Graduate Diploma in Mental Health Nursing

At the completion of this program students will be able to:

1. Communicate and apply specialised knowledge, concepts and skills to a variety of audiences in the field of mental health nursing practice.
2. Apply independent judgement when reviewing, analysing and evaluating complex nursing problems to generate creative solutions.
3. Demonstrate professional clinical management skills by initiating, planning, implementing and evaluating nursing care within a mental health context.
4. Critically reflect on a complex body of mental health care knowledge.

Provides students with contemporary and evidence-based approaches to the delivery of mental health nursing care.

Students will gain an appreciation of the historical context of mental health care and develop a range of assessment and intervention skills that can be applied in a variety of mental health settings.

Students will also gain foundation knowledge of a range of research approaches, to understand the standards for quality and rigour in research and the skills in operationalising research in mental health.

The choice of elective units offers the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills in a range of specialised mental health care contexts. The course also enables students to critically evaluate various management strategies for supporting people with mental illness in the community.

Recommended study pattern

As a guide, you will be required to complete the following core units:

• Contemporary Issues in Mental Health
• Assessment in Mental Health
• Evidence-based Practice and Research Design.

Plus choice of electives to choose from. As part of your application, you’ll be guided through how to get the right degree structure in place for you.

Award requirements

Students are required to complete 120 credit points.

Open Universities Australia is a not-for-profit organisation. You will not pay any fees for using our services.

Indicative total fee $4,450

The amount shown here is indicative for an Australian citizen studying full-time, which is typically 8 subjects per year.

Fees may vary depending on:

• the subjects you choose
• credit from previous work experience
• your eligibility for government funding loans or subsidies such as HECS-HELP or a Commonwealth supported place.

To learn more, go to Fees or contact a student advisor.

ECU is ranked one of the world’s best young universities and Australia’s best public university for teaching quality. That quality extends to more than 30,000 students, many studying online through Open Universities Australia. ECU offers the same quality of teaching to you, regardless of where you’re studying in the world. Their flexible study solutions include a huge range of online courses, recognising your need to juggle work, family or other commitments.

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QS Ranking 2024:

28

Times Higher Education Ranking 2024:

25

All applicants are required to have a Bachelor's degree in nursing or midwifery; or equivalent prior learning including at least five years of recent and relevant professional experience as a mental health nurse.

Academic admission requirements (Band 6) may be satisfied through completion of one of the following:

• Bachelor degree; or
• Equivalent prior learning including at least five years relevant professional experience.

English competency requirements may be satisfied through completion of one of the following:

• IELTS Academic with a minimum overall score of 7.0 and a minimum score of 7.0 in each of the four components (listening, reading, writing and speaking);
• Occupational English Test (OET) with a minimum score of B in each of the four components (listening, reading, writing and speaking);
• Pearson English Test (PTE) Academic with a minimum overall score of 65 and a minimum score of 65 in each of the four communicative skills (listening, reading, writing and speaking);
• TOEFL iBT with a minimum total score of 94 and the following minimum score in each section of the test:
  • 24 for listening
  • 24 for reading,
  • 27 for writing, and
  • 23 for speaking.
• Bachelor degree from an approved country;
• Successfully completed 0.375 EFTSL of study at postgraduate level or higher at an Australian higher education provider (or equivalent); or
• Where accepted, equivalent prior learning, including at least five years relevant professional experience.

Note: English tests must be completed within 2 years of the proposed course commencement date and additional requirements may apply in relation to acceptable number of test sittings.

If you have completed units of study in another Postgraduate course or have relevant professional experience, you may be eligible for Credit and Recognition of Prior Learning (CRPL).

To assess your eligibility for credit, we first need you to apply for and accept an offer in your course of interest with us. You can then submit an Application for Credit and Recognition of Prior Learning via your Student Portal.