Bachelor of Science (Health) and Master of Nursing

1. Candidates are required to complete their first 48 credit points with a weighted average mark of at least 65 to remain in the combined degree program. Candidates who do not achieve this mark may not continue in the program; however, they may elect to transfer to the single Bachelor of Science (Health) degree.
   
   
2. Candidates may not commence Master of Nursing units of study until satisfactorily completing 48 credits points in the Bachelor of Science (Health) component. The Bachelor of Science (Health) component must be completed before continuing to the fourth and final year of the combined degree.
   
   
3. All candidates must successfully complete all first year Master of Nursing units of study before progressing to second year Master of Nursing units of study.
   
   
4. In exceptional circumstances a candidate may be allowed to progress to the next stage with approval by the Dean of the Sydney Nursing School.

The Bachelor of Science (Health) and Master of Nursing provides a thorough grounding in health and health systems at the local, national and global levels, while developing the knowledge, skills and experience to become a registered nurse.

Why study this course? 

As a science and nursing student, specialising in health, you will be taught by leading academics and clinical professionals from across the healthcare and nursing disciplines.

Cultivating a diverse range of skills and expertise in the provision of healthcare, this program will open up a wide range of career opportunities across both clinical and non-clinical settings.

You will develop core skills in critical thinking, complex problem solving, communication and empathy.

You can complete this combined degree program in four years of full-time study, after which you will graduate with two qualifications. 

How will you learn?

Both degrees are taught on campus, with lectures and tutorials. You will also complete a substantial amount of practical work, with over 800 hours of clinical placements in the nursing component of your degree. 

What will you learn? 

The Bachelor of Science (Health) explores the complexity of health and healthcare provision across different sociocultural, political and economic contexts. You will:

• complete a major in health with core units in areas such as human biology, psychology and eHealth, ensuring you gain a broad knowledge of healthcare and its latest developments before pursuing elective units in areas of your interest.

Leveraging the skills and knowledge of your science degree, in the Master of Nursing:

• you will experience hands-on learning with over 800 hours of clinical placements to develop a comprehensive understanding of professional nursing practice.
• you will learn to understand the impact of nursing practice within local and global health contexts, and across changing healthcare systems.
• upon graduation, you will be eligible to apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.

You can also choose either a second major or a minor. Second majors include Human Movement, Disability and Participation, as well as Hearing and Speech. You may also choose a second major or minor from the shared pool of majors or from those offered in the Bachelor of Science, which are offered through the Faculty of Science academic schools:

• School of Chemistry
• School of Geosciences 
• School of History and Philosophy of Science
• School of Life and Environmental Science 
• School of Mathematics and Statistics 
• School of Physics 
• School of Psychology
• School of Veterinary Science

Admission to this course is on the basis of the following:

• a secondary education qualification such as the NSW Higher School Certificate (including national and international equivalents), or approved higher education study, including approved preparation courses

• English language requirements as detailed below.

Admission pathways are open to domestic applicants on the basis of equity or other adjustment factors, including for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants. For details, visit admission pathways.

It is required that applicants have the ability to undertake clinical placements and the Sydney Nursing School Clinical Placement Provisions 2020 contains further details of the requirements.

Applicants who are registered as a nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia are not eligible to apply for this course.

English requirements

Whether you are a domestic or an international student you must submit an English language declaration form (pdf, 59KB). If English is not your primary language*, you are required to undertake one of the following English language proficiency tests and achieve at least the minimum score required:

a) The IELTS (academic module) with a minimum overall score of 7 and a minimum score of 7 in each of the four components (listening, reading, writing and speaking).

b) The PTE Academic with a minimum overall score of 68 and a minimum score of 68 in each of the four communicative skills (listening, reading, writing and speaking).

c) The TOEFL iBT with a minimum total score of 96 and the following minimum score in each section of the test:

• 24 for Listening
• 24 for reading
• 27 for writing
• 23 for speaking

English language proficiency tests must be completed within two years of course commencement.

*Primary language means the language you primarily use and the language that you know best and are most comfortable with. You need to have completed at least six years of schooling including at last two years of secondary school (years 7-12) in English in one of the following countries: Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, United States, Canada, Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom.

The academic criteria that are displayed are applicable to currently available courses only and are updated annually in October and may be changed without notice.  The University Calendar is the official legal source of information relating to study at the University of Sydney, and you are referred to those documents.

Prerequisites

This course has a mathematics course prerequisite. For details on the prerequisite, and how it applies to you, visit: Mathematics course prerequisites.

Inherent requirements

Inherent requirements are the essential tasks and activities necessary to be able to achieve the core learning outcomes of a course. They are specific to a particular course or discipline. To assist students to make informed choices about their study, we have identified and set out the inherent requirements that apply to the nursing component of this degree.  

Credit for previous study

For more information about the University’s credit policy, please see the Credit for Previous Studies page.