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 2024 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 Corporate Finance
NUR708 Marketing in an International Environment
NUR721 Global Business Management
PLUS select 1 course from:
HLT701 Research Project
PUB708 Managerial Project
PLUS select 1 Option from:
Option 1 (48 units)
HLT703 Marketing Management
HLT704 Corporate Finance
Option 2 (48 units)
NUR731A International Trade and Finance
NUR731B Corporate Entrepreneurship and Innovation
NUR731C Project Integration
NUR731F Leading and Managing Organisations
PLUS select 4 required courses from Option A or Option B:
Option A
Select 4 courses from:
HLT702 Strategic Management
NUR551 International Business Law and Ethics
NUR552 Managing Across Global Cultures
NUR703 International Trade and Finance
NUR705 Supply Chain Management
NUR706 International Business Law and Ethics
NUR707 Managing Across Global Cultures
NUR709 International Trade and Finance
NUR713 Corporate Entrepreneurship and Innovation
NUR720 Supply Chain Management
NUR722 Project Management Principles
NUR751 Project Risk
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 Communication and Thought
PLUS select 3 courses from:
HLT702 Introduction to Marketing
NUR705 Creativity and Communication
NUR706 Public Relations: Contemporary Perspectives
NUR707 Introduction to Journalism
NUR709 Introduction to Creative Advertising
NUR713 Earth's Surface Processes
NUR722 Introduction to Environmental Management
Community and Primary Health Care specialisation
NUR551 Foundations of Australian Law A
PLUS select 3 courses from:
HLT702 Criminal Law and Procedure A
NUR552 Communication and Thought
NUR703 Foundations of Australian Law B
NUR709 Criminal Law and Procedure B
NUR713 Biodiversity and Ecology
NUR720 Plant Diversity and Ecology
NUR722 An Introduction to Geographic Information Science and Technology
NUR751 Torts A
PUB702 Measuring Sustainability
PUB705 Environmental Impact Assessment
Clinical Education Practice specialisation
HLT702 Torts B
PLUS select 3 courses from:
NUR551 Science Research Methods
NUR552 Communicating Sustainability
NUR709 Planning and Environmental Law
NUR713 Integrated Environmental Management
NUR722 Environmental and Resource Economics
NUR720 Contracts A
NUR751 Terrestrial Vertebrate Diversity and Ecology
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 Indigenous Peoples and the Environment
NUR740 Contracts B
NUR751 K'gari-Fraser Island Field Studies
PLUS select 1 course from:
NUR709 Special Field Studies Topic
NUR713 Special Research Project
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
- (Sippy Downs) no specialisation
- (Sippy Downs) Paediatric and Child Health specialisation
- Sippy Downs Semester 1
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