Graduate Certificate in Mental Health Nursing

What you will study

To earn the Graduate Certificate in Mental Health Nursing, you must successfully complete units totalling 24 credit points as detailed below. Unless otherwise noted, each course is worth 6 credit points.

Core units

• Contextual Foundations of Mental Health Nursing Practice
• Creating Meaningful Relationships
• Mental Health Nursing Assessment and Formulation
• Clinical Foundations for Practice

Entry requirements

Applicants for this course must meet all of the following:

• 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

You may be eligible for recognition of prior learning if you have previously studied or have relevant work experience. This will help reduce the number of units you need to study to finish your course. Contact the university for more information.

Outcomes

Career outcomes

The qualification provides foundational knowledge for registered nurses seeking to work in mental health settings and offers a pathway to the Graduate Diploma of Mental Health Nursing, with eligible graduates able to continue to the Master of Mental Health Nursing.

Fees and CSP

Estimated first-year tuition fee in 2026: $2,400 (Commonwealth Supported Place)

Estimated first-year tuition fee in 2026: $9,200 (domestic full-fee paying place)

All costs are calculated using current rates and are based on a study load of 24 credit points (normally four units) per year.

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.