There are few careers as rewarding as nursing, and few better places to study it than Australia. On top of the great quality of life and career pathways the country has to offer, there are a number of world-class universities that excel in the subject. Whether you want to become a registered nurse, or have a specialism in mind, these renowned institutions could be right for you. Read on to discover them, as we explore the best universities for nursing in Australia.
The University of Sydney
Each year, you can expect to find the University of Sydney sitting comfortably among the top Australian universities in various world rankings. Both the QS World University Rankings and Times Higher Education World University Rankings place it in the top three in the country, with QS rating it 19th globally. What's more, it has a strong reputation for nursing. QS regards it as the best nursing university in Australia.
The university has several campuses, with its Sydney Nursing School students based at the new Susan Wakil Health Building. This state-of-the-art facility offers access to everything you will need to begin a nursing career, from clinical studios to a spacious library.
Nursing courses at the university have a great focus on practical training, with more on-site instruction than you may find elsewhere. Hands-on learning is key, whether you study at undergraduate or postgraduate level, or on a general or more specialised nursing course. Examples of specialist programmes at Sydney include:
- Master of Nutrition and Dietetics
- Master of Emergency Nursing
- Master of Cancer and Haematology Nursing
As a nursing student at the institution, you will also benefit from its world-class reputation for research. Even if you study at undergraduate level, you will work close to the experts behind groundbreaking research in various medical fields. In addition to having access to some of the facilities used to deliver this, you may well get to play a part in supporting it.
Are you also thinking about studying other areas of healthcare? Discover the top universities for medicine in Australia.
Monash University
The largest university in Australia, Monash is another great option for prospective nursing students. The Melbourne institution is ranked as the second best in the country by Times Higher Education, while QS rates it as the second best nursing university. Australia is proud of Monash, and rightly so – more than 13,000 nurses and midwives have trained there in the past three decades.
The School of Nursing and Midwifery here offers students a fantastic place to grow and learn, with an array of courses on offer. In addition to its three-year nursing degree and four-year nursing and midwifery double degree, the institution offers more specialised programmes of varying levels and lengths. These include:
- Undergraduate Certificate of Health Care Essentials
- Bachelor of Paramedicine
- Bachelor of Occupational Therapy
- Graduate Certificate of Wound Care
- Master of Advanced Nursing
The university also has one of the highest intakes of international students in Australia, with around 30,000 enrolled. Students around the world recognise it as a great place to get a degree, and those looking to study nursing are no exception.
Want to know which institutions are rated most highly overall in the country? Explore the top universities in Australia.
University of Melbourne
If you want to study somewhere prestigious, the University of Melbourne is the first place to look. Both the QS World University Rankings 2024 and the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024 rate it as the top university in Australia, while QS ranks it as the third best university for nursing in Australia.
Aside from its global reputation, what makes the University of Melbourne stand out is its connection with hospitals and research institutes across Australia and beyond. This allows students to get unrivalled experience at the heart of medical practice from the very start of their course. You could get a taste of life as a nurse in both the public and private sectors, and perhaps even do so with one of the university's partner institutions in other countries.
Notably, you cannot study nursing at undergraduate level here. Instead, Melbourne offers a range of programmes at postgraduate level, from short courses to master's degrees. These include:
- Graduate Certificate in Cancer Nursing
- Graduate Certificate in Primary Care Nursing
- Graduate Diploma in Mental Health Nursing Practice
- Master of Advanced Nursing Practice
- Master of Nursing Science
In addition, the university's nursing pathway encourages students to apply for its Nursing Science master's after completing any of its bachelor's degrees. This means you can comfortably move on to a top nursing course, regardless of the subject you studied before it.
After completing your studies, you will leave with plenty of knowledge and a lot of practical experience. Many nursing graduates from the University of Melbourne end up working at one of its partner hospitals, such as the Royal Women’s Hospital and Royal Melbourne Hospital.
The role of nurse is one of many that is in great need of being filled around the world. See where it ranks among the most in-demand jobs in Australia.
University of Technology Sydney
Situated in the heart of the country's most famous city, University of Technology Sydney (UTS) is ranked as the fourth best nursing university in Australia by QS, and inside the top 20 globally. The institution runs nursing courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate level, with a number of combined and specialised options on offer.
For example, undergraduate students can enhance their nursing education with a bachelor's degree that combines the subject with international studies, or creative intelligence and innovation. Postgraduates, meanwhile, can choose to focus on a range of specific areas of nursing. Courses that enable this include:
- Graduate Diploma in Midwifery
- Graduate Certificate in Critical Care
- Graduate Certificate in Women's and Children's Health
- Master of Palliative Care
In addition, you can study for a postgraduate nursing degree from UTS remotely. Its Master of Advanced Nursing course is one of several in the field that it delivers online. To take part, you must already be employed as a nurse (in order for you to complete practical assessments), but there is no requirement for you to be in Sydney whatsoever.
Wherever you study, you will benefit from the university's many partnerships. In the fields of healthcare and nursing, it has connections with the World Health Organisation, John Hopkins University and King’s College London, among many other renowned bodies. With endorsements like those, it is clear that UTS nursing qualifications have the credibility to set you up for a great career.
Has that inspired you to take your next steps towards studying nursing in Australia? Our advice and information can help you do it. Find out more about the student cost of living in Australia, the top scholarships in Australia, and applying for a student visa in Australia. Alternatively, you can begin exploring nursing courses in Australia today.
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