Australian College of Nursing
Canberra, Australia
Quick facts
- World rank
- Unranked
- Acceptance rate
- 90%
- Students
- 150,000
- International students
- 5%
- Institution type
- Private non-profit
- Founded
- 1949
Overview
Australian College of Nursing (ACN) is an Institute of Higher Education registered and accredited by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency for higher education delivery. ACN offers specialist graduate certificates, microcredentials, single units of study, short courses and professional development for nurses. Graduate certificates are delivered online with support from tutors and nurse educators, while CPD includes face-to-face, webinar and online options. Students receive Office 365 Education access during their course. ACN also supports the nursing profession through membership, policy and advocacy, scholarship opportunities and its Institute of Leadership.
Fields of study
- Acute care
- Aged care
- Audiometry
- Cancer
- Career development
- Child and family health
- Clinical skills
- Community and primary health
- Critical care
- Dermatology & cosmetics
- Diabetes
- Digital health
- Disability
- Drug and alcohol
- Education
- Immunisation
- Infection prevention
- Leadership and management
- Mental health
- Neonatal
- Organ and tissue
- Paediatric
- Pain management
- Palliative care
- Perioperative
- Professional practice
- Quality
- Radiology
- Stomal therapy
- Sustainability
- Urology
- Wound management
Accreditation: Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA)
Admissions requirements
- IELTS (minimum)
- —
- TOEFL iBT (minimum)
- —
- GPA (minimum)
- —
- Intakes
- 2026-01-19, 2026-04-13, 2026-07-06, 2026-09-28, 2027-01-18, 2027-04-12, 2027-07-05, 2027-09-27, 2028-01-17, 2028-04-10, 2028-07-03, 2028-09-25
- Application deadlines
- Graduate certificate applications close on 14 January, 8 April, 1 July and 23 September 2026; 13 January, 7 April, 30 June and 22 September 2027; and 12 January, 5 April, 28 June and 20 September 2028. Course intake availability varies. Nursing (Re-entry) is excluded.
- Rolling admissions
- Yes
- Admissions contact
- customerservices@acn.edu.au
Requirements differ between programs. Check the program page and the university's admissions office for the latest criteria.
Tuition & costs
International students
A$1,000 – A$15,000 / total
From about $660 / year
Domestic students
A$1,000 – A$15,000 / total
The six verified detailed graduate certificate pages publish four Tier A units per program. Tier A costs $3,200 per unit for non-members or $2,880 for members, yielding calculated full-program totals of $12,800 and $11,520 respectively at the published rates. Tier B clinical placement units are listed at $5,200 or $4,680, but are not part of these six published structures. These are not institution-wide tuition ranges. The structures identify 2026 intakes; the fee tables do not explicitly identify a fee year or currency code. Fees may change without notice and are payable term by term before commencement. FEE-HELP is available to eligible students. Fees for the catalog-only Digital Health and Palliative Care listings remain unverified.
Tuition varies by program. Confirm with the university before applying.
Official fee source (opens in a new tab)Programs
| Program | Level | Duration | Tuition | Deadline | Intakes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graduate Certificate in Acute Care Nursing (opens in a new tab)Online | Diploma | 1 year | $12,800 / total | Varies | January, July, flexible April and October intakes subject to confirmation |
| Graduate Certificate in Aged Care Nursing (opens in a new tab)Online | Diploma | 1 year | $12,800 / total | Varies | January, July, flexible April and October intakes subject to confirmation |
| Graduate Certificate in Cancer Nursing (opens in a new tab)Online | Diploma | 1 year | $12,800 / total | Varies | January, July, flexible April and October intakes subject to confirmation |
| Graduate Certificate in Cosmetic Nursing (opens in a new tab)Online | Diploma | 1 year | $12,800 / total | Varies | January, July, April and October subject to confirmation because the summary and detailed intake statements differ |
| Graduate Certificate in Critical Care Nursing (opens in a new tab)Online | Diploma | 1 year | $12,800 / total | Varies | January, July |
| Graduate Certificate in Digital Health (opens in a new tab) | Diploma | — | Varies | Varies | — |
| Graduate Certificate in Leadership and Management (opens in a new tab)Online | Diploma | 1 year | $12,800 / total | Varies | January, July, flexible April and October intakes subject to confirmation |
| Graduate Certificate in Palliative Care (opens in a new tab) | Diploma | — | Varies | Varies | — |
Information last verified Sep 22, 2026. Last updated Oct 14, 2026. Fees, deadlines and requirements change — always confirm with the university.