Postgraduate mental health nursing courses (online)

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100% online delivery

ACMHN accredited

Designed for nurses

CSPs available

Programs Curriculum Careers

Advance your specialist practice in mental health nursing

Mental health nursing requires more than compassion. It demands strong clinical judgement, therapeutic skill and a clear understanding of recovery-oriented care.

ACU’s online mental health nursing courses† are designed for registered nurses working in mental health settings. Grounded in recovery principles and evidence-based practice, these courses help you sharpen your therapeutic skills, strengthen clinical confidence and better support people living with complex mental health conditions.

Whether you’re consolidating your specialist knowledge or preparing to step into senior clinical, leadership or research roles, you’ll build practical skills you can apply straight away in clinical settings.

  • Study 100 per cent online with flexibility around shift work and clinical practice.
  • Clear, accredited progression from graduate certificate to master’s degree.
  • Accredited by the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses (ACMHN), supporting credentialing pathways.

Build specialist capability in mental health nursing

Each qualification builds on your recovery-oriented practice, strengthens your therapeutic skills and helps you apply research more confidently in day-to-day clinical decisions.

Flexibility is central – you can begin with a shorter qualification to build skills, then continue into more advanced study when you’re ready.

  • Modality: Online
  • Credit points: 40
  • Duration: 1 year part-time

Strengthen your foundations in specialist mental health nursing. Explore recovery-oriented frameworks, therapeutic engagement and evidence-based approaches, including cognitive behavioural therapy principles.

Designed for registered nurses seeking formal postgraduate study in mental health and a pathway toward advanced qualifications.

  • Modality: Online
  • Credit points: 80
  • Duration: 2 years part-time

Develop advanced therapeutic approaches, hone your clinical judgement and build your confidence in working with research and evidence – supporting safe, recovery-focused care across a range of settings.

ACMHN-accredited and aligned to credentialing standards.

  • Modality: Online
  • Credit points: 120
  • Duration: 1.5 years full-time or part-time equivalent

The master’s degree deepens your therapeutic practice, strengthens your research capability and enhances your understanding of how mental health services are designed and delivered.

With research and project stream options, you’ll graduate ready to contribute to service development and improvement, clinical leadership and evidence-based mental health care.

Contemporary, recovery-focused and grounded in real-world practice

Study contemporary mental health nursing through a strong clinical lens. You’ll examine recovery-oriented care, therapeutic modalities including cognitive behavioural therapy, ethical decision-making and research-informed practice.

Learning is closely tied to real clinical practice, so you can connect theory back to the patients, teams and services you work with every day.

Progress your career in mental health nursing

Graduates of ACU’s mental health nursing courses are well positioned to move into more senior roles across public and private mental health services, community care and specialised clinical environments.

These qualifications also support ongoing professional recognition and leadership development within the nursing profession.

Top careers

Mental health nurse $95k per year1

Clinical lead $120k per year1

Clinical nurse $110k per year1

Nurse educator $133k per year1

About ACU

ACU has five stars in Australia for learner engagement and student support for computing and information systems*. Our mission-driven approach combines academic excellence with a commitment to ethics, social responsibility, community and real-world impact. Studying with ACU means joining a global network of innovators who believe technology should serve humanity.

Online learning experience

Study 100 per cent online, anytime, and wherever you are. ACU’s digital learning platform connects you with expert educators, live tutorials, and interactive coursework designed for flexibility and support. Whether you’re balancing work, family or other commitments, you’ll have the tools, structure and guidance to learn, succeed and excel at your own pace.

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Source and disclaimer

  1. https://www.seek.com.au/.

†Subject to approval by Academic Board

*Good Universities Guide 2026, undergraduate