Bachelor of Nursing
at The University of Queensland, Queensland.
An ANMAC-accredited nursing degree leading to registration as an enrolled or registered nurse with AHPRA. Includes more than 800 hours of supervised clinical placement across hospital and community settings.
ATAR cutoff history
Published cutoff data for the The University of Queensland Bachelor of Nursing. We never invent figures; entries marked "not published" mean the university or admissions centre has not released a verified cutoff for that intake.
| Intake year | ATAR cutoff | Admissions centre |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | ATAR cutoff not published | QTAC |
| 2023 | ATAR cutoff not published | QTAC |
| 2022 | ATAR cutoff not published | QTAC |
No verified cutoffs are available. Confirm the latest figure on the official QTAC cutoff release.
Prerequisite Year 12 subjects
Brush up on each prerequisite with our state-syllabus explainers and dot points.
What you will study
The UQ Bachelor of Nursing is a three-year ANMAC-accredited degree leading to eligibility for registration as a registered nurse with AHPRA through the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. Year one builds the foundations: anatomy and physiology, the bioscience of health and illness, introductory pharmacology, nursing practice fundamentals, communication and health assessment. Clinical skills are taught in simulation labs before students enter their first supervised placement. Year two layers chronic and complex care, mental-health nursing, medical-surgical nursing, pharmacology and medication safety, and care across the lifespan. Placement blocks expand into acute hospital wards, and students develop clinical reasoning, assessment and safe medication administration under supervision. Year three carries acute and critical care, leadership and transition to practice, primary health care, and consolidation placements that prepare students for the graduate nurse role. Across the degree students complete more than 800 hours of supervised clinical placement in Queensland Health hospitals, community and aged-care settings, building toward a transition-to-practice final placement and the National Registration standards.
Example first-year subjects
- Human Anatomy and Physiology for Nursing
- Foundations of Nursing Practice
- Bioscience of Health and Illness
- Health Assessment and Clinical Skills
- Introduction to Pharmacology
- Person-Centred Care and Communication
How you will be assessed
- Supervised clinical placement assessment and competency sign-off
- Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) in simulation
- Written exams in bioscience, pharmacology and clinical knowledge
- Medication-calculation tests (must-pass safety hurdle)
- Case-study and care-plan assignments
- Reflective practice journals
Career outcomes
- Graduates work as registered nurses in hospital, community and aged-care settings after registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.
- Common destinations include public hospital graduate transition programmes, mental-health services and rural and remote nursing positions.
- Many alumni progress into specialty practice (intensive care, paediatrics, midwifery), nurse-practitioner study or clinical education roles.
Professional accreditation
- ANMAC accredited
- AHPRA registration eligible
Typical first jobs
- Graduate registered nurse in a Queensland Health hospital transition program
- Registered nurse at Mater, St Vincent's and private hospital groups
- Aged-care registered nurse in residential and community settings
- Rural and remote registered nurse across regional Queensland
- Mental-health nurse in community and inpatient services
- Community and primary-health-care nurse
Graduate starting salary
$65,000 - $72,000 per year
Source: https://www.qilt.edu.au/surveys/graduate-outcomes-survey-(gos). Last reviewed 2026-05-24.
After graduation
Graduates apply for AHPRA registration as a registered nurse and typically enter a hospital Graduate Nurse Program (transition-to-practice year) with Queensland Health, Mater, St Vincent's or private providers. From there nurses can specialise in areas such as intensive care, emergency, paediatrics, perioperative, oncology or mental health, usually via graduate certificates and on-the-job training. Postgraduate pathways at UQ include the Master of Nursing Studies, Master of Mental Health Nursing, Nurse Practitioner programs and the Master of Midwifery (for eligible applicants). Research-minded graduates can pursue Honours and PhD study.
Is this the right degree for you?
You probably thrive here if
- Students who enjoy hands-on care and working closely with patients
- Those comfortable with shift-based placements including early starts
- People who can stay calm and methodical under pressure
- Students able to retain detailed bioscience and pharmacology
- Those committed to a regulated, safety-critical profession
It is probably not for you if
- Students uncomfortable with bodily care, blood or clinical environments
- Those who dislike rostered placement hours and being observed
- Anyone hoping to avoid bioscience and medication-calculation hurdles
Related courses at UQ
Sources
Course details are summarised by ExamExplained, not copied from the university. Confirm course content and ATAR cutoffs on the The University of Queensland handbook and on QTAC before applying. Page generated at https://examexplained.com.au/uni/uq/bachelor-of-nursing.