#14 in the world for nursing
Commonwealth supported places available
7 specialty nursing areas to choose from
Why choose advanced clinical nursing at Deakin
Advance your specialist nursing practice with Deakin’s Master of Advanced Clinical Nursing. Designed for experienced registered nurses, this flexible, part-time degree allows you to focus your learning in one of seven specialty areas: cardiac, critical care, emergency, intensive care, intraoperative, perianaesthesia or perioperative nursing.
You’ll strengthen your clinical decision-making, professional judgement and leadership while exploring the ethical, psychosocial and complex care dimensions of advanced practice. Course content is shaped by industry insights and research from Deakin’s Centre for Quality and Patient Safety Research, which has researchers within six of Victoria’s major health services.
You can also tailor your degree through a coursework or thesis stream, depending on whether you want to broaden your clinical expertise through electives or build toward a research pathway. Deakin’s School of Nursing and Midwifery is ranked #14 in the world for nursing.
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Ranked #14 for nursing worldwide
Study with Deakin’s School of Nursing and Midwifery, ranked #14 in the world for nursing.
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Choose your specialty
Focus your learning in cardiac, critical care, emergency, intensive care, intraoperative, perianaesthesia or perioperative nursing.
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Shape your pathway
Choose a coursework stream with electives or a thesis stream that supports a future research pathway.
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Research-informed care
Learn from a curriculum shaped by Deakin’s Centre for Quality and Patient Safety Research and clinical experts.
Connected to industry
Deakin’s strong industry connections help shape your learning. Build practical experience in real workplace contexts through work-integrated learning, mentoring and networking opportunities. Industry advisory boards also help shape our degrees, which means what you study is current, relevant and aligned to what your future employers need.
Deakin puts employability first
Career outcomes
Strengthen your advanced clinical practice while building the leadership and education skills to influence care across complex healthcare environments.
Nurse manager
Lead nursing teams delivering complex clinical care. Coordinate resources, support sound decision-making and drive improvements in quality, safety and patient outcomes.
- 13.6%
Projected job growth over 5 years
- $145k
Typical annual salary in Australia
Nurse educator
Translate advanced clinical knowledge into education for nurses and healthcare teams. Develop learning that strengthens clinical judgement, evidence-based practice and patient care.
- 5,000
Nurse educators employed
- $138k
Typical annual salary in Australia
Other jobs
- Clinical nurse specialist
- Clinical nurse consultant
- Advanced practice nurse
- Nurse researcher
- Quality and safety coordinator
- Healthcare leader
Key dates
Direct applications
Trimester 1 2027 applications close 7 February 2027
FAQs
A Deakin postgraduate degree can help you advance your career, deepen your expertise in a specialist field, pivot into a new industry and stand out in a competitive job market. Every course is built with industry input and taught by academics who are active practitioners, so the skills you gain are immediately applicable. Postgraduate study at Deakin is also your chance to connect with leaders in your field and build a network of industry contacts who become valuable professional connections, giving you an advantage that goes well beyond the qualification itself.
Most Deakin postgraduate courses are fee-paying, but there are practical ways to manage the cost of study. You can defer fees with a FEE-HELP loan, repaid through the ATO once you earn above the income threshold. A number of courses have Commonwealth Supported Places where the government covers part of your tuition. Deakin scholarships recognise academic achievement, professional experience and financial need. If you've studied at Deakin before, you may be eligible for a 10% alumni discount. Recognition of prior learning can also reduce costs by crediting past study so you finish sooner.
Yes to all three. Most Deakin postgraduate degrees can be studied online, on campus or a blend of both, and you may be able to switch between full and part time at the start of each trimester to suit your life. If you want to move faster, select courses offer a one-year masters degree designed for working professionals. With three start dates each year for most courses – March, July and November – you don't have to wait long to begin.
The main differences are depth, duration and career outcomes. A graduate certificate is a short, focused qualification, typically six months full time, ideal for upskilling quickly in a specific area. A graduate diploma offers broader knowledge or supports a career change, usually one-year full time. A masters degree delivers advanced expertise and professional recognition, typically one to two years full time. You can also stack qualifications – complete a graduate certificate and use the credit towards a masters.
Each Deakin postgraduate course has a unique structure, check the course stucture section of the course page to see compulsory units, electives and any specialisation streams available. All courses are shaped by industry, so content reflects real challenges in your field. Many courses let you tailor your studies through elective units or specialisations, and some include a capstone project where you apply your learning to a genuine workplace problem.
Entry requirements vary by course, so check this tab on the course page for specific criteria. Most Deakin postgraduate courses require a relevant bachelor degree, though some may accept significant demonstrable work experience as an alternative. You may also be able to build eligibility through a graduate certificate or graduate diploma, which in many cases could count towards a masters degree.
Deakin postgraduate courses are built with industry input, so you're learning skills employers are actively looking for. Depending on your course, you may access work-integrated learning through placements, internships or industry projects with partners including Microsoft, KPMG, National Australia Bank and the Geelong Cats Football Club. DeakinTALENT, Deakin's career service, supports you throughout your studies and for life, helping you grow your network and connect with opportunities in your field.
Yes. Recognition of prior learning (RPL) may turn your previous study or work experience into course credit, reducing both your study time and tuition costs. For some masters degrees, you may be able to receive credit for up to two-thirds of the course, if eligible. Use the RPL calculator to get an indication of what you might receive, and note that prior learning must generally be within the last 10 years, although some courses have a shorter time limit. You can apply for RPL as part of your course application.
*Deakin references data from a range of government, higher education and reputable media sources. Learn more about our achievements on our University rankings page, or explore our sources page for supporting references.
Some courses have limited places, apply early to avoid missing out.
What will I study in the Master of Advanced Clinical Nursing?
The Master of Advanced Clinical Nursing helps you deepen your specialty nursing practice while shaping your pathway through coursework or research. You’ll build from focused clinical specialisation into advanced professional practice, with the option to tailor your final stage through electives or a thesis.
Specialist clinical practice
Focus your specialty practice
Choose from seven advanced clinical nursing areas, including cardiac, critical care, emergency, intensive care and perioperative-related specialties.
Build clinical judgement
Strengthen your ability to navigate complex care, communicate with families and work effectively in multidisciplinary teams.
Apply learning in context
Connect your study with your workplace, where you can consolidate learning and demonstrate advanced clinical capability.
Advanced inquiry and professional practice
Explore specialty nursing inquiry
Develop your ability to question, analyse and apply evidence in ways that strengthen practice in your specialty area.
Advance professional capability
Build confidence in ethical, psychosocial and transcultural aspects of care, including complex responses to illness and trauma.
Begin shaping your pathway
Start tailoring your learning toward either broader coursework study or a research-focused thesis pathway.
Coursework or thesis pathway
Choose the coursework stream
Broaden your expertise through course and open electives that align with your clinical interests and career goals.
Choose the thesis stream
You could develop an individual research thesis in specialty nursing practice with support from a research supervision team.
Consolidate advanced practice
Bring together the specialty knowledge, evidence-informed thinking and professional judgement needed for advanced clinical nursing roles.
Course structure
To complete the Master of Advanced Clinical Nursing, you must pass 12 credit points. The number of credit points required may vary, depending on your entry point or how much credit you receive as recognition of prior learning (RPL) based on your professional experience and previous qualifications.
Most units are equal to one credit point. This course is available part-time only, with students typically studying one to two credit points each study period.
Are you a current student? For course information that applies to the year you started your degree, visit the handbook.
All students are required to meet the University's academic progress and conduct requirements
Units
1 unit set in a specialisation - comprising of 4 credit points
PLUS
PLUS 3 course elective units and 2 level 7 elective units from anywhere in the University
1 unit set in a specialisation - comprising of 4 credit points
PLUS
PLUS 1 course elective unit and 1 level 7 elective unit from anywhere in the University
Specialisations
If you want to specialise in a particular area of advanced nursing, you can choose from the following streams:
Specialist units are completed at Graduate Certificate (4 credit points of core units) and Graduate Diploma (6 credit points of core units and 2 elective units) levels.
To be eligible for a specialisation, you must independently secure employment of at least 24 hours per week with a collaborating hospital in Australia in your chosen specialty area.
*HNN778 is only an available course elective in the Thesis pathway, the unit is already a core unit in the Coursework pathway
Professional recognition
Nurses employed under the Victorian public hospital award receive a higher duties allowance.
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.
What to expect while studying
To undertake this course you must provide evidence of 24 months clinical experience in specialty practice in Australia and provide evidence of employment in a relevant specialty practice area or equivalent.
As an online student in the Faculty of Health you will be expected to spend 11-13 hours every week studying, interacting online and completing assessment tasks for each unit in your course. Refer to the individual unit details in the course structure for more information.
For those students commencing with a specialisation, success is contingent on the student having access to a suitable workplace in which to consolidate learning, enhance understanding, demonstrate skills and undertake assessments.
Prior to entry to the course, each applicant’s workplace is considered in terms of its suitability and capacity to provide students with the necessary supports. Ongoing support for educators in the workplace is also provided by Deakin staff
At Deakin, we're committed to ensuring an inclusive environment that supports all students to belong, thrive and succeed. We work closely with students, where needed, to identify potential barriers to participation and where possible, provide tailored support so students can engage with learning and assessment activities.
If you are neurodivergent, have a disability, health condition or mental health condition that may impact your study or participation in university life, and want to know how Deakin could support you, contact our Domestic students (opens in a new window) or International students (opens in a new window) or Disability Resource Centre (opens email client) teams for a collaborative and confidential discussion. This discussion is to support you to make plans for your studies and future career and will not have any bearing on your application to the course.
When can I start?
When you study depends on your course, location and available intakes. Check the table to see when you can start and how study is offered throughout the year.
Your course learning outcomes describe the knowledge, skills and capabilities you’ll develop and be able to demonstrate by the time you graduate. Built into your course through your units and assessments, they provide a clear picture of what you’ll be equipped to know, understand and do – preparing you to apply your learning with confidence beyond university.
| Course Learning Outcomes |
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| Demonstrate expert specialty clinical practice commensurate with nursing theoretical knowledge, evidence-based practice, and person-centred care. |
| Demonstrate expert communication skills to ensure the delivery of high quality, safe nursing care to patients in the specialty practice setting. |
| Evaluate complex information using digital technologies to effectively disseminate relevant specialty care information to patients and/or the multidisciplinary team. |
| Analyse, evaluate and critique complex data from multiple sources to inform clinical decision making in a specialty practice setting. |
| Apply expert nursing knowledge to complex problems in specialty practice to optimise patient outcomes. |
| Demonstrate professionalism, accountability, reflection, and personal autonomy as an expert specialist nurse. |
| Establish, maintain, and lead inclusive, collaborative professional relationships with all members of the multidisciplinary team. |
| Demonstrate accountability for, and expert professional judgement in behaviours that uphold ethical principles of practice within diverse social, cultural, and environmental contexts. |
- Award granted
- Master of Advanced Clinical Nursing
- Year
2027 course information
- Deakin code
- H771
- Level
- Higher Degree Coursework (Masters and Doctorates)
- Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition
The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 9
Fees
Estimated tuition fee
$2,454
4 CP - Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP)
The estimated tuition (student contribution) fee above is based on a typical first-year full-time enrolment of 4 credit points and is provided as a guide only. Your student contribution is determined by the units you enrol in and will vary depending on the units you choose, your study load, the course duration, and any approved recognition of prior learning. You may also be eligible for a HECS-HELP loan to defer payment of all or part of your student contribution.
Check your eligibility or learn more about CSP or HECS-HELP.
Scholarships
We want to help you excel at Deakin. Our scholarships recognise your dedication and achievements, providing financial support that can ease the cost of living and studying. With less pressure, you'll have more freedom to focus on what matters most – your education and future success.
Applications for 2027 are open
Ready to take the next step? Apply now to start your journey at Deakin and get ready for what’s next.
Key dates
Direct applications
Trimester 1 2027 applications close 7 February 2027
Apply now
Apply direct
Simply create an account in the Deakin Application Portal, enter your personal and educational details, upload your supporting documents and submit your application.
Recognition of prior learning
We value your previous study and experience. Recognition of prior learning enables you to get credit for what you've already achieved. When you apply, we'll consider your previous study and experience for recognition of prior learning.
Students holding an approved specialist certificate from the former Nurses Board of Victoria may apply for up to four credit points of Recognition of prior learning towards the Masters.
Pathways
This course can provide a pathway option to higher degree by research courses.
We offer Graduate Certificates and Graduate Diplomas in the following nursing specialty areas: intensive care, critical care, cardiac, emergency, perioperative, intraoperative and perianaesthesia. We recommend if you are commencing your nursing specialty qualifications you enter into one of these course offerings, as there are no alternative exits from the Master of Advanced Clinical Nursing.
Alternatively, if you are seeking a non-specialised postgraduate nursing qualification to advance into a senior position, our Master of Advanced Nursing prepares you to step up into nursing leadership, management or education without the need to specialise in a clinical specialty area. It is also a highly customisable course with a range of electives and the option of a thesis or coursework stream.