Advance your nursing career

Nurses are highly respected members of the community. They care for patients in a range of settings and touch lives with empathy, compassion and humour.

Our Graduate Diploma in Nursing Science is a highly flexible online degree. It’s well suited to registered rural or remote nurses, and those not yet working in a specialty. The degree is structured to include face-to-face sessions in order to meet requirements for international students.

What will you do?

You’ll consolidate and build on essential knowledge as you:

• gain insight into different nursing specialisations and career opportunities
• benefit from strong links to industry and expert teaching
• explore professional issues such as accountability, ethics, advocacy, leadership, cultural competence and evidence-based practice
• pursue electives according to your interests and career goals
• develop research skills for further study options.

Where could it take you?

You’ll graduate prepared for advanced nursing roles. You might become a clinical practice nurse. You could be a hospital team leader. Perhaps you’ll take on a senior position within a community practice.  

We offer unique specialisations in:

Acute Care Nursing (SATAC code 3GD029)
Anaesthetic and Recovery Nursing (SATAC code 3GD030)
Cardiac Nursing (SATAC code 3GD032)
Emergency Nursing (SATAC code 3GD034)
Intensive Care Nursing (SATAC code 3GD038)
Oncology Nursing (SATAC code 3GD040)
Orthopaedic Nursing (SATAC code 3GD041)
Perioperative Nursing (SATAC code 3GD042)

Academic Program Rules

The Calendar is a comprehensive handbook of the University's academic program rules.

Example Study Plan

Please note that not all courses are offered each year, please contact the Adelaide Nursing School for more information.

Career Readiness

Graduates are prepared for careers in a variety of settings from clinical to community, rural, acute care and other non-clinical areas.

The University of Adelaide Careers Service prepares, inspires and empowers students to achieve successful career transitions and connect with industry.

Graduate Attributes

The objective of this program is to produce graduates with specific attributes as outlined in University of Adelaide Graduate Attributes.

1. Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth
2. Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving
3. Teamwork and communication skills
4. Professionalism and leadership readiness
5. Intercultural and ethical competency
6. Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural competency
7. Digital capabilities
8. Self-awareness and emotional intelligence

Potential careers

Graduates of this program have gone on to roles such as:

Clinical Nurse Consultant;  Nurse;  Nurse Educator;  Nurse Manager

Registered (or eligible for registration as a Nurse) in Australia or New Zealand and hold a degree of the Bachelor of Nursing or equivalent and have at least one year experience as a Register

IELTS: Overall band score of 7.0 and Band score of 7.0 in all bands; TOEFL total score of 94 with a minimum of 27 in Writing, 23 in Speaking and 24 in Reading and Listening; Pearson Test of English (Academic) overall score of 65 and Skills profile of 65 in Writing, Speaking, Reading and Listening; and Cambridge English-Advanced (CAE): Overall score of 185 and Individual score of 185 in Writing and Speaking, Reading and Listening.