The UMKC School of Nursing and Health Studies offers a PMHNP track for the MSN, BSN-DNP, MSN-DNP, and Post-MSN Certificate programs.
Our graduates work in outpatient mental health clinics, psychiatric emergency services, private practice and hospitals. They also provide primary mental health care that involves continuous and comprehensive services necessary to improve mental health, prevention and treatment of psychiatric disorders and health maintenance. PMHNPs diagnose, conduct therapy, and prescribe medications for patients who have mental health disorders. They may also serve as consultants or as educators.
Graduates of UMKC are eligible to sit for national certification as a PMHNP by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Most states require certification from ANCC and often require collaboration with a psychiatrist for prescriptive practice. To learn more about your license requirements and scope of practice, contact your state’s Board of Nursing.
Students are required to come to campus for an intensive each semester during their clinical courses. Faculty and advisors communicate campus dates early so students can plan their schedules.
We are now a part of State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) which allows us to offer online programs to students in other SARA states. We are able to accept and enroll students into most of our online programs in 48 states, including Washington, DC. We highly recommend that you review this information prior to submitting your application. Please review the state regulatory map to verify the status of your state’s regulations.
The online/distance format provides increased flexibility to complete one’s study compared to the traditional classroom format. We also offer in-state tuition regardless of your location. Geography might separate you from your professor, but our faculty members are committed to personal attention. Professors can be reached by phone and email.
The 46-credit hour distance learning PMHNP MSN program includes a minimum of 660-hours of clinical training. Most of the didactic learning is offered through synchronous and asynchronous learning activities through online learning platforms.
Students will be required to complete an onsite orientation and several onsite intensives during their psychiatric core courses. Clinical training with preceptors will begin in the specialty courses. Clinical experiences will include outpatient, inpatient and crisis settings. In addition, assessment, diagnostics, medication management and psychotherapy will be taught across the lifespan. Students obtain the clinical experiences with preceptors they select upon the approval by faculty.
We designed the graduate programs to give professionals flexibility. Our courses are conducted online, and some may require class/chat times. Class/chat times are scheduled on Thursdays or Fridays and are communicated well in advance.
Students use the Web-based software, Canvas, for their online courses. Courses are conducted in synchronous and asynchronous modes depending on the professor and class. You can log on to find homework, class assignments, a class list, a syllabus and more at any time. The program allows students to engage in interactive learning with faculty and other students in an online platform.
Spring 2025 Clinical Institute: Wednesday, January 15th & Thursday, January 16th
*Held via Zoom
Summer 2025 Clinical Institute: Wednesday, May 28th & Thursday, May 29th
*Held via Zoom
Full time MSN students complete the program in eight semesters. There is also a part time MSN option for eleven semesters. The full time study is not for the busy working professional, with the part time track providing an option for those that plan to continue working. Both plans provide a seamless transition to the DNP program, for those graduates wanting to apply.
The PMHNP MSN includes three separate comprehensive graduate-level courses in:
Content in:
The MSN educated Nurse Practitioner is prepared to enter advanced practice, ready to assume responsibility and accountability for the health promotion, assessment, diagnosis, and management of patient problems including the prescription of pharmacologic agents within a specialty area of clinical practice.
See the MSN AACN Essentials and the National Nurse Practitioner Faculties Core Competencies for all nurse practitioners.
We offer both BSN-DNP and MSN-DNP track options with the PMHNP specialty.
The PMHNP BSN-DNP is 74 credit hours and can be complete in ~4 years for full-time or ~5 years for part-time. It is recommended that those who plan to continue working while pursuing the PMHNP BSN-DNP opt for the part-time track, as the full-time track is not conducive to working professionals. A sample plan of study for the BSN-DNP is linked under Resources down below.
The PMHNP MSN-DNP is based on the core MSN-DNP curriculum while adding on the NP role via a certificate. The MSN-DNP is 31 credit hours and the PMHNP Certificate is 18 credit hours. We would work with the student to create a personalized plan of study to incorporate the necessary Certificate courses into the plan. If an applicant received their MSN in a Non-APRN specialty, we can add in the necessary APRN courses to the plan of study to adequately prepare for the PMHNP-specific courses within the Certificate program. A sample plan of study for the PMHNP Certificate is linked under Resources down below, and a sample plan of study for the MSN-DNP can be viewed here.
The DNP degree is also for those nurses seeking a terminal degree in nursing practice that offer an alternative to research-focused doctoral programs. The DNP prepared nurses are well-equipped to fully implement the science developed by nurse researchers prepared in PhD, DNSc, and other research-focused nursing doctorates.
See the DNP AACN Essentials and the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculty (NONPF) for all nurse practitioners.
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Corrina Beck
Senior Student Services Coordinator (A-K)
816-235-5788
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Georgia Campbell
Senior Student Services Coordinator (L-Z)
816-235-1740
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