Master of Mental Health Nursing
Postgraduate
ACU-MHN-MAS 2025Course information for 2025 intake View information for 2024 course intake
Become an expert in mental health support.
Extend your nursing knowledge and set the groundwork for a career focused on mental health. Apply your theoretical and practical learning in a range of mental health settings. Engage with innovative solutions in the contemporary healthcare space.
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Credit available
- Yes
- Duration
- Approx. 1.5 years full time or part time equivalent
- Total subjects
- 11
- Available loans
- Australian Higher Education Loan Program (HELP)
- CSP available
- Yes
Master of Mental Health Nursing
About this degree
Upon successful completion, Master of Mental Health Nursing students should be able to:
- LO1: describe advanced mental health nursing clinical knowledge, skill and clinical leadership which is informed by evidence-based practice;
- LO2: synthesise and evaluate complex clinical information, problems and concepts and demonstrate mastery of theoretical knowledge to reflect critically on theory as it applies to mental health care settings;
- LO3: Implement a range of advanced evidence-based clinical knowledge and skills to respond to challenges and opportunities that arise within the dynamic context of the wider health care setting and promote current best practice in mental health nursing care provision that responds to emerging and unique needs.
Expanding on units undertaken in the Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma, the Master of Mental Health Nursing aims to expand nursing clinicians’ knowledge and skills in mental health practice and leadership through evidence-based knowledge and practice. Students have the option to pursue a project stream or a research stream within this course. As such, they may complete either a project and two elective subjects, or complete a research dissertation in their final semester. The research stream has a PhD articulation pathway.
Both streams consolidate learning from the Graduate Certificate in Mental Health and Graduate Diploma in Mental Health in research, specialist clinical skills and knowledge as well as clinical leadership.
Current mental health postgraduate programs in Australia focus on either acute mental health care settings or generic mental health. ACU’s Master of Mental Health Nursing has been developed specifically for nursing clinicians entering into the specialist area of mental health. The course is targeted to new nursing graduates and to those working in mental health but who have no formal postgraduate mental health qualifications.
In the current period of mental health service provision reform, there has been a shift in focus from acute inpatient treatment to recovery-oriented practice, so the workforce requires professional development opportunities to keep pace with such changes.
Burning Glass data shows there were 1,539 job postings in Australia between July 2021 and June 2022 for Registered Nurses (Mental Health) and of these 10.9% required a postgraduate qualification (Burning Glass Labour Insights, 19 July 2022).
Recommended study pattern
Students are required to follow the pattern of unit enrolment set out in the relevant Course Enrolment Guide, unless otherwise approved by the Course Coordinator. In all aspects of progression through this course, students will be advised by the Course Coordinator.
Project Stream
Specified Mental Health Nursing Units (40cp)
- NRSG651 Holistic Individual Centred Mental Health Nursing Practice (10cp)
- NRSG652 Recovery Oriented Mental Health Nursing (10cp)
- NRSG653 Health Promotion and Social Inclusion in Mental Health Nursing (10cp)
- NRSG655 Reflective Practice and Clinical Supervision in Mental Health Nursing (10cp)
Project Stream Units (60cp)
- HLSC605 Leadership in Health Care (10cp)
- HLSC617 Independent Project (20cp)
- HLSC640 Interpreting Health Research (10cp)
- HLSC657 Cognitive Behavour Therapy (10cp)
- PHIL623 Healthcare Ethics: Principles in Practice (10cp)
Elective Units (20cp)
- HLSC603 Organisational Culture and Management (10cp)
- HLSC604 Quality and Safety in Health Care (10cp)
- HLSC606 Workforce Management (10cp)
- HLSC607 Policy and Planning in Health Care (10cp)
- HLSC609 Faciltating Learning in Health Professional Settings (10cp)
- NRSG526 Correctional Health: Mental Health Care (10cp)
Research Stream
Specified Mental Health Nursing Units (40cp)
- NRSG651 Holistic Individual Centred Mental Health Nursing Practice (10cp)
- NRSG652 Recovery Oriented Mental Health Nursing (10cp)
- NRSG653 Health Promotion and Social Inclusion in Mental Health Nursing (10cp)
- NRSG655 Reflective Practice and Clinical Supervision in Mental Health Nursing (10cp)
Research Stream Units (80cp)
- HLSC623 Research Dissertation Part A (20cp)
- HLSC624 Research Dissertation Part B (20cp)
- HLSC640 Interpreting Health Research (10cp)
- HLSC642 Biostatistics for Health Sciences (10cp)
OR
- HLSC646 Qualitative Research Methods (10cp)
- HLSC657 Cognitive Behavour Therapy (10cp)
- PHIL623 Healthcare Ethics: Principles in Practice (10cp)
Award requirements
To qualify for the Master of Mental Health Nursing, a student must complete the 120 cp from the schedule of subject offerings comprising:
1. For Project Stream:
a. 40 cp from Specified Mental Health Nursing units
b. 60 cp from Project Stream units
c. 20 cp from Elective units
OR
2. For Research Stream:
a. 40 cp from Specified Mental Health Nursing units
b. 80 cp from Research Stream units
Exit points
A student who has completed the requirements for the Graduate Certificate in Mental Health Nursing or the Graduate Diploma in Mental Health Nursing may exit with the relevant award.
Graduate Diploma in Mental Health Nursing 80 cp
Duration: 1 year full-time or equivalent part-time
Graduate Certificate in Mental Health Nursing 40 cp
Duration: 1 year part-time
Open Universities Australia is a not-for-profit organisation. You will not pay any fees for using our services.
Indicative first year fee
$6,756
Indicative total fee $10,134
The amounts shown here are 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.
Established in 1991 after amalgamating four eastern Australian Catholic tertiary institutes, Australian Catholic University now has seven campuses, from Brisbane to Melbourne and welcomes students of all beliefs. Specialising in arts, business, education, health sciences, law, theology and philosophy, ACU encourages its students to think critically and ethically and bring change to their communities and offer this online through Open Universities Australia.
Learn more about ACU.
Explore ACU courses.
- QS Ranking 2024:
- 34
- Times Higher Education Ranking 2024:
- 29
How to apply
Australian Catholic University manages enquiries and applications for this degree.
Complete your details and we'll make sure your enquiry is sent to Australian Catholic University who will contact you to discuss this degree.
Don't worry, we're still here to help you - you'll receive a personalised follow-up from an Open Universities Australia student advisor to make sure you have found the right degree for you.
Entry requirements
To be eligible for admission to the Master of Mental Health Nursing course, an applicant must :
- Have completed a Bachelor of Nursing degree (or higher); OR have completed the Graduate Diploma in Mental Health Nursing or the Graduate Certificate in Mental Health Nursing, or equivalent;
- To be employed in a mental health service and need to provide written confirmation from their employer that they are employed in a mental health service.
An applicant must also comply with the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy.
International Students must also comply with English Language Proficiency requirements as outlined in the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy.
- IELTS: Overall score 6.5, Individual score of 6.0 in all test
- PTE: 58 with a minimum of 50 in all four communicative skills
- TOEFL: Internet based total of 79: minimum 21 in writing, 18 in speaking, 13 in reading and 12 in listening
- ACU English Language Test: B (65-74%)
- CAE: Overall CAE of 176, Minimum individual score of 169 in all tests
Applicants having completed ACU’s Graduate Diploma in Mental Health Nursing will be eligible for recognition of prior learning of 80 credit points.
Applicants having completed ACU’s Graduate Certificate in in Mental Health Nursing will be eligible for recognition of prior learning of 40 credit points.
If you have already studied at university level or have significant relevant work experience, you can apply for credit towards your ACU course. Credited units replace units you would otherwise study, so you can finish your course earlier.
Career opportunities
Graduates will be able to apply their theoretical and practical learning in a range of mental health settings.
Examples of potential employment settings include:
- public and private health care organisations
- child and adolescent, adult and older person mental health services
- acute, community, rehabilitation and long term care focused settings
- local, state and commonwealth government policy
- consumer and carer groups
- mental health based research
Examples of potential employment roles include:
- clinician
- case manager/worker
- team leader
- service manager
- triage manager
- psychiatric consultation and liaison nurse
- nurse practitioner
Industry partnerships
ACU has existing partnerships and agreements with significant health services nationally. This includes (but not limited to) Catholic partners (e.g, St Vincent's mental health, St John of God), and other major tertiary hospitals (e.g., Royal Melbourne Hospital, Queensland Health, Local Health District NSW etc.). These partnerships are important for strengthening of the mental health nursing workforce which is under particular stress presently.
Professional recognition
This course meets the requirements of a postgraduate qualification for employment beyond entry level in mental health settings and for credentialing as a mental health nurse.
Accreditation:
This course is currently accredited under the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses (ACMHN) National Framework for Postgraduate Mental Health Nursing Education.
Australian job snapshots
Data sourced from Australian Jobs 2023.
Role | Earnings | Employment change |
---|---|---|
Health and Welfare Services Managers | Over $120K | Up 56.6% |
Nurse Managers | Over $120K | Up 19.9% |
Registered Nurses | $93K to $120K | Up 16.3% |
Registered Nurses (Mental Health) | $93K to $120K | N/A^ |
^ There is no data available