University of Notre Dame Australia
Graduate Certificate in Nursing
- Delivery: Online
- Study Level: Postgraduate
- Duration: 6 months
Broaden your knowledge and skills or upgrade your qualifications as a registered nurse.
Course overview
The Graduate Certificate in Nursing will provide you with the opportunity to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills so you are prepared to provide evidence-based care in various contexts. A broad range of elective courses enables you to match your learning to your areas of interest or workplace needs.
This graduate certificate provides a fast track to a formal nursing qualification. The program is fully online and can be easily combined with your existing work commitments and your family.
As a graduate, you can then choose to further your qualifications with a Graduate Diploma of Nursing, which requires an additional four courses, then add another four courses for a Master of Nursing (Coursework).
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 $592 (CSP)
20th July, 2026
What you will study
The Graduate Certificate in Nursing consists of four courses (100 units).
Core course (25 units)
- Evidence-Based Practice
Course elective courses (50 units)
Select two courses from the following:
- Advanced Health Assessment
- Clinical Governance
- Professional Role Development
- Management
Additional elective courses (25 units)
Select one course from the following:
- Advanced Health Assessment
- Clinical Governance
- Deteriorating Patient Acute Care
- Professional Role Development
- Emotional Intelligence
- Management
- Learning and Facilitation in Health Professional Education
- Reasoning and Clinical Innovation
- Contemporary Issues in Health Professional Education and Leadership
- Coaching and Supervision in Health
- Counselling Skills for the Professions
- Introduction to Perinatal and Infant Mental Health
- Nursing Leadership Development Strategies
- Patient Care, Quality and Best Practice
- Contemporary Palliative Care Nursing Practice 1
Entry requirements
- Current license to practice as a registered nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia or provisional registration, whichever is applicable at the time of commencement.
- Nursing or other appropriate degree or the equivalent.
Outcomes
Career outcomes
With a Graduate Certificate in Nursing, you can pursue career prospects as a clinical nurse specialist and specialist in clinical nursing. Also, a nurse educator and a supervising nurse.
Learning outcomes
Upon successful completion of the Graduate Certificate in Nursing, graduates will be able to:
- Develop leadership qualities to support staff development and professional competence.
- Critically reflect on practice and own learning and develop skills for lifelong learning.
- Examine the multidisciplinary team's role in providing coordinated clinical care to patients with varied health conditions.
- Examine clinical governance frameworks related to quality nursing management and practice.
- Use current evidence and research to inform patient assessment, clinical decisions and best practice.
Fees and CSP
Estimated total fee in 2026: $2,368 (Commonwealth Supported Place)
Estimated total fee in 2026: $12,900 (domestic full-fee paying place)
Student fees may vary depending on:
- The number of courses studied per term.
- The choice of major or specialisation.
- Choice of courses.
- Credit from previous study or work experience.
You may also need to pay the student services and amenities fee.
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 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.
