Master of Nursing Science

Designed for registered nurses, this 100% online degree builds on your clinical experience to develop advanced capabilities in leadership, research and professional practice. You'll strengthen your ability to improve healthcare delivery, support workforce development and contribute to evidence-informed decision-making across various healthcare settings.

You'll develop the knowledge and skills to:

1. Lead and manage healthcare services: apply the latest leadership approaches to support safe, high-quality care.
2. Drive quality and safety initiatives: evaluate systems, policies and standards that influence healthcare outcomes.
3. Apply evidence-informed practice: interpret and translate research into improvements in clinical care and service delivery.
4. Support learning and professional development: strengthen skills in education, mentorship and workforce capability building.
5. Navigate complex healthcare environments: respond to ethical, legal and professional challenges in healthcare.
6. Conduct and apply research: design, implement and communicate research that contributes to nursing knowledge and practice.

The Master of Nursing Science is designed for registered nurses seeking to expand their professional capabilities and prepare for leadership, education, research and advanced practice opportunities.

You'll deepen your understanding of quality and safety, healthcare transformation, research and evidence-informed practice while building skills that can be applied across a range of clinical and professional settings.

Core study areas include leadership, health professional education, advanced nursing practice and research methods, helping you further develop the expertise needed to contribute to service improvement and healthcare innovation.

Build research and leadership capability

Strengthen your ability to influence practice and improve healthcare outcomes through advanced research training and professional development. You'll complete a supervised research project while developing skills in critical inquiry, data interpretation and scholarly communication.

Griffith is Australia's #1 university for nursing and midwifery*. Learn from experienced academics and researchers with strong links across the health sector. You'll be supported by experienced staff who understand the needs of practising nurses. Industry-informed curriculum and contemporary learning approaches ensure your studies remain relevant to current healthcare priorities and workforce needs.

 *ShanghaiRanking's Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2025

Recommended study pattern

As a guide, core subjects in this degree can include:

• Foundations of Research Inquiry
• Quality and Safety in Healthcare 
• Preparing for Advanced Practice
• Transforming and Leading Healthcare 

As part of your application, you’ll be guided through how to get the right degree structure in place for you. 

Award requirements

For the award of Master of Nursing Science (MNSc), you must successfully complete 120 credit points comprising:

• 80 credit points for Core Module, and
• 40 credit points for all Flexible Module

Open Universities Australia is a not-for-profit organisation. You will not pay any fees for using our services.

Indicative total fee $13,500

The amounts shown here are indicative for an Australian citizen studying full-time, which is typically 8 subjects per year.

Fees may vary depending on:

• the subjects you choose
• credit from previous work experience
• your eligibility for government funding loans or subsidies such as HECS-HELP or a Commonwealth supported place.

To learn more, go to Fees or contact a student advisor.

With a network of campuses spanning three cities in South East Queensland, Griffith University is committed to progressive multidisciplinary teaching and research and a valuable online provider with Open Universities Australia.

Already attracting students from over one hundred countries, Griffith's dedication to academic excellence is available across Australia through OUA.

Learn more about Griffith University

Explore Griffith University courses

QS World University Ranking 2026, within Australia:

18

Times Higher Education World University Ranking 2026, within Australia:

20

To be eligible for this program you must meet all of the following criteria:

• a recognised Bachelor of Nursing degree (or higher)
• current or temporary, unrestricted registration as a registered nurse with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) or the professional registration body in your country of origin
• one year work experience as a registered nurse.

Degrees from overseas institutions must be assessed as equivalent to a recognised Australian accredited qualification

English language requirements apply to International applicants and other applicants whose previous study was undertaken in a language other than English. The minimum English language requirements for such applicants for entry to this program are as follows:

• A minimum overall band score of 6.5 on IELTS (Academic) with no sub-score of less than 6.0
• OR an internet-based (iBT) TOEFL score of 79 (no sub-score less than 19)
• OR no score less than 3+ in each skill of the ISLPR (conducted by ISLPR Language Services only)
• OR a minimum overall score of 176 (no score less than 169) on Cambridge C1 Advanced or Cambridge C2 Proficiency
• OR an overall score of 58 in the Pearson Test of English (Academic) with no score less than 50 (applies to tests taken prior to 7 August 2025)
• OR an overall score of 55 in the Pearson Test of English (Academic) with no score less than 47 (applies to tests taken on or after 7 August 2025)
• OR an overall score of 70 in the LanguageCert Academic
• OR an overall score of 59 in the Michigan English Test (MET)

All applicants who hold current unrestricted registration as a Nurse with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) are deemed to have met the English language requirements for admission to the program due to the requirements outlined in the Registration Standard (English Language Skills) set by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA).

English test results must be no more than two years old.

The Direct Entry Program (DEP) pathway is not accepted for this program.

Applicants should refer to the English language requirements section of the following University procedure for exceptions to these overall requirements:

• Admission Procedure

Reduce the time it takes to finish your degree. You can apply to Griffith to recognise your prior learning, including:

• Formal learning through courses completed at uni and TAFE.
• Informal learning through workplace experience or volunteer training.
• Non-formal learning through social experiences and hobbies.