UndergraduateNursing & Health Sciences
Bachelor of Nursing
Federation University Australia, Ballarat, VIC, Australia
About this program
Federation's nursing degree structures its first year on the standard national calendar but shifts second and third year to start four weeks early, a scheduling quirk that exists specifically so each semester can be cleanly divided into a coursework block followed by a dedicated placement block, rather than trying to run classes and clinical shifts concurrently. It's a small structural detail, but it's the kind of thing that actually shows up in how manageable students find the degree compared to nursing programs that squeeze placement in around a normal teaching timetable.
Students complete 800 hours of supervised clinical placement across roughly 100 days, rotating through acute medical and surgical wards, mental health, aged care and community nursing settings, with placements arranged through Federation's partnerships with Victorian health services (and occasionally placements taken overseas). The university offers both a fully on-campus mode and a blended mode with compulsory on-campus intensive weeks each semester, which has made the course reasonably popular with regional and mature-age students who can't relocate for a fully residential program.
Graduates are eligible to apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, and the degree carries ANMAC accreditation as is standard for Australian nursing programs.
Fees & duration
English test scores
Verified federation.edu.au ↗
Course structure
Study plan in 3 parts
- Year 1: Anatomy and Physiology
- Foundations of Nursing Practice
- Health Assessment
- Introduction to Pharmacology
- Professional Nursing Practice 1 (early clinical exposure)
- Year 2 (early start): Medical-Surgical Nursing 1 and 2
- Mental Health Nursing
- Pathophysiology
- Clinical Placement Block 1 and 2
- Year 3 (early start): Aged Care Nursing
- Community and Primary Health Nursing
- Complex Care Nursing
- Leadership in Nursing Practice
- Clinical Placement Block 3 and 4 (culminating in a transition-to-practice placement)
Career & PR pathway
Occupations this degree typically leads to, and their skilled-migration list status
Registered Nurse (Aged Care)ANZSCO 254412
On both MLTSSL and CSOL, supporting 189/190/491 and the employer-sponsored 482/186. Needs registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, assessed against ANMAC's standards.
Assessed by Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC)
Registered Nurse (Medical)ANZSCO 254418
On MLTSSL, supporting the 189, 190, and 491, via ANMAC assessment and NMBA registration. Also on CSOL, additionally supporting the employer-sponsored 482 and 186.
Assessed by Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC)
Registered Nurse (Mental Health)ANZSCO 254422
On MLTSSL, supporting the 189, 190, and 491, via ANMAC assessment and NMBA registration. Also on CSOL, additionally supporting the employer-sponsored 482 and 186.
Assessed by Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC)
Registered Nurse (Community Health)ANZSCO 254414
On MLTSSL, supporting the 189, 190, and 491, via ANMAC assessment and NMBA registration. Also on CSOL, additionally supporting the employer-sponsored 482 and 186.
Assessed by Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC)
Nurse PractitionerANZSCO 254411
On both MLTSSL and CSOL, supporting 189/190/491 and the employer-sponsored 482/186. Requires advanced NMBA endorsement on top of standard registration.
Assessed by Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC)
List membership changes over time and does not guarantee an invitation. See the skilled occupation lists guide and the points calculator before relying on this for a visa decision.
Admissions
Guaranteed ATAR of 60.00 for 2026 entry; lowest adjusted ATAR that received an offer last year was 50.80 (not guaranteed, changes annually); VCE Units 3/4 study score of at least 25 in any English; plus health/immunisation checks and a police check required for clinical placement.
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