Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Program

This APRN program is for post-BSN registered nurses who are interested in becoming psychiatric nurse practitioners.

The next available start date for our PMHNP Program is July 2025.
Applications will be reviewed starting in April 2025.

Program Highlights

  • Online program with in-person clinical components
  • 13 courses with both part-time and full-time options available
  • Small class size (approximately 8 students per start date)
  • One-on-one in-person preceptorship
  • Start dates offered approximately every 16 weeks (January, March, July, September)

  • Admissions

    Applications for the PMHNP program can be submitted at any time but are only reviewed during application cycles. Applications expire after one year.

    Application Cycle Program Start
    September – November January
    November – January March
    March – May July
    May – July September


    The PMHNP program is not part of the RN-BSN/MSN program. Students must apply to the PMHNP program and submit all required documents to be considered for admission.

    Admissions Requirements

    • Active, unencumbered RN license valid in the United States
    • Official transcript showing conferred BSN degree (must be from a regionally accredited institution or recognized foreign transcript evaluation service)
    • Current professional resume
    • Personal statement (describing background and goals)
      • Approximately 750 words using APA format and citations where applicable
      • Your professional and personal goals as a provider of psychiatric mental health care
      • Your reasons for selecting the PMHNP program at Thomas Edison State University
      • How you expect the PMHNP program will help you achieve your goals
      • Briefly discuss your position on the current state of access to mental health care services
      • This statement is an important part of your application for admission. It allows the PMHNP admissions committee to evaluate the clarity of your goals and your suitability for the program. In this context, you may wish to briefly summarize any employment, community involvement, personal history, and accomplishments that helped shape your decision. Explain as precisely as possible what you hope to do when you complete the PMNHP degree.
    • Personal interview
    • TOEFL scores (if applicable)

This program is supported by the US Department of Labor’s Nursing Expansion Grant Program as part of an award totaling $3,313,525 with 20% financed with non-governmental sources.  The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by US DOL, or the U.S. Government.