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A doctorate in nursing practice from MU can help you advance your career in psychiatry mental health. If you want to deliver advanced primary mental health care to children, adolescents and their families, this program could be for you.
Graduates will be eligible for advanced practice nurse certification as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
Quick facts
Official name
Doctor of nursing practice with an emphasis in psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (across the lifespan)Campus
Program type
DoctorateAcademic home
Sinclair School of NursingDelivery mode
Blended, some campus visits requiredAccreditation
Higher Learning Commission, Commission on Collegiate Nursing EducationCredit hours
72Estimated cost
$45,360.00*This cost is for illustrative purposes only. Your hours and costs will differ, depending on your transfer hours, your course choices and your academic progress. See more about tuition and financial aid.
Career prospects
Potential careers
- Mental health care provider
- Mental health care services coordinator
- Institutional mental health care consultant
- Clinical instructor
Program structure
Delivery of this program is blended: You will complete most course work online, but an on-campus visit is required for five days during the summer before course work begins for orientation to the DNP program. Additional campus visits will be required throughout the program.
Courses are semester-based. How long it takes to complete the program depends on your academic progress so far. If you already have a master’s degree, you can study part time and complete the program in three years. If you have a bachelor’s degree and want to study part time, the program is more likely to take you five or six years.
Course work includes
- Diagnostics and psychopharmacology
- Pediatric mental health assessment and management
- Brief individual psychotherapy, group therapy and social skills training
- Mental health intervention for families
- Ethics and sociocultural issues
- Physical assessment and diagnostic reasoning
Delivery
Blended, some campus visits requiredCalendar system
Semester-basedTypical program length
4-5 yearsTypical course load
Part timeAccreditation
The University of Missouri is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, one of six regional institutional accreditors in the United States. The DNP at the Sinclair School is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
