Australian Catholic University
Graduate Certificate in Mental Health Nursing
- Delivery: Online
- Study Level: Postgraduate
- Duration: 12 months
Advance your expertise in specialist mental health nursing.
Course overview
Advance your expertise in specialist mental health nursing with ACU's Master of Mental Health Nursing. Designed for registered nurses working in mental health services, this course builds advanced knowledge and clinical leadership skills through evidence-based practice. You'll explore recovery-oriented care, holistic mental health nursing, health promotion, clinical supervision, leadership, cognitive behavioural therapy and healthcare ethics, while choosing either a project or research pathway to suit your career goals.
CSP Subsidised Fees Available
This program has a limited quota of Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP). The indicative CSP price is calculated based on first year fees for EFT. The actual fee may vary if there are choices in electives or majors.
Key facts
What you will study
To qualify for the degree of Graduate Certificate in Mental Health Nursing, a student must complete 40 credit points, consisting of:
- Holistic Individual-Centred Mental Health Nursing Practice (10 credit points)
- Recovery Oriented Mental Health Nursing (10 credit points)
- Health Promotion and Social Inclusion in Mental Health Nursing (10 credit points)
- Reflective Practice and Clinical Supervision in Mental Health Nursing (10 credit points)
Entry requirements
To be eligible for admission to the course, an applicant must have:
- Completed a Bachelor of Nursing degree.
- Provide written confirmation from their employer that they are employed in a mental health service.
An applicant must also comply with the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy.
English language requirements
Applicants require an academic IELTS minimum overall score of 6.5 (with a minimum score of 6.0 in all bands) or an equivalent acceptable test score as outlined in the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy (see English Language Proficiency).
Outcomes
Career outcomes
Examples of potential employment settings include:
- Public and private health care organisations.
- Child and adolescent, adult and older person mental health services.
- Acute, community, rehabilitation and long-term care-focused settings.
- Local, state and commonwealth government policy.
- Consumer and carer groups.
- Mental health-based research.
Examples of potential employment roles include:
- Clinician
- Case Manager/Worker
- Team Leader
- Service Manager
- Triage manager
- Psychiatric Consultation and Liaison Nurse
- Nurse Practitioner
Fees and CSP
Indicative first-year fee in 2026: $2,368 (Commonwealth Supported Place).
This is an indicative first-year fee based on the tuition fee rates for a full-time student, using unit enrolment data from domestic students who studied the course in the previous year.
A student’s annual fee may vary per:
- The number of units studied per term.
- The choice of major or specialisation.
- Choice of units.
- Student fees shown are subject to change. Contact the university directly to confirm.
Commonwealth Supported Places
The Australian Government allocates a certain number of CSPs to the universities each year, which are then distributed to students based on merit.
If you're a Commonwealth Supported Student (CSS), you only need to pay some of your tuition fees. This is known as the student contribution amount – the balance once the government subsidy is applied. This means your costs are much lower.
Limited CSP spaces are offered to students enrolled in selected postgraduate courses.
Your student contribution amount is:
- Calculated per unit you're enrolled in.
- Depending on the study areas they relate to.
- Reviewed and adjusted each year.
HECS-HELP loans are available to CSP students to pay the student contribution amount.
FEE-HELP loans are available to assist eligible full-fee-paying domestic students with the cost of a university course.
