Victoria University
Master of Nursing (Leadership)
- Delivery: Online
- Commitment: 15 - 20 hours/week
- Study Level: Postgraduate
- Duration: 24 months
Lead with purpose. Strengthen your capacity to guide nursing teams, manage healthcare services and improve patient outcomes through advanced study in leadership, workforce and financial management, quality improvement and evidence-based change.
Course overview
Designed for registered nurses ready to take greater responsibility for people, services and patient outcomes, this specialisation explores the principles behind effective nursing leadership and management. You will examine complex care coordination, professional education, culturally responsive practice, healthcare innovation and the use of evidence to improve quality and safety.
Specialist study strengthens your understanding of workforce and human resource management, healthcare finance, policy, project management and organisational change. You will explore different leadership approaches and consider how coaching, mentoring, communication and self-awareness can help create positive working environments and more effective teams. A research project allows you to investigate a significant issue within nursing leadership or healthcare management.
The course is delivered online through VU’s Block Model, with one seven-week unit completed at a time. Work-based assessments allow you to apply leadership, management and improvement strategies to a current or recent nursing role. Personalised academic and non-academic support is available seven days a week, including evenings.
Key facts
What you will study
To attain the Master of Nursing (Nursing Leadership), students must complete 12 units.
Core units
- Promoting Cultural Competence and Community Health
- Care Coordination in Practice
- Leading Improvement and Innovation
- Evidence and Research for Practice
- Complex Care Coordination
- Nursing Informatics
- Professional Development in Practice
- Mental Health Nursing
Specialisation units
- Nursing Management
- Nursing Leadership and Management
- Financial Management for Nurses
- Research Project: Nursing Leadership
Entry requirements
Applicants are required to have the following:
- Completed an AQF Level 7 Bachelor of Nursing, or equivalent qualification.
- Current Registration as a Registered Nurse (Division 1) with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
- Applicants without an AQF 7 Bachelor's Degree of Nursing or equivalent qualification who hold a current Registered Nurse (Division 1) Registration with the Australian Practitioner Regulation Agency (APHRA) will be considered for the Graduate Certificate in Nursing. Upon completing the Graduate Certificate, applicants will be eligible for admission to the Master's in Nursing with credit granted for completed units.
Recognition of Prior Learning
You may be eligible to enter the master's with credit for past skills and/or study, known as advanced standing.
You may be eligible for advanced standing if you've already completed any of the units in the course you are enrolling in, or their equivalent.
For more information, contact the university or visit its website.
Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:
- Assess and apply current WHO and Australian Health priorities and cultural competency principles to promote community health.
- Formulate and lead quality and safety innovations for improved patient outcomes.
- Assume leadership for complex care coordination for clients.
- Provide leadership in informatics and its applications to digital healthcare.
- Contribute to advancing nursing knowledge, practice and design through research evaluation.
- Develop, implement and assess professional development programs for clinical settings.
- Lead or influence nursing care in a chosen speciality area.
- Design and undertake primary research in a specialist area.
Fees and FEE-HELP
Cost per unit in 2026: $2,950 (domestic full-fee paying place)
Total cost for 12 units in 2026: $35,400 (domestic full-fee paying place)
The total cost of completing your degree at Victoria University (VU) Online depends on the number of units you study and whether you are eligible for advanced standing, which is assessed after you submit your application. 2026 student fees shown are subject to change.
Note that you may be eligible for the Australian Government’s loan scheme, FEE-HELP. The loans are available to assist eligible full-fee paying students with the cost of a university program. It can be used for all or part of the tuition.
