Enhance your nursing practice and prepare for clinical leadership.
The Master of Nursing (Clinical Leadership) is designed for degree qualified Nurses who are eligible to register (Division 1) to enable you to shape the development and delivery of health care services. It prepares you for clinical leadership, research and advanced practice roles and provides opportunity for continuing professional development. Choose a specialisation in acute and emergency care, community and primary health care, clinical practice education and paediatric and child health. The program is delivered in blended mode using a combination of online and on-campus learning.
- Only a full-time option is available to international students on a Student visa. Online programs are not available to Student visa holders.
- * Estimated tuition fees are based on 2024 rates. Refer to international fees for more information.
- Not all majors/minors and elective options are available at every campus. You should refer to the What Can I Study tab, and the proposed study sequence for your chosen campus and intake for further information.
The Master of Nursing (Clinical Leadership) is designed for degree qualified Nurses who are eligible to register (Division 1) to enable you to shape the development and delivery of health care services. It prepares you for clinical leadership, research and advanced practice roles and provides opportunity for continuing professional development. Choose a specialisation in acute and emergency care, community and primary health care, clinical practice education and paediatric and child health. The program is delivered in blended mode using a combination of online and on-campus learning.
Students may choose to exit the masters program after completing four courses, and may be awarded a Graduate Certificate in Nursing. Students must have completed all the requirements of the Graduate Certificate to be awarded this program. Please note that there is no direct entry into the Graduate Certificate.
Admission requirements
Applicants are required to have successfully completed a Bachelor qualification (AQF level 7) in nursing from a recognised tertiary education provider. Applicants who are Registered Nurses registered in Australia with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) who do not have a Bachelor qualification may be considered for admission based on extensive industry experience and will require approval by the Program Leader.
The Master of Nursing (Clinical Leadership) offers a limited number of Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP) as well as domestic fee paying places. Offers for both CSP and fee paying places will be made after the application due date for the program.
CSP will be allocated on the basis of your Grade Point Average in the degree used to meet admission requirements and/or your industry experience. Applicants falling below the demand-driven cut-off for a CSP may be offered a domestic fee paying place subject to capacity limitations.
Australian citizens, New Zealand citizens and permanent visa holders enrolled in a fee paying place will have the option of applying for a CSP in subsequent semesters if one becomes available. In these cases, the student’s current GPA in the Master of Nursing (Clinical Leadership) will be used to assess eligibility for a CSP place using the same entry cut-off applied for new CPS entrants during that admission period.
International students on a Student visa must demonstrate English language skills at an IELTS level of 7 with no subtest less than 7 or equivalent. Refer to the University's English language requirements.
Career opportunities
Graduates will extend their career pathways in clinical leadership in administration, education, research and practice roles. These roles are enacted in a range of private and public, primary, secondary and tertiary, health care services, in institutional and community settings. In addition, graduates will potentially have increased opportunities in higher education career pathways.
Professional recognition
Graduates may apply for membership with eligible clinical nursing organisations.
Program structure
Program Structure
Advanced courses (12):
Select 3 required courses:
NUR704 Design Methods
NUR708 Introduction to Creative Entrepreneurship
NUR721 Introduction to Screen and Media Industries
PLUS choose 1 course from the following:
HLT701 Communication for the Creative Professional
PUB708 Playing with Words: an Introduction to Creative Writing Craft
PLUS complete 48 units from one of the following options:
Option 1
HLT703 Fundamentals of Photography
HLT704 Drawing Practice
Option 2
NUR731A Introduction to Key Concepts of Fashion
NUR731B Introduction to Economics
NUR731C Applied Microeconomics
NUR731F Applied Macroeconomics
PLUS complete 4 required courses from one of the following options:
Option 1
Select 4 courses from the following list:
HLT702 Money and Banking
NUR703 Mathematical Economics
NUR705 Econometrics
NUR706 Introduction to Mathematics
NUR707 Introductory Calculus
NUR709 Business Finance
NUR713 Trade and Finance in a Global Economy
NUR720 Introduction to Economics
NUR722 Applied Microeconomics
NUR551 Applied Macroeconomics
NUR552 Money and Banking
NUR751 Mathematical Economics
1 x postgraduate level (700 coded) course (12 units) may be chosen from either Faculty (Arts, Business and Law or Science, Health, Education and Engineering).
Option 2
OR select 1 of the following Specialisations (4 courses)
- Emergency and Acute Care
- Community and Primary Health Care
- Clinical Education Practice
- Paediatric and Child Health
Emergency and Acute Care specialisation (48 units)
Required course (1)
NUR751 Econometrics
Choose three (3) courses from the following:
NUR713 Business Finance
NUR709 Trade and Finance in a Global Economy
NUR705 Academic and Professional Skills: Planning for success
NUR706 ICT for Academic and Professional Applications
NUR707 Professional People Skills for Study, Community and Society
NUR722 Introduction to Indigenous Australia
HLT702 Communication and Thought
Community and Primary Health Care specialisation (48 units)
Required course (1)
NUR551 International Development and Aid
Choose three (3) courses from the following:
NUR751 Development Practice and Evaluation
NUR713 Governance, Engagement & Capacity Building
NUR709 Social Theories for Practice: Power, Oppression and the ‘Good Society’
NUR552 International Human Rights, Peace and Conflict, and Environmental Justice
NUR703 Economic Development & Sustainable Livelihoods
NUR722 Education for International Development
HLT702 Advanced Social Research
NUR720 International Development Project A
PUB702 International Development Project B
PUB705 Accounting Principles
Clinical Education Practice specialisation (48 units)
Required course (1)
HLT702 Financial Accounting
Choose three (3) courses from the following:
NUR751 Business Finance
NUR713 Law of Business Associations
NUR709 Management Accounting
NUR551 Introduction to Economics
NUR552 Business Law and Ethics
NUR722 Introduction to Financial Planning
NUR720 Introduction to Informatics
1 x postgraduate level (700 coded) course (12 units) may be chosen from either Faculty (Arts, Business and Law or Science, Health, Education and Engineering).
Paediatric and Child Health specialisation (48 units)
Required courses (3)
NUR703 Database Design
NUR740 Telecommunications and Networks
NUR751 Software Development 1
Choose one (1) course from the following:
NUR709 Introduction to Sport and Exercise Science
NUR713 Sports Field Studies 1
Note: Not all USC courses are available on every USC campus
Total units: 144
Recommended study sequences
Program requirements and notes
Program requirements and notes
- Students are required to complete 144 units as listed below
- Only a full-time study option is available to international students on a Student visa
- International students on a Student Visa please note, you may enrol in no more than 3 courses (36 units) via online mode (25 percent of your program). NUR713 is only offered via online mode. You must also ensure that you are enrolled in at least one on-campus course in each semester
- Some courses in this program require project work and/or independent study and therefore have limited on-campus contact. Please refer to individual course descriptions
- Refer to the University’s English language requirements
- When enrolling, please refer to the Study Plan