| Program Track | Duration | Est. Cost |
|---|---|---|
| DNP/PMHNP Post-Baccalaureate | 3-4 years | $87,324-$97,804 |
| DNP/PMHNP Post-Master’s | 3-4 years | $81,423-$91,204 |
Program Tracks Overview
The program is available at four WSU campuses: Spokane, Tri-Cities, Vancouver, and Yakima, with students from multiple states eligible through the Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) for in-state tuition rates.
Doctor of Nursing Practice – PMHNP (Post-Baccalaureate)
The estimated cost for the DNP/PMHNP Post-Baccalaureate program is $87,324-$145,138 and would take 3-4 years to complete on a full-time basis.
The program prepares nurses to provide comprehensive mental health care including diagnosis, treatment, medication management, and psychotherapy across the lifespan.
Graduates are prepared for national certification as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner and advanced practice licensure at the state level.
The program consists of approximately 74 credits combining didactic coursework, clinical practicum experiences, and a culminating DNP transformational project focused on healthcare improvement.
Post-Baccalaureate Curriculum
The Post-Baccalaureate track includes foundational DNP coursework plus psychiatric mental health specialty courses.
Year 1
NURS_ADV 576 – Organizational Systems and Leadership I (3 cr., 60 hrs leadership practicum).
Analyzes healthcare organizations and the advanced nurse’s role in leading change.
NURS_ADV 505 – Analytical Foundations for Practice Inquiry (3 cr.).
Applies quantitative methods and statistics to interpret research in healthcare.
NURS_ADV 581 – Advanced Pathophysiology (3 cr.).
Examines etiology, mechanisms, manifestations, and outcomes of human disease.
NURS_ADV 553 – Organizational Systems and Leadership II (3 cr., 60 hrs leadership practicum).
Integrates policy evaluation and quality improvement across dynamic care settings.
NURS_ADV 554 – Epidemiology and Biostatistics for Health Professions (3 cr.).
Introduces epidemiologic principles, study designs, and analysis for population health.
Year 2
NURS_ADV 563 – Advanced Pharmacology (3 cr.).
Covers prescribing, monitoring, and patient education for safe pharmacologic therapy.
NURS_ADV 565 – Information Management for Clinical Practice (3 cr.).
Applies nursing informatics and health information systems to support practice, research, and education.
NURS_ADV 530 – Theory of Psychopharmacology & Safe Prescribing Practices (3 cr.).
Reviews psychopharmacology across the lifespan, prescribing principles, and outcome monitoring.
NURS_ADV 584 – Health Care Law, Policy, and Analysis (3 cr.).
Analyzes policy, access, disparities, and social justice in U.S. healthcare.
NURS_ADV 591 – Introduction to Mixed Methods and Evaluation (3 cr.).
Designs and evaluates healthcare programs using mixed-methods approaches.
Year 3
NURS_ADV 544 – Therapeutic Modalities I: Introduction to Therapies (3 cr.).
Builds foundational theory for individual and group psychotherapy across the lifespan
NURS_ADV 562 – Advanced Health Assessment and Differential Diagnoses (3 cr., in-person lab).
Develops advanced assessment and diagnostic reasoning for diverse populations.
NURS_ADV 545 – Therapeutic Modalities II (3 cr.).
Applies therapy models in a supervised setting to deepen modality skills.
NURS_ADV 501 – Psychiatric Assessment, Diagnosis & Management of Children & Adolescents (3 cr.).
Introduces evaluation and management of common pediatric psychiatric disorders.
NURS_ADV 518 – Translating Evidence into Practice (3 cr., 60 hrs project practicum).
Appraises evidence and plans implementation for practice improvement.
NURS_ADV 547 – Therapeutic Modalities in Practice (3 cr., 120 hrs advanced practice practicum).
Provides clinical experience developing therapeutic relationships in selected modalities.
NURS_ADV 557 – DNP Project I (3 cr., 60 hrs project practicum).
Develops the proposal for the final DNP project.
Year 4
NURS_ADV 502 – Psychiatric Assessment, Diagnosis and Management of Adults and Geriatrics (3 cr.).
Covers evaluation and management of adult and geriatric psychiatric conditions.
NURS_ADV 555 – PMHNP Practicum I (3 cr., 180 hrs advanced practice practicum).
Builds initial competency in comprehensive, lifespan PMHNP care.
NURS_ADV 558 – DNP Project II (3 cr., 120 hrs project practicum).
Advances project design and begins data collection.
NURS_ADV 560 – PMHNP Practicum II (3 cr., 180 hrs advanced practice practicum).
Expands proficiency in independent PMHNP practice across settings.
NURS_ADV 559 – DNP Project III (3 cr., 120 hrs project practicum).
Implements and evaluates the DNP project.
NURS_ADV 582 – PMHNP Internship (3 cr., 180 hrs advanced practice practicum).
Culminating internship delivering comprehensive psychiatric mental health care.
More curriculum details are available here.
Post-Baccalaureate Clinicals
Students complete 1,000 total practicum hours divided between direct-care clinical hours (660 hours) and non-direct care practicum hours (including DNP project work).
Direct-care practicum hours involve working directly with individual patients in clinical settings, while non-direct care hours focus on leadership experiences and DNP project implementation.
Practicum hours must be completed in the catchment area of the campus of registration:
- Washington (all campuses)
- Idaho (Spokane campus)
- Oregon (Vancouver campus)
WSU clinical placement coordinators assist with direct-care practicum placements, while students establish their own sites and preceptors for non-direct care experiences.
Clinical hours in the workplace are permitted only outside the student’s direct unit or supervisory area with no reimbursement for practicum time.
Post-Baccalaureate Admissions Requirements
Education Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree in nursing from accredited nursing program within regionally accredited institution
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 across all college coursework
- Official transcripts from all previous college work
Licensure & Experience:
- Current, unencumbered RN license in Washington, Idaho (Spokane campus), or Oregon (Vancouver campus)
- Compact/Multi-State licenses acceptable if valid in Washington (and Oregon or Idaho if near state border)
- Fall 2025 cohort: 1 year of full-time nursing practice preferred
- Fall 2026 and beyond: 936 hours of nursing experience required (as RN, LPN, LVN, or RN residency)
Application Materials:
- Updated professional CV/Resume
- Copy of RN License (optional)
- Three professional references (one nursing faculty member recommended, two workplace professionals)
- Written response to prompt (500 words maximum with minimum 2 scholarly APA citations): Describe a situation that changed your understanding of social determinants of health and influenced your practice
- Virtual interview through Kira Talent platform
- Letter from previous graduate nursing school documenting good standing (if applicable)
Application Deadlines:
- Applications open: August 15
- Priority deadline: November 15
- Final deadline: January 15
- Program start: Following August
Doctor of Nursing Practice – PMHNP (Post-Master’s)
The estimated cost for the DNP/PMHNP Post-Master’s program is $81,423-$135,350 and would take 3-4 years to complete on a full-time basis.
The Post-Master’s track is designed for nurses who already hold a master’s degree in nursing or related field and want to add psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner specialization while earning a terminal DNP degree.
The program includes approximately 69 credits and prepares graduates for national PMHNP certification and state-level advanced practice licensure.
Post Masters Curriculum
The Post-Master’s track follows a similar structure to the Post-Baccalaureate program with potential transfer credits for previously completed coursework.
Year 1:
- NURS_ADV 576 – Organizational Systems and Leadership I (60 hrs. leadership practicum) (3 cr.)
- NURS_ADV 505 – Analytical Foundations for Practice Inquiry (3 cr.)
- NURS_ADV 581 – Advanced Pathophysiology (3 cr.)
- NURS_ADV 553 – Organizational Systems and Leadership II (60 hrs. leadership practicum) (3 cr.)
- NURS_ADV 554 – Epidemiology and Biostatistics for Health Professions (3 cr.)
Year 2:
- NURS_ADV 563 – Advanced Pharmacology (3 cr.)
- NURS_ADV 565 – Information Management for Clinical Practice (3 cr.)
- NURS_ADV 530 – Theory of Psychopharmacology & Safe Prescribing Practices (3 cr.)
- NURS_ADV 584 – Health Care Law, Policy, and Analysis (3 cr.)
- NURS_ADV 591 – Introduction to Mixed Methods and Evaluation (3 cr.)
Year 3:
- NURS_ADV 544 – Therapeutic Modalities I: Introduction to Therapies (3 cr.)
- NURS_ADV 562 – Advanced Health Assessment and Differential Diagnoses (3 cr., in-person lab course)
- NURS_ADV 545 – Therapeutic Modalities II (3 cr.)
- NURS_ADV 501 – Psychiatric Assessment, Diagnosis & Management of Children & Adolescents (3 cr.)
- NURS_ADV 518 – Translating Evidence into Practice (60 hrs. project practicum) (3 cr.)
- NURS_ADV 547 – Therapeutic Modalities in Practice (120 hrs. adv practice practicum) (3 cr.)
- NURS_ADV 557 – DNP Project I (60 hrs. project practicum) (3 cr.)
Year 4:
- NURS_ADV 502 – Psychiatric Assessment, Diagnosis and Management of Adults and Geriatrics (3 cr.)
- NURS_ADV 555 – PMHNP Practicum I (180 hrs. adv practice practicum) (3 cr.)
- NURS_ADV 558 – DNP Project II (120 hrs. project practicum) (3 cr.)
- NURS_ADV 560 – PMHNP Practicum II (180 hrs. adv practice practicum) (3 cr.)
- NURS_ADV 559 – DNP Project III (120 hrs. project practicum) (3 cr.)
- NURS_ADV 582 – PMHNP Internship (180 hrs. adv practice practicum) (3 cr.)
More curriculum details are available here.
Post Masters Clinicals
Post-Master’s students complete 1,140 total practicum hours divided between advanced practice clinical hours (660 hours) and project practicum hours (480 hours). Clinical experiences follow the same placement guidelines as the Post-Baccalaureate track, with practicum sites in Washington, Idaho (Spokane campus), or Oregon (Vancouver campus). Students work with clinical placement coordinators for direct-care experiences and establish their own sites for non-direct care DNP project work.
Post Masters Admissions Requirements
Education Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree in nursing or another field from regionally accredited institution
- Master’s degree in nursing from CCNE or NLNAC accredited program, OR graduate nurse anesthesia degree from CCAANA accredited program, OR graduate nurse-midwifery degree from ACME accredited program
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 across all college coursework
- Official transcripts from all previous college work
Licensure & Experience:
- Current, unencumbered RN license in Washington, Idaho (Spokane campus), or Oregon (Vancouver campus)
- Fall 2025 cohort: 1 year of full-time nursing practice preferred
- Fall 2026 and beyond: 936 hours of nursing experience required
Transfer Credits:
- Transfer credits evaluated after admission
- Requires syllabi and grade of B or better
- Must be completed within 10-year window for WSU DNP program completion
Application Materials & Deadlines:
- Same requirements and deadlines as Post-Baccalaureate track
Tuition
Graduate tuition for the DNP program is $1,180.05 per credit for residents and $1,961.60 per credit for non-residents (AY 2025-26).
Individual campuses charge additional annual fees: Spokane $804, Yakima $804, Tri-Cities $968, Vancouver $642.
Course and program fees vary per semester and total approximately $6,000 over the degree duration.
Estimated book costs for the entire program are approximately $1,300. Students participating in the Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) from 16 western states can access resident tuition rates when enrolling in 9+ credits (fall/spring) or 5+ credits (summer).
See the official tuition page for more details.
Accreditation
The prelicensure BSN, RN-BSN, MN, and DNP programs at Washington State University College of Nursing are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and approved by the Washington State Board of Nursing.
Other Nursing Programs
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) – Prelicensure
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) – RN to BSN Track
- Master of Nursing (MN)
- Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) – Family Nurse Practitioner Track
- Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) – Post-Master’s General Track
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Nursing
- Bachelor of Arts in Social Work
More PMHNP Programs in Washington
View All PMHNP Programs in Washington
- University of Washington - Seattle