4 Best Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Programs in Michigan (Online & Campus) – 2025
Written By: Darby Faubion BSN, RN
Are you passionate about supporting others who find themselves in the grips of a mental health crisis? Psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners in Michigan diagnose and treat patients with a range of psychiatric, emotional, and behavioral disorders, including substance abuse, anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder. As a PMHNP in the Wolverine State, you’ll earn $121,050 annually on average. Graduates of PMHNP programs in Michigan are in high demand, too, and their employment opportunities are projected to increase by more than 51 percent in the next decade. What are you waiting for? Get started on your new career direction by reading about the 4 best psychiatric nurse practitioner programs in Michigan for 2025.
FOLLOWING ARE THE 4 BEST PSYCHIATRIC NURSE PRACTITIONER PROGRAMS IN MICHIGAN (ONLINE & CAMPUS) FOR 2025
(Based on our Ranking Methodology, we have ranked the 4 best campus-based and online PMHNP programs in Michigan.)
1. Wayne State University - Detroit
Programs Offered: MSN,
BSN-to-DNP, and
Graduate Certificate
About the School: Wayne State University is home to some of the best options for psychiatric nurse practitioner programs in Michigan. The university is dedicated to addressing disparities in healthcare, especially in urban areas like Detroit.
The school, which offers three pathways for students to prepare for careers as Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners, strives to accomplish the mission of providing students with the knowledge and skills needed to understand and address challenges in mental health care and transform urban health disparities. U.S. News ranks Wayne State University as one of the Best Nursing Schools: Master's and Best Nursing Schools: Doctor of Nursing Practice, supporting our belief that it is an excellent place to pursue a degree specializing in psychiatric mental health nursing.
MSN Program Details: The MSN-Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner program is available to registered nurses who have earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and have an active, unrestricted license to practice as a registered nurse. Before beginning the clinical courses, students must have at least one year of full-time registered nurse experience in a psychiatric mental health setting.
The MSN program features a 52-credit hour curriculum with courses including Statistics in Nursing, Pharmacotherapeutics for Advanced Practice, and Effects of Drugs & Alcohol: Social & Physical Function. All students in the MSN-PMHNP program complete at least 675 clinical hours.
BSN-to-DNP Program Details: Baccalaureate-prepared registered nurses desiring to earn a Doctor of Nursing Practice and specialize as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner may find the BSN-to-DNP program at Wayne University is a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner program in Michigan worth considering. The program is designed to prepare nurses to perform comprehensive assessments and implement a wide range of psychobiological interventions to care for people needing psychiatric care.
The program offers a curriculum consisting of 78 credits and more than 1,000 clinical practice hours. Some classes in the BSN-to-DNP program include Foundations of Advanced Practice Nursing, Health Analytics & Data Management, and Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology Across the Lifespan.
Graduate Certificate Program Details: If you have a master’s degree in nursing and wish to pursue an advanced practice specialty as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, the Graduate Certificate program could be a great option. The program features a 29-credit hour curriculum consisting of pre-clinical and clinical course sequence classes and clinical practicum experiences.
In the Graduate Certificate PMHNP Program, you will take classes including Psychopathology & Therapeutic Frameworks Across the Lifespan for PMHNP, Psychopharmacology, and Advanced Practice Nursing: Individuals, Groups, and Families. Advanced Practice Nursing courses have corresponding clinical practicums consisting of 225 clinical hours each, with students earning a minimum of 675 clinical hours before graduation.
2. Michigan State University - East Lansing
Programs Offered: MSN and
Post-Graduate Certificate
About the School: Michigan State University is another school offering some of the best psychiatric nurse practitioner programs in Michigan. The university is dedicated to preparing students to effectively analyze clients' health, behavior, and socio-emotional and developmental states and provide the highest quality psychiatric mental health care. MSU offers MSN and Post-Graduate Certificate program options for students desiring to become Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners. Both these programs start once yearly.
MSN Program Details: The MSN PMHNP program at Michigan State University offers a hybrid format, delivering core MSN courses online and clinical courses in a combination of online and campus-based instruction. Students attend campus four or five days each semester for lectures, simulation labs, seminars, group assignments, and testing. You can complete the program in three years full-time or four years part-time.
The program consists of 54 credits with classes in Psychopharmacology & Neuropathological Basis of Mental Illness, Psychiatric Assessment & Diagnosis, and Complex & Collaborative Mental Health Care. The curriculum includes 675 hours of direct specialty-relevant patient care.
Post-Graduate Certificate Program Details: The Post-Graduate Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certificate program features a 27-credit plan of study designed to be completed in four semesters. The program is available to advanced practice registered nurses desiring to extend their scope of practice to include psychiatric care. Classes include Evidence-Based Therapeutic Interventions, Special Populations & Groups, and Complex & Collaborative Mental Health Care. Students complete a minimum of 585 clinical hours.
3. University of Michigan - Flint
Programs Offered: BSN-to-DNP with MSN and
Post-Master’s Certificate
About the School: The University of Michigan-Flint is another school that may interest anyone looking for a PMHNP program in Michigan. The university is recognized by U.S. News & World Report for having one of the Best Online Master's in Nursing programs. Graduates of the University of Michigan-Flint School of Nursing have outstanding pass rates on national certification examinations and excellent employment rates following the completion of their programs. These factors support our belief that it is an excellent place to pursue a PMHNP degree.
BSN-to-DNP with MSN Program Details: The BSN-to-DNP with MSN option at the University of Michigan-Flint is another excellent option for available online psychiatric nurse practitioner programs in Michigan. The program offers two start dates yearly, in the winter and fall semesters. You may choose to enroll part-time or full-time. Full-time students typically graduate in three years. Part-time students usually follow a four-year study plan.
Students who choose the BSN-to-DNP with MSN pathway complete a total of 72 credit hours and 1,090 clinical practice hours. After completing 54 credits and 728 clinical hours, the MSN is conferred, and you will transition to the Classes in this pathway include Mental Health Care of Families in Communities for Advanced Psychiatric Practice, Medication Management for Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners, and Biostatistics for Advanced Practice in Health Care.
Post-Master’s Certificate Program Details:If you already have a Master of Science in Nursing degree and possess an active, unrestricted license to practice as a registered nurse, the online Post-Master's Certificate PMHNP program in Michigan at the University of Michigan-Flint is an excellent option to consider. This pathway consists of a 20-credit hour curriculum with classes including Advanced Practice Nursing Care Across the Lifespan of Persons with Mental Health Concerns Medication Management and Advanced Practice Nursing Care of Families & Communities. The program requires students to complete 500 clinical hours relevant to psychiatric mental health care with children, adults, and older adults.
4. Saginaw Valley State University - University Center
Programs Offered: Post-Graduate Certificate
About the School: Saginaw Valley State University has educated nurses since 1975, demonstrating a genuine commitment to furthering the profession. The Saginaw Valley School of Nursing boasts of doctoral-prepared faculty with extensive experience in their fields. The school is home to one of the best Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner programs in Michigan, the Post-Graduate Certificate PMHNP program.
Post-Graduate Certificate Program Details: The Post-Graduate Certificate PMHNP program at Saginaw Valley State University offers a unique focus on substance use and addiction disorders and an emphasis on telehealth and technology to improve access to mental health services in rural communities. The program is one of a few online Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner programs in Michigan designed with a Post-Graduate Certificate option.
Although the program is offered 100% online, students have opportunities for optional on-campus skills training. The Post-Graduate Certificate program is designed in a four-semester format and consists of a 24-credit curriculum. Students study topics, including Addictions Care in Integrated Settings, Differential Diagnosis of Mental Health Conditions, and Advanced Psychopharmacology and Neurobiology. The curriculum includes three clinical courses with corresponding clinical practicum. As a student in this pathway, you will complete at least 540 hours of direct patient care.
VIEW OUR RANKING METHODOLOGY
Darby Faubion BSN, RN
Darby Faubion is a nurse and Allied Health educator with over twenty years of experience. She has assisted in developing curriculum for nursing programs and has instructed students at both community college and university levels. Because of her love of nursing education, Darby became a test-taking strategist and NCLEX prep coach and assists nursing graduates across the United States who are preparing to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX).
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