Master of Mental Health Nursing

Year 1 takes place at the Bundoora campus or via distance education.

Year 2 takes place at the Melbourne City campus or via distance education.

You will  be exposed to a range of teaching and learning opportunities including distance education packages, online learning, face-to-face lectures and learning experiences. All lectures are video recorded to enhance the flexible delivery of this program.

You will experience a range of learning approaches including learner-centred curriculum, learning activities and projects and working in multidisciplinary teams.

RMIT University is committed to providing you with an education that strongly links formal learning with professional or vocational practice. The assessment you will complete within this program will reflect the contemporary work you will be involved in within mental health nursing clinical practice.

Industry representatives provide regularly input into the program via membership of the program advisory board.

Graduates will be able to seek to extend their careers in mental health nursing in a wide range of hospital and community settings across metropolitan and rural areas. Graduates of this program should be well prepared to conduct shift leadership and care coordination roles as well as mentorship of staff in a mental health setting.

With almost half of Australians estimated to suffer from mental illness at some point in their lives, mental health nurses perform an essential role in a wide range of hospital and community settings.

According to the Australian Government, employment rates have increased steadily over the past ten years and are forecast to continue growing for the foreseeable future. A substantial workforce gap is projected for the mental health nursing sector to 2030.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare estimates that around $8.5 billion per annum is spent on mental health-related services in Australia.

Professional recognition and accreditation

You can join the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses and cite this qualification as part of your application for credentialing. Credentialed mental health nurses can be funded for employment under the Mental Health Nurse Incentive Program.

Graduates can apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia and after obtaining credentialing with the ACMHN may seek a provider number for private practice or practice in any Australian state or territory under the mental health nurse incentive program. To register in Australia you need English languages skills at IELTS academic level 7 or equivalent within the two years prior to registration.

Program leader: Associate Professor Phil Maude

Associate Professor Maude has completed a Master and PhD in nursing by research, as well as clinical postgraduate studies in mental health nursing, addiction and primary health care.

Lecturer: Dr Alistair Ross

Dr Ross has completed a Master and PhD in nursing and has contemporary practice in ECatt and private mental health service delivery.