This degree is no longer offered. You may be interested in other courses in Nursing
Master of Nursing (Mental Health)
Postgraduate
USQ-NMH-MAS 2025Course information for 2025 intake View information for 2024 course intake
Advance your nursing knowledge to care for mental health clients
Study advanced mental health nursing and become a valued expert. You’ll explore legal and cultural aspects and build your counselling skills. Adopt a holistic approach. Care for patients’ mental wellbeing and support them through mental illness.
- Study method
- Online & on-campus
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Credit available
- Yes
- Duration
- Approx. 1.5 years full time or part time equivalent
- Total subjects
- 12
- Available loans
- Australian Higher Education Loan Program (HELP)
- CSP available
- Yes
Master of Nursing (Mental Health)
About this degree
Upon completion of this program, graduates will be able to:
- Display an advanced body of seminal, conceptual, and data-based knowledge in nursing.
- Communicate an advanced knowledge of research principles and methods applicable to health and nursing.
- Review conceptual and data-based literature using cognitive and technical skills to critique, evaluate, and identify best evidence to improve individual, community, and population health outcomes.
- Apply evidence-based decision-making to clinical, policy, education, and/or practice situations.
- Lead people and projects in diverse situations with a high degree of creativity, autonomy, and accountability, demonstrating appropriate judgment and responsibility as an expert practitioner.
- Communicate at a high level in interpersonal, inter-professional, and intercultural situations with people of diverse ages, backgrounds, and needs.
- Employ advanced skills in competent, caring, and professional nursing practice.
- Become a valued expert in providing specialised nursing support to people struggling with their mental wellbeing or experiencing symptoms of mental illnesses. Gain a thorough understanding of the theoretical perspectives used in mental health nursing enabling you to develop a holistic appreciation for the intricacies of mental health. Throughout this masters in mental health nursing, you’ll develop the skills and knowledge to understand the transtheoretical notions of change and resistance in various counselling contexts. Determine effective research design, including ethical considerations, further complementing the specialist mental health nurse training you’ll receive throughout this masters degree.
Recommended study pattern
Year 1
HEA6001 Contexts of Practice
MHN5120 Foundations of Mental Health Nursing
MHN5160 Contemporary Mental Health Nursing in Practice
NUR6340 The Law and Health Care Practice or HEA6302 Culture as Determinant of Health
Year 2
HSC6050 Research Methodology for Human Sciences
MHN5180 Reflective Practice for Mental Health Nursing
COU6013 Working with Addition
1 x Elective
Year 3
HSC6060 Research Project Design
NUR6060 Health Policy Analysis and Review
HSC6070 Health Masters Project A or NUR6075 Research Implementation Project
HESC6080 Health Masters Project B or 1 x Elective
Award requirements
Completion of 12 units as outlined in the Recommended Study Pattern section.Choose your subjects
Majors
- Clinical Education
- General
- Gerontology
- Leadership & Management in Health
- Mental Health
- Rural & Remote
Electives
Approved Course List
HEA8101 Foundations of Gerontology Practice
HEA8102 Perspectives of Healthy Ageing
HEA8104 Alzheimers and Dementia: Contemporary Perspectives
HEA8105 Perspectives on `End-of-Life'
ANP8003 Management in Health Care Practice
ANP8011 Clinical Leadership in Contemporary Health Care Practice
HEA8201 Introduction to Clinical Education
HEA8202 Innovative Learning Strategies for Healthcare Environment
COU8103 Counselling Issues and Contexts
COU8101 Counselling Skills and Applications
COU8104 Counselling Frameworks
Exit points
Graduate Certificate of Nursing.
Open Universities Australia is a not-for-profit organisation. You will not pay any fees for using our services.
Indicative first year fee
$8,948
Indicative total fee $13,422
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.
As Australia’s #1 university for graduate starting salary (Good Universities Guide, 2022), University of Southern Queensland is the right place to make real progress. Regardless of your education history, your age or your aspirations, at UniSQ you’ll be inspired by quality learning experiences matched with top resources and research. Having delivered distance and online learning for over 40+ years, UniSQ supports you to learn at your own pace—exactly how it suits you.
Learn more about USQ.
Explore USQ courses.
- QS Ranking 2024:
- 24
- Times Higher Education Ranking 2024:
- 24
Entry requirements
- Completed a 3-year bachelor degree in the area of nursing from an Australian university, or equivalent. Hold a current Professional Registration as a Division 1 nurse, or equivalent, with either Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) or relevant regulatory body in applicant's home country. Some courses within this degree are designed specifically to develop advanced mental health nurse knowledge and skills, therefore have the following requirements: MHN5120: this course is suitable for those nurses new to the mental health area and nurses not currently working in a mental health specific setting. MHN5160: this course builds on foundational content in MHN5120. It is recommended but not required that you are currently working as a nurse in a mental health specific setting. MHN5180: this course requires students to reflect on clinical nursing practice specific to a mental health environment. To best support your success, evidence of six months reflective practice (clinical supervision) is required from enrolment into the course. Proof of meeting the English Language Proficiency requirements is also required.
All students are required to satisfy the applicable English language requirements. For entry to the Master of Nursing (Mental Health) program, applicants are required to meet the Category 4 English Language Proficiency requirements.
- Exemptions/credit will be assessed based on the UniSQ Credit and Exemption Procedure. Claims for credit for previous study should be submitted prior to or at the time of enrolment. Each claim will be assessed on individual merit in line with UniSQ policy.
Study method requirements
- May include the requirement Residential School to complete practical components of some courses depending on whether the Clinical or Research enrolment stream is chose.
Career opportunities
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