The Master of Nursing Science (MNSc) from the University of Melbourne is a professional master’s degree that provides exceptional preparation for a nursing career. It is accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (formerly Nurses Board of Victoria).

The Master of Nursing Science provides students a higher level degree with enhanced learning outcomes, while meeting the competencies identified by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council as necessary for practice as a registered nurse.

A master’s degree in nursing is a portable qualification, whether you want to work locally, nationally or internationally.

We offer the only integrated curriculum where you learn clinical skills and theory concurrently. Clinical and bioscience topics are coordinated to enhance your understanding of theory in practice. Students will participate in 6 to 8 weeks of intensive teaching each semester, followed by three or four weeks of professional experience placement with partner hospitals.

Our clinical placements are in the largest major metropolitan teaching hospitals, ensuring best clinical practice opportunities and research collaborations with up-to-date medical mannequins and equipment, and dedicated laboratory staff to guide your practical skill development. The clinical skills labs are used for classes and you can book them for self-directed learning.

Students undertake a capstone subject in the final semester. This will enable you to apply your knowledge and seek innovative solutions to real clinical problems.

At the completion of the Master of Nursing Science graduates are expected to:

• Integrate knowledge from a range of disciplines that contribute to health and disease management in the provision of nursing to people experiencing alterations in their health
• Perform nursing assessment and intervention within legal and ethical parameters and demonstrating accountability for their own practice;
• Demonstrate the ability to critically appraise research evidence relevant to common health problems and to translate this evidence into the development of nursing interventions to improve patient outcomes
• Demonstrate an understanding of the Australian health care system in terms of policy and the organizational context of health service delivery
• Practice effectively in health promotion and health education roles
• Demonstrate the ability to identify knowledge gaps in the delivery of nursing care and to utilize research skills to address current gaps in practice in collaboration with researchers in nursing and allied disciplines

Course description

The curriculum emphasises significant contemporary health problems identified as National Health Priority Areas: cardiovascular health, cancer control, injury prevention and control, mental health, diabetes mellitus, and asthma.

Teaching is based on up-to-date research which allows students to apply the most relevant theory to their practice to ensure best practice and best patient outcomes. In the final semester, following theoretical and clinical preparation, students undertake a specialist elective subject in an area of interest and a capstone practice subject to consolidate their theoretical and practical knowledge.

Download our Nursing at Melbourne course guide