Mental health courses
Introduction to Mental health
Demand for mental health services is at an all-time high in Australia. The industry is crying out for more specialists who can make a difference—specialists like nurses, counsellors, advocates and policy makers.
With the right mental health qualification, you could answer that call.
Study mental health online through Open Universities Australia, and explore rewarding opportunities in nursing, community care, education or law enforcement.
We’re here to help you compare flexible study options from across the country and enrol with the university of your choice.
Discover mental health courses
Online mental health degrees
UndergraduateTAS-COU-DIP
Enhance wellbeing in yourself and others
Gain an introduction to a range of topics including mental health, the impact of chronic health conditions on quality of life, mental health first aid, and applied counselling skills.
100% online
2 years full time or part time equivalent
No ATAR required. Start with a subject.
PostgraduateGRF-MHP-GCE
Support the mental health needs of your community
Get set for a career in mental health support. Designed for work in community settings, such as nursing, rehabilitation, police liaison, housing, or disability support. Delve into evidence-based research, and collaborate with carers.
100% online
PostgraduateUND-MHA-GCE
Developed after extensive consultation with the mental health profession
Designed to meet the needs of mental health nurses, this course is a rigorous introduction to psychiatric theories and contemporary treatment. Study contemporary mental health, then graduate and grow your career, or continue your psychiatry studies.
100% online
6 months full time or part time equivalent
UndergraduateTUA-COS-DEG
Help people in communities connect and thrive
Develop tools for a career dedicated to social justice, welfare, and advocacy. You’ll work on communication, counselling, and policy theory. Build your experience and contacts through work placements. Electives include mediation and child protection.
Online & on-campus
3 years full time or part time equivalent
Online mental health subjects and short courses
UndergraduateUSA-HLTH1052
100% online
No ATAR required. Start with a subject.
Starts 18 Sep 2023
UndergraduateTAS-PSY124
100% online
No ATAR required. Start with a subject.
UndergraduateUSA-NURS1067
100% online
No ATAR required. Start with a subject.
UndergraduateTAS-PSY114
100% online
No ATAR required. Start with a subject.
Need help choosing the right course?
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Mental health study FAQs
If you’re here to find a mental health course, odds are you already work in a demanding practical setting. You would love to sharpen your mental health support skills, but you don’t have time to commute to campus or attend lectures in person.
Enter online study.
You should consider an online course in mental health through Open Universities Australia if you want to unlock extra flexible study methods with your university. We give you the freedom to control how many subjects you take at once, so that it’s easier to fit study around your job. You can also trial single mental health subjects before committing to a full qualification, which is a fantastic way to make sure you’ve chosen the right study path.
The mental health courses available here are designed to upskill those who already work in clinical healthcare or community services. The Master of Mental Health Nursing, for example, is only open to registered nurses. You should choose a postgraduate mental health course if you want to learn best practices in mental health support and go after more specialised jobs.
Psychology courses focus on the science behind thinking, behavior, personality and psychological disorders. You should study an undergraduate or postgraduate psychology course if you want to become a registered psychologist—or if you want to understand how people tick. What you learn about the human mind can be applied to careers in a lot of industries, including social services, human resources, marketing and business.
Students typically study this area so they can become mental health specialists or leaders in their field.
The online courses available through Open Universities Australia can help you pursue mental health career opportunities in:
- Nursing
- Occupational therapy
- Community services
- Correctional health
- Counselling and psychology
- Social work
- Disability support services
- Youth work
- Law enforcement
- Teaching and education
Still considering your options? Here are four areas in mental health where job opportunities are growing fast.
Here at Open Universities Australia, we make enrolling online as straightforward as possible. To get started, find the course for you by browsing the options on this page. You can also compare different qualifications using our handy comparison tool, or request help from one of our student advisors.
When you’ve made your choice, click ‘Apply now’ on the relevant course page and follow the prompts to begin your enrolment. We’ll ask you to supply some supporting documentation, including proof of your identity, your tax file number, and a unique student identifier (USI) during this process.
Your university will get in touch with you via email to confirm whether or not your application has been successful.
If you get stuck at any time, reach out to us and we’ll talk you through it.
You can also take a look at our online self-service enrolling instructions.
Before starting an enrolment, it’s important to read the entry requirements for your chosen course to ensure that you’re eligible to apply. If you don’t quite meet the requirements, we may be able to help you find a pathway into your course through open-entry subjects, which anyone can study.
Chat with us to find out more.
There are a lot of reasons to study your course online through us.
- You can enrol without entry requirements
We have a unique open-door policy that makes it possible for everyone to enrol in university study, no matter their academic history. If you don’t meet the entry requirements for a degree, we’ll help you get in through single undergraduate subjects and transition into a qualification from there. - You have total control over how you study
Upskill without committing to a whole degree upfront. Or enrol in a full degree, but take it a subject at a time. We’ll introduce you to flexible study options you didn’t even know about, so you can fit uni around what matters to you. - You’ll graduate with the same qualification as an on-campus student
Once you enrol through us, you’ll study online with the university that provides your degree. This means that when you complete your qualification, you’ll graduate with the same degree as on-campus students. - We’ll help you navigate the university world
Our friendly student advisors will be your guide every step of the enrolment journey. They'll help you compare universities, choose a course, provide documentation and understand your finance options.
- You can enrol without entry requirements
What do you learn in a mental health course?
Online mental health courses cover a range of topics, so what you learn will depend on the qualification you choose.
If you’re yet to start your career, then we recommend exploring an undergraduate counselling or psychology course, where you can build your foundational knowledge.
If you already work in your field and you want to become a mental health specialist, you can focus on an area like:
- Counselling and mental health first aid
- Mental health nursing
- Mental health leadership
- Research and policy
- Forensic mental health
- Mental health for educators
Student stories and study advice
4 high-growth jobs in mental health
What is a mental health nurse and what do they do?
5 mental health short courses to pivot into counselling
Counsellor vs psychologist: Which career is right for you?
We’re here to guide you to the right uni course
Open Universities Australia is a not-for-profit organisation helping every Australian to access thousands of university courses.
Over 500,000 students have enrolled in university through us since 1993.
How we can help you
Studying through Open Universities Australia means we take care of the guesswork and administration of university study, so you can focus on learning.
You don't need a strong academic history to go to uni
We make it possible for everyone to start university through single subjects, regardless of ATAR or study experience. These subjects are covered by government loans, and can be used to upskill or gain entry into a qualification.
You have the flexibility to start at multiple points during the year
We’re not restricted by a traditional academic calendar, so you can enrol when it suits your life. You also have total control over how you study. You can scale up (or down) your study load and even pause your course if you need to.
You can rely on us as an unbiased destination for online tertiary education
As a not for profit, we have your best interests at heart. Our advisors are here 7 days a week to guide and support you. It’s our priority to get you qualified with the university of your choice.
