Southern Cross University
Master of Mental Health Nursing
- Delivery: Online
- Commitment: 15 - 20 hours/week
- Study Level: Postgraduate
- Duration: 24 months
Delivers advanced theoretical and practical training to enable nurses to implement evidence-based, person-centred care across varied mental health contexts, through a fully online and flexible learning structure.
Course overview
SCU's Master of Mental Health Nursing is developed against the latest mental health industry standards the Australian College of Mental Health Nursing (ACMHN) sets. You can use your qualification upon completion to become a credentialed mental health nurse.
At SCU, you will be learning from highly skilled, clinically active mental health academics and you will gain advanced knowledge to help people with a lived experience of mental illness.
SCU's degree equips you with the skills and knowledge to forge a successful career as a mental health nurse, ensuring you are prepared to respond to the challenges and opportunities of the healthcare industry.
- The ACMHN accredits the course.
- Gain immediately implementable skills.
- Online study seamlessly fits into shift work.
- Dedicated one-on-one support.
Key facts
July, 2025
August, 2025
October, 2025
What you will study
To gain the Master of Mental Health Nursing, students must complete 11 core units and one elective unit.
Complete the following core units:
- Contemporary Mental Health
- Mental Health Across the Lifespan
- Mental Health in Community, Non-Government and Primary Health Settings
- Acute Mental Health
- Leading Evidence-based Practice in Health
- Physical Healthcare in Mental Health
- Supporting Behaviour Change in Mental Health Contexts
- Building a Professional Portfolio
- Applied Leadership in Mental Health Clinical Practice
- Developing Skills in Contemporary Psychotherapies
- Critical Review in Health
Entry requirements
To gain entry into the Master of Mental Health Nursing, all applicants must:
- Be a Registered Nurse (Division 1) and have access to mental health nurse practitioners during their course of study.
- Be proficient in English.
If you are not a registered nurse, you could also be eligible for the Master of Mental Health degree.
Recognition of Prior Learning
At SCU Online, they value your education and work experience, allowing you to potentially reduce the length of a mental health nursing postgraduate degree through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).
Should you have any relevant professional work experience or academic qualifications that you would like SCU to acknowledge, please provide as much evidence of this as possible when applying to study the Master of Mental Health Nursing online.
Gain credit for your previous experience and graduate even sooner with Advanced Standing. At SCU Online, they proactively assess each student’s prior learning, qualifications and professional expertise and provide custom pathways to complete your online Master of Mental Health Nursing.
For more information, contact the university or visit their website.
Outcomes
Learning outcomes
- Holistic mental health practice: Covering a broad spectrum of mental health, gain the skills to create holistic mental health care treatment plans to meet patient needs.
- Contemporary mental health perspectives: Explore current mental health policy and government legislation within the Australian healthcare system while building on your collaborative recovery and evidence-based mental health practice.
- Develop evidence-based approaches: Build the capacity to analyse and critique the latest mental health research, preparing you to apply evidence-based approaches and drive better patient outcomes in clinical settings.
Career outcomes
Possible career opportunities:
- Mental health nurse
- Mental health support worker
- Nurse unit manager
- Clinical nurse
- Registered nurse
- Nurse consultant
Fees and FEE-HELP
Estimated total fee in 2025: $32,544 (domestic full-fee paying place)
The estimated total fee is calculated based on a study load of 12 units.
A student’s annual fee may vary per:
- The number of units studied.
- Choice of courses.
- 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.
FEE-HELP loans are available to assist eligible full-fee-paying domestic students with the cost of a university course.