UAH College of Nursing held their fall White Coat ceremony in Chan Auditorium on Friday, September 22, 2023. Courtesy UAH.
The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) College of Nursing recently announced the addition of a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) concentration in the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree and PMHNP post-master’s certificate offering. UAH is a member of The University of Alabama System.
Expected to launch in fall 2026, the master’s concentration is designed for nurses who want to become nurse practitioners, while the non-degree PMHNP certificate is designed for individuals who have already earned a MSN degree. It provides additional education for advanced practice nurses who are clinicians focused on managing mental health conditions for patients across the lifespan.
“This offering comes at a crucial time for our community,” says Dr. Karen Frith, dean of the UAH College of Nursing. “Alabama faces a critical shortage of mental health providers — the PMHNP track in the MSN and the certificate program will help fill that gap by training nurse practitioners in key areas, ultimately expanding access to care and improving the quality of life for individuals with mental health conditions and their families."
The PMHNP certificate program incorporates four new courses that are already in development in the College of Nursing as part of the new PMHNP concentration in the existing master’s program. It is composed of 24 credit hours completed over four semesters and includes a combination of both coursework and clinical training. After completing the program, students will be eligible to sit for national certification examinations.
The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees approved the proposal at its meeting on June 6, 2025. UAH will now submit the proposal to the Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE) for final approval. The certificate will also be submitted for accreditation by the Commission for Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).