CQUniversity
Graduate Certificate in Mental Health Nursing
- Delivery: Online
- Study Level: Postgraduate
- Duration: 12 months
Delivered fully online in a flexible format, ideal for registered nurses looking to develop their mental health nursing credentials.
Course overview
The Graduate Certificate in Mental Health Nursing is delivered via the CQU Be Different platform and offers you a self-paced, ultra-flexible online course, ideal for busy, emerging health leaders looking for specialist skills in postgraduate mental health nursing.
Through this course, you will develop foundation knowledge and skills in mental health nursing, so it's an ideal course for you if you have an interest in mental health nursing or you are newly employed in mental health. You will build your skills and knowledge in undertaking mental health assessments, risk assessments and formulations, along with psychotropic medications and recovery. This course is not only the ideal course to build a solid foundation in mental health nursing but also a great place to start as you become familiar with CQU's Be Different learning platform.
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
From $555 (CSP)
What you will study
You must complete four units (24 credits):
Core units
- Contextual Foundations of Mental Health Nursing Practice
- Creating Meaningful Relationships
- Mental Health Nursing Assessment and Formulation
- Clinical Foundations for Practice
Entry requirements
Students must hold current registration as a Nurse (Division 1) with the Australian Health Practitioners Regulatory Authority (AHPRA).
English language requirements
If you were not born in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa or United States of America you are required to meet the English Language Proficiency requirements set by the University. Applicants are required to provide evidence of completion of:
- A secondary qualification (Year 11 and 12, or equivalent).
- An Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) diploma level qualification.
- Bachelor level qualification study for a period of at least two years full time with a minimum overall GPA 4.0.
Completed within Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, South Africa, Ireland, or United States of America, which will meet the English proficiency.
If you do not satisfy any of the above you will need to undertake an English language proficiency test and achieve the following scores as below:
- An International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic) overall band score of at least 6.0 overall with a minimum 5.5 in each subset.
- Or test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) - Requires 550 or better overall and minimum TWE score of 4.5 (Paper Based Test), or 75 or better overall and no score less than 17 (Internet Based Test).
- Or Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) - Requires an overall score of 54 with no sub-score less than 46.
- Or an Occupational English Test with Grades A or B only in each of the four components.
English test results remain valid for no more than two years between final examination date and the date of commencement of study and must appear on a single result certificate.
Recognition of Prior Learning
If you have completed prior study relevant to units within this course, you may be eligible for credit for your past studies. Contact the university for more information.
Outcomes
Career outcomes
On completion of this award, students will be able to seek employment as a nurse in a mental health setting.
Fees and CSP
Indicative first-year tuition fee in 2024: $2,220 (Commonwealth Supported Place)
Indicative first-year tuition fee in 2025: $8,808 (domestic full-fee paying place)
The indicative first-year fee is the approximate cost of enrolling in this course for one academic year depending on the type of place you are offered, for example, a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) or full-fee paying (FFP) place. For a graduate certificate, this is usually four units studied full-time over one term or part-time over two terms.
A student’s annual fee may vary in accordance with:
- The number of units studied per term.
- The choice of major or specialisation.
- Choice of units.
- Credit from previous study or work experience.
- Eligibility for government-funded loans.
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'll only need to pay a portion 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.
