7 Best Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Programs in Texas (Online & Campus) – 2024


Written By: Editorial Staff @ NursingProcess.org

Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioners in the Lone Star State work to make mental health services more accessible to underserved populations. As a graduate of one of the PMHNP programs in Texas, you’ll be prepared to work autonomously, assessing and diagnosing mentally ill patients, providing psychotherapy, prescribing medications and educating family members about their loved ones’ illnesses. PMHNPs in the Lone Star State are highly sought after; demand for their services is expected to increase by 66 percent in the next 10 years. They also make high salaries, averaging $132,620 a year. Could this be the right career move for you? Find out more by reading about the 7 best psychiatric nurse practitioner programs in Texas for 2024.


FOLLOWING ARE THE 7 BEST PSYCHIATRIC NURSE PRACTITIONER PROGRAMS IN TEXAS (ONLINE & CAMPUS) FOR 2024

(Based on our Ranking Methodology, we have ranked the 7 best campus-based and online PMHNP programs in Texas.)


1. The University of Texas at Austin, Austin


Programs Offered: MSN, Alternate Entry-MSN, and Post-Master's Certificate

You’ve done the hard work to become a registered nurse. If you’re now interested in advancing your career in the psychiatric field, you’ll surely want to enroll in one of the best psychiatric nurse practitioner programs in Texas. The University of Texas at Austin is nationally recognized for its nurse practitioner programs. It offers a fine blend of advanced nursing courses under the mentorship of a diverse, professional faculty to provide you the best possible experience and lasting knowledge.

MSN Program Details: This 49-credit, in-person program gives you experience in real-life responsibilities such as patient management in psychiatric/mental health disorders, differential diagnoses, medication management, and psychotherapeutic interventions in various therapy forms. Following graduation, you will become eligible to sit for the ANCC (American Nurses Credentialing Center) examination to become certified as a psychiatric nurse practitioner. To be eligible for this program, you’ll need a 3.0 GPA in your undergraduate degree, three letters of recommendation, a GRE taken within the past five years, a valid state RN license, and experience as an RN.

Alternate Entry-MSN: This summer-start program takes between two and a half to three years to complete. If you’re looking to study part-time, you would be eligible after the first year of full-time study. To apply, you’ll need a non-nursing Bachelor’s degree with a 3.0 GPA, a GRE taken within the past five years, and three references. One reference must come from a healthcare professional. This program is of 48 credit hours. Distance learning is not available at this time.

Post-Master's Certificate Program Details: This in-person program starts only once a year, in the spring, and is made up of four consecutive semesters completed on a part-time basis. You can expect to complete this program within one and a half to two years. To apply, you will need an MS or Doctor of Nursing Practice with a 3.0 GPA, a valid Texas RN license, APN Certification, and experience in the RN field. The GRE is not required for this program. It is made up of 33 credit hours.


2. University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio


Programs Offered: MSN (MSN and Alternate Entry Master's Degree for ADN/Diploma RNs) BSN to DNP and Post-Graduate Certificate

San Antonio is one of Texas’s most beloved cities. If you’re interested in pursuing your PMHNP degree in Texas, the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio not only offers an accredited, reputable program, but also a beautiful city in which to study. As of 2021, this school is ranked among the nation’s top nursing schools for research, and primary care. For a PMHNP program in Texas, this one is a great choice if you’re looking for options in pathways.

MSN Program Details: This program takes between two and three years to complete and will involve core courses in Health Care Technologies, Theoretical Foundations, and Translational Research, to name a few. To keep your place in the program, you will have to maintain a B average in your first nine credit hours and a minimum GPA of 3.0. Application requirements include a Bachelor’s in Nursing, a 3.0 GPA, a Texas RN license, and a BLS for the Healthcare Providers Certification. This program includes between 40 and 50 hours of graduate coursework.

BSN to DNP Program Details: With this program, you can earn the highest possible nursing degree in three years. The college has over 400 clinical affiliates and guarantees its graduates a clinical placement and the arrangement of your clinical rotation. To apply, you will need a minimum GPA of 3.0 for your final 60 hours of coursework, a Texas RN license, and a BSN degree from a program accredited by either the CCNE, ACEN, or NLNAC.

Post-Graduate Certificate Program Details: If you are interested in a secondary specialization, this post-graduate certificate program is a good choice. You will need an MSN degree from a program accredited by CCNE, ACEN, or NLNAC, a Texas RN license, three professional references, and a minimum B grade in graduate/advanced courses in Pharmacology, Health Assessment, and Pathophysiology.


3. Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock


Programs Offered: MSN, BSN to DNP, and Post-Master's Certificate

The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center has three pathways to suit any registered nurse interested in higher education as a psychiatric nurse practitioner. In this psychiatric nurse practitioner school in Texas, the emphasis is on rural health and establishing a practice, with key focus areas being the promotion and education of mental health, accurate diagnoses, and early intervention.

MSN Program Details: This program is primarily online, so if you’re looking for the best online psychiatric nurse practitioner programs in Texas, this is an excellent choice. You will need to occasionally travel to Lubbock for some in-person sessions, but primarily your studies would be completed online. You can complete the 49 credit hours required to graduate over six semesters as a full-time student or nine semesters as a part-time student. To apply, you will need an RN license, a BSN degree, a cumulative GPA of 3.0, and three letters of reference. This program is a bit unique in that it also requires a computer literacy test as part of your application, which holds true for the next two program options as well.

BSN to DNP Program Details: If you have a BSN, this 74 to 76 credit-hour track will lead you to your doctorate. Completion of this degree allows you to meet all necessary qualifications to sit for the national certification exam to become a psychiatric nurse practitioner in Texas or the state of your choice. To achieve this degree, you will have to attend full-time. Largely online, some events will require you to travel to the Lubbock campus in person. Previous nursing experience is not required to gain entry into this program.

Post-Master's Certificate Program Details: This six-semester post-master’s certificate program emphasizes telemental health and collaborates with several health centers and institutes, including the Center of Excellence in Evidence-based Practice and the Center for Innovation in Nursing Education. If you already have your MSN, this is one of the best options among the online PMHNPs programs in the state. Occasional travel to the campus may be required. You can complete this program by earning around 28 to 29 credit hours.


4. Midwestern State University, Wichita Falls


Programs Offered: MSN and Post-Graduate Certificate

Midwestern State University is widely recognized among psychiatric nurse practitioner schools in Texas for its smaller class sizes and the more individualized attention it provides its students. This is a smaller institution that ranks in the top 20% of graduate-level nursing schools in the United States.

MSN Program Details: Counted among the well-known psychiatric nurse practitioner programs in Texas, This fall-start program is made up of 48 credit hours: 21 core credit hours, 18 clinical specialty, and 9 evidence-based project classes. Upon completion of this program, you will be eligible to take national certification exams and be recognized as an advanced practice nurse by the Board of Nursing. In order to apply, you will need a minimum GPA of 3.0 in your final 60 hours of undergraduate coursework, as well as a BSN degree and a current, valid RN license in Texas and your home state. Further, you will need a minimum of one year of relevant experience and to participate in a personal interview with your graduate program coordinator.

Post-Graduate Certificate Program Details: This 33 credit-hour program may require fewer hours if you already hold a current and valid APRN license and you are actively practicing with prescriptive authority. To apply for this program, you will need an accredited BSN degree, an RN license in Texas and your home state, a minimum GPA of 3.0 for your final 60 hours of your undergraduate degree, and at least one year of experience as a general nurse. You will also need to complete a personal interview. This is a program that only begins in the fall semester.


5. University of The Incarnate Word, San Antonio


Programs Offered: BSN to DNP and Post-Graduate Certificate

Of the psychiatric nurse practitioner programs in Texas, this university provides a good option for those interested in a religious course of study within the nursing field. The University of the Incarnate Word is a Catholic university that is also recognized as one of the best psychiatric nurse practitioner programs in the state. The following two programs are a blend of in-person and online study, making them an excellent choice for those interested in online psychiatric nurse practitioner programs in Texas. According to its mission, this school aims to offer a holistic philosophy paired with the osteopathic approach based on the founding nuns of the school.

BSN to DNP Program Details: This three-year, full-time PMHNP program in Texas emphasizes close collaboration between its students and the faculty and staff. It has a total of 76 credits and 1216 clinical hours. This program is blended, combining both in-person and online courses for a more diverse experience, with face-to-face classes once each on the first and third week of the month, and online classes the rest of the time. To apply for this program, you will need a general GPA of 2.75 and a nursing GPA of 3.0, a valid Texas nursing license, and at least two years of professional experience.

Post-Graduate Certificate Program Details: This certificate includes clinically-focused courses. This is a blended program, offering both in-person and online study with 19 to 22 credit hours and 512 clinical hours completed over a five-semester period. For your clinical practicum, the college tries to organize it close to your geographical location To apply for this program, you will need either an MSN or DNP with a GPA of 3.0, a Texas nursing license, and a B in these courses: Advanced Health Assessment, Advanced Pharmacology, and Advanced Pathophysiology. Two years of relevant, professional experience is preferred, but not required.


6. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg


Programs Offered: Post-Master's Certificate

Among the best psychiatric nurse practitioner schools in Texas, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is one of the newly founded nursing schools in the state. This school offers an added benefit in cultural diversity and international learning opportunities, as it is located near the US-Mexico border. If you are interested in being a psychiatric nurse practitioner in Texas, this program combines innovative learning experiences to prepare you for cultural competence and evidence-based knowledge.

Post-Master’s Certificate Program Details: This certificate program is fully conducted online, with no required in-person attendance as part of the program. In order to apply to this program, you will need to have your Texas RN license and an MSN or an MSN/NP with a cumulative GPA of 3.0. You will also need a minimum of one year of relevant, direct experience, and to have completed these courses: pharmacotherapeutics, physical assessment, and pathophysiology. This program bases its course content on these core competencies: health assessments, pathophysiology, physiology, and pharmacotherapeutics. It is made up of 18 credit hours.


7. The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston


Programs Offered: MSN, BSN to DNP, and Post-Graduate Certificate

Counted among the best psychiatric nurse practitioner programs in Texas, the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston has long worked to make its health care division one of the sought-after in the state, with teaching hospitals, a psychiatric center, biomedical informatics schools, and growing clinical practices. If you are interested in becoming a psychiatric nurse practitioner in Texas, this school and its programs are an excellent choice.

MSN Program Details: The 41 credit-hour MSN program is a hybrid, and so includes both online and in-person courses. While the majority of the hours are completed online, you would be required to visit the campus in Houston one day each month for case simulation or testing. This psychiatric nurse practitioner program in Texas can be completed within five to seven semesters. To apply, you’ll need at least one of your recommendations to come from your BSN faculty member along with experience working in a psychiatric clinic as an RN.

BSN to DNP Program Details: This program is of 79 credit hours offered in a hybrid format. You can complete this course of study within nine to twelve semesters, depending on whether you study full-time or part-time. This practice-based doctorate program is located within the largest medical center in the world and integrates leadership, innovation, and patient-centered care into its field of study. To apply, you will need your BSN with a minimum GPA of 3.0, a valid and current Texas nursing or eNLC license and BLS certification, and one year of RN experience, as well as to have completed a basic statistics course.

Post-Graduate Certificate Program Details: To complete this post-graduate certificate program, you will have a credit requirement of between 29 and 30 hours, to be completed in approximately five to seven semesters. At this particular school, known to offer one of the best post-graduate psychiatric nurse practitioner programs in Texas, the emphasis is placed highly on psychotherapy and psychopharmacotherapy. To apply, you will need a valid nursing license in either Texas or your home state, your relevant BCLS documentation, and three references from academic or professional sources.


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