Graduate Diploma of Mental Health Nursing

Duration1 year full-time, 2 years part-time
Location
Online
Next start termAnytime
Study modeOnline
Course codeCC69
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Overview

CQUniversity's Graduate Diploma of Mental Health Nursing is ideal for registered nurses looking to develop their mental health nursing credentials to practise as a specialist Mental Health Nurse. Delivered fully online in a flexible format, this course forms part of a suite of three mental health nursing courses and will provide you with the advanced skills and knowledge required to practise in this area of nursing specialisation.

The Graduate Diploma of Mental Health Nursing is delivered via our Be Different platform and offers you a self-paced, ultra-flexible online course, ideal for busy, emerging health leaders interested in practising as a qualified Mental Health Nurse. 

Our Graduate Diploma of Mental Health Nursing is nationally accredited by the Australian College of Mental Health Nursing, meaning you’ll graduate from this course with specialist mental health nursing skills and knowledge. After completion of this course, you can later apply to become a credentialed Mental Health Nurse through the Australian College of Mental Health Nursing provided you meet the other requirements.

Delivered as part of a suite, the Graduate Diploma incorporates a nested Graduate Certificate in Mental Health Nursing. This means that the first four units you complete make up the Graduate Certificate and will build your skills and knowledge in undertaking mental health assessments, risk assessments and formulations, along with psychotropic medications, and recovery. The final units of this course extend on this and with a focus on the provision of safe, person-centred, recovery-orientated mental health care, particular attention is given to exploring a range of therapeutic interventions that you can use to enhance your practice. After completing the Graduate Diploma, you may like to extend your studies and continue in the Master of Mental Health Nursing.

The assessments that you complete for the Graduate Diploma require you to be working in mental health. This way you can employ your mental health nursing skills and apply your learnings to your own clinical practice. 

Developed with industry and lived experience academics, we’ve made sure our mental health nursing courses are evidence-based and clinically relevant so that your studies truly reflect current and emerging mental health nursing matters. Add to this, the flexible, online delivery via our Be Different platform where you set your own pace and affordable tuition fees and you have a suite of mental health nursing courses that allow you to fit study around your life, not the other way around.

Career Opportunities

On the completion of this course you will receive the award of Graduate Diploma of Mental Health Nursing.

Students who complete this course of study will be able to seek employment in the mental health field as a career pathway.

Structure & Availability

Course Structure

The Graduate Diploma of Mental Health Nursing is comprised of eight core units. The units that you will study are generally broken down into five or six smaller modules that you can complete.

The Graduate Certificate in Mental Health Nursing is nested within this course – the first four units form the Graduate Certificate. If you haven’t already completed the Graduate Certificate when you enter this course, you will have access to the first four units. After completing these, you’ll have access to the final units, and you can work through these in any order.

Each unit is six credit points and designed to require a time commitment of a total of 144 hours; in total, for all eight units (this is approximately 1120 hours of study). The eight units from within the Graduate Diploma equate to 12 months of full-time study when compared to a typical university term structure of two terms of full-time study. However, you will have up to three years from enrolment to complete the course at your own pace.

Assessments

Your assessments range from a portfolio, online quizzes, case studies, and video presentations, with all based on your mental health nursing practice – the difference is there are no deadlines or due dates. Additional activities are available for those who wish to explore topics further; however, they are not mandatory.

Unit Information

To view the units that sit within the Graduate Diploma of Mental Health Nursing, visit our Student Handbook, and select the Course Structure tab.

Online Availability

IntakeLocations
Hyperflexible Annual Term, 2024Available Online
Hyperflexible Annual Term, 2025Available Online


When you study this course via our flexible online Be Different learning platform, not only will you study high-quality course content delivered by our supportive Mental Health Nursing educators, but you also get to set the pace. You are not bound by our traditional term dates, such as Term 1 (March) or Term 2 (July) and you can submit your assessments at any time over the duration of the course.

The course is open for applications all year round so you can start your studies anytime.

Once enrolled, you will have up to three years to complete this course.

Majors and minors are not applicable to this course.

This course has no residential schools.

Professional Practice - Australian College of Mental Health Nurses

Core

The ACMHN offers accreditation to education providers who provide postgraduate mental health nursing programs that align with the National Framework for Postgraduate Mental Health Nursing Education. This accreditation is consistent with the Australian Standards for Professional Processes (2008) and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) Quality Framework for the Accreditation function.

Requirements

To be eligible

For your application to be considered, you must meet the following entry requirements.

During your study

While not needed to apply, you'll need to meet the following requirements throughout your studies. 

Fees & Scholarships

Course fees

Not Yet Available
Please check back later or visit our fees webpage for more information.

This is an approximate cost of enrolling in this course, shown in Australian dollars (A$), for one academic year and is based on a full-time study load (8 units over 2 terms). 

Your actual fees may vary, depending on the units that you select to study and your study load. Fees are reviewed each year and are subject to change.

International Course Fees

Scholarships are not available for this course.

How to apply

Our easy to use online application system for international students will guide you through the process of applying for a course at CQUniversity Australia.

APPLY NOW
This course is open for applications all year round and you can start your studies anytime.