PMHNP practicum at UTRGV: NURS 6475, NURS 6476 and NURS 6620

Three courses, three population ranges

The 2026-27 catalog spreads the lifespan across the three courses. Read the population column as the patients your preceptor's caseload should include during each course.

For the certificate's clinicals, the catalog names "outpatient, inpatient or private practice settings." The program has also grown: 21 credits in 2026-27 with the new NURS 6350 psychopharmacology course, against 18 in earlier catalogs. The PMHNP certificate guide covers the whole program.

Clearance comes before any hour counts

Both practicum syllabi open with the same gate. In Week 1 the Fall 2025 NURS 6476 syllabus reminds students that "you cannot start clinical until you get the clearance from your clinical faculty," and NURS 6620 repeats the approval step in its own first week. Treat your clearance date as day one of your hours.

1. Clinical groupThe archived FAQ says you join a clinical group several weeks before NURS 6475 and NURS 6476 begin, stay in it until you graduate, and have an assigned clinical faculty member.
2. Site and agreementYour site is in your state of residence and needs an affiliation agreement if UTRGV has none with it; processing runs 30 to 90 days according to UTRGV's PMHNP guidelines.
3. Pre-clinical paperworkLog into Typhon and upload your signed forms, among them the preceptor data sheet, which goes up only when fully signed.
4. ClearanceYour clinical faculty approves the preceptorship site, and only then do hours begin.
5. Spring repeatNURS 6620 asks for the same approval in Week 1, whether you keep your fall site or move.

According to the FAQ, hours begin in semester two of the certificate, which is the fall term, while you are enrolled in NURS 6475 and NURS 6476. With a Summer I start, the search and the agreement have to fit between admission and that fall term, which is why the placement process starts so early.

Planning hours with children and adolescents

The archived FAQ offers one piece of planning advice worth keeping: "I would recommend at least 120 hours devoted to adolescent/pediatric psychiatry for a well-rounded clinical experience on the boards if possible." It is a recommendation, not a requirement, and the words "if possible" are part of it.

The course populations point the same way. NURS 6475 covers infants through adolescents and NURS 6620 spans every age, while the fall practice hours in NURS 6476 center on adults. Our suggestion: a fall preceptor with an adult caseload, then part of the 300 spring hours with children and adolescents, either through a preceptor who sees all ages or at a second approved site.

Before adding a second site, ask your clinical faculty whether it fits your course, since each site needs its own approval and agreement. By our arithmetic, 120 hours is under a quarter of 520, an amount a mixed-age practice may cover within the spring.

How we set up your PMHNP practicum

Your placement advisor works in your home state from the moment you are admitted. We look for a psychiatrist or PMHNP who meets UTRGV's certification rule, practices outside your employer, and can host 220 hours in the fall and 300 in the spring.

• Credentials checked against the ABPN or ANCC rule before you meet the preceptor
• A caseload with adults for the fall and children and adolescents in the spring
• Clinical Request Form details prepared for any new site, submitted early enough for the agreement window
• Pre-clinical paperwork and Typhon set up so nothing holds up your clearance
• A telehealth mix that stays inside the cap
• A replacement search if a preceptor withdraws

Send your state and start term through the placement request form.