Master of Nursing

What you will study

To qualify for the Master of Nursing award, students must complete a total of 240 credit points across two years.

Specialisation is a 60 credit points intensive focus on an specific area of advanced nursing practice.

Entry requirements

Academic entry requirements

Prerequisites

Applicants must be a Division 1 Registered Nurse and hold a current practising certificate with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). This does not apply to International applicants.

Applicants for the clinical specialisations and pathways must be registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and employed in the relevant clinical specialist area or an approved agency, or have applied to the agency to undertake their clinical placement at the time of applying for the course. In the latter case, an offer into the course will be conditional upon confirmation of the clinical placement. Applicants with a relevant Graduate Certificate or Graduate Diploma do not need to provide a workplace statement outlining clinical placement approval.

Clinical specialisations and pathways are not available to international applicants.

Completing a recognised Nursing degree (equivalent to an Australian Bachelor's degree).

Selection criteria

• Applicants with an Australian bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in a cognate discipline or related area will receive credit of up to 60 credit points.

The following subjects will be credited as advanced standing for cognate students:

• NSM4CNE CRITICAL NURSING ESSENTIALS
• NSM4001 ADVANCED HEALTH ASSESSMENT
• 30 credit points of LTU5YLC

Applicants with an Australian Postgraduate degree (or equivalent) or an Australian Honours degree (or equivalent) in a cognate discipline or related area may be eligible for credit of up to 120 credit points, including the above subjects.

Applicants with over 2 years of relevant work experience may be eligible to receive credit of up to 60 credit points.

• The University will access your official transcript upon application.

So that you know, meeting minimum prerequisites does not guarantee a place offer. Entry into all La Trobe courses is based on competitive selection, and limited places may be available.

Recognition of Prior Learning

Credit for previous study is the recognition of prior study or learning that can be counted towards a qualification. This can reduce the number of subjects required to complete your course. The amount of credit received depends on the level and relevance of your previous study and the number of subjects completed. Contact the university for more details.

Outcomes

Learning outcomes

• Synthesise advanced nursing knowledge, skill and scholarship to make independent judgements in complex nursing scenarios and professional nursing contexts.
• Critique and synthesise developments in a specialised area of professional nursing practice.
• Contextualise clinical information and generate complex ideas and concepts to inform practice and leadership in a professional nursing context.
• Communicate effectively and sensitively with colleagues, clients/patients, and the public in various professional and social contexts according to the profession's ethical standards.
• Critically reflect on theory and scholarship, adapting established theories and current evidence to inform knowledge and professional practice.
• Defend scholarship and knowledge in various contexts for research and clinical practice to optimise population and care outcomes.
• Formulate research principles and methods to execute evidence-based scholarship.

Career outcomes

Depending on your specialisation, you could be eligible for a range of clinical or non-clinical healthcare roles, including:

• Acute, Cardiac, Critical, Medical Imaging, Perioperative Practice or Neonatal Care Nurse
• Clinical Nurse Manager
• Clinical Nurse Specialist
• Director of Nursing or Chief Nursing Officer
• Nurse Educator
• Nurse Researcher.

Fees and FEE-HELP

Estimated fees per year (2025): $28,800 (domestic full-fee paying place)

All costs are calculated using current rates and are based on a full-time study load of 120 CP for one 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.

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