Bachelor of Science (Nursing)

About offering

Become a registered nurse and give comprehensive care to patients in a variety of settings. This course provides a wide-ranging program of simulated practice and fieldwork, advanced clinical skill development, biological, behavioural and nursing sciences, and the opportunity for an international study experience.

Your studies will focus on developing the skills and knowledge you’ll need to meet the demands of our changing healthcare system.

You will be encouraged to be an active, contributing member of an interprofessional healthcare team, which will give you the opportunity to study with different nursing and medical specialists in a range of fields.

Student nurses undertake a minimum of 800 hours of clinical placements prior to graduation.

Please note: a break from study of more than one semester may incur additional clinical practice.

Alternative streams under the Bachelor of Science (Nursing) are offered to enhance your qualification if you are already an enrolled or registered nurse:

Enrolled Nurse to Registered Nurse Stream (Domestic only)
Registered Nurse Conversion - Australian Registration Nurse Stream (Domestic and International)
Registered Nurse Conversion - Non-Registration Nurse Stream (Domestic and International).

For more information about entry requirements for the different streams available, visit the Application Requirements page.

Take a Google Maps virtual tour of our simulated hospital environment.

What you'll learn

demonstrate accountable, safe, effective and innovative nursing care incorporating research evidence into nursing practice
use reflective, evidence based and problem solving approaches to the provision of nursing care
access and critically evaluate and utilise health care information
communicate effectively with individuals, families and communities within diverse health contexts
use technologies that assist the nurse to provide quality patient care within a changing health care environment
be an independent, self-directed learner who constructively reflects upon the health, social and educational experiences of self and others
incorporate regional, national, and global trends and innovations in health care into nursing practice
incorporate social, economic and cultural differences in the provision of culturally appropriate and sensitive nursing care in a variety of settings
demonstrate ethical practice in accordance with legislation, nursing practice standards and professional codes of conduct

Why study Bachelor of Science (Nursing)

Blends the best traditions of patient care with a solid grounding in the nursing, biological and behavioural sciences.
Flexible learning opportunities.
This is the first established school of nursing in a Western Australian university.
You can expand your theoretical foundations in the physical, biological and behavioural sciences relevant to the present day practice of nursing.

Student profile

View our student profile table to get an indication of the likely peer cohort for new students at Curtin University. This table provides data on students that commenced undergraduate study and passed the census date in the most relevant recent intake period for which data are available. It includes those admitted through all offer rounds and international students studying in Australia.

Professional recognition

Upon graduating you can apply for registration to become a Registered Nurse (Division 1) with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.

Career information

This course can help you become a Registered Nurse.

Potential employers include:

public hospitals
private hospitals
community health agencies i.e. child health centres, Silverchain and abroad.

Admission criteria for Australian and New Zealand students

Australia / New Zealand students

International students

Curtin requires all applicants to demonstrate proficiency in English. Specific English requirements for this course are as outlined in the IELTS table below. Additional information on how you can meet the English requirement can be found on the English proficiency page.

IELTS Academic (International English Language Testing System)
Writing	6.5
Speaking	6.5
Reading	6.5
Listening	6.5
Overall band score	7.0

What kind of applicant are you?

Applicants with recent secondary education
(within the past two years)

Completed your secondary education in Australia within the past two years? Learn how you can apply to Curtin.

Applicants with higher education study

Undertaken higher education study before? Find out how you can apply for a Curtin course and what credit you may be eligible for.

Applicants with vocational education and training (VET) study

Have you studied a VET course? Find out how you can get into Curtin using these qualifications.

Applicants with work and life experience

Spent time in the workforce, completed a pathway program or finished secondary education more than two years ago? See how you can apply to study at Curtin

Applicants with recent secondary education
(within the past two years)

Applicants with recent secondary education are those whose admission is primarily based on the completion of Year 12 within the last two years, but also includes those who may have completed their senior secondary studies with a TAFE or other VET provider within the same time frame. This includes applicants whose secondary education was undertaken interstate or overseas.

Minimum ATAR: 70

This figure is the rank needed to be considered for entry to a course. Obtaining this rank is not a guarantee of admission.
Desirable WACE subjects:
Human Biology ATAR and Integrated Science ATAR
STAT entry: Written English and Verbal

The Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT) assesses competencies considered important for success at uni.
These tests are provided by the Tertiary Institutions Service Centre (TISC) to help mature age candidates apply for certain courses.

Please see our correlation comparability for previous TEE subjects, WACE courses and WACE ATAR courses.

Other admission options

Recipients of the John Curtin Undergraduate Scholarship will receive an early offer to study this course.
Successful StepUp Entry and StepUp Equity Adjustment Admission Pathway (StepUp Bonus) applicants will be eligible to be considered for admission into this course.
If you’re an indigenous applicant who hasn’t met Curtin’s minimum admissions criteria, the Centre for Aboriginal Studies offers bridging courses that are tailored to help you gain entry into this course.

Lowest ATAR to which an offer was made (exclusive of any adjustment factors such as equity or subject bonus points)

View the lowest ATAR (excluding adjustments) of an applicant who was offered a place in this course in the most relevant recent intake period for which data are available.

Selection rank adjustments (previously referred to as ATAR related adjustments)

Details of the types of adjustment factors (bonus points) commonly available to applicants can be found on our StepUp to Curtin webpage.

ATAR and selection rank profile for those offered places wholly or partly on the basis of ATAR in the most recent intake period

View data on the ATAR and selection rank profile of offers made from the most relevant recent intake period.

Applicants with higher education study

Applicants with higher education are those whose highest level of study since leaving secondary education is a higher education course, such as a university degree. This includes applicants who are currently studying a higher education course at another education provider and want to transfer to Curtin University, or applicants who are currently studying at Curtin but want to switch to a different course. It also includes applicants who have completed past study with university and non-university higher education providers.

Desirable WACE subjects:
Human Biology ATAR and Integrated Science ATAR

Please see our correlation comparability for previous TEE subjects, WACE courses and WACE ATAR courses.

Curtin course switcher criteria

To switch into this course in semester two 2018, you need to have:

a course weighted average (CWA) of 65% or higher, with an academic status of Good Standing; and
met the admission criteria for minimum entry.

To switch into this course from semester one 2019, you need to have:

completed at least 100 credits within one semester, with a semester weighted average (SWA) of 65% or higher and an academic status of Good Standing; and
met the admission criteria for minimum entry.

Students in the UniReady enabling program must complete the program with a course weighted average (CWA) of 60% and a grade of 70% or higher in BIOL0001 Introduction to Health Sciences unit.

Course switching is not available for the following Nursing streams:

Enrolled Nurse to Registered Nurse Stream
Registered Nurse Conversion - Australian Registration Nurse Stream
Registered Nurse Conversion - Non-Australian Registration Nurse Stream.

Higher education course switcher criteria

To switch into this course from another higher education course, you need to have:

completed at least 100 credits within one semester, with a semester weighted average (SWA) of 65% or higher; and
an academic status of Good Standing; and
met the admission criteria for minimum entry.

Course switching is not available for the following Nursing streams:

Enrolled Nurse to Registered Nurse Stream
Registered Nurse Conversion - Australian Registration Nurse Stream
Registered Nurse Conversion - Non-Australian Registration Nurse Stream.

Applicants with vocational education and training (VET) study

Applicants with vocational education and training (VET) study are those whose highest level of study since leaving secondary education is a VET course. This includes study at a public TAFE or other VET provider, whether a qualification was completed or not. Applicants with VET study may have other qualifications such as a Year 10 or Year 12 secondary school certificate.

Minimum ATAR: 70

This figure is the rank needed to be considered for entry to a course. Obtaining this rank is not a guarantee of admission.

OR
TAFE:
- AQF Certificate IV - Separate evidence of English language proficiency is required; or
- AQF Diploma; or
- AQF Advanced Diploma.
Individual streams may have different TAFE requirements. Please refer to the streams for more information.
Desirable WACE subjects:
Human Biology ATAR and Integrated Science ATAR
STAT entry: Written English and Verbal

The Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT) assesses competencies considered important for success at uni.
These tests are provided by the Tertiary Institutions Service Centre (TISC) to help mature age candidates apply for certain courses.

Please see our correlation comparability for previous TEE subjects, WACE courses and WACE ATAR courses.

Applicants with work and life experience

Applicants with work and life experience are those who left secondary education more than two years ago (i.e. who are not classified as recent secondary education applicants) and have not undertaken vocational education training (VET) or higher education study since then.

‘Experience’ includes a combination of factors sufficient to demonstrate readiness for higher education such as mature-age entry, professional experience whether completion of the Special Tertiary Admission Test (STAT) is required or not, community involvement or work experience. Applicants may have undertaken non-formal programs that have helped prepare them for tertiary education or are relevant to the proposed higher education field of study.

Minimum ATAR: 70

This figure is the rank needed to be considered for entry to a course. Obtaining this rank is not a guarantee of admission.
Desirable WACE subjects:
Human Biology ATAR and Integrated Science ATAR
STAT entry: Written English and Verbal

The Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT) assesses competencies considered important for success at uni.
These tests are provided by the Tertiary Institutions Service Centre (TISC) to help mature age candidates apply for certain courses.

Please see our correlation comparability for previous TEE subjects, WACE courses and WACE ATAR courses.

Cut-off scores

Please note: The cut-off scores below are for 2018 only.

Qualification	Score
GCE/STPM/HKALE (A-levels - best of three)	5
HKDSE	15
IB	24
Ontario Gr 12 (best of 6)	60
ATAR (including WACE/SACE/HCE/VCE)	70
WAUFP (CPS)	53
India (CBSE)	60%
India (HSC)	65%
Sri Lanka	5

Minimum academic entry requirements

Please select a country above.

Essential course prerequisites

Human biology, mathematics and integrated science are desirable.

Manual Handling and Basic Life Support Certification is required prior to commencement of the course and then updated on a yearly basis. You will need to keep these requirements current during your course. You are responsible for the cost of these.

You must be available to undertake clinical practice during and/or outside semester in health care facilities. You must also be available to work rotational shift work, including morning, afternoon and nightshift.

A break from study of more than one semester may incur additional clinical practice.

The majors and/or streams available to study as part of this course have specific admission criteria that may be different to what is listed on this page. Please view the major/stream page for admission criteria specific to the major/stream you intend to do.

Other requirements and notes for this course

Applicants for the Registered Nurse Conversion Australian Registration Nurse Stream are required to submit supplementary documents with their application. Please visit the BSc Nursing supplementary information page for further information.

In addition to the course-specific admission criteria listed above, please read our general admission criteria. Our general admission criteria apply to all courses at Curtin University.

Essential requirements for admission (including fieldwork requirements)

Many of our courses require students to comply with additional essential requirements. Failure to comply with any of the essential requirements may potentially prevent the successful completion of the course and/or achieving professional registration.

Fieldwork requirements during the course

Please refer to the following statements on the fieldwork component of this course:

Advanced standing / credit transfer / recognition of prior learning

Australia / New Zealand students

International students

Credit for recognised learning (CRL) is the term Curtin uses to describe advanced standing, academic credit or recognition of prior learning.

You may be entitled to credit for recognised learning for formal, non-formal or informal learning.

Formal learning is learning that takes place through a structured program of learning that leads to the full or partial achievement of an officially recognised qualification. Recognised institutions include, but are not limited to, RTO providers and universities. Non-formal learning is adult and community education. Informal learning can include on the job learning or various kinds of work and life experience.

Credit can reduce the amount of study needed to complete a degree.

For further information, please visit our credit for recognised learning webpage or contact our CRL Office on crl@curtin.edu.au or 1300 222 888.

Credit for recognised learning (CRL) is the term Curtin uses to describe advanced standing, academic credit or recognition of prior learning.

You may be entitled to credit for recognised learning for formal, non-formal or informal learning.

Credit can reduce the amount of study needed to complete a degree.

For further information, please see our credit for previous study website or contact ci-enquiries@curtin.edu.au.

Fees and charges

Australia / New Zealand students

International students

Australian and New Zealand student indicative fees for 2019

Student type	Cost
Commonwealth supported What is a Commonwealth supported place (CSP)? A CSP is subsidised by the Australian Government. They pay part of the course fees directly to Curtin and then the student pays the remainder (referred to as the “student contribution amount”). The student can defer this fee to their HECS-HELP loan. All Australian students studying an undergraduate degree are automatically awarded a Commonwealth supported place. A limited number of Commonwealth supported places are also available for some postgraduate courses. Learn more about CSPs and whether you’re eligible by visiting the Australian Government’s StudyAssist website.	$8,320^*

Student type

Cost

$8,320^*

Fees are indicative first year only and are subject to passage of legislation.

*The indicative first-year fee is calculated on 700 credit points, which is the typical full-time study load per year, however some courses require additional study to be completed, in which case the fee will be higher than that shown.

This fee is a guide only. It may vary depending on the units you choose and does not include incidental fees (such as lab coats or art supplies) or the cost of your textbooks – visit other fees and charges for more information. For more information on fees and to determine your eligibility for HECS-HELP or FEE-HELP, please visit fee basics or the Study Assist website

If you’re not an Australian citizen, permanent resident or New Zealand citizen, please see information for international students.

International student fees for 2019

International onshore – fee paying
Offer letter (100 credit) published fee	$16,900^*
Indicative year 1 fee	$33,200^*
Indicative essential incidental course fee	N/A

The fees shown above apply to international students studying on-campus in Western Australia. The tuition fee is subject to an annual tuition fee increase of up to 5 per cent per annum. For information about fees at other locations please visit Curtin International’s offshore site.

Where you can study

For start dates, please view the academic calendar.

Bentley Campus

On Campus and Online
Semester 1 and Semester 2

Visit campus site

How to apply

Please review information on how to apply for the campus of your choice:

Bentley Campus

Please note that each campus has different application deadlines. Please view our application deadlines page for further information.

Apply now

Next steps

If you are successful in your application to study at Curtin, you will receive a letter of offer via email. You can either accept or defer your offer. To find out more about this process, view our enrolment web page.

You may also like to find out how you can obtain financial assistance or apply for a scholarship and prepare for Orientation Week (O-Week).