About the Hybrid MSN Program
Yale School of Nursing’s three-year part-time Hybrid PMHNP Master’s equips you to assess, diagnose, treat, and prescribe for patients across the lifespan. Through a blend of immersive on-campus sessions and flexible online learning, you’ll master evidence-based care, bridge physical and mental health, and develop leadership skills that set you apart.
You'll graduate ready to practice as an advanced psychiatric nurse - confident, compassionate, and prepared to meet a critical need.
Program Competencies
The Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner curriculum equips students with all of the skills and competencies they will need for successful practice as psychiatric nurse practitioners. In the Hybrid program, you'll learn to:
» Screen for and diagnose mental health and substance use disorders in patients of all ages.
» Screen for and diagnose mental health and substance use disorders in patients of all ages.
» Conduct mental health assessments to establish a patient’s individual needs.
» Conduct mental health assessments to establish a patient’s individual needs.
» Coordinate and execute therapy interventions for patients in crisis.
» Coordinate and execute therapy interventions for patients in crisis.
» Educate patients, families, and communities on the importance of mental health.
» Educate patients, families, and communities on the importance of mental health.
» Create collaborative care plans with practitioners, social workers, psychologists, and other health care professionals.
» Create collaborative care plans with practitioners, social workers, psychologists, & other health care professionals.
» Prescribe medication for acute and chronic illnesses.
» Prescribe medication for acute and chronic illnesses.
» Deliver safe and effective psychotherapy.
» Deliver safe and effective psychotherapy.
Campus Immersions
Students will have 3 mandatory in-person immersions at YSN on Yale’s West Campus over the course of the program. During immersions, students will demonstrate their skills in simulated environments and receive intensive instruction and feedback from faculty. The immersions will last approximately 3-4 days, including weekends. Travel, hotel, and food costs are the student’s responsibility.
Meet the Program Director
Dr. Brendan McDonald
- Doctorate of Nurse Practice, University of Washington, 2018
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions, 2013
- Bachelor of Arts in English and Creative Writing, University of Arizona, 2009
"As Program Director, I’m committed to delivering a rigorous, high-quality education that prepares students for real-world psychiatric-mental health practice. I understand the challenges of balancing academic, clinical, and personal responsibilities—at Yale you’ll find a community that values your growth, resilience, and voice".
Clinical Placements
At YSN, clinical placements are a cornerstone of your education.
Through your clinical experiences, you’ll gain diverse, hands-on experience delivering care across settings, populations, and stages of life. Whether you're learning to conduct mental health assessments, manage complex medical conditions, or collaborate across teams, your clinical experience in the program is designed to support your growth and confidence as a future psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner.
What to know about clinical experiences:
- We support students in securing clinical placements with the aid of YSN’s Clinical Support Unit (CSU), but students are expected to fully engage in securing placements in their home states through their own clinical agencies.
- Due to licensing and regular requirements, students must reside in or plan to relocate to an approved state to enroll in the program.
- While we strive to match students with clinical experiences that meet their interests while supporting their readiness for practice and board certification, we cannot guarantee placements in a specific location or practice setting.
- Placements may require reasonable travel to nearby approved states or integration of telehealth clinical hours.
Licensure and Certification
Our curriculum is designed to prepare you for licensure and national board certification, with the support and structure to help you succeed.
When you graduate from Yale’s Hybrid MSN in Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing, you’ll be fully prepared - both academically and clinically - to sit for the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) board certification exam through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). You won’t just leave with a degree - you’ll leave ready for a career as a board certified NP.
PLAN OF STUDY - SPRING 2026 ENTRY
| Year | Term | Course | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | Spring | NURS 6000H – Advanced Health Assessment | 3 |
| Year 1 | Spring | NURS 6010H – Advanced Pathophysiology | 3 |
| Year 1 | Spring | NURS 6020H – Advanced Pharmacology | 2 |
| Total Credits | 8 | ||
| Year 1 | Summer | NURS 6040H – Statistics & Research for Evidence-based Practice Nursing | 3 |
| Year 1 | Summer | NURS 6060H – Promoting Health in the Community | 2 |
| Total Credits | 5 | ||
| Year 1 | Fall | NURS TBD – Psychopathology I: Diagnosis and Clinical Reasoning | 2 |
| Year 1 | Fall | NURS 7625H – Skills I: Mental Health Assessment | 1.5 |
| Year 1 | Fall | NURS 7635H – Psychopharmacologic Interventions I: Foundations in Psychopharmacology | 2 |
| Year 1 | Fall | NURS 7615H – Psychotherapeutic Interventions I: Principles and Theory | 2 |
| Total Credits | 7.5 | ||
| Year 2 | Spring | NURS 7735H – Psychopharmacologic Interventions II: Application & Special Populations | 2 |
| Year 2 | Spring | NURS TBD – Psychopathology II: Neurobiology of Psychopathology | 1.5 |
| Year 2 | Spring | NURS TBD – Psychiatric-Mental Health Clinical Practice I (105 hours) | 2.5 |
| Year 2 | Spring | NURS 7626H – Skills II: Clinical Decision Making and Treatment Planning | 0.5 |
| Total Credits | 6.5 | ||
| Year 3 | Fall | NURS 7736H – Psychopharmacologic Interventions III: Complex Cases & Systems of Care | 2 |
| Year 2 | Fall | NURS 7715H – Psychotherapeutic Interventions II: Application & Special Populations | 2 |
| Year 2 | Fall | NURS TBD – Psychiatric-Mental Health Clinical Practice II (195 hours) | 4.5 |
| Total Credits | 8.5 | ||
| Year 3 | Spring | NURS 7716H – Psychotherapeutic Interventions III: Complex Cases and Systems of Care | 2 |
| Year 3 | Spring | NURS TBD – Psychiatric-Mental Health Clinical Practice III (225 hours) | 6 |
| Total Credits | 8 | ||
| Year 3 | Fall | NURS 6050H – Transitions to Professional Practice | 2 |
| Year 3 | Fall | NURS TBD – Psychiatric-Mental Health Clinical Practice IV (225 hours) | 6 |
| Total Credits | 8 | ||
| Program Total Credits | 51.5 |
For More Information
There are many ways to learn more about the Hybrid MSN-PMHNP program - you can attend an upcoming virtual information session or make an appointment to speak one-on-one with an admissions team member. You are also welcome to email us at ysn.admissions@yale.edu.
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