- Be a Registered Psychiatric Nurse on the Psychiatric Division of the active register maintained by NMBI.

- Be currently practicing as a psychiatric nurse.

- Have at least 18 months post-registration experience in psychiatric nursing (exclusive of post-registration courses).

- Hold a primary degree in nursing. If applicants do not have a primary degree in nursing, they will be invited to complete an access course (1 day attendance in college). Upon successful completion of this access course, students can then be enrolled onto the Postgraduate Diploma in Nursing (Community Mental Health) Level 9.

- International students will require a degree of fluency in the English language. A score of 6.5 in the IELTS Academic Test is required. This equates to a score of 570 in TOEFL.

Recognition of Prior Lerarning: Yes.

Flexible learning courses are popular, and they fill on a first come, first served basis. There are two major intake periods throughout the academic year, September and January.

For January start courses, applications typically open in October, and for September start courses, applications typically open in February. Closing dates for applications are listed on the individual course webpage.

Start Date: September 2026.

This course is typically suited for people with the following Career Interests. If these interests do not describe you, this course may prepare you for work you may not find satisfying.

Social

The Social person's interests focus on interacting with the people in their environment. In all cases, the Social person enjoys the personal contact with other people in preference to the impersonal dealings with things, data and ideas found in other groups.

Many will seek out positions where there is direct contact with the public in some advisory role, whether a receptionist or a counsellor. Social people are motivated by an interest in different types of people and like diversity in their work environments. Many are drawn towards careers in the caring professions and social welfare area, whilst others prefer teaching and other 'informing' roles.

Investigative

The Investigative person will usually find a particular area of science to be of interest. They are inclined toward intellectual and analytical activities and enjoy observation and theory. They may prefer thought to action, and enjoy the challenge of solving problems with sophiscticated technology. These types prefer mentally stimulating environments and often pay close attention to developments in their chosen field.