Nursing courses

It’s because you can upskill in nursing online, but you can’t complete the core practical training that’s required to work with patients. Most of these courses are designed to help already qualified nurses learn more about a specific area of care or move into a leadership role. They focus on theory and don’t usually need you to do clinical placements away from your desk. 

If you’re interested in an undergraduate degree in the health sector, there are general health courses available online that will prepare you for on-campus nursing study. Or you might like to explore these public health courses, mental health courses, or aged care courses.  

You can study part of an undergraduate nursing degree online, but not all of it. To become a nurse in Australia, you need to complete at least 800 hours of clinical placements. These placements happen in healthcare settings and on a university campus. Because of this, you won’t find an online Bachelor of Nursing offered through Open Universities Australia.

If you want to start your journey towards becoming a nurse, however, you can study Curtin University’s Undergraduate Certificate in Health Sciences online through us. This 4-subject course is for students who didn’t get the required ATAR for nursing and would like to qualify for entry. It’s entirely theoretical, so it doesn't require in-person attendance.

Studying nursing online offers a lot of benefits. It gives you the flexibility to learn at your own pace and on your own schedule, which is great for balancing your work commitments or family life. You can study from anywhere, so you don’t need to worry about travelling to campus.  

You’ll learn a wide range of skills and knowledge that will help you specialise in your area of interest. Postgraduate nursing courses are designed to help you build on your existing nursing knowledge and prepare you for advanced roles in healthcare.  

Depending on the course you choose, you could study topics like:  

• Patient care and management  
• Advanced clinical skills in areas such as mental health, cardiac care, or emergency nursing  
• Evidence-based practice and research  
• Leadership and management in healthcare settings  
• Ethical and legal considerations in nursing  
• Communication and teamwork in healthcare environments 

You’ll be taught by experienced educators and have access to a variety of online resources to support your learning. 

The entry requirements depend on the course you choose. Generally, you will need:  

• A nursing qualification: Most online nursing courses are for people who are already registered nurses. You need to have current registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA).  
• Work experience: Some courses might ask for a certain amount of experience working as a registered nurse.  
• A bachelor degree: For postgraduate courses, you usually need to have completed a Bachelor of Nursing or a similar qualification.  
• Other requirements: Some courses might request evidence of other things, like a certain GPA, English language skills, or references.  

Make sure to check the specific course details to know exactly what’s needed. If you don’t quite meet the requirements, we may be able to help you gain entry through prior study or work experience. Contact us to find out more. 

Studying a nursing course can be tough, but incredibly rewarding. To succeed, you should be prepared to tackle theoretical research from the inside out. Most of our postgraduate students spend at least 12 hours a week on reading and research per subject, but you’ll need to set aside even more time if you’re completing a dissertation or research project as part of your studies. You can gauge how intensive a subject is likely to be by looking it up on our website. Check the reading list, assessments and prior study required before you enrol.

Remember—while you’ll be studying online, you will never be in this alone. You will still be able to virtually collaborate with classmates and receive advice from staff with years of clinical experience. You can lean on them for support as you progress through your qualification.

It depends on a few things, including the duration of your course, the complexity of the study content, and the university you study with.

The cost of your nursing course could range from $4,500 for a short graduate certificate to $35,000 for an advanced masters degree. However, all online postgraduate courses available through us are covered by FEE-HELP. This means that if you’re eligible, you won’t have to pay the cost of your course upfront. 

You can explore many different career options depending on your area of interest. Some options include:  

• Clinical nurse specialist: Work in areas like mental health, paediatrics, or emergency care.  
• Nurse educator: Teach and train new nurses.  
• Nurse practitioner: Provide advanced care in areas like chronic illness or family health.  
• Healthcare manager: Manage teams or healthcare facilities.  
• Research nurse: Help with healthcare research to improve treatments.  
• Public health nurse: Work on community health and disease prevention.  

You could also take on a leadership role (check out these health management courses), like charge nurse or nursing director, or work in areas like telehealth or occupational health. 

Here at Open Universities Australia, we make enrolling online as straightforward as possible. To get started, find the course for you by browsing the options on this page. You can also compare different qualifications using our handy comparison tool, or request help from one of our student advisors.

When you’ve made your choice, click ‘Apply now’ on the relevant course page and follow the prompts to begin your enrolment. We’ll ask you to supply some supporting documentation, including proof of your identity, your tax file number, and a unique student identifier (USI) during this process.

Your university will get in touch with you via email to confirm whether or not your application has been successful.

Please note that enquiries and applications for some courses are handled directly by the university. If this is the case, it will be indicated on the course listing page.  

For more information about enrolment, read our online self-service enrolling instructions. If you get stuck at any time, contact us and we’ll talk you through it.