Program Overview

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Master of Nursing Online

Why Nursing at JCU?

JCU Online’s Master of Nursing gives you the qualifications and skills you need to evolve your career as fast as healthcare itself is changing.

100% online & part-time

Fast-track your career with flexible study you can balance around your life. Study one subject at a time and complete your degree in as little as two years part-time.

Choose your career pathway

Choose to specialise in either advanced practice, education or leadership and management, or combine two and graduate with a double major.

Ranked in the top 30 universities in Australia

JCU is in the top 30 universities in the 2025 QS World University Rankings. You'll study with industry leaders, specialists and experienced nurse academics.

Program Highlights

• Transform your practice and improve your clinical skill set.
• Choose from three in-demand specialisations.
• Develop key skills to help you succeed in clinical contexts.
• Understand the latest in healthcare informatics.
• Designed by passionate nursing professionals.
• Fast-track your career with 100% online study.
• Be supported by a dedicated Student Success Advisor.

Become a Leader in the Nursing Industry

With a rapidly ageing population, changes in technology, changes in management demands, and the evolution of nursing knowledge and practice, there are growing opportunities for qualified senior nurses and nurse leaders in Australia.

JCU Online’s Master of Nursing gives you the qualifications and skills you need to evolve your career as fast as healthcare itself is changing. It will allow you to take on more complex roles and deliver better patient care.

What You Will Study

The JCU Online’s Master of Nursing gives you the preparation you’ll need to shine at the next level in your career – advanced communication skills, data management skills, governance knowledge, informatics, and the ability to design and implement evidence into practice. We equip you with the knowledge, proficiency, competency and expertise to succeed in your chosen specialisation.

These core skills were specifically incorporated to ensure all graduates leave the course ready to take on the challenges presented by a changing healthcare landscape. You’ll also be able to choose one of three majors:

• Leadership and Management major
• Education major
• Advanced Practice major

Core Subjects

You will study the following eight core subjects:

• Digital Health and Informatics in Healthcare
• Effective Clinical Governance
• Professional Communication in Healthcare
• Synthesising Evidence for Healthcare
• Quantitative Research in Healthcare
• Qualitative Research in Healthcare
• Implementing Practice Development in Healthcare Contexts
• Professional Portfolios for Career Advancement

Leadership and Management Major

If you choose to major in Leadership & Management you will study the following four subjects, in addition to your core subjects:

• Leading and Managing in Health
• Ethics and Health Management
• Business and Finance for the Health Manager
• Conflict and Dispute Resolution in Healthcare

Education Major

If you choose to major in Education, you will study the following four subjects in addition to your core subjects:

• Principles of Education for the Health Professional
• Teaching in Practice Settings
• Clinical Coaching
• Contemporary Healthcare Education

Advanced Practice Major

If you choose to major in Advanced Practice, you will study the following four subjects in addition to your core subjects:

• Advanced Health Assessment
• Quality Use of Medicines in Practice
• Applied Health Assessment and Advanced Practice
• Diagnostic Reasoning for Advanced Practice

Choose from 1 of 3 Principle Specialisations or a Double Major

• Advanced Practice: Giving you the skills you need to deliver advanced patient care
• Leadership and Management: Giving you the confidence and knowledge to embrace leadership or management positions in healthcare, or
• Education: Giving you the ability to take on educational practice roles in clinical or non-clinical environments.

You may also choose to combine two of these specialisations and graduate with a double major.

Course Information

With JCU’s 100% online Master of Nursing, you can tailor your education to fit your career goals. You may also be eligible for Recognition of Prior Learning so you can complete your degree sooner.

• Entry requirements
• Recognition of Prior Learning
• Learning outcomes
• Career outcomes
• Inherent requirements

Entry Requirements

To be eligible to enrol in the online Master of Nursing, applicants must have:

• Completed an AQF Level 7 Bachelor of Nursing, or equivalent qualification, and;
• Registration as a Registered Nurse (Division 1) or Registered Midwife with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) or equivalent registration with the relevant registering authority for applicants outside of Australia;
• Completed a minimum of one year of full-time clinical experience, or the part-time equivalent, as a registered nurse or midwife.
• Applicants of non-English speaking backgrounds must meet the English language proficiency requirements of Band 3a – Schedule II of the JCU Admissions Policy.

Recognition of Prior Learning

If you have experienced learning either at work, through non-accredited training or from life that is relevant to this course, we may be able to offer you credit towards your qualification.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the Online Master of Nursing, graduates will be able to:

• Adapt and apply specialised knowledge, skills and technical competencies across a variety of health contexts, including tropical, rural, remote and Indigenous settings
• Expertly communicate using high-level written and oral language skills
• Reflect on practice of self and others to ensure quality and promote an environment of excellence in healthcare
• Critically analyse, synthesise and evaluate a range of data and evidence to provide solutions to complex nursing problems
• Advance nursing knowledge through the generation of evidence relevant to their specialist area
• Transform practice through the skilful application of advanced knowledge, relevant evidence and leadership skills

Career Outcomes

Studying the Master of Nursing will provide you with the hands-on technical skills and practical interpersonal management knowledge that are growing in demand in the nursing industry. With three specialisations on offer, this degree allows students the opportunity to tailor their studies to their career goals and succeed in positions such as:

• Advanced Practice
  • Clinical Nurse Specialist
  • Clinical Nurse Consultant
• Leadership and Management
  • Nurse Unit Manager
  • Executive nursing roles such as Director of Nursing
• Education
  • Clinical Teacher
  • Nurse Educator
  • Higher Education and Academia roles

Inherent Requirements

Inherent requirements are the identified abilities, attributes, skills, and behaviours that must be demonstrated, during the learning experience, to successfully complete a course. These abilities, attributes, skills, and behaviours preserve the academic integrity of the University’s learning, assessment, and accreditation processes, and where applicable, meet the standards of a profession.

All JCU students have the opportunity to demonstrate, with reasonable adjustments where applicable, the inherent requirements for their course.

Meet Our Nursing Academics

Our academics will empower you to improve health outcomes, enrich your nursing practice and equip yourself with the skills to take your career to the next level.

• Pieta Shakes
• Jessica Best
• Dr Tracey Ahern
• Tracey Gooding
• Alison Bryan
• Amanda Monzeglio
• Kate Hurley

Nested Qualifications: Early Entry Exit Options

You can also build towards your master’s degree through flexible entry and exit points and ‘qualify as you go’ through our nested qualifications. As you study your Master of Nursing, you will gain your Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma of Nursing. If you need to finish your study early, you may still qualify for a Graduate Certificate or Graduate Diploma.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Who should study a Master of Nursing?
• How long does it take to complete the Master of Nursing?
• How much does the Master of Nursing cost?
• I want to be a nurse practitioner, is this the right course for me? Can I get credits towards nurse practitioner with this course?
• I am a trained nurse, can I do this course?
• I am actively registered overseas, can I still apply? Will this course transfer my registration over to Australia?
• Does this course contribute to my CPD?