Family Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certificate

This post-master’s certificate program is designed for the non-psychiatric primary and acute care Nurse Practitioner who is looking to enhance their knowledge and skill set to effectively care for individuals with complex psychiatric and mental health needs across the lifespan. The program is designed to prepare participants to sit for the ANCC certification examination for Family Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioners. This 26 credit certificate program offers the opportunity to augment your master’s degree with additional nursing specialty area knowledge and skills. It includes 600 hours of supervised practice and is built upon a core of Advanced Assessment, Pathophysiology, and Advanced Psychoneuroimmunology and the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner track.

Admission Requirements

• Current unrestricted State of Ohio RN license.
• Hold an MSN degree from a professionally accredited nursing program (clinical Master’s required).
• Minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for MSN program.
• Minimum of 2-3 years recent clinical experience as a nurse practitioner.
• Application to The University of Akron Graduate School.
• 300 word essay describing professional goals.
• Resume outlining prior education and work related experiences.
• Three letters of reference from a recent employer, an APRN co-worker, a former faculty member.
• Completion of the following prerequisite courses: graduate level pathophysiology, advanced assessment, advanced clinical pharmacology.
• Interview with Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner faculty.

Application Deadline

Applications to the Psychiatric Family Nurse Practitioner (Post MSN) Certificate program are accepted on a rolling basis.

Assistantship/Scholarship Information

Not all departments offer graduate assistantships. Students should inquire with the department directly to determine assistantship availability.

Financial Aid Information

Paying for college is a vital part of the education process. It is important to be informed of the many sources of aid available. Student loans are available to degree-seeking graduate students. Information on student loans can be found through the Office of Student Financial Aid. The Office of Student Financial Aid is located in Simmons Hall.

Tuition and Fees

Current tuition and fees schedules can be found through the Office of Student Accounts.