Master of Mental Health

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

Professional recognition

This course meets the requirements of a postgraduate qualification for employment beyond entry level in mental health settings.

Higher education

To be eligible for admission to the course, an applicant must :

1. have completed a Bachelor degree in a Health Discipline;

OR

1. have completed the Graduate Diploma in Mental Health or Graduate Certificate in Mental Health or equivalent;

AND

provide written confirmation from their employer that their workplace duties bring them into regular contact with people who have mental health problems

Work and Life

Students need to provide written confirmation from their employer that their workplace duties bring them into regular contact with people who have mental health problems.

English Proficiency Requirements

Students must meet English Language requirements as follows:

• 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

Special requirements

Applicants need to provide written confirmation from their employer that their workplace duties bring them into regular contact with people who have mental health problems.

Applicants having completed ACU’s Graduate Diploma in Mental Health will be eligible for recognition of prior learning of 80 credit points.

Applicants having completed ACU’s Graduate Certificate in Mental Health 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.

https://www.acu.edu.au/study_at_acu/applying/recognition_of_prior_learning

The Master of Mental Health aims to expand allied health 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.

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.

The first 40 credit points of the course consist of units in the Graduate Certificate in Mental Health; the second 40 credit points of this course are derived from the Graduate Diploma in Mental Health and the final 40 credit points consist of either project or research stream units.

Recommended Study Pattern

To qualify for the degree of Master of Mental Health, a student must complete the 120 cp from the Schedule of Unit Offerings comprising:

OR

1. For Project Stream:
   1. 40 cp from Mental Health units
   2. 60 cp from Project Stream units
   3. 20 cp from Elective units
2. For Research Stream:
   1. 40 cp from Mental Health units
   2. 80 cp from Research Stream units

Award Requirements

To qualify for the Master of Mental Health, a student must complete the 120 cp from the schedule of subject offerings comprising:

For Project Stream:

• 40 cp of Mental Health subjects
• 60 cp from Project Stream subjects
• 20 cp of elective subjects

For Research Stream:

• 40 cp from Mental Health subjects
• 80 cp from Research Stream subjects