Postgraduate mental health courses are available for graduates in nursing, social care and the social sciences. You can do a graduate certificate, graduate diploma or masters, specialising in mental health or mental health nursing.
An online postgraduate course in mental health prepares you to work with people who face psychological challenges. You're trained to understand and meet the needs of consumers with emotional and behavioural problems.
Online programs are open to graduates with degrees in fields such as social work, psychology, nursing or the social sciences. You can study for a graduate certificate, graduate diploma or masters in mental health. For registered nurses in Australia, online mental health nursing courses are available.
Postgraduate courses for everyone
Postgraduate courses for Registered Nurses
Graduate Certificate in Mental Health
A popular way to start postgraduate studies in mental health practice is with a Graduate Certificate in Mental Health online. A graduate certificate typically forms part of a larger postgraduate program, with subjects counting as credit towards a graduate diploma or masters degree. It holds similar status to a degree despite being shorter.
SCU Online Graduate Certificate in Mental Health
The Graduate Certificate in Mental Health from Southern Cross University is a versatile 100% online course. You choose 4 subjects from topics that include: acute mental health, physical healthcare in mental health, supporting behaviour change, mental health across the lifespan, alternative mental health treatment settings, and contemporary issues. The course is open to graduates with a degree in a health, psychology or social science discipline. You can work full-time while studying and still finish in 8 months. Graduates of the program may continue on for a graduate diploma or masters.
UTS Online Graduate Certificate in Mental Health
The UTS Online Graduate Certificate in Mental Health is designed for health and social care professionals who require specialist skills to navigate mental health care and lead teams that provide advanced and holistic clinical practice. Delivered 100% online, with part-time study, you will develop a comprehensive understanding of trauma-informed and recovery-focused care to graduate with industry-recognised leadership capabilities that will prepare you for a successful future in mental health – one of Australia’s national health priority areas. The course is a pathway to a masters degree in health services management, public health or advanced nursing.
Graduate Diploma of Mental Health
A Graduate Diploma in Mental Health sits halfway between a grad cert and masters in terms of both duration and cost. The post graduate diploma in mental health may be ideal if you want substantial mental health training but don't want to commit to a full masters. An online grad dip is a well recognised qualification that demonstrates significant knowledge and skill development in helping people with mental health problems.
SCU Online Graduate Diploma of Mental Health
Expand your skills in mental health practice with the Graduate Diploma of Mental Health from Southern Cross University. Students are able to complete 8 subjects one at a time over 16 months to earn the grad dip. You can do the online course while working full-time. You learn a holistic, well-rounded approach to care, equipping you to work across mental health settings and disciplines. Graduates work in roles such as social worker, counsellor, child protection officer, government assessor, case manager and art therapist.
Graduate Diploma in Psychology
If you have a bachelor degree of any kind, you can study for a Graduate Diploma in Psychology online. The course is equivalent to a Bachelor of Psychology, giving you a foundational education in the psychology discipline.
The postgraduate psychology program will develop your knowledge of psychology broadly and provide a platform for becoming a registered psychologist. But be aware that further education steps would be required for registration, namely honours and masters-level courses.
Ten-subject programs can be completed online over 20 months of part-time study... READ MORE
Masters in Mental Health Online
A Masters in Mental Health prepares you to effectively respond to patients experiencing mental health challenges. Programs are open to graduates from different disciplines, including health, psychology and the social sciences.
Online masters programs are available that allow you to study without having to take time away from work. An accelerated online course can be completed in 2 years of part-time study.
You can expect strong levels of online learning support, with students well connected to instructors and classmates... READ MORE
Become a Mental Health Nurse: Postgraduate Mental Health Nursing Courses
You can be recognised as a specialist mental health nurse after completing an accredited post graduate course. An accredited graduate diploma or masters degree in Mental Health Nursing gives the full 100 points needed for the Education component of the Specialist Nurse Credentialing Program.
A mental health nurse is a registered nurse who specialises in "working with people who have a mental illness like depression, postnatal depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and psychosis" (Health Direct). Postgraduate education is part of the credentialing framework of the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses.
Mental health nurses attend to the general needs of patients, offering physical, emotional and social support. They usually work as part of a multidisciplinary team that may include doctors, psychologists, case workers, and other nurses and allied health professionals.
Graduate Certificate in Mental Health Nursing
A Graduate Certificate in Mental Health Nursing is a 4-subject course that you can do online to expand your skills and knowledge. The post graduate course provides mental health training for nurses and may be used as a pathway for a graduate diploma or masters degree. Graduates are better equipped to use evidence-based practice professionally. Topics may include mental health across the lifespan, acute mental health, physical health care in mental health, and supporting behavioural change.
SCU Online Graduate Certificate in Mental Health Nursing
The Graduate Certificate in Mental Health Nursing from Southern Cross University is a foundation course for becoming a mental health specialist. Choose 4 subjects out of 6 from the masters program. After completion, you may choose to continue studying. Another 4 subjects gets you a Graduate Diploma of Mental Health Nursing or another 8 will earn you a Master of Mental Health Nursing. Both the grad dip and masters allow you to apply to be an accredited mental health nurse. The 100% online course is available to Registered Nurses (Division 1) with access to mental health nursing practice.
Graduate Diploma in Mental Health Nursing
One of Australia's most popular postgraduate courses for nurses is the online Graduate Diploma in Mental Health Nursing. By completing an accredited postgraduate diploma, you upgrade your skills and strategies for managing patients suffering from mental illness. As well, you gain eligibility to be recognised as a qualified mental health nurse.
SCU Online Graduate Diploma of Mental Health Nursing
The Graduate Diploma of Mental Health Nursing from Southern Cross University (SCU) is accredited with the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses (ACMHN). Completing the 100% online course allows you, as a registered nurse, to also qualify as a mental health nursing specialist.
Students learn to appreciate mental health challenges and are given the tools to respond effectively to patient needs. Subjects include healthcare professional portfolio, mental health at different ages, physical healthcare in mental health, and supporting behaviour change. SCU Online has a student-first approach to e-learning and offers this course at an affordable price. Flexible learning allows you to work while studying.
Masters in Mental Health Nursing
As a Registered Nurse, you have the opportunity to become a mental health nurse with an accredited Masters in Mental Health Nursing online. You'll need access to a mental health nursing practice or practitioners while studying.
A masters program is an expanded version of a Graduate Diploma of Mental Health Nursing. Students complete an extra 4 subjects. An accelerated masters takes 2 years of part-time study compared to 16 months for a grad dip.
Earning a masters degree is a significant accomplishment and may place you in a better position career-wise... READ MORE
Entry Requirements
To be eligible for postgraduate courses in mental health, you'll ideally have a broadly relevant bachelor degree. The degree could be in health, psychology or other discipline related to the social sciences. Healthcare experience, or even a current clinical position, may be a requirement for some programs. If you lack a degree, you could gain entry based on experience and vocational qualifications.
To gain entry into the mental health graduate certificate course, you should have a bachelor degree, or equivalent or higher qualification, in health, psychology or a social science discipline.
If you're a registered nurse, you may also be eligible for the Graduate Certificate in Mental Health Nursing if you have current access to mental health nursing practice.
Fully online courses are unavailable to international students on a student visa. All students must be proficient in English.
Advanced standing is available to recognise prior learning: previous education, qualifications and job experience. The process may reduce the number of units you need to study, in turn reducing the cost and time taken to earn a degree or other qualification.
Tuition fees: $2,500 per subject in 2022. FEE-HELP loans to cover course fees are automatically available from the Australian Government for domestic students.
Key dates: Intakes occur in Jan, Mar, Apr, July, Aug, Nov.
Applicants for a mental health graduate certificate course need a bachelor’s degree, or equivalent or higher qualification, in health or a discipline related to society and culture. You should also be currently employed in a healthcare setting, with at least 12 months of postgraduate clinical experience.
Alternative entry requirements: If you lack a relevant degree but have recent work experience in clinical healthcare, you may also be considered eligible. You'll need to show evidence of the ability to complete tertiary study by submitting a personal statement and CV detailing college or hospital certificates and professional development.
For local applicants with international qualifications, minimum English language proficiency requirements apply. The postgraduate program is unavailable to international students.
Key dates: Intakes occur six times per year, in Jan, Mar, May, July, Sep and Oct.
Tuition fees are $2,670 per subject in 2022. FEE-HELP loans are available to cover program costs.
What You'll Study (Course Structure)
Any postgraduate course on mental health aims to provide knowledge and tools for managing clients. You'll study mental health issues Australian face, approaches to handling consumers and developing treatments, and professional practice in a health services setting.
To give you an idea of the kinds of topics covered, here are example subjects from graduate certificate courses.
Southern Cross University
In this subject, you'll examine the experiences of people with complex mental health presentations. Also, you'll study mental health treatments and models, formulating collaborative responses that reflect consumer needs in different mental health settings.
To effectively engage and intervene in cases of children, adolescents and older persons, age factors should be considered. This unit explores life stage and bio-psycho-social context. Students learn to critically apply context to assessment, diagnosis and treatment across the human lifespan.
This subject explores the role that physical health has on mental health outcomes and how physical health is affected by mental illness and pharmacological and alternate treatments. You'll build an understanding of how to ensure patient physical health needs are met as part of holistic mental health assessment, diagnosis and intervention.
In this unit, students deepen their knowledge of how to support constructive change in patients that aids their recovery. Psychological approaches and models of understanding are explored. You'll deconstruct concepts around behaviour change in the context of your professional discipline. Underpinning the course are motivational Interviewing strategies that help produce co-constructed change between consumer and clinician.
UTS Online
Students explore mental health experiences in the Australian community, including of anxiety, depression, substance use, and self-harm, along with impacts on the individuals and more broadly. You'll also examine the recovery model of mental health care inherent in national frameworks and policies.
This subject critically examines leadership and management theories, exploring them through guided readings, case studies, and the practical application of concepts using scenarios. We'll also consider what leadership means at an individual, team and organisational level, drawing on multiple theories. Participants will consider their own leadership capabilities and draft a development map for their career. How to lead a health and social care organisation specially will also be considered.
Students will enhance clinical and professional competency in their chosen specialty via a program of integrated and clinically-based learning strategies. The learning experiences focuses on care management, clinical services, professional responsibilities, leadership and collaboration, problem-solving and education.
Examples of sectors you may wish to concentrate on include forensic mental health, community mental health, aged mental health, child and adolescent, and private practice.
Trauma-informed care (TIC) is a way of caring for people that recognises the impacts of trauma and the primacy of creating systems that limit the risk of further damage or re-traumatisation. The subject explores perspectives on illness and wellness to provide a broad basis for understanding how trauma impacts a person’s relationship with healthcare services. Approaches are offered on how TIC can be delivered in contemporary healthcare settings.
Learning Outcomes
Graduates achieve specific learning outcomes from a postgraduate mental health course. These depend on the program, your area(s) of specialisation, and how many subjects you do. But you'll also develop versatile, transferrable competencies, including improved:
- knowledge of the Australian healthcare system and services for mental health clients
- perspectives on professional practice, giving insight into how to improve services in your field
- sensitivity to issues people face and a better sense of how to deal with varied cases
- familiarity with how systems interact and where to go for professional guidance.
Mental health is huge field, with diversity in clients and context. A postgrad course is an opportunity to look beyond the confines of a single workplace to gain new perspectives, knowledge and skills. Students may start with a graduate certificate, which is often worth doing by itself, before choosing whether to do longer studies.
Career Opportunities
Expertise in managing mental health issues is in demand across many health and social care fields in Australia. As a graduate of a postgraduate mental health course, you can work in specialist or high-level roles to get the most out of your qualification. Jobs are available in diverse mental health settings, from aged care to specialty clinics.
Prospective job titles include youth worker, case manager, health services manager, counsellor, social worker, mental health clinician, mental health practitioner, and child protection officer. For nurses, you can qualify to become a mental health nurse, potentially taking on specialist roles or placements as a registered nurse, nurse coordinator or nursing manager.
FAQs
Mental health practice involves the assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and management of psychological conditions. Mental health practitioners include professionals such as psychiatrists, psychologists, mental health counselors, social workers, and psychiatric nurses, among others.
Practitioners work with individuals, families, and groups to address a wide range of mental health concerns, including depression, anxiety, trauma, substance abuse, and psychotic disorders. They may use approaches such as talk therapy, medication management, and other interventions, to help people improve their wellbeing. The work may also involve collaborating with communities and organisations to educate, prevent problems, and promote mental wellness.
Nurses need to know about mental health because, first and foremost, mental health is an important aspect of overall health and well-being.
Nurses are often the first point of contact for individuals seeking medical care, and they may encounter patients who are experiencing psychological problems or who have underlying mental health conditions impacting their physical health. Nurses to at least require a basic understanding of mental health, with the ability to recognise signs and symptoms of mental conditions. That allows them to provide appropriate care and support to all patients.
In addition, nurses may work with patients who have mental health conditions as a primary diagnosis or as a comorbidity with other physical health conditions. In these cases, it is important for nurses to be knowledgeable about conditions and their treatments so they can provide appropriate general care.
Nurses may also work in treatment settings, such as inpatient psychiatric units or community mental health clinics. Here, they're responsible for managing high-needs patients on a daily basis. In these circumstances, a deeper understanding of problems and treatments is essential for nurses to be able to effectively do their job.