Graduate Diploma in Mental Health Nursing Practice

What you will study

To gain the Graduate Diploma in Mental Health Nursing Practice, you must complete 100 credit points. Unless otherwise indicated, each subject is worth 12.5 credit points.

Entry requirements

To be considered for entry into this course, you must have:

• A Bachelor of Nursing or equivalent qualification (i.e., Master of Nursing Science entry to practice).
• Current unrestricted registration with AHPRA.
• Clinical support from a partnering health service will be employed at least three (3) days or 24 hours per week for the standard course duration in a clinical setting that will provide the relevant clinical experience to meet course learning outcomes.

English language requirements

All applicants to the University of Melbourne must satisfy the English language requirements. This may be achieved in several ways, including a recognised previous study taught and assessed entirely in English or an approved English language test. If you are from a non-English speaking background, the required standard of English for this degree is one of the following English proficiency test scores:

• IELTS – 6.5, with no band less than 6.0
• TOEFL – 79+, with writing 21; speaking 18; reading 13; listening 13
• Pearson – 64+, with no communicative skill below 60
• Cambridge – 176+, with no skill less than 169

Contact the university or visit their website for more information.

Recognition of Prior Learning

Prior studies may be credited towards your degree and potentially reduce the duration of your course. This is known as Advanced Standing (also known as credit or recognition of prior learning).

Outcomes

Learning outcomes

The Graduate Diploma in Mental Health Nursing Practice allows nurses to develop proficient speciality practice.

• You will learn to appreciate from a consumer perspective how to apply theoretical, critical and practical knowledge and understand the implications of providing care.
• This course will enable you to employ specialist nursing knowledge and skills to conduct comprehensive mental health assessments and develop meaningful formulations.
• You can exercise enhanced clinical judgment, decision-making and insight into specialist mental health nursing in pursuit of optimal outcomes for the person and family.
• You will apply scientific judgement and contemporary evidence from various sources (consumer-reported, clinician-observed and research-driven) to underpin the use of therapies, management of medication regimes and application of frameworks that inform mental health nursing practice.

Career outcomes

Students of this course will benefit from the strong links with health services held by the Department of Nursing at the Melbourne School of Health Sciences. The school is committed to preparing specialist mental health nurses, who are essential in providing care for consumers and their families.

Delivered 100% online, this unique course allows students to focus on specialities in aged mental health, first episode psychosis, child or youth mental health, or acute/adult mental health nursing. It’s relevant to current practice and prepares you for a fulfilling career as a specialist mental health nurse.

Fees and CSP

Estimated total course fee in 2025: From $4,624 (Commonwealth Supported Place)

Indicative total course fee in 2025: $25,984 (domestic full-fee paying place)

Student fees may vary depending on:

• The number of subjects studied per term.
• The choice of major or specialisation.
• Choice of subjects.
• Credit from previous study or work experience.
• Eligibility for government-funded loans.

You will also need to pay the student services and amenities fee. Student fees shown are subject to change. Contact the university directly to confirm.

Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP)

The Australian Government allocates a certain number of CSPS to 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 some of your tuition fees. The student contribution amount is 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 subject 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.