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Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing
Specialty Tracks
Adult Focus
This master's specialty prepares graduates as advanced practice psychiatric nurses. Coursework covers assessment, diagnosis, and management of psychiatric disorders across the lifespan. Evidence-based treatments, including both psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy, are stressed. Opportunities for sub-specialization related to high-risk populations (e.g., geriatric, court-involved) are available by pairing students with specialist faculty and preceptors. The Baltimore-Washington area offers a rich and varied selection of clinical sites. Graduates are eligible to sit for either the Clinical Specialist (Adult) and/or the Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner (Adult) certification examinations. Full-time, part-time, and post-master's options are available.
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Family Focus
This master's specialty prepares graduates as advanced practice psychiatric nurses. Coursework covers assessment, diagnosis, and management of psychiatric disorders across the lifespan. Evidence-based treatments, including both psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy, are stressed. Opportunities for sub-specialization related to high-risk populations (e.g., geriatric, court-involved) are available by pairing students with specialist faculty and preceptors. The Baltimore-Washington area offers a rich and varied selection of clinical sites. Graduates are eligible to sit for either the Clinical Specialist (Child/Adolescent) and/or the Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner (Family) certification examinations. Full-time, part-time, and post-master's options are available.
See a Sample Plan of Full-Time Study »
Psychiatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (Combined ANP and PMHNP)
This master's specialty prepares advanced practice nurses to provide primary health care and psychiatric treatment to psychiatric clients in primary care settings. Practica occur in a variety of primary care and specialty settings throughout the Baltimore-Washington area, including community mental health centers, nursing homes, psychiatric home health, agencies caring for the homeless and vulnerable populations, correctional facilities, schools, and medical-psychiatric units. Graduates are prepared to function as primary care providers with clients and families when the primary diagnosis is physical and there is a secondary mental health disorder. They can also manage clients with severe and persistent mental illness and provide preventive care across the spectrum of clinical settings. Graduates of this specialty are eligible to sit for the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Adult Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner certification exam and the Adult Nurse Practitioner certification exam. Full-time, part-time, and post-master's options are available.
