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2026-2027 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog [In Progress]

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Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certificate

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certificate

The changing demands of the nation's complex health care environment requires the highest level of integration of scientific knowledge into practice to improve the health of society. The Kirkhof College of Nursing (KCON) offers graduate study leading to post-graduate certification as a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner. The program prepares nurse practitioners can provide mental health care to individuals across the lifespan and the continuum of care, including medication management and psychotherapeutic treatment of individuals, groups, and families. The curriculum is student-centered, flexible and designed to completed in as few as four semesters.

Program Content

Courses will engage students using multiple teaching strategies including lecture, discussions, case studies and practicum experiences. Physiological and psychological theories of mental health and disruptions in mental health will be incorporated as the basis for comprehensive care of this population. Graduates of this psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner certificate will be prepared to manage patients across the lifespan within the mental health system and/or within a primary care environment.

Audience

The certificate is designed for nurses with a Master's or Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. Admission to Grand Valley State University is required to complete the certificate.

Requirements for Admission

Graduate of an accredited Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN) MSN, CNS, NP, CNM, or CRNA) or DNP program

  1. Complete the GVSU graduate application available at gvsu.edu/kcon specifying the DNP option.
  2. Select the psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner post-graduate certificate
  3. Submit transcripts from all previous undergraduate and graduate coursework outside of GVSU.
  4. Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) for all undergraduate and graduate coursework.
  5. International student applicants must meet TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), or IELTS (International English Language Testing System), MELAB (Michigan English Language Assessment Battery) or PTE (Pearson Test of English Academic).

Additionally, full admission is contingent on successful completion of the following:

  • Current licensure to practice as a registered nurse in Michigan.
  • Criminal background check and drug screen.
  • Compliance with health record, immunization, and other KCON graduate program requirements.

Certificate Requirements

The following pre-requisite courses must be completed before beginning the program: NUR 602 - Advanced Pathophysiology Across the Lifespan, NUR 603 - Advanced Pharmacology Across the Lifespan, NUR 604 - Advanced Health Assessment Across the Lifespan & Diagnostic Reasoning for NPs, and NUR 645 - Lifespan Human Development.

The certificate content will be delivered in a series of seven courses that can be completed in four semesters:


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