The University of Western Australia has launched Australia’s first integrated four-year nursing degree – among a raft of UWA courses with an ATAR entry score adjusted to 70.

The Bachelor of Nursing (Honours) has been accredited by the Australian Nursing & Midwifery Accreditation Council for five years, with the first cohort of undergraduate students to commence in February next year.

Students are eligible to apply if they have an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank of 70, have completed a Certificate IV in a health-related field, or completed a university enabling program with an average mark of 65 and applications are now open.

Professor Olivia Gallagher, Head of UWA’s Department of Nursing, said the new course had been closely developed with industry partners and responded directly to the demands of contemporary health care delivery.

Image: Professor Olivia Gallagher - Head of UWA’s Department of Nursing

“Our careful consultation with industry across public and private health, aged care and organisations representing the nursing profession was critical to shaping the design of our course,” Professor Gallagher said.

“Our industry partners were involved in decision-making around all aspects of our course design – from the length of the degree to the fourth-year streams, and the innovative clinical placement model.”

Professor Gallagher said the result was a thoughtfully structured degree that embedded industry insight at every stage, preparing graduates with the connections, confidence and capabilities to meet real-world challenges. 

“We saw an opportunity to deliver something different and set out to create a cutting-edge nursing degree to shape the future of nursing education,” she said. 

“Shifting to a four-year degree enables both depth and direction to the preparation of our future nursing graduates.”

The flexible curriculum design and delivery means students can study across the Perth, Great Southern, Midwest and Pilbara regions, enabling regional students to study where they live and work, minimising the burden of relocation and travel, while supporting local workforce development. 

The establishment of the Department of Nursing at UWA is a strategic priority for UWA, which is committed to the growth, success, and long-term sustainability of nursing education and research as well as community engagement.

UWA has also made significant investment into state-of-the-art simulation facilities in Geraldton and Perth.