Facts & figures

Global leaders in nursing

  • #1 in Australia 2023 QS Subject Rankings in nursing
  • #13 in the world 2023 QS Subject Rankings in nursing
  • 98% Sydney Nursing School employment rate after graduation
  • Silver Employer of Choice 2019 LGBTIQ Inclusion Awards
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6 reasons to study nursing at the University of Sydney

We're ranked #1 in Australia for nursing
As Australia’s leading university for nursing, you’ll be learning within our latest state-of-the-art facilities, have access to scholarships, undertake exciting clinical placements, connect with world-leading researchers and clinicians, and so much more.

Nurses are an integral part of contemporary healthcare; there are fewer professions more necessary or more respected. The pre-registration courses at Sydney Nursing School prepare graduates to enter the healthcare system and advance to become leaders in their field.

Considering a career in nursing? Here are six reasons why you should study with us:

1. Unique course offering

The Bachelor of Nursing (Advanced Studies) is a degree that attracts the best and brightest students from across the country and internationally. 

Our curriculum extends beyond a standard degree – the advanced studies component of the course focuses on cultivating leadership, using research to make evidence-based decisions, and enhancing students understanding of the international health landscape. These underpinnings help our students to become work-ready critical thinkers. That's why our program has a higher entry requirement.

The Master of Nursing offers students who already have a non-nursing undergraduate degree, an accelerated pathway to a career in nursing. This two-year graduate entry degree attracts people who are looking for a career change.

In keeping with our high-quality pre-registration course offerings, our students will learn from nurses and academics who are leaders in their field. We're ranked the top nursing school in the country (13th globally), and our research in the field receives the highest possible Australian ranking (ERA 5).

2. The Susan Wakil Health Building

If you are studying the Bachelor of Nursing (Advanced Studies) you'll be based in our purpose-built facility for nursing students– the Susan Wakil Health Building

Nestled in the heart of one of Sydney's major health precincts, you will learn in state-of-the art classrooms and clinical simulation laboratories.

Medium and high-fidelity manikins in the clinical labs help students to develop confidence in communicating with people, time management, developing technical skills and delivering patient care. These electronic manikins have many capabilities in supporting the learning and development of critical thinking and problem-solving in simulated healthcare environments.

As well as clinical simulation labs, the building also has a multi-service clinic, and flexible infrastructure that supports team-based research programs.

Students also have the opportunity to experience teaching and learning in co-located university and healthcare facilities such as the Charles Perkins Centre, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and the Chris O'Brien Lifehouse.

If you are studying the Master of Nursing, you will be based at the Susan Wakil Health Building on Camperdown campus or Block K and the Westmead Innovation Centre at the Westmead campus. 

The Susan Wakil Health Building

The Susan Wakil Health Building.

3. Placement opportunities

As part of the pre-registration nursing programs at the University of Sydney, students are required to undertake over 800 hours of clinical placement experience. 

Placements occur in a range of settings across each year of your studies at private and public hospitals, mental health services, community health centres, in community health care and at schools.

There are also unique opportunities to pursue placements in rural and remote areas, including an extended rural placement in Broken Hill and far west NSW, as well as with the NSW Air Ambulance and in Justice Health.

4. Scholarships

We offer up to 12 Susan Wakil Scholarships annually to support the education of deserving students who demonstrate a high level of ability and potential.

These scholarships are offered to undergraduate and postgraduate students from Greater Sydney and rural locations, with a dedicated annual scholarship for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander students. The value of these scholarships vary – some provide up to $14,500 in financial support per semester. 

The University also offers a number of other scholarships to students based on academic achievement, equity and location.

5. Advanced online learning opportunities

Extend yourself with Sydney's Online Learning Environment (OLE) modules. These short, on-demand and mostly online programs are offered to students from all faculties and cover a wide range of topic areas from travel and languages, to coding and astronomy.

Some courses, like the combined Bachelor of Arts / Master of Nursing and the Bachelor of Science or Science (Health) / Master of Nursing degrees require students to complete 12-credit points of study from OLEs. Some units are zero credit points, while others can be two, four or six. 

6. There are opportunities to progress

Once you become a registered nurse, you can specialise in a range of areas such as:

  • emergency nursing
  • paediatric nursing
  • cancer and haematology nursing
  • intensive care nursing
  • aged care nursing
  • mental health nursing

There are also options to work in international aid, health policy, or as a clinical nurse consultant or specialist or in clinical education. You can also move into research or academia, government and management positions in the health sector to expand your career.

We offer a range of postgraduate programs to registered nurses working in Australia and internationally, who choose to specialise in an area of nursing practice.

Our postgraduate specialty programs are offered at master’s, graduate diploma and graduate certificate levels and offer you the opportunity to not only progress your career, but also make a tangible difference in the lives of many people as they are focused on applied practice.


8 December 2022

ryan catahan
"Our patients come from different multicultural backgrounds and they present with different types of illnesses - not a single day is ever the same. I get satisfaction from getting through the day knowing that I’ve contributed to improving someone's health."
Ryan Catalan, Bachelor of Nursing (Advanced) alumni

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