Admissions and aid – UC Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certificate Program

Online applications for summer 2024 incoming cohort in the UC PMHNP Certificate Program are available through UC Davis Graduate Studies.

• Completed Office of Graduate Studies application.
• Meet the UC Davis requirements for graduate admissions.
• Current unencumbered registered nurse (R.N.) licensure.
• Per national and state standards of practice, be licensed as an APRN in the State of California. Nursing license must be recognized as valid and active for practice within the state of California during the complete course of study.
• A master’s of science in nursing (MSN) degree, or its equivalent, or a higher degree at the time of application, and have a foundation as a Nurse Practitioner, Certified Nurse Midwife, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, or Certified Nurse Specialist.
  • The School of Nursing will evaluate applications on a case by case basis, provided applicants have shown previous course completion of the required prerequisite courses required for admissions.
• Must be able to meet the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) national certification guidelines to successfully take the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) board certification examination.
  • The guidelines may be found on the ANCC website
• A minimum cumulative bachelor's degree G.P.A. of 3.0.
• Completion of all prerequisite courses. See Prerequisite section for more details.
• Statement of purpose and personal history and diversity statement (maximum 4,000 characters each, including spaces).
• In accordance with Graduate Studies, TOEFL scores (international graduates only) for international applicants and those whose native language is not English, are required.
• Three letters of recommendation.
• Official transcripts from each institution attended.
• Resume or CV.

Online applications are processed through UC Davis Graduate Studies, which coordinates UC Davis graduate degree programs. All applicants must submit a completed UC Davis Graduate Studies application and meet UC Davis requirements for graduate admissions.

Admissions decisions are made on a case-by-case basis. Meeting some or all of these criteria does not guarantee admission, but merely eligibility. Admission is competitive.

An offer of acceptance is based on the premise that all data submitted in application materials (including but not limited to UC Davis Graduate Studies and criminal background check applications) are true and accurate. Should there be misrepresentation in or a violation of any of the terms of the application process, the university reserves the right to rescind the offer of acceptance at any time, or, disqualify the student at any time during their education.

All prerequisites are required at the college level from an accredited school and must be included on the submitted transcript during the application process. Each prerequisite is expected to be one full course, either a quarter or a semester, and a minimum of three units, depending on the location where it was completed. Completion of prerequisite coursework online is acceptable if it is from an accredited academic institution. Advanced Placement scores awarded in high school do NOT fulfill prerequisites. All prerequisites must be completed with a grade of C or better.

Prior coursework in the following areas is required by the American Nurses Credentialing Center to be eligible for the PMHNP board certification exam. Please visit the ANCC website for more information.

Three separate, comprehensive graduate-level courses in: 

• Advanced Physiology/Pathophysiology, including general principles that apply across the lifespan
• Advanced Physical/Health Assessment, which includes assessment of all human systems, advanced assessment techniques, concepts and approaches
• Advanced Pharmacology, which includes pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics and pharmacotherapeutics of all broad categories of agents 

In addition, applicants must have completed content in:

• Health Promotion and/or Disease Prevention
• Differential Diagnosis and Disease Management

PLEASE NOTE: Students whose previous graduate programs did not include the courses specified above may be considered for admission but must complete those courses before applying to sit for PMHNP board certification. Applicants will be required to outline these courses within their application.

Graduate school is challenging, especially for the many students who juggle family, school and financial responsibilities. The Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing seeks students with diverse life experiences along with the potential and determination to make an impact.

All Nursing Science and Health-Care Leadership students are encouraged to seek a variety of forms of financial support and it is essential for students to apply as early as possible. Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) students are encouraged to apply for the California Department of Health Care Access and Information’s (HCAI) Behavioral Health Scholarship Program (BHSP).*

* “The Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) administers health workforce programs. These workforce programs build a health workforce that serves a diverse California. BHSP provides scholarships to behavioral health students seeking education or training to become behavioral health practitioners through a certificate, associate, bachelor, master and/or doctoral degree program in exchange for a 12-month service obligation practicing and providing direct patient care in an underserved community, eligible applicants may receive up to $25,000. The purpose of this program is to increase the number of appropriately trained behavioral health professionals providing direct patient care in an underserved area or qualified facility within California” (The Department of Health Care Access and Information, 2023).

Program Fees

Program fees for the UC PMHNP Certificate Program are set by the Regents of the University of California and can change without notice. Information regarding program fees will be posted to the UC Davis Office of Budget and Institutional Analysis website when they are available later this fall pending all UC and California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) approvals.

Online applications for summer 2024 cohort in the UC Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Certificate Program are available through UC Davis Graduate Studies.

Application opens: Tuesday, September 5, 2023

Priority deadline: Friday, January 5, 2024

Space-available deadline*: Wednesday, May 1, 2024

* Applications received by the space-available deadline (between January 6 to May 1) will only be reviewed if it is determined there are additional spaces available after reviewing priority deadline applications. Space-available admissions decisions will be announced in late May.

Click on the link below to access additional application information. The document below provides essential information needed to complete the application process which is not included in the online UC Davis application. Follow the detailed instructions and note the helpful tips. It is important that you use this document as a guide when completing your application.

How to apply to UC PMHNP Certificate Program (PDF)

Apply Now

Still have questions? For additional assistance, please email the Admissions and Student Services team at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis at: HS-BettyIreneMooreSON@ucdavis.edu. And be sure to sign up to receive updates about how and when to apply.