Graduate · Nursing & Health Sciences
Master of Nursing
University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD, Australia
About this program
This is UniSQ's postgraduate specialisation route for registered nurses who've finished their undergraduate degree and want to move into advanced clinical practice, education, or leadership rather than staying at generalist RN level indefinitely. It's built for working nurses: the majority of the cohort studies externally while holding down clinical shifts. Specialisation strands typically include areas like nurse practitioner preparation, clinical leadership, or nurse education, depending on which stream a student enrols in.
Coursework covers advanced clinical assessment, evidence-based practice, and health systems leadership, with a research or applied project component that lets students investigate a genuine clinical or workplace issue rather than a hypothetical one. Given UniSQ's Bachelor of Nursing graduates are steered toward this degree as the next step, there's a reasonably well-worn pathway from RN registration through to postgraduate specialisation within the one institution.
Students pursuing the nurse practitioner stream complete additional advanced practice and prescribing units alongside supervised clinical hours, positioning them for endorsement as nurse practitioners, a role with growing demand in the regional and rural health services UniSQ's own placement network already covers.
Cost & duration
English test scores
Course structure
4 terms of coursework
- Core units: Advanced health assessment, evidence-based practice, health systems and leadership, research methods for nursing
- Specialisation strand: Nurse practitioner preparation (advanced pharmacology, diagnostics, prescribing) or clinical leadership/education strand
- Applied/research component: Clinical project or minor research thesis
- For NP stream: Supervised advanced clinical practice placements
Admissions
A bachelor degree in a health-related discipline (a non-nursing entry pathway is available), or a Bachelor of Nursing for registered nurses seeking advanced standing; current registration or eligibility for registration with AHPRA required for the nursing-entry stream.