Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Post-Master's Certificate

At the Saint Louis University Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing, future psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners learn to apply the nursing process and medical/medication management to promote optimal mental health while engaging in active, ongoing collaboration with clients, their families, significant others and the interprofessional team.

Students pursuing the psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner program at SLU work with children, adolescents, and adults of all ages with acute or complex mental health needs or psychiatric diagnoses. The psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner program encourages evidence-based, culturally sensitive, recovery-oriented and holistic care.

At the Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing, we partner with our students on clinical placement. Besides being paired with faculty mentors with expertise in the students' desired fields of study, SLU helps students obtain preceptors for their clinical rotations.

SLU's School of Nursing is renowned for excellence in nursing education. U.S. News and World Report consistently ranks our M.S.N.-NP program as a top program in their Best Graduate Schools survey.

Curriculum Overview

Our post-master's nurse practitioner certificate programs are conducted almost completely online, requiring only one visit to the St. Louis campus.

A minimum of 20 credits is required for completion of a post-master's nurse practitioner certificate program. The total number of credits varies, depending on the nurse practitioner specialty certificate pursued. At the school's discretion, students may transfer three to six credits of graduate-level coursework to be applied toward their post-master's certificate program of study.

Student files are individually reviewed. Students may be able to petition for advanced standing in courses such as Advanced Health Assessment, Advanced Pathophysiology and Advanced Pharmacology.

Careers

Upon completing the post-master's nurse practitioner certificate program, you will qualify to take the national certification exam through your specialty certification board.

Nurse practitioners earned a median salary of $129,210 in 2024, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 Best Jobs ranking, with the top 25% earning more than $149,500 and the lowest paid 25% around $109,940. NPs once again ranked as the No. 1 job in America for 2026, reflecting strong demand and robust compensation. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that NP employment will grow about 35% from 2024 to 2034, with roughly 128,400 new positions opening over that period — far exceeding the average for all occupations.

Tuition 

Additional charges may apply. Other resources are listed below:

Information on Tuition and Fees

Miscellaneous Fees

Information on Summer Tuition

Scholarships and Financial Aid

Financing for this program may be available through grants, scholarships, loans (federal and private) and institutional financing plans. For price estimates, please review the SLU cost calculator.

The Saint Louis University Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing offers scholarship and graduate research assistantship opportunities to eligible graduate students. Additionally, most nursing students will participate in a tuition assistance program provided through their employer.

For more information, visit the Office of Student Financial Services.

Accreditation

The Saint Louis University Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing is fully approved by the Missouri State Board of Nursing.

The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master's degree program in nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice program and post-graduate advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) certificate program at Saint Louis University's Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 665 K Street N.W., Suite 750, Washington, D.C., 20001. The commission's phone number is 202-887-6791.

Saint Louis University is approved by the Washington State Board of Nursing to conduct practice experiences in the state of Washington for the a). MSN PCPNP b). MSN FNP; c). DNP FNP; d). post master’s certificate FNP programs, e) MSN PMHNP, f) BSN-DNP PMHNP, g) post master’s certificate PMHNP, and h) post master’s DNP PMHNP.

1. Evaluates nursing’s distinct and shared disciplinary perspectives and synthesizes theoretical and empirical knowledge from the humanities and natural, social, behavioral, and nursing sciences to support advanced clinical judgment and practice innovation.
2. Leads nursing care through the relational lens, which fosters caring relationships, mutuality, active participation, and individual empowerment in the delivery and communication of compassionate person-centered nursing care through cura personalis.
3. Directs diverse stakeholders in advancing effective partnerships, health policy, and the improvement of equitable population health outcomes related to the social determinants of health.
4. Integrates, synthesizes and facilitates best evidence and client values into clinical decision making.
5. Optimizes quality of care while minimizing risk of harm to clients and providers through system effectiveness and individual performance.
6. Coordinates across professions with care team members, clients, families, communities, and other stakeholders to optimize care, enhance the healthcare experience, and strengthen outcomes.
7. Strategically integrates resources to provide safe, quality, and equitable care to diverse populations within complex healthcare systems to address social and structural determinants of health.
8. Implements information processes and technologies to manage and improve the delivery of safe, high quality, and efficient healthcare services.
9. Models a sustainable professional nursing identity, accountability, perspective, collaborative disposition, and ethical principles that reflect nursing’s characteristics and values.
10. Engages in activities and self-reflection through Ignatian pedagogy which fosters personal health, resilience, and well-being while supporting the acquisition of nursing expertise, lifelong learning, and the leadership continuum.

Admission Requirements

• A master's degree in a nursing specialty, preferably from a program accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency
• A college cumulative grade point of 3.0 or higher
• Completion of a graduate-level physiology or pathophysiology course and a beginning health assessment course, or the equivalent 
• Experience in an advanced practice role in nursing

The Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing adheres to the principles of a holistic admission process in which selection criteria are broad-based and linked to our University’s and school’s mission and goals. While we do consider academic metrics, we also look at applicant experiences, attributes, potential for success, and how applicants may contribute to the school’s learning environment and to the nursing profession.

The curriculum for this program meets the educational requirements for licensure as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) in the State of Missouri. Note that the Missouri Board of Nursing may impose additional requirements on candidates prior to granting a license; we encourage you to investigate these requirements.

The School of Nursing has not determined whether the curriculum for this program meets the educational requirements for nursing licensure in any other states or territories. However, graduates of our APRN programs are eligible to sit for National Board Certification Exams in all states and territories. We encourage you to investigate the requirements in your state or territory prior to accepting an offer of admission.

SLU accepts applications to the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and Master of Science in Nursing-Nurse Practitioner (MSN-NP) programs from students living in the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas*, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington**, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Depending on the state, clinical fees may be required. 

*

Saint Louis University is approved by the Kansas State Board of Nursing to accept students into the PMC and BSN-DNP programs.

**

Saint Louis University is approved by the Washington State Board of Nursing to conduct practice experiences in the state of Washington for the a). MSN PCPNP, b). MSN FNP, c). DNP FNP, d). post-master’s certificate FNP programs, e) MSN PMHNP, f) BSN-DNP PMHNP, g) post-master’s certificate PMHNP and h) post-master’s DNP PMHNP.

Application Requirements

Please follow the three steps outlined below to apply:

• Step 1: Application
  Submit the application form and pay the associated fee through NursingCAS. Select Saint Louis University. Applicants can also apply free through SLU's general application link here.
• Step 2: Transcripts
  Please submit your official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended directly to NursingCAS. They will provide details when the application is initiated.
• Step 3: RN License
  Attach a copy of your unencumbered registered nurse license in the state in which clinical experience will be done within the NursingCAS application.

Requirements for International Students

International students on F1 or J1 student visas are not eligible for admission, as these programs are conducted entirely online. 

International students on H-1B visas are eligible to apply to the program.

Application Deadlines

Admissions are rolling, with the following deadlines:

• Fall semester start: July 15 
• Spring semester start: Dec. 15
• Summer start: April 15
• (Late applications are considered for each admission cycle)

Program Requirements 

This roadmap is just one example of a semester-by-semester plan of study for this program. There are other plans students can and do take. The plan of study for each particular student is established in consultation with each student’s academic advisor; this roadmap does not replace academic advising appointments.

Roadmap notes:

• This Roadmap assumes full-time enrollment unless otherwise noted.
• Courses/Milestones marked with an “!” are critical and must be completed in the semester listed in the Roadmap to ensure a timely graduation.
• Course availability and sequencing are subject to change.

†

A gap analysis will be conducted on potential courses transferred to SLU, which may result in modifications to the current posted roadmap.

Apply for Admission

For additional admission questions, please contact the School of Nursing's recruitment and enrollment staff:

314-977-8995 
slunurse@slu.edu