Shape the future of clinical healthcare.
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
Program Structure
NUR704 Management Accounting
NUR708 Taxation Law and Practice
NUR721 Applied Microeconomics
PLUS select 1 course from:
HLT701 Applied Macroeconomics
PUB708 Strategic Management
PLUS select 1 Option from:
Option 1 (48 units)
HLT703 Advanced Research Methods
HLT704 New Venture Establishment
Option 2 (48 units)
NUR731A Personal Investment Management
NUR731B Database Design
NUR731C Telecommunications and Networks
NUR731F Software Development 1
PLUS select 4 required courses from Option A or Option B:
Option A
Select 4 courses from:
HLT702 Software Development 1
NUR551 Biochemical Pharmacology
NUR552 Introduction to Marketing
NUR703 Physical Chemistry
NUR705 Medicinal Organic Chemistry
NUR706 Contemporary Accounting Issues
NUR707 Becoming a Teacher
NUR709 Human Development and Learning
NUR713 Coastal and Marine Ecology
NUR720 Molecular Ecology
NUR722 Advanced Genetics
NUR751 Aquaculture
1 x postgraduate level (700 coded) elective course may be chosen from either Faculty (Arts, Business and Law or Science, Health, Education and Engineering)
Option B
OR select 1 specialisations from:
- Emergency and Acute Care
- Community and Primary Health Care
- Clinical Education Practice
- Paediatric and Child Health
Emergency and Acute Care specialisation
NUR751 Molecular Biology
PLUS select 3 courses from:
HLT702 Microbiology
NUR705 Molecular Biotechnology
NUR706 Special Research Project
NUR707 Work Place Learning I
NUR709 Leadership in Clinical Practice
NUR713 Learning and Teaching in the Practice Environment
NUR722 Research in Health Care
Community and Primary Health Care specialisation
NUR551 Qualitative Research: Approaches and Practice
PLUS select 3 courses from:
HLT702 Quantitative Research Methods
NUR552 Special Project: Evaluating Practice Knowledge
NUR703 Special Project: Translating Knowledge into Practice
NUR709 Research Project A
NUR713 Research Project B
NUR720 Research Project C
NUR722 Research Project F
NUR751 Simulation in Practice Education
PUB702 Community and Primary Health Care
PUB705 Co-ordinating Care in Community and Primary Care Contexts
Clinical Education Practice specialisation
HLT702 Infant Care
PLUS select 3 courses from:
NUR551 Responding in the Emergency Context
NUR552 Coordinating Complex Emergency Situations
NUR709 Global Emergency Issues
NUR713 Professional Internship
NUR722 Independent Study
NUR720 Mental Health Contexts of Care
NUR751 Assessment in Mental Health
1 x postgraduate level (700 coded) elective course may be chosen from either Faculty (Arts, Business and Law or Science, Health, Education and Engineering)
Paediatric and Child Health specialisation
NUR703 Advanced Health Assessment
NUR740 Advanced Health Assessment
NUR751 Simulation in Practice Education
PLUS select 1 course from:
NUR709 Responding in the Emergency Context
NUR713 Coordinating Complex Emergency Situations
Note: Program structures are subject to change. Not all USC courses are available on every USC campus.
Total units: 144
Recommended study sequences
- (Sippy Downs) Emergency and Acute Care specialisation - Semester 1 commencement (February)
- (Sippy Downs) Community and Primary Health Care specialisation - Semester 1 commencement (February)
- (Sippy Downs) Clinical Education Practice specialisation - Semester 1 commencement (February)
- (Sippy Downs) no specialisation - Semester 1 commencement (February)
- (Sippy Downs) Paediatric and Child Health specialisation - Semester 1 commencement (February)
- Sippy Downs Semester 1
- (Sippy Downs) Special Project - Semester 2 commencement (July)
- (Sippy Downs) Special Project - Semester 1 commencement (February)
- (Sippy Downs) Research Project - Semester 2 commencement (July)
- (Sippy Downs) Research Project - Semester 1 commencement (February)
Program requirements and notes
Program requirements
In order to graduate you must:
- Successfully complete 144 units as outlined in the Program Structure
Program notes
- Exit point only. Students unable to complete the Master of Nursing (Clinical Leadership) may exit via this program with a Graduate Certificate in Nursing by completing any 4 courses (48 units) from the Master of Nursing (Clinical Leadership)
- 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
- Completing this program within the specified (full-time) duration is based on studying 48 unit points per semester (normally 4 courses)
- Most courses are valued at 12 units unless otherwise specified
- Only a full-time study option is available to international students on a Student Visa
- When enrolling, please refer to the Plan your study tab