Bachelor of Nursing
at Western Sydney University, New South Wales.
A three-year (six years part-time) ANMAC-accredited nursing degree offered at Campbelltown, Hawkesbury, Liverpool City and Parramatta. No prerequisites; assumed knowledge is any 2 units each of English, mathematics and science. Graduates can register as a nurse (Division 1) with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.
Lowest selection rank
The lowest selection rank (LSR) is the lowest ATAR plus adjustment factors (equity, subject and regional bonuses) that received an offer to the WSU Bachelor of Nursing for that intake. Universities publish it in their admissions student profiles. Only intakes with a published figure are listed.
| Intake | Lowest selection rank | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 60.05 | uac.edu.au |
| 2024 | 60.00 | uac.edu.au |
| 2023 | 70.00 | uac.edu.au |
A lowest selection rank describes a past intake, not a guaranteed entry score. Check the current entry requirements on the official course page before you apply through UAC.
Prerequisite Year 12 subjects
No formal Year 12 subject prerequisites; assumed knowledge may still apply.
What you will study
The curriculum covers contemporary nursing practice, health and education, research and evidence-based practice, intra- and interprofessional practice, diversity, culture, inclusion and cultural safety, and pharmacotherapeutics and the quality use of medicines. Clinical placement (or an alternative community-based practical experience) is a mandatory part of the program. An additional Honours year is available to high-achieving students.
Placement and industry experience
Placements are a mandatory component of the degree and are completed in health settings arranged by the university. To attend any NSW Health facility, students must be assessed as compliant with the NSW Health student placement policy in their first year.
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
- Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC)
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia approved program
Typical first jobs
- Registered Nurse in the NSW Health Transition to Professional Practice graduate program
- RN at Catholic and private hospital networks (St Vincent's, Mater, Ramsay Health Care)
- Aged care RN at residential aged care facilities
- Community health nurse
- Mental health RN in inpatient and community settings
- Rural and remote graduate RN with NSW Health regional pathways
Graduate starting salary
$72,000 - $80,000 per year
Source: health.nsw.gov.au. Last reviewed 2026-05-21.
After graduation
The Bachelor of Nursing is accredited by ANMAC and approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, so graduates can register as registered nurses. Most start in a NSW Health Transition to Professional Practice program. Meritorious students can add an Honours year, and later options include postgraduate study in specialty nursing or nurse practitioner pathways.
Is this the right degree for you?
You probably thrive here if
- Students with strong people skills and clinical resilience
- Those willing to work shifts during placements (mornings, evenings, weekends)
- People who can balance theory with the physical and emotional demands of clinical practice
- Students comfortable with pharmacology and physiology study
- Those committed to a regulated profession with strict practice standards
It is probably not for you if
- Students unwilling to do shift work or rural placement blocks
- Those uncomfortable with bodily fluids, distress and high-stakes clinical scenarios
- Anyone hoping to avoid pharmacology and pathophysiology
Careers this leads to
Australian career pathways that name this Bachelor of Nursing as an entry route. Each page shows uni, TAFE and apprenticeship alternatives.
Related courses at WSU
Sources
Course details are summarised by ExamExplained, not copied from the university. Confirm course content and selection ranks on the Western Sydney University website and on UAC before applying.