Master of Clinical Nursing

What you will study

To earn the Master of Clinical Nursing, you must successfully complete units totalling 72 credit points as detailed below. Unless otherwise noted, each course is worth 6 credit points. 

Entry requirements

To be eligible for entry into this course, applicants must supply:

• Evidence of current registration as a registered nurse with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
• A letter of support from your employer to undertake the course stating that you are currently employed in Australia in your nominated area of specialisation.

Letters of employment must be presented on company letterhead and be signed and dated by a delegated authority. Please ensure the letter contains your full name, position title, duties performed, hours per week, and length of service.

English language requirements

Suppose you were not born in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa or the United States of America. In that case, you are required to meet the English Language Proficiency requirements set by the University. Applicants are required to provide evidence of completion of:

• A secondary qualification (Year 11 and 12, or equivalent).
• An Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) diploma-level qualification.
• Bachelor-level qualification study for at least two years full-time with a minimum overall GPA of 4.0.

Completed within Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, South Africa, Ireland, or the United States of America, which will meet the English proficiency.

If you do not satisfy any of the above, you will need to undertake an English language proficiency test and achieve the following scores as below:

• An International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic) overall band score of at least 6.0 overall with a minimum 5.5 in each subset.
• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) - Requires 550 or better overall and minimum TWE score of 4.5 (Paper Based Test), or 75 or better overall and no score less than 17 (Internet Based Test).
• Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) - Requires an overall score of 54 with no sub-score less than 46.
• Occupational English Test with Grades A or B only in the four components.

English test results remain valid for no more than two years between the final examination date and the commencement date of study. They must appear on a single result certificate.

Recognition of Prior Learning

You may be eligible for recognition of prior learning if you have previously studied or have relevant work experience. This will help reduce the number of units you need to study to finish your course. Contact the university for more information.

Outcomes

Career outcomes

The Master of Clinical Nursing provides registered nurses with a nursing-specific high-level post-graduate qualification. 
The qualification supports advanced clinical practice and prepares graduates for leadership and research opportunities within the healthcare sector, including roles such as Clinical Nurse Specialist, Nurse Consultant and Nurse Unit Manager.

Fees and CSP

Estimated first-year tuition fee in 2026: $8,492 (Commonwealth Supported Place)

Estimated first-year tuition fee in 2026: $33,925 (domestic full-fee paying place)

All costs are calculated using current rates and are based on a study load of 48 credit points (normally eight units) per year.

A student’s annual fee may vary in accordance with:

• The number of units studied per term.
• The choice of major or specialisation.
• Choice of units.
• Credit from previous study or work experience.
• Eligibility for government-funded loans.

Student fees shown are subject to change. Contact the university directly to confirm.

Commonwealth Supported Places

The Australian Government allocates a certain number of CSPs to the universities each year, which are then distributed to students based on merit.

If you're a Commonwealth Supported Student (CSS), you'll only need to pay a portion of your tuition fees. This is known as the student contribution amount – the balance once the government subsidy is applied. This means your costs are much lower.

Limited CSP spaces are offered to students enrolled in selected postgraduate courses.

Your student contribution amount is:

• Calculated per unit you're enrolled in.
• Depending on the study areas they relate to.
• Reviewed and adjusted each year.

HECS-HELP loans are available to CSP students to pay the student contribution amount.

FEE-HELP loans are available to assist eligible full-fee-paying domestic students with the cost of a university course.