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 Assessing Learning
NUR708 Professional Experience: Managing Learning Environments
NUR721 Teaching Junior Secondary Science 1
PLUS select 1 course from:
HLT701 Teaching Junior Secondary Science 2
PUB708 Teaching Junior Secondary Geography
PLUS select 1 Option from:
Option 1 (48 units)
HLT703 Teaching Junior Secondary Mathematics
HLT704 Teaching Senior Secondary Science 1
Option 2 (48 units)
NUR731A Teaching Senior Secondary Science 2
NUR731B Teaching Senior Secondary Geography
NUR731C Teaching Senior Secondary Mathematics
NUR731F Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Perspectives in Learning and Teaching
PLUS select 4 required courses from Option A or Option B:
Option A
Select 4 courses from:
HLT702 Diversity and Inclusion
NUR551 Professional Experience: Individual Learner Needs
NUR552 Using Data for Learning
NUR703 Professional Experience: The Professional Teacher
NUR705 Teacher as Researcher
NUR706 Literacy and Numeracy Across the Curriculum
NUR707 The Psychology of Learning
NUR709 Innovation by Design
NUR713 Entrepreneurship and Business Model Innovation
NUR720 Evidenced Based Decision Making
NUR722 Finance and Accounting for Managers
NUR751 Innovation Management and Professional Development
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 Leading and Managing Organisations
PLUS select 3 courses from:
HLT702 Strategy, Governance and Ethics
NUR705 Marketing in a Global Environment
NUR706 Advanced Health Assessment
NUR707 Simulation in Practice Education
NUR709 Responding in the Emergency Context
NUR713 Coordinating Complex Emergency Situations
NUR722 Global Emergency Issues
Community and Primary Health Care specialisation
NUR551 Professional Internship
PLUS select 3 courses from:
HLT702 Independent Study
NUR552 Assessment in Mental Health
NUR703 Introductory Japanese 1
NUR709 Introductory Japanese 2
NUR713 Intermediate Japanese 1
NUR720 About Japan: Current Perspectives
NUR722 In-country Japanese Studies A
NUR751 In-country Japanese Studies B
PUB702 Introductory Bioscience
PUB705 Introduction to Nutrition
Clinical Education Practice specialisation
HLT702 Food in Society
PLUS select 3 courses from:
NUR551 Active Lifestyle Nutrition
NUR552 Leadership in Clinical Practice
NUR709 Learning and Teaching in the Practice Environment
NUR713 Research in Health Care
NUR722 Qualitative Research: Approaches and Practice
NUR720 Quantitative Research Methods
NUR751 Special Project: Evaluating Practice Knowledge
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 Special Project: Translating Knowledge into Practice
NUR740 Research Project A
NUR751 Research Project B
PLUS select 1 course from:
NUR709 Research Project C
NUR713 Research Project F
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