Careers in nursing
As a Deakin graduate you will be highly sought-after for your nursing knowledge, communication skills, professionalism, enthusiasm, problem-solving capabilities, and your ability to provide high-quality, personal, evidence-based care focused towards improving patient outcomes.
You may pursue a career in a range of settings including hospitals, homes, hospices, aged care, clinics, schools, universities, community health centres, government agencies and private industry.
Australia’s growing health industry
The health and human services sector is one of the largest and fastest growing industries in Australia and the world. With ageing populations and public health issues like obesity, heart disease, and chronic illness on the rise, employability in the sector is strong, and continually increasing. In Australia, Registered Nurses are expected to experience 13.9% projected employment growth to November 2026. ^
Undergraduate
Undergraduate (your first degree)
An undergraduate degree is generally completed between two to four years, depending on the pattern of study and any recognition of prior learning you may have. Associate degrees, bachelor and bachelor with honours are all undergraduate degrees.
Postgraduate
Postgraduate (further study)
A postgraduate qualification can be undertaken by students who have already completed an undergraduate degree or possess significant, demonstrable work experience. Postgraduate courses include graduate certificates, graduate diplomas, masters and PhDs, as well as specialist programs for industry professionals.
Learn in real-life and simulated clinical settings
At Deakin you will experience practical, hands-on learning through clinical placements where you will work alongside medical professionals in real-life scenarios. As part of your undergraduate nursing degree, you will acquire 800 hours of clinical experience (or 1600 hours with the nursing/midwifery double degree) in a variety of settings – through Deakin’s extensive medical partnership network.
Deakin campuses are equipped with cutting-edge, purpose-built clinical simulation centres. These centres are expertly designed to simulate real hospital and community clinic environments so you can develop core clinical nursing skills.
Professionally recognised degrees
Our nursing degrees are accredited by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) and are approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA).
On successful completion of one of our degrees, you will be eligible to apply for registration as a Registered Nurse with the NMBA. If you complete the Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Midwifery, you will be eligible to apply for registration as a Registered Nurse and a Registered Midwife with the NMBA.
I was impressed from the very beginning to see the sophisticated clinical practice labs and the level of education Deakin provided for the nursing students. Seminars were interactive, and lecturers were very supportive and friendly.
Shaluni, Sri Lanka
Bachelor of Nursing (Honours)
Elevate your nursing career
Deakin’s postgraduate nursing degrees can provide a pathway into senior roles in management, education or research. Whether you are based overseas or in Australia, we offer a broad range of degrees that can expand your clinical judgement and professional knowledge.
Students living overseas
Our advanced nursing postgraduate degrees are ideal for students who wish to study online from their home country. These programs are offered at a reduced fee for international students, meaning you will pay the same cost as the students you are studying with in Australia.
With the option to select from a varied range of electives in each program, you can tailor study to your career goals and do not need to specialise in one focus area.
We offer the following postgraduate degrees to internationally based students:
- Graduate Certificate of Advanced Nursing
- Graduate Diploma of Advanced Nursing
- Master of Advanced Nursing.
International students living in Australia
Our specialisation courses are offered to nurses practising in Australia within their specialty areas. With support from your healthcare provider, you can pursue postgraduate qualifications in one of seven areas of clinical practice including:
- cardiac nursing (including interventional cardiology)
- critical care nursing
- emergency nursing
- intensive care nursing
- intraoperative nursing
- perianaesthesia nursing
- perioperative nursing.
All specialisations are available at the graduate certificate and graduate diploma level, and you can choose to focus on a specialisation in the Master of Advanced Clinical Nursing. If you are unsure of the degree you want, you can enrol in a graduate certificate and proceed through the diploma to a masters.
Recognition for prior learning
If you have previous nursing experience – whether it is previous study or work experience as a registered nurse – you may be eligible to receive credit towards your degree. Deakin offers students with previous nursing experience a range of ways to apply for this recognition.
The future of Nursing is at Deakin
Get an insight into our world-class facilities available to nursing and midwifery students at Deakin. You'll have access to state-of-the-art clinical teaching spaces, industry-standard equipment and brand-new technology.
Deakin University School of Nursing and Midwifery
The School of Nursing and Midwifery at Deakin is one of the largest in Australia, and is committed to providing excellence in its courses through an emphasis on current trends and evidence-based practice in nursing.
How to apply: international students
Deakin University students Tatyana and Kaweesha talk through the application process at Deakin. Learn about meeting entry requirements, organising your documents and submitting your application – either directly or through a Deakin agent.
Contact us
International student enquiries
Phone: +61 3 9034 6205
WhatsApp: +61 4 8888 2109
Footnotes
*ShanghaiRanking's Ranking of Academic Subjects 2022
^Australian Government Job Outlook, Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business