningfully reduce cost versus repeating a full 46-credit program, but the price is unpredictable until the analysis is done. Contact the School of Nursing for an individualized plan before comparing this option against fixed-credit certificates elsewhere.
Tuition
Total estimated tuition for the MSN is approximately $35,880 for Ohio residents, derived from 46 credit hours at $780 per credit.
- Out-of-state per-credit rate: not clearly stated in the source
- Mandatory fees beyond the per-credit rate (program, clinical, or technology fees): not clearly stated
- Second master’s / post-master’s cost varies by gap analysis
Because fee data is unavailable, treat $35,880 as a tuition floor rather than an all-in figure; public universities commonly add per-semester fees that raise real cost.
Verify on the official tuition page.
Why Choose This PMHNP Program?
Best suited for experienced psychiatric RNs in the Dayton region who want close faculty mentorship over maximum flexibility.
The psychiatric experience requirement is unusual among Ohio PMHNP programs and works in students’ favor twice: your classmates arrive with real mental health nursing judgment, and faculty can teach at a higher clinical level because no one is learning psychiatric basics. Pair that with PMHNP faculty supervising all 560 clinical hours and weekly in-person practicum classes, and you get a level of instructional oversight that preceptor-dependent online programs cannot match. For nurses anxious about being left to sink or swim with a distant preceptor, that structure is the strongest reason to apply here.
The honest trade-offs: at $35,880 in-state, Wright State costs roughly $15,000 more than Kent State ($20,756), which is fully online with no psychiatric experience gate. Its 560 clinical hours also trail Ohio University (750) and University of Toledo (780). And the Tuesday campus requirement rules it out for most nurses outside commuting range of Dayton. If you live near Dayton, already work in psych, and value supervised training over price, Wright State is a strong mid-priced choice; if you need distance flexibility or lack psych experience, look elsewhere in the state first.
Accreditation
The master’s degree program in nursing at Wright State University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), as stated on the school’s own program pages (“The master’s degree program in nursing at Wright State University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education”); the university reported CCNE reaccreditation of its bachelor’s, master’s, DNP, and postgraduate APRN certificate programs in 2025. Wright State is a public university institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. The university states graduates are eligible for certification through either ANCC or AANPCB — dual eligibility worth noting, since some programs prepare only for the ANCC exam.
Review More Ohio PMNHP Programs
- Cleveland State University - Cleveland
- Kent State - Kent
- Mount Carmel - Columbus
- Ohio State University - Columbus
- Ohio University - Athens
- Ursuline College - Pepper Pike
- University of Toledo - Toledo