Master of Nursing (Graduate Entry)
Overview
The Master of Nursing (Graduate Entry) is ideal if you hold a three-year non-nursing bachelor degree and would like to gain the skills and knowledge needed for a fulfilling and varied career as a competent and effective Registered Nurse (Division 1) General.
The Master of Nursing (Graduate Entry) can be completed in 18 months full-time (or part-time equivalent), and will prepare you to be reflective about your practice as a nurse and develop clinical reasoning skills to confidently and safely engage in contemporary nursing practice in a variety of environments and contexts and adapt to the needs of people from diverse backgrounds.
As a student in this course, you will acquire skills to provide person-centred care and collaborate with other interdisciplinary healthcare team members. You will be given the opportunity to ensure your practice is safe and to understand the necessity to act professionally, ethically, legally and compassionately. In addition, you will learn to nurture the development of leadership in health care. You will explore how life-long learning skills can facilitate continuing professional development.
Clinical learning is a key element of this course, and you will be required to undertake 800 hours of professional experience placement in various settings within different health organisations. Before attending your professional experience placements, you will participate in simulated learning activities in a Clinical Learning Centre at a CQUniversity-accredited delivery site. You will be required to demonstrate nursing care that is person-centred, evidence-informed and responsible.
You must meet specific mandatory health, safety and security requirements to be eligible to attend each professional experience placement.
Study Experience
- Local Networks
- Clinical Placements
- Accelerated Study
- Real-world Learning Facilities
Career Opportunities
The Master of Nursing (Graduate Entry) will provide you with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills to enable you to be a competent and effective Registered Nurse (Division 1) General.
In the final year of the course, you will be eligible to apply for a new graduate nursing position in a hospital and health service or other healthcare organisation where you will have the opportunity to consolidate your knowledge and skills in nursing further. The broad nature of nursing and healthcare allows opportunities for employment and/or specialisation in environments such as acute hospital services, community health, mental health, residential and aged care, Indigenous health, and rural and remote health.
Registration as a Nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA)
On successful completion of the Master of Nursing (Graduate Entry), you will be eligible to apply for registration as a Registered Nurse (Division 1) General with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA).
Please note that full disclosure of any issues of impairment or misconduct is a declaration requirement when applying for registration as a registered nurse. To be accepted for registration with the NMBA, you must meet specific English language standards and disclose any criminal history and any physical and/or psychological impairments. For further clarification of these requirements, contact the NMBA.
Structure & Availability
The course structure and available locations can change depending on when you want to study. You can choose the intake that best suits you in the drop-down menu below.
Available Locations
Studying Online
As an online student, you can enjoy the flexibility of studying when and where it suits you with the support of our local campuses in Bundaberg, Cairns, Mackay, Rockhampton and Townsville. Your online study integrates a blend of on-campus learning (residential schools) and clinical placements with online study. This delivery combination builds your nursing skills, knowledge and experience, self-learning, and time management skills.
Face-to-Face Requirements
The face-to-face components of this course include:
- four residential schools (these are typically scheduled so that you attend one residential school in each term if you are studying full-time; details will be confirmed with you when you enrol in relevant units),
- three clinical placement blocks.
Residential School Locations for Online Students
Our nursing residential schools are held on campus in Cairns.
If you live outside this location, you will need to travel to Cairns, Queensland, to complete your residential schools.
Placement locations
Placements are sourced as locally as possible to where you are studying; however, this is not always possible, and you may be required to travel to complete placements.
Your Course
You must complete 13 units (96 credits):
- 1The core structure (13 units)
What You'll Study
You must undertake the course in the order listed in your course planner (and listed below). Please note that pre-requisite and co-requisite units must be completed to progress in your study. Not adhering to this may delay your progress and extend the length of your study.
It is particularly important to look at professional experience placement units and the terms in which they are offered. You are required to successfully complete Practice Experience 3 in the final term of study to enable CQUniversity to recommend you for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) at the completion of your degree.
Course Planner
To help you plan your studies and see which unit comes first, if one unit should be completed before another and when you will study each unit, check out our course planners.
Additional Information
Professional Practice - Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC)
Core
This course is subject to receiving accreditation with the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC). This is currently in process and awaiting final outcome.
Nursing Foundations: 32 hours residential school
Practice Experience 1: 32 hours residential school
Practice Experience 2: 32 hours residential school
Practice Experience 3: 32 hours residential school
Practice Experience 1 - NURS29004
Professional Experience Placement (240 hours)
Practice Experience 2 - NURS29005
Professional Experience Placement (280 hours)
Practice Experience 3 - NURS29006
Professional Experience Placement (280 hours)
Additional Information About Professional Placements
Please be prepared financially and personally to cover the costs of relocating for placements.
Due to the limited availability of placements, some block placements have start and/or end dates that fall outside standard term dates. Placements are offered in a full-time capacity only.
If you have completed prior study relevant to units within this course, you may be eligible for credit for your past studies. Learn more about credit and recognition of prior learning.
The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) has a register of students enrolled in the Master of Nursing (Graduate Entry) for the duration of their study. CQUniversity, as the education provider, will provide your details directly to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) for registration.
Accreditation Standards require all students to be physically located in Australia whilst studying this course. At the discretion of the Head of Course, you may be required to undertake a prescribed English language test to ensure your English language proficiency is at an acceptable level to safely participate in professional experience placements and communicate for patient safety.
Requirements
To Be Eligible
For your application to be considered, you must meet the following entry requirements.
During Your Study
While not needed to apply, you'll need to meet the following requirements throughout your studies.
Fees & Scholarships
Indicative First-Year Fee
The Indicative First-Year Fee is the approximate cost of enrolling in this course for one full-time academic year (eight units over two terms) for a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) and should be used as a guide only. Your actual fees may vary, depending on the units you select to study and your study load. Check the cost-per-unit spreadsheet available on our fees webpage for the approved unit fees. Fees are reviewed each year and are subject to change. Understanding your fees.
Commonwealth Supported Places
This course has Commonwealth Supported Places (CSPs) available, and as a domestic student, you'll be offered a CSP, provided you meet CSP eligibility requirements. CSPs are subsidised by the Australian Government, meaning you are only required to pay the student contribution rather than full tuition fees.
HECS-HELP Loan
You may be eligible for a HECS-HELP government loan if you are offered a CSP. HECS-HELP is an Australian Government loan scheme that assists you in paying your student contributions. Provided you meet the HECS-HELP eligibility criteria, you may use HECS-HELP to defer part or all of your student contribution fees.
Part of your course costs will include Student Services and Amenities Fees (SSAF). SSAF is charged in addition to your student contribution or tuition fees and is used to help enhance your study experience. There may also be other costs as part of your studies, such as textbooks, technology expenses, travel expenses, professional certifications, uniforms, or vaccinations. Explore other study costs.
How to Apply
How to Apply
Check what you need to do to apply to study this course.
Your Application Options
Follow These Steps
Extra Admission Information
Prior to applying, take a look at important application dates and learn about our admission considerations, such as information for domestic students with overseas qualifications, indigenous support, and elite athlete, coach and performer support. You should also check out the adjustment schemes that might be available to you and how to access them. You can also explore our offer information to learn more about what happens after you've submitted an application and how to respond to an offer to study with CQU.
Mandatory checks - health and work-integrated learning requirements
This course includes a range of work-integrated learning opportunities, such as clinical placements. Before you can attend a clinical placement, you will need to complete a list of mandatory checks. Make sure you read through the mandatory checks and specified deadlines, as you will be unable to complete a clinical placement without first meeting these requirements.
