Course overview
This course aims to cultivate excellence in quality, leadership and management in health professionals working in Quality, Safety, Risk or Middle Management roles in acute, community, mental health, primary and aged care public and private sectors.
On completion of the course, you will have the capacity and capability to apply these skills in a range of management positions and become a leader and champion of change.
Choose to specialise in either Gerontological Healthcare or Contemporary Mental Health.
In Gerontological Healthcare, you will develop specialist skills in the care of older adults and expand your career pathway in a range of healthcare settings.
In the Contemporary Mental Health major, you will develop specialist skills in the care of people with mental health illnesses, meet the professional development needs of graduates interested in specialist mental health practice, and be updated on evidence-based therapeutic approaches to care.
3 Reasons to study Health Care Management (specialisation) at Murdoch
- Study this unique 48-point Master’s program with a choice of major to specialise in either Gerontological Healthcare or Contemporary Mental Health.
- Be taught by leading academics who are qualified nurses with experience across Australia and research expertise in patient safety, leadership, mental health, care of the aging, resilience and management.
- Take advantage of free workshops and seminars to help you with writing, statistics and analysing data, ethics, how to run surveys and research as a postgraduate student.
What you’ll learn
- Recent and contemporary developments in Health Care Management, Quality, Safety and Leadership.
- Effective communication skills and technical research skills to evaluate and synthesise complex information to specialist and non-specialist stakeholders.
- Applying initiative to situations in a work setting and/or for further learning.
- Design a plan and execute a research-based project, and /or related piece of scholarship communicating the project findings.
- How to adapt to working in complex health environments whilst always acting within appropriate professional, ethical, and legal frameworks.
- Creating effective and collaborative interdisciplinary relationships to facilitate implementation of holistic safe health care.
Your future career
When you graduate, you could enter areas of Health Care, Social Assistance, or Public Administration and Safety in any of the following roles:
- Middle management (e.g. Clinical Nurse Manager or Nurse Unit Manager)
- Clinical Lead (gerontology or contemporary mental health)
- Community Aged Care / Mental Health Manager
- Regional Aged Care / Mental Health Manager
- Leadership positions in your specialist area and senior positions in residential care, community care and assessment teams
Professional accreditation
M1358 Master of Health Care Management (Specialisation) is accredited by the Australasian College of Health Service Management (ACHSM). The School of Nursing promotes excellence and continual improvement of university training by providing a national university accreditation program. The national university accreditation standards have been developed through broad consultation with employers, industry groups, health managers and universities, to ensure that graduates who complete these programs are competent to perform the core tasks they face in employment.
Start dates
| Starting period | Location | Face to Face | Online |
Mixed mode
In this attendance mode, teaching and learning activities are delivered both face-to-face and online, with scheduled or flexible learning times. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semester 1, 2026 | Murdoch | Yes | Yes | No |
| Semester 2, 2026 | Murdoch | Yes | Yes | No |
| Semester 1, 2027 | Murdoch | Yes | Yes | No |
| Semester 2, 2027 | Murdoch | Yes | Yes | No |
View the dates for our teaching periods or find out more about attendance modes.
| Starting period | Location | Face to Face | Online |
Mixed mode
In this attendance mode, teaching and learning activities are delivered both face-to-face and online, with scheduled or flexible learning times. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semester 1, 2026 | Murdoch | Yes | No | No |
| Semester 1, 2026 | International Online | No | Yes | No |
| Semester 2, 2026 | International Online | No | Yes | No |
| Semester 2, 2026 | Murdoch | Yes | No | No |
| Semester 1, 2027 | Murdoch | Yes | No | No |
| Semester 1, 2027 | International Online | No | Yes | No |
| Semester 2, 2027 | International Online | No | Yes | No |
| Semester 2, 2027 | Murdoch | Yes | No | No |
View the dates for our teaching periods or find out more about attendance modes.
Majors in this course
Admission requirements
English Requirements
You must meet a minimum standard in English to study at Murdoch, which for most courses can be demonstrated by providing evidence that you have completed Year 11 and 12 in Australia at any level if you are a domestic student, or through either English proficiency tests, university preparation courses, English language courses, previous tertiary study or vocational education.
Recognition of Prior Learning
Everyone has a different path to university so if you’ve already completed formal or informal learning, you could receive advanced standing. Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) can reduce the amount of study needed to complete your degree by giving you credit for certain units.
Formal learning can include previous study in higher education vocational education or adult and community education. Informal learning can include on the job learning, various kinds of work and life experience.
This information applies to courses offered at our Australian campuses only. Courses offered at our Dubai and Singapore campuses or delivered by Open Universities Australia may have different requirements.
Plan your course
Explore the sample course structure below to get an idea of what your degree could look like, or take the next step in planning your degree:
Use the Course Visualiser - build your personalised study plan interactively
Visit the Course Handbook - Get detailed information on units, prerequisites, and pathways.
To help plan the structure of your course, search for our suggested course plans.
| Unit code | Unit name | Credit points |
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Fees & Scholarships
Fees
The fees provided are indicative and intended only as a guide. They are based on a typical full-time enrolment for a first year student at Murdoch University of 24 credit points. The indicative fee is based on the applicable Commonwealth Supported Fee.
Scholarships
How to Apply
Apply through an agent
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Apply directly to Murdoch
If you are a non School leaver, you can apply for most undergraduate, honours and postgraduate courses directly through our online application system.
View all ways to apply
There are many ways to apply to Murdoch University as we know everyone has a different path and journey. Get started and take the next step.
All fees are indicative and are provided as a guide only. The actual fees will depend on the individual units you enrol in. You should refer to your Letter of Offer for specific course and fee related information.
The first-year indicative fee is based on a typical full-time enrolment at Murdoch University of 24 credit points.
For domestic students, including Australian citizens, permanent residents and New Zealand citizens, the indicative fee is based on the applicable Commonwealth Supported fee.
Indicative fees for international students are based on applicable full fee paying rates.
The estimated, indicative fee covers tuition fees only, and certain additional fees and charges may apply, depending on the course and units you choose. It also does not take into account any scholarships or bursaries for which you may be eligible.
The estimated, indicative fee assumes no fee increases or indexation. Over time, fee increases or indexation may occur and will affect the estimate. If you are a full fee paying student, this may occur at the start of your second and each subsequent year of study. In the case of Commonwealth Supported students, this will occur for each new calendar year in line with Government policy.
All fee estimates are provided in Australian dollars.