University of Queensland
Master of Nurse Practitioner
- Delivery: Online
- Study Level: Postgraduate
- Duration: 24 months
Designed to prepare experienced registered nurses to develop professional skills in advanced and expanded clinical roles.
Course overview
As a nurse practitioner, you'll take a leadership role in providing innovative and quality care across a variety of healthcare settings.
Through this two-year part-time program, you'll gain extensive clinical and theoretical knowledge, which will equip you with the specialist skills required for the expanded role as nurse practitioner. You'll develop skills in assessment and management of clients that include the direct referral of patients to other healthcare professionals, prescribing medications and other treatments and ordering diagnostic investigations.
The program has been designed to be flexible, with coursework and resources delivered to you online. Due to the applied nature of the program, you'll also attend some face-to-face teaching at UQ’s St Lucia campus for short periods during orientation each semester.
During the program, you'll also undertake 300 hours of professional practice under the supervision of your clinical support team and clinical mentor.
You'll graduate with the professional skills to make a difference in the treatment of people with a variety of acute or chronic health conditions and be ready for a rewarding career as a nurse practitioner.
CSP Subsidised Fees Available
This program has a limited quota of Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP). The indicative CSP price is calculated based on first year fees for EFT. The actual fee may vary if there are choices in electives or majors.
Key facts
What you will study
To gain the Master of Nurse Practitioner, students must complete 16 units or eight courses.
Core courses
Complete all of the following:
- Quality Use of Medicines, Drug Pharmacokinetics and Drug Pharmacodynamics
- The Nurse Practitioner in the Healthcare System
- Applied Physiology and Pathophysiology
- Physical Assessment and Clinical Decision Making for Independent Practice
- Pharmacology and Prescribing for Independent Practice
- Advancing Research Inquiry
- Advanced Clinical Leadership
- Critical Appraisal of Research
Entry requirements
To be eligible for entry, you'll need:
- A postgraduate qualification in a relevant clinical field.
- To hold an unrestricted licence as a registered nurse in Australia, with no condition on registration related to unsatisfactory professional performance or unprofessional conduct.
- Two years of full-time equivalent experience as a registered nurse in a specified clinical field and two years at an advanced practice level in the same clinical field.
You must have a grade point average (GPA) of 4.0 on a 7-point scale in your previous qualification.
Applicants who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and who meet the minimum entry requirements for this program will be offered a place. On admission to the program, you will need to provide evidence of your Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander status.
Recognition of Prior Learning
If you already have industry experience and the required skills and knowledge, you can be assessed through the Recognition of Prior Learning process.
You must be able to validate your ability to meet all industry benchmarks as required for each relevant unit.
Contact the university or visit their website for more information.
Outcomes
Career outcomes
Postgraduate study can take you anywhere. Here are some of the careers you could be on your way to:
- Emergency Nurse Practitioner
- Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner
- Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
- Urology Nurse Practitioner
- Alcohol and Substance Use Nurse Practitioner
- Oncology Nurse Practitioner
- Nephrology Nurse Practitioner
- Nurse Facilitator
- Diabetes Educator
- Paediatric Nurse Practitioner
Fees and CSP
Indicative annual fee in 2025: $2,903 (Commonwealth Supported Place)
Approximate yearly cost of tuition (eight units). Your fees will vary according to your selected courses and study load. Fees are reviewed each year and may increase.
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 course 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.
