About the Doctor of Nursing (Professional Doctorate)

If you are an experienced practitioner in nursing, this degree provides you with an opportunity to enrich and extend your professional practice and to undertake research in professional or community settings.

The degree offers an integrated program of research with supporting coursework in the first year. Through a combination of core and elective subjects, you will gain knowledge and skills in designing and conducting research, literature review techniques, critical analysis and writing for publication, as well as opportunities to apply these skills in clinical or professional projects of relevance to nursing. You will pursue an independent and sustained investigation into a research problem of your own design that will culminate in the submission of a thesis for examination of 60,000 words.

The qualification awarded on graduation is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) as Level 10 – Professional Doctorate.

Entry requirements and pathways
International students

Academic entry requirement

Prerequisites

The minimum academic requirement for entry to a Professional Doctorate degree at La Trobe is a four-years of study with a degree qualification or a Masters degree with a weighted average mark in the final year of 65 or above completed within the last ten years; and eligibility for registration for professional practice in Australia (where applicable); and at least two years professional practice.

Selection criteria

• Applicants enrolling in the Doctor of Nursing must be eligible for registration as a registered nurse with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency or approved international equivalent. Note that being registered as a nurse with an approved international registration body does not guarantee that an applicant will be entitled to practise as a nurse in Australia, even after successful completion of the Doctor of Nursing. Registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Registration Agency will still be required for those seeking to practise as a nurse in Australia.

• The La Trobe Masters by Research Equivalence for a Minor Thesis Grade will be referenced in determining whether a Bachelor (Honours), Masters by coursework or ungraded Masters by research degree meets the La Trobe Masters by research standard.

  Schools may require higher academic requirements for entry to a graduate research specialisation. They may specify particular research requirements for entry, or may specify how applicants may otherwise demonstrate their equivalence to the academic entry requirements with the approval of the Board of Graduate Research.

  The University will publish all discipline-specific requirements online for prospective applicants and in a Schedule to the Graduate Research Admissions Policy.

  Candidates may also be required to provide evidence of research expertise.

Note: Meeting minimum prerequisites does not guarantee an offer of a place. Entry into all La Trobe courses is based on competitive selection and there may be limited places available.

English language requirement

6.5 IELTS (Academic) with no individual band less than 6.0.

Please refer to our English Language Requirements page for details of other accepted English Proficiency tests and additional recognised English Language Proficiency Measures, such as English as the language of instruction.

Fees and scholarships

Estimated course fees for international students

Estimated fees per year (2023):A$41 200 per EFTSL (equivalent full-time study load).

Scholarships:Not available for this course

The International estimated fees are indicative only. The tuition fees you pay will depend on the subjects you choose to study, with each subject having its own cost. In some cases, your course fees may be higher than the indicated fees because of the subjects you choose.

International scholarships

This course is not eligible for international scholarships.