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 2025 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
Advanced courses:
Complete 12 courses (144 units):
3 required courses:
NUR704 Business Analytics
NUR708 Accounting for Business
NUR721 Introduction to Informatics
PLUS choose 1 course from the following:
HLT701 Leadership in Clinical Practice
PUB708 Learning and Teaching in the Practice Environment
PLUS either of the following 48 unit options:
HLT703 Research in Health Care
and
HLT704 Qualitative Research: Approaches and Practice
OR
NUR731A Quantitative Research Methods
NUR731B Special Project: Evaluating Practice Knowledge
NUR731C Special Project: Translating Knowledge into Practice
NUR731F Research Project A
PLUS choose 1 of the following 48 units options:
Choose 1 of the following Specialisations (4 courses) OR choose 4 courses from the following list:
- Emergency and Acute Care
- Community and Primary Health Care
- Clinical Education Practice
- Paediatric and Child Health
HLT702 Research Project B
NUR703 Research Project C
NUR705 Research Project F
NUR706 Simulation in Practice Education
NUR707 Infant Care
NUR709 Responding in the Emergency Context
NUR713 Coordinating Complex Emergency Situations
NUR720 Global Emergency Issues
NUR722 Professional Internship
NUR551 Independent Study
NUR552 Mental Health Contexts of Care
NUR751 Assessment in Mental Health
1 postgraduate level course (12 units) may be chosen from either Faculty (Arts and Business or Science, Health, Education and Engineering).
Emergency and Acute Care specialisation (48 units)
Required course (1)
NUR751 Community and Primary Health Care
Choose three (3) courses from the following:
NUR713 Co-ordinating Care in Community and Primary Care Contexts
NUR709 Advanced Health Assessment
NUR705 Advanced Health Assessment
NUR706 Independent Study
NUR707 Professional Internship
NUR722 Responding in the Emergency Context
HLT702 Coordinating Complex Emergency Situations
Community and Primary Health Care specialisation (48 units)
Required course (1)
NUR551 Global Emergency Issues
Choose three (3) courses from the following:
NUR751 Assessment in Mental Health
NUR713 Simulation in Practice Education
NUR709 Community and Primary Health Care
NUR552 Advanced Health Assessment
NUR703 Independent Study
NUR722 Professional Internship
HLT702 Co-ordinating Care in Community and Primary Care Contexts
NUR720 Infant Care
PUB702 Assessment in Mental Health
PUB705 Simulation in Practice Education
Clinical Education Practice specialisation (48 units)
Required course (1)
HLT702 Mental Health Contexts of Care
Choose three (3) courses from the following:
NUR751 Health Promotion Implementation and Evaluation
NUR713 Health Promotion Needs Assessment and Planning
NUR709 Simulation in Practice Education
NUR551 Advanced Health Assessment
NUR552 Independent Study
NUR722 Professional Internship
NUR720 Practice Nursing 1
or one (1) course (12 units) may be chosen from available postgraduate courses in either faculty
Paediatric and Child Health specialisation (48 units)
Required courses (3)
NUR703 Practice Nursing 2
NUR740 Assessment in Mental Health
NUR751 Mental Health Nursing Contexts
Choose one (1) course from the following:
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