A world-class city filled with art and culture and an incredible campus that offers cutting edge resources–that’s what students receive at Penn Nursing. And that’s just the start. Penn Nursing and the wider university offer something for everyone, as well as a lifelong community.
Penn Nursing is globally known for educating dynamic nurses—because our School values evidence-based science and health equity. That’s where our expertise lies, whether in research, practice, community health, or beyond. Everything we do upholds a through-line of innovation, encouraging our exceptional students, alumni, and faculty share their knowledge and skills to reshape health care.
Penn Nursing students are bold and unafraid, ready to embrace any challenge that comes their way. Whether you are exploring a career in nursing or interested in advancing your nursing career, a Penn Nursing education will help you meet your goals and become an innovative leader, prepared to change the face of health and wellness.
Penn Nursing is the #1-ranked nursing school in the world. Its highly-ranked programs help develop highly-skilled leaders in health care who are prepared to work alongside communities to tackle issues of health equity and social justice to improve health and wellness for everyone.
Penn Nursing’s rigorous academic curricula are taught by world renowned experts, ensuring that students at every level receive an exceptional Ivy League education. From augmented reality classrooms and clinical simulations to coursework that includes experiential global travel to clinical placements in top notch facilities, a Penn Nursing education prepares our graduates to lead.
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Our Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program offers a holistic approach that blends neuroscience with psychotherapy and psychopharmacology. An advanced practice nursing degree for RNs interested in mental health care, it integrates assessment, pharmacological treatment, and therapy for a wide spectrum of patients - from children and adolescents to adults and older adults.
About the Program
Significant advancements have been made in recent years in our understanding of neuroscience and human behavior and the effective treatment and prevention of mental illness. Yet, despite this progress, mental health issues are often minimized, mishandled, and insufficiently treated, shrouded in fear and shame. There is disparity in treatment across many populations, and a critical shortage of skilled mental health professionals that limits the ability of patients to get the care they so deeply need. Confounding this is a lack of diversity among health care providers who may not adequately understand cultural barriers to seeking care. This is something we are striving to change.
In our program, you’ll benefit from a holistic approach that blends neuroscience with psychotherapy and psychopharmacology. You’ll work alongside faculty and mentors to advocate treatment of the whole person, blending mind and body in the context of the patient’s psychosocial environment.
All of Penn Nursing’s programs are accredited. To learn more about the accreditation and pass rates, please visit our Accreditation page.
Program Information
Full-Time
Program Length
14 months
Financial aid available?
Yes
Start Semester
Spring 2024
Learning Format
In-person *
Although this program is in-person, to accommodate the busy schedules of our students some courses will be offered in an online or hybrid format. All clinical experiences for this program are in-person on Penn’s campus or at affiliated clinical sites.
Part-Time
Program Length
3 years
Financial aid available?
Yes
Start Semester
Fall, Spring, or Summer 2024
Learning Format
In-person *
Although this program is in-person, to accommodate the busy schedules of our students some courses will be offered in an online or hybrid format. All clinical experiences for this program are in-person on Penn’s campus or at affiliated clinical sites.
Program Details
Curriculum
You’ll learn biopsychosocial assessment and diagnosis as well as medication management, all while deepening your skills in psychotherapy, including therapeutic approaches like cognitive behavioral therapy, group/family therapy, and more.
We use a three-semester clinical practicum, with the program placing students in settings that allow for exposure to a variety of psychiatric populations. Onsite preceptors will supervise your work, and you’ll share experiences with other students through weekly small group seminars on campus. In addition, all clinical experiences and preceptors are arranged and coordinated by the School. You’ll also have the opportunity to work closely with faculty on research projects.
This program is flexible, with full-time students typically completing their work in 14 months, and part-time students in two to five years. Many students add to their studies with a minor. Explore MSN Minors.
Click the links below to view the curriculum and plans of study for this program in the University catalog.
Discount available for employees of our Academic Practice Partners. Click here to learn more.
To be considered a full-time student you must have a course load of 3 CUs or more per semester, including summer terms; anything less, in any semester, is considered part-time. If you apply as a full-time student, but switch to part-time, lowering the number of CUs you take per semester will decrease the cost of your tuition and fees, which will in turn lower your student budget and reduce your financial aid eligibility. You will no longer be eligible for nursing grant or endowed scholarship funds.
The charts below outline costs based on the school year/summer sessions as well as include estimated other expenses like housing.
Tuition & Fee Rates and Living Expense Budgets (Fall 2023 & Spring 2024)
Tuition and Fees
$56,262
Housing
$17,388
Meals
$5,796
Books*
$1,358
Other Personal Expenses*
$7,276
TOTAL
$88,080
*Category for Other Personal Expenses includes a budget for the cost of Student Health Insurance. Please keep in mind that the school does not bill the student for books and personal expenses. We do, however, build these figures into the Student Budget to better help students and their families plan for all costs associated with a Penn Nursing education. Likewise, loan eligibility and financial aid is based on the total student budget per term, not just on the cost of tuition and fees.
Every student’s living situation and personal expenses are different, but below are the projected academic year Summer and Fall/Spring costs per CU. These can be multiplied by the total number of CUs in your part-time plan of study to estimate the total cost of an MSN program.
Summer 2023 - per course unit (CU):
Tuition
$6,392
General Fees
$474
TOTAL
$6,866
Summer 2023 - living expenses:
TOTAL (both sessions)
$9,205
Fall 2023 or Spring 2024 - per course unit (CU)
Tuition
$6,392
General Fee
$474
Technology Fee
$116
TOTAL
$6,982
Program Outcomes
At the completion of this advanced level of nursing education, Penn Nursing MSN graduates will:
Use scientific inquiry to translate evidence into practice and promote clinical scholarship
Perform advanced nursing skills for specialty and subspecialty nursing practice
Lead quality improvement and manage care delivery models across settings
Leverage strong networks to advance in professional role
Certification
Upon graduation, you are eligible to take the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner examination for the Psychiatric-Mental Health NP (Across the Lifespan) national certification and qualify for Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner licensure in Pennsylvania.