Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

Medical professional providing counseling

Kent State's Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner master's concentration will prepare you to provide advanced psychiatric nursing care to individuals, families, and groups across the lifespan.

Today, many Americans do not have access to mental health services, in part due to a lack of qualified mental health professionals. Nurses who become Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners (PMHNPs) help bridge this gap and provide holistic care to those who are struggling with mental illnesses and addictions.

The Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner concentration builds on core advanced practice nursing knowledge and focuses on knowledge and skill development in mental health assessment and diagnostic reasoning, prescribing and medication management, and advanced therapeutic modalities such as individual, group, and family psychotherapy.

In this role, you may be employed in a variety of settings, including community mental health centers, private practice, primary care, emergency settings, correctional facilities, and on consultation/liaison teams in hospitals.

Graduates of this program meet educational eligibility requirements to take the ANCC examination for the Psychiatric Mental Health NP. 2021 APRN MSN graduates attained an average pass rate of 96.3% on board certification examinations.

Why Kent State? We offer you:

Faculty mentorship and advising from nationally certified advanced practice nurses, as well as active researchers with decades of experience
Full- and part-time customizable academic plans
Classes are held 100% online and delivered by expert nurses via leading edge instructional technology.
Fall and spring semester start dates
Networking and mentoring opportunities for graduates during and after the program

Admissions Criteria

We invite you to apply to the MSN program if you meet the following criteria:

Bachelor's and/or graduate degree from an accredited registered nursing program.¹
Minimum 3.000 undergraduate/graduate GPA on a 4.000 point scale. ²
The completion of an undergraduate statistics course with a minimum C grade.
Active, unrestricted registered nurse license in Ohio

A résumé or curriculum vita.
Essay (2-3 pages) describing reasons for seeking the master's degree in the identified specialty and professional goals.
Three letters of reference from a health care professional or academic faculty who can speak to the applicant's professional and academic abilities.
English language proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions) by earning one of the following:
- Minimum 560 TOEFL PBT score (paper-based version)
- Minimum 83 TOEFL IBT score (Internet-based version)
- Minimum 78 MELAB score
- Minimum 6.5 IELTS score
- Minimum 55 PTE score

Admission to the MSN degree is a selective process. In the selection process for applicants, program faculty will consider years of registered nurse experience, professional experience relevant to the specific MSN concentration and evidence of scholarship and involvement in the nursing profession as indicated on the applicant's résumé, along with GPA and intent for full-time study.

1. Applicants with an RN license and a bachelor's degree in a non-nursing field will be considered based on faculty review of a portfolio submitted with the application.

2. Applicants with a lower GPA may be considered for conditional admission according to the University's Graduate Student Admission Policy.

Additional Requirements

Apply Now How to Submit Application Materials

Curriculum

The Psychiatric Mental Health NP concentration is 46 credit hours which includes 600 practicum hours. Options for part-time plans of study are also available.

Courses are 100% online – students are never required to come to campus.
See if this program is offered in your state. >>

View Course Requirements

Post-Master's Certificates

We also offer a Psych Mental Health NP post-master's certificate for nurses who already hold a Master's degree or higher in nursing.

Learn more about the Psychiatric Mental Health NP certificate

Meet the Faculty

Learn more about the Psychiatric Mental Health NP course instructors:

James K. Tudhope
DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC
Concentration Coordinator

Andrea Warner Stidham
Ph.D., MSN, RN
Assistant Professor

Andrea L. Nelson
MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC
Lecturer

Get to know all of the MSN Faculty

Begin Your Transformation

Discover why Kent State's PMHNP master's concentration is right for you. Enrollment advisors can be reached at 330-672-7911.

Request More Information Apply Now

Request Information

Application Deadline

Spring Priority Deadline: November 1
Fall Priority Deadline: March 1
(Applications considered on a space-available basis after these dates.)

Graduate Information

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Additional Graduate
Admission Resources

Graduate Admissions
Office Contact

Phone: 330-672-2661
Toll Free: 855-277-6952
Fax: 330-672-6262
www.kent.edu/graduatestudies
Domestic Email: gradapps@kent.edu
International: www.kent.edu/admissions/international
intladm@kent.edu

For information on all of Kent State’s degrees and majors, go online to www.kent.edu/gps

Accolades & Accreditation

CCNE Accredited Seal

The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master’s degree program in nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice program, and post-graduate APRN certificate program at Kent State University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791. Kent State University College of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) concentrations within the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program and APRN Certificates, along with the Bachelor of Science in Nursing to Doctor of Nursing Practice (BSN-to-DNP) program qualify graduates to sit for national APRN certification and APRN licensure in Ohio. States other than Ohio may have additional requirements to apply for or obtain an APRN license, including but not limited to specific state examinations, letters of recommendation, or proof of completion of an accredited nursing program. The College of Nursing is in the process of collecting information from all states and has not yet made a determination whether graduates from the Kent State University College of Nursing MSN, Certificate, and BSN-to-DNP programs meet the requirements for APRN licensure outside the state of Ohio.