Master of Advanced Nursing

2023 Deakin University Handbook

Course sub-headings

• Course overview
• Indicative student workload
• Professional recognition
• Career opportunities
• Participation requirements
• Alternative exits
• Fees and charges
• Course Learning Outcomes
• Course rules
• Course structure

Course overview

With job growth of 23.1% projected for nurse managers by 2026,* there is an industry demand for registered nurses with the analytical, practical, communication and leadership skills needed to take on senior roles across a range of health care settings. Deakin’s Master of Advanced Nursing prepares you for a senior position within a multidisciplinary team or to be a leading voice in nursing.

Ranked 20th in the world,^ our School of Nursing and Midwifery is one of Australia’s largest and most established. You will learn from the best with the School’s cutting-edge research recognised as well above world standard.# You will graduate ready to advance your career, and work in leadership roles across nursing education, management, policy and research.

Are you ready to open the door to roles in advanced practice, education, management, policy and research?

The Master of Advanced Nursing prepares you to practice effectively at an advanced level. You will graduate with ethical, safe, high-quality and expert clinical decision-making skills. Plus, you will gain the specialised theoretical knowledge, evidence-based practice and person-centred care that is sought after in multidisciplinary teams.

As an experienced registered nurse, you will be challenged to advance your professional judgement to become a leader in evidence-based practice, and a change agent to improve the quality of nursing care and patient outcomes within modern healthcare practice.

We develop your clinical and leadership skills via core units. You will also have the opportunity to select from either a thesis or coursework stream to tailor the course according to your desired pathway.

The coursework stream allows you to customise your degree to match your career aspirations. You can choose from a mix of course-specific or general electives from across the university.

The thesis stream sets you up to pursue a research pathway upon graduation, with four dedicated thesis units and six elective units. Supported by a research supervision team and our expert staff you will create an individual research thesis.

Our course curriculum is shaped by industry insights and research from Deakin’s Centre for Quality and Patient Safety Research (QPS). QPS is a leader in clinical research, quality and risk management, and has researchers within six of Victoria’s major health services. This means the course material is evidence-based, patient-focused and informed by academics, researchers and clinical experts who are leaders in their fields.

Designed for postgraduate nursing students, our innovative online program delivers a rich, interactive and empowering learning experience that will encourage critical thinking, problem-solving and teamwork skills. Australia’s top-rated tech support and access to our expert teaching staff allow you to study flexibly around your work and other commitments, without compromising quality or support.

Want to further your career in a shorter time? Check out our Graduate Diploma of Advanced Nursing (H675) or Graduate Certificate of Advanced Nursing (H575).

Seeking to specialise in a specific area of nursing? See our Master of Advanced Clinical Nursing (H771) or associated graduate diploma and graduate certificate options with specialisations in cardiac, critical care, emergency, intensive care, intraoperative, perianaesthesia or perioperative nursing.

https://www.deakin.edu.au/course/H771 

*2021 Employment Outlook – for the five years to November 2026, Australian Government National Skills Commission.
^2022 ShanghaiRankings Ranking of Academic Subjects. 

Indicative student workload

As an online student in the Faculty of Health you will be expected to spend 11-13 hours every week studying, interacting via CloudDeakin and completing assessment tasks for each unit in your course. Refer to the individual unit details in the course structure for more information.

Professional recognition

Nurses employed under the Victorian public hospital award receive a higher duties allowance for postgraduate qualifications relevant to their practice.

Graduates of this course may be eligible to seek endorsement as a nurse practitioner via Pathway 2 as outlined on the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) website.

Career opportunities

The healthcare industry is the largest growing employment industry in Australia. A number of roles within nursing are expected to grow significantly by 2023*, including:

Graduates of the Master of Advanced Nursing will be well placed to take advantage of this demand. Depending on the units you have completed, your expertise will allow you to pursue a range of roles, including:

• clinical nurse educator
• clinical nurse specialist
• associate or unit manager
• research roles

Participation requirements

Reasonable adjustments to participation and other course requirements will be made for students with a disability. More information available at Disability support services.

Alternative exits

Fees and charges

Fees and charges vary depending on your course, the type of fee place you hold, your commencement year and your study load. To find out about the fees and charges that apply to you, visit the Current students fees website or our handy Fee estimator to help estimate your tuition fees. 

Course Learning Outcomes

Course rules

To complete the Master of Advanced Nursing students must attain 12 credit points. Students can choose to complete a coursework stream or a thesis stream. 

Students completing the coursework stream must complete 3 core (compulsory) units, plus 9 credit points of electives, of which 6 must be from the course electives, listed below. The remaining 3 can be from any level 7 electives from anywhere in the university.

Students completing the thesis stream must complete 2 core (compulsory) units and 4 credit points of thesis units, plus 6 credit points of electives, of which 4 must be from the course electives, listed below. The remaining 2 electives can be from any level 7 electives from anywhere in the university.

All commencing Faculty of Health course work students are required to complete HAI010 Academic Integrity in their first trimester of study (0 credit point compulsory unit).

The Master of Advanced Nursing can be undertaken over 1½ years full time or 3 years part-time.

Students are required to meet the University's academic progress and conduct requirements.

Course structure

Coursework pathway

Plus 9 credit points of electives, of which 6 must be from the course electives, the remaining 3 can be from any level 7 electives from anywhere in the university.

Thesis pathway

Plus 6 credit points of electives, of which 4 must be from the course electives, the remaining 2 can be from any level 7 electives from anywhere in the university.

* Note - Students may only undertake a thesis if they have met the academic entry requirements of an overall WAM of 65 (Credit) in their previous studies.

Course electives

Further information

Student Central can help you with course planning, choosing the right units and explaining course rules and requirements.

• Contact Student Central