This 18-credit post graduate Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Graduate Certificate is designed to provide advanced practice nurses with preparation as a PMHNP Practitioner. Upon completing the certificate requirements, students will be eligible to sit for national certification exams offered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Once nationally certified the PMHNP is eligible to apply for licensure in all fifty states.
Admission Requirements
Application Deadlines
Application deadlines vary by program, please review the application deadline chart for specific programs. Other important dates and deadlines can be found by using the One Stop calendars.
Admission
The admission requirements of the psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner graduate certificate program are consistent with those requirements specified by the Graduate School of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In addition, students must also meet the following requirements for the School of Nursing:
- A master’s or doctoral degree in Nursing from an accredited program providing preparation as a nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, certified nurse midwife, or certified registered nurse anesthetist.
- Certification in their current advanced practice registered nurse specialty as applicable.
- Completion with a grade of B or better of a graduate-level course in physiology/pathophysiology, pharmacology, and comprehensive health assessment. Evidence of prescriptive authority in the state of Wisconsin will be accepted in place of graduate pharmacology.
- Current registration as a registered nurse in the state of Wisconsin.
- Three (3) letters of recommendation, two (2) of which are from persons most knowledgeable about the applicant’s recent academic and work experiences.
- Personal interviews with a faculty member may be requested.
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV).
- Personal statement that includes rationale for certificate study and career goals.
- One year of practice as an advanced practice nurse at the time of starting certificate program coursework. Employment or prior experience in psychiatric care is highly preferred.
Application
- Admission to a graduate certificate program requires formal student application through the Graduate School admissions application system, including the required admissions application fee.
- Certificate programs will inform the Graduate School of their admission recommendation for an applicant. The final admission decision is made by the Graduate School.
- Early application to the certificate program is recommended; late application is possible, but may incur delays for certificate conferral related to time required for credit tracking.
- Applicants must possess a baccalaureate degree and have a minimum 2.75 cumulative undergraduate grade point average to be admitted into a certificate program.
Credits and Courses
The Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Post-Graduate Certificate is 21 credits total. All six courses are required. The three theory courses for this certificate will be offered online. The three practicum courses will be completed with a preceptor in a clinical setting. Students take each theory course concurrently with a practicum course. Practicums must be completed within the state of Wisconsin or Illinois. Students completing practicums in Illinois must have an active, unencumbered registered nurse license in Illinois.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NURS 741 | Psychiatric-Mental Nurse Practitioner Theory I | 3 |
| NURS 742 | Psychiatric Mental Health Theory II | 3 |
| NURS 743 | Psychiatric Mental Health Theory III | 3 |
| NURS 781 | Psychiatric Mental Health NP Practicum I | 4 |
| NURS 782 | Psychiatric Mental Health NP Practicum II | 4 |
| NURS 783 | Psychiatric Mental Health NP Practicum III | 4 |
| Total Credits | 21 | |
Additional Requirements
Transfer Credit
If approved by the PMHNP option coordinator and the DNP Program Director, one 3-credit comparable graduate-level course from an accredited institution other than UWM may be transferred in to meet requirements of the certificate.
Completion Requirements
Certificate program progression requirements will be consistent with the School of Nursing requirements for progression in graduate level programs. Students must complete all courses with at least a B- or better and a cumulative GPA of a 3.00 or greater in order to progress in program.
Time Limit
It is expected that students will complete the certificate in one year.
Certificate Conferral
The certificate will be awarded upon successful completion of the requirements (i.e., once all grades for the certificate courses are officially recorded with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or more). Successful completion of the certificate program will be noted on the student's official transcript.
Articulation with Degree Programs
- Credits and courses required for a certificate may double count toward meeting UWM graduate degree requirements subject to the following restrictions:
- Degree programs must approve the courses from certificates that can double count toward the degree.
- All credits taken in completion of certificate requirements may count towards a UWM graduate degree as long as they do not contribute more than 90% of the total credits needed to obtain the degree. (Note: Students in PhD programs must still complete the minimum residency requirements)
- Certificate courses used toward meeting degree requirements must be completed within the time limit for transfer credit.
- Courses completed for a degree may be counted toward a subsequent certificate, subject to all certificate policy requirements.
- A course may count toward no more than one certificate and one degree.
- Students may not earn a certificate subsequent to a concentration in the same area.