Graduate Diploma of Cardiac Nursing

What you will study

To earn the Graduate Diploma of Cardiac Nursing, you must successfully complete units totalling 8 credit points, as detailed below. Unless otherwise noted, each course is worth 1 credit point.

Entry requirements

Academic requirements

To be eligible for this course, applicants must meet all of the following requirements:

• Hold current registration as a registered nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, with no conditions or restrictions.
• Have independently secured ongoing employment for at least 24 hours per week in a relevant cardiac care setting at a collaborating hospital in Australia.
• Have access to appropriate clinical supervision within their employing hospital.

Selection also considers academic merit, work experience, participation and regulatory requirements, availability of places and the applicant’s likelihood of success. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.

Supporting documents

Applicants must submit a completed Applicant Declaration form confirming their employment and access to appropriate clinical supervision and support.

Clinical and practical requirements

Students must independently secure employment for at least 24 hours per week in a cardiac care setting within a collaborating Australian hospital. Relevant settings may include:

• Coronary care.
• Cardiothoracic care.
• Interventional cardiology.
• Other approved cardiac care areas.

This is a compulsory employment-based clinical requirement rather than a university-arranged placement.

The clinical specialty units are completed during the first year and include compulsory workplace-based assessments. Both the theoretical and clinical components of these units must be passed.

English-language requirements

Applicants must provide evidence of at least one of the following:

• A bachelor degree from a recognised English-speaking country.
• An IELTS overall score of 6.5, with no band score below 6.0, or an accepted equivalent.
• Other accepted evidence of English-language proficiency.

Contact the university for further information.

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

Learning outcomes

• Demonstrate advanced clinical practice commensurate with cardiac care nursing theoretical knowledge, evidence-based practice and person-centred care.
• Demonstrate advanced communication skills to ensure high-quality, safe nursing care for patients in the cardiac care setting.
• Evaluate information using digital technologies to effectively disseminate relevant cardiac care information to patients and/or the multidisciplinary team.
• Identify, analyse and evaluate complex data from multiple sources to inform clinical decision-making in the cardiac care setting.
• Apply advanced nursing knowledge to complex problems in the cardiac care setting to optimise patient outcomes.
• Demonstrate professionalism, accountability, reflection and personal autonomy as a cardiac nurse.
• Establish and maintain inclusive, collaborative professional relationships with all multidisciplinary team members.
• Demonstrate accountability for and sound professional judgement in behaviours that uphold ethical principles of practice within diverse social, cultural and environmental contexts.

Career outcomes

The Graduate Diploma of Cardiac Nursing will allow you to meet the demand in a senior role in advanced practice, leadership, management and education across a range of settings, including:

• Acute Cardiac Units
• Cardiac Rehabilitation and Community Care
• Cardiac Catheter Laboratories
• Coronary Care Units
• Clinical Nurse Educator

Fees and CSP

Indicative annual fee in 2026: $4,908 (Commonwealth Supported Place)

Indicative annual fee in 2026: $29,400 (Full-fee paying place)

Indicative annual fees are based on your first year of study.

A student’s annual fee may vary by:

• The number of units studied.
• 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 the course you're enrolled in.
• Dependent on the study areas they relate to.
• Reviewed and adjusted each year.

Student fees shown are subject to change. Contact the university directly to confirm.

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.