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At Carlow University, the next generation of ethical leaders is already in the making.
Here, our students gain more than just a degree – they build connections, find purpose, and thrive – working in ways big and small to reshape the future. With your support, we can continue to invest in these future leaders and expand their ability to transform our world.
How You Can Support
At Carlow University, the next generation of ethical leaders is already in the making.
Here, our students gain more than just a degree – they build connections, find purpose, and thrive – working in ways big and small to reshape the future. With your support, we can continue to invest in these future leaders and expand their ability to transform our world.
How You Can SupportDevoted to Caring for the Mental and Emotional Needs of All Patients
Rooted in the mission of the Sisters of Mercy, Carlow University’s Hybrid Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Program prepares bold, compassionate nurse leaders ready to transform mental health care.
Right now, millions of adults and children in the United States are living with mental health conditions but are not receiving the care they need. Nearly half of individuals with mental illness go untreated. The need for highly prepared, justice-centered providers has never been greater.1
Carlow prepares you to be more than a clinician — you become an advocate, a leader, and a force for change in communities that need you most.
Our PMHNP program equips working nurses with advanced skills in comprehensive psychiatric assessment, accurate diagnosis, psychotherapy, and medication management across the lifespan. Students are prepared to deliver trauma-informed, culturally responsive care grounded in current evidence-based practice that is holistic and patient-centered. Graduates learn to build strong therapeutic alliances, manage complex psychiatric conditions, monitor treatment safety, and support individuals and families through some of life’s most vulnerable moments.
Designed for working professionals, our flexible online format allows you to grow your impact without stepping away from your community. Graduates emerge ready to provide high-quality, compassionate care while strengthening systems and expanding access to mental health services.
At Carlow, you don’t just earn a degree — you answer a call to lead with mercy, act with courage, and change lives.
Be Part of the Solution. Apply Today.
Credits Required:
- 9 courses for the Post MSN NP
- 19 courses for the MSN
- 14 courses for the Post MSN
Cost Per Credit:
$918
Time to Degree:
As few as 28 months (Only applies to Post-Master’s NP Certificate)
Delivery Format
Hybrid learning designed to support working nurses while maintaining academic rigor and clinical excellence.
Coursework is delivered primarily online with required synchronous TEAMS sessions to foster engagement, case-based learning, and clinical integration.
Traditional MSN and MSN (without previous NP completion) students participate in a required two-day on-campus immersive experience — an opportunity for advanced skills development, collaborative learning, professional formation, and connection within the Carlow community.
PMHNP Curriculum
The greater demand for PMHNPs coincides with a dramatic increase in reported cases of depression and anxiety, which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Ensuring that get the treatment they need remains a key concern. With such an unmet need for service providers in this specialty to care for existing patients and help new ones, the demand for more nurses to pursue this specialty will likely only grow.
Quick Facts
- Purpose-Driven Professionals: The ideal Carlow PMHNP student is a nurse called to advanced practice — compassionate, perceptive, and skilled in building meaningful therapeutic relationships. Our students understand that individuals are never defined by a diagnosis and approach care with dignity, respect, and clinical insight. Graduates are prepared to challenge stigma, promote understanding, and advocate for mental health as an essential component of whole-person wellness.
- Interdisciplinary Learning Advantage: Carlow’s collaborative academic environment provides opportunities to learn alongside psychology and social work peers — strengthening interprofessional communication and preparing graduates for integrated behavioral health practice.” Please convert this bullet to a paragraph.
- Prepared to Succeed: Our nurse practitioner graduates have achieved a 100% board certification pass rate over the past two years, reflecting the strength of our curriculum, faculty mentorship, and clinical preparation.” Please convert this bullet to a paragraph.
- Flexible Pathways for Advanced Practice: For nurses who already hold an MSN in another specialty, Carlow offers a post-master’s certification option designed to expand your scope of practice and deepen your impact in psychiatric mental health care.” Please redesign this program benefit as a paragraph rather than a bullet point.
Prepared for Certification and Licensure: Graduates are eligible to sit for national PMHNP board certification. In the final semester, students complete a comprehensive board review course designed to reinforce clinical reasoning, strengthen exam readiness, and support a confident transition into advanced practice. Graduates leave Carlow confident, prepared, and ready to expand their practice — grounded in a solid foundation of clinical excellence, holistic care, and Mercy-centered formation.
Over 70 Years of Nursing Excellence
or 76 years, Carlow University’s School of Nursing has shaped nurses who lead with skill, serve with compassion, and strengthen the health of communities. Our graduates influence healthcare as clinicians, educators, researchers, innovators, and leaders — advancing practice while honoring the dignity of every person they serve.
As we look ahead, Carlow continues to prepare nurses not only for today’s healthcare challenges, but for the evolving future of care delivery. Grounded in the Mercy tradition, we form professionals who advance research, translate evidence into practice, challenge inequities, expand access, and build systems rooted in justice and human dignity.
Admission Requirements and Application Process
- Minimum GPA: 3.0 cumulative GPA required for admissions
- Application Timeline: Applications are accepted year-round. Program start term: Fall semester.
- Transfer Credits: Up to 18 post-master’s credits may be eligible for transfer, pending review
- International Applicants: This program welcomes qualified international students
- Required Application Materials:
>Current curriculum vitae (CV)
>Official graduate transcript(s)
>Personal statement/essay
>Three professional letters of recommendation - Scholarship Opportunity: Applicants accepted and enrolled in this program are eligible to be considered for the Anne Kisak Endowed Scholarship.
Apply:
Any time
Start Terms:
Fall
Applicants for this program are eligible for the Anne Kisak endowed scholarship, upon acceptance and enrollment.
Investing in the Future of Youth Mental Health
Carlow University is proud to support the next generation of mental health leaders through the CURE Grant, an award of up to $25,000 for students who demonstrate a commitment to serving pediatric, adolescent, and young adult patients in underserved communities.
This grant reflects Carlow’s mission to expand access to care where it is needed most. Recipients are prepared not only to deliver high-quality, evidence-based treatment, but to address disparities in mental health access and outcomes among vulnerable populations.
Through initiatives like the CURE Grant, Carlow advances its commitment to justice, advocacy, and the formation of clinicians who lead with both skill and mercy.
Contact Admissions
If you would like to learn more about the program, schedule an on-campus visit or attend an upcoming event.
Faculty & staff
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Carlow University prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity that it operates. Individuals may report concerns or questions to the Title IX Coordinator, Jackie smith at jmsmith@carlow.edu or 412-578-6050.