PMHNP Programs in New Jersey
New Jersey has three verified PMHNP programs based in the state: the public BSN-to-DNP doctoral track at Rutgers in Newark, plus private MSN options at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck and Monmouth University in West Long Branch. New Jersey is a reduced-practice state, so nurse practitioners work under a joint protocol with a physician for prescriptive authority, yet the statewide NP wage is about $159,310 (BLS OEWS, May 2025), among the highest state figures in the country and well above the $132,300 national median. Here are the verified programs, the New Jersey licensure path, and what pay and the job market look like.
The short version
New Jersey has three verified PMHNP programs based in the state — the full list is below, generated from our verified dataset.
The one public option is Rutgers School of Nursing in Newark, a BSN-to-DNP (doctoral) track; the other two are private MSN programs at Fairleigh Dickinson University (Teaneck) and Monmouth University (West Long Branch).
New Jersey grants nurse practitioners reduced practice authority, meaning you must keep a joint protocol with a collaborating physician for prescriptive authority. That is more restrictive than full-practice states.
The statewide NP wage is about $159,310 (BLS OEWS, May 2025), among the highest state figures and well above the $132,300 national median, although the state's cost of living is also high.
None of the three programs requires the GRE. Each program card below shows the verified tuition rate and other details, with gaps labeled rather than estimated.
New Jersey has a small but real in-state field for PMHNP study: three verified, accredited programs. One is public — the BSN-to-DNP doctoral track at Rutgers School of Nursing in Newark — and two are private master's (MSN) options, at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck and Monmouth University in West Long Branch. That mix lets you choose between a doctoral entry point at the public school and a shorter master's route at one of the private universities.
The trade-offs are specific. None of the three programs requires the GRE. But New Jersey's reduced-practice rules mean the route to independent practice differs from full-practice states, since prescriptive authority depends on a joint protocol with a physician. New Jersey also sits between the New York City and Philadelphia labor markets, which shapes both placements and pay. This guide covers all of that, with every figure sourced and gaps labeled rather than estimated.
The 3 verified PMHNP programs based in New Jersey
Fairleigh Dickinson University Henry P. Becton School of Nursing and Allied Health
Teaneck, NJ
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey — School of Nursing
Newark, NJ
Monmouth University Marjorie K. Unterberg School of Nursing and Health Studies
West Long Branch, NJ
Accredited online PMHNP programs New Jersey residents can do
Most PMHNP study is online. These verified, accredited programs enroll students from most states and let you complete the supervised clinical hours near you. Online programs set their own state authorization, so confirm each one admits New Jersey residents before you apply.
California State University, Fresno
CCNE-accredited · post-master's certificate · 540 clinical hrs
Program pageDrexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions
CCNE-accredited · post-master's certificate · 640 clinical hrs
Program pageFairleigh Dickinson University Henry P. Becton School of Nursing and Allied Health
ACEN-accredited · MSN · 750 clinical hrs
Program pageGeorgia Southern University School of Nursing
CCNE-accredited · BSN-to-DNP · 630 clinical hrs
Program pageGeorgia State University Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions
CCNE-accredited · MSN · 500 clinical hrs
Program pageHerzing University
CCNE-accredited · MSN / post-master's certificate · 540 clinical hrs
Program pageJohns Hopkins University School of Nursing
CCNE-accredited · post-master's certificate · 500 clinical hrs
Program pageLa Salle University School of Nursing and Health Sciences
CCNE-accredited · MSN · 692 clinical hrs
Program pageLewis University College of Nursing and Health Sciences
CCNE-accredited · MSN · 540 clinical hrs
Program pageNorthern Kentucky University School of Nursing
CCNE-accredited · MSN · 750 clinical hrs
Program pageRadford University School of Nursing
CCNE-accredited · post-master's certificate · 540 clinical hrs
Program pageRocky Mountain University of Health Professions
CCNE-accredited · post-master's certificate · 540 clinical hrs
Program pageSimmons University
CCNE-accredited · MSN / post-master's certificate · 756 clinical hrs
Program pageUniversity of Cincinnati College of Nursing
CCNE-accredited · post-master's certificate
Program pageUniversity of South Alabama College of Nursing
CCNE-accredited · MSN / post-master's certificate · 600 clinical hrs
Program pageConfirm current state authorization with each program. For the full comparison of these programs, see our online PMHNP ranking.
How to become a PMHNP in New Jersey
The path to becoming a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner in New Jersey is the same graduate-nursing route used nationwide, with one local variable: your APRN license and prescriptive authority come from the New Jersey Board of Nursing. Here are the five steps.
- 01
Earn a BSN and an RN license
Most PMHNP programs admit Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) graduates who hold an active RN license. If you start with an associate degree or a non-nursing bachelor's, bridge programs exist. You'll practice on a New Jersey RN license while you complete graduate school.
- 02
Enroll in an accredited PMHNP program
Choose an MSN or a BSN-to-DNP with a PMHNP focus. The degree must hold CCNE or ACEN accreditation, or it won't qualify you for the certification exam. New Jersey has 3 verified in-state programs (listed above), and 45 accredited online programs also enroll New Jersey residents.
- 03
Complete a minimum of 500 supervised clinical hours
The ANCC requires at least 500 faculty-supervised clinical hours, and many programs require 600 to 750. Securing local clinical placements is the biggest practical hurdle, so confirm whether a program arranges your preceptors before you enroll.
- 04
Pass the ANCC PMHNP-BC certification exam
The ANCC PMHNP-BC first-time pass rate was 83% in 2024 and 82% in 2025. Either the ANCC exam or the newer AANPCB PMHNP exam qualifies you for state licensure; ANCC's PMHNP-BC is the one most employers list by name.
- 05
Get New Jersey APRN licensure and DEA registration
The New Jersey Board of Nursing issues your APRN license and prescriptive authority once you're certified, and a federal DEA registration lets you prescribe controlled substances. Practice authority varies by state, so confirm current New Jersey requirements with the board before you enroll.
For the full national pathway, including itemized cost, timeline, and program selection advice, see our complete guide on how to become a PMHNP.
New Jersey NP licensure and reduced practice
New Jersey is a reduced-practice state. The AANP defines that as state law reducing the ability of nurse practitioners to engage in at least one element of practice, and requiring a career-long regulated collaborative relationship with another health provider, typically a physician. In New Jersey that takes the form of a joint protocol with a collaborating physician for prescriptive authority, so a New Jersey PMHNP prescribes under that arrangement rather than fully independently.
This is worth weighing if independent or cash-pay practice is a long-term goal, since those models are harder to run here than in a full-practice state. Licensure runs through the New Jersey Board of Nursing on top of national certification.
What the state requires
- Active New Jersey RN license
- Graduate PMHNP degree from an accredited program
- National PMHNP-BC certification (ANCC)
- APN certification from the New Jersey Board of Nursing
- A joint protocol with a collaborating physician for prescriptive authority
- DEA registration to prescribe controlled substances
State board: New Jersey Board of Nursing
PMHNP pay in New Jersey
The New Jersey statewide NP wage is about $159,310 per BLS OEWS state data, May 2025, among the highest state figures in the country and well above the $132,300 national NP median. New Jersey also has a high cost of living, so the nominal wage stretches less far than it looks.
BLS does not separately publish entry-level or experienced PMHNP wages for New Jersey, so we do not show those tiers rather than estimate them. One structural factor: New Jersey's reduced-practice rules make the independent and cash-pay models that lift pay most in full-practice states harder to run, since prescriptive authority depends on a joint protocol with a physician. Our PMHNP salary guide details pay by setting and practice model.
The New Jersey PMHNP job market
Demand for psychiatric prescribers is strong in New Jersey, as nationally. The BLS projects nurse practitioner employment to grow about 40% from 2024 to 2034 nationally; a New Jersey-specific projection is not separately verified here. New Jersey is part of both the New York City and Philadelphia metro labor markets, which broadens where you can train and work. The reduced-practice joint-protocol requirement applies wherever you practice in-state, and telehealth widens options further.
- Community mental health centers and FQHCs in New Jersey often qualify for the federal NHSC Loan Repayment Program.
Choosing a PMHNP program in New Jersey
New Jersey gives you three in-state programs, so the choice comes down to degree level, location, and cost. A few factors matter most.
- Degree level: Rutgers runs a BSN-to-DNP doctoral program, so you finish with a doctorate, while Fairleigh Dickinson and Monmouth are master's (MSN) routes — decide which entry point fits your timeline and goals.
- Public vs. private: Rutgers is the public option in Newark; Fairleigh Dickinson (Teaneck) and Monmouth (West Long Branch) are private universities, each at a different per-credit rate shown on the cards above.
- Location: the three programs sit in different parts of the state, so factor in commute and which metro labor market — New York City or Philadelphia — you want to train and work in.
- GRE: none of the three programs requires the GRE, so that is one less hurdle wherever you apply.
- If on-campus or these in-state options do not fit, weigh accredited online programs open to New Jersey residents in our online PMHNP ranking.
Keep researching
Best Online PMHNP Programs
The national field of accredited online options open to New Jersey residents.
PMHNP Program Rankings
Our verified national ranking of psychiatric NP programs.
PMHNP Programs by State
Browse every state's verified programs.
How to Become a PMHNP
The pathway, certification, and clinical-hour requirement.
PMHNP Salary Guide
What psychiatric NPs earn by state, experience, and setting.
Questions, answered
How many PMHNP programs are in New Jersey?+
Does New Jersey allow nurse practitioners to practice independently?+
How much do PMHNPs make in New Jersey?+
What degree levels do New Jersey PMHNP programs offer?+
What do I need to become a licensed PMHNP in New Jersey?+
Program details and figures trace to primary sources; gaps are labeled, not estimated.
- [1] Rutgers School of Nursing, BSN-to-DNP Psychiatric Mental Health NP (program page)
- [2] U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS: Nurse Practitioners (29-1171), national and state wages
- [3] U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Nurse Practitioners
- [4] AANP, State Practice Environment (New Jersey: reduced practice)
- [5] New Jersey Board of Nursing, Division of Consumer Affairs