Welcome to Avondale » Courses » Postgraduate (Research) » Master of Nursing (Research)

Master of Nursing (Research)

Course coordinator: Dr Malcolm Anderson
Course code 2092


The Master of Nursing (Research) is a research masters degree offered by the Faculty of Nursing and Health that is suitable for postgraduate nurses who desire to develop further their understanding and application of research knowledge and skills. Enhanced knowledge and research skills developed as part of this degree are intended to assist nurses to serve the profession of nursing, academic, church and wider communities. As early as 1978, the Briggs Report identified the need for nursing to become a research-based profession to enhance its professional status. The MN(Research) aims to produce leaders in either the nursing industry or the academic spheres of the profession, who are able and willing to accept research as a normal and integrated part of their everyday work, and who engage in designing and conducting research.

The Master of Nursing (Research) aims to develop scholarly researchers skilled at self-directed, discovery-type scholarship and who are capable of engaging in the research process and high level critical analysis.

The MN(Research) is a course of more than 66% supervised research and study leading to the submission of a thesis. In participating in the approved course of research and study, candidates are required to:

• attend the College for consultation with supervisors and mentors as necessary, and for other purposes such as research seminars and conferences as recommended by the supervisor;


• participate in lectures and seminars and perform such practical work as prescribed by the research committee; and


• present at an appropriate scholarly or professional venue, a seminar in the approved area of research.

The delivery of the course is governed by the Rules for the Degree of Master of Nursing (Research) that provide details of admission, progression, submission, and protocols for the examination of the thesis component of the degree.

Duration

Candidates normally conclude their work in no less than three academic semesters full-time, or part-time equivalent. Part-time candidates conclude their work in no less than three years and no more than seven years.

Mode of delivery

Full-time or part-time on campus (Sydney Campus)
Full-time or part-time by distance education

Title

Master of Nursing (Research)
Abbreviation: MN (Research)

Accreditation

The course is accredited by the New South Wales Department of Education and Training.

Entry requirements

A person may be admitted to candidature who has a minimum of two years post-registration nursing practice, and who has completed one of the following options:

• eight undergraduate subjects undertaken in the final two years of a Bachelor of Nursing at a minimum level of 75%; or


• the Graduate Certificate in Nursing at a minimum level of 75%; or


• Gained a cumulative grade of 70% or greater in the coursework subjects of NURE60100 Research Methods, NURE60200 Research Applications and NURE59000 Learning Contract in Nursing when completed in an alternate postgraduate program in the Faculty of Nursing and Health.

Course content and structure

The Master of Nursing (Research) is comprised of 3 coursework subjects (18 credit points) and a major thesis (54 credit points). An example of a full-time load is outlined below:


Normally the part-time student load is 50% of the full-time load.

Supervisors

Consistent with a master’s degree outlined by the Australian Qualification Framework, the Master of Nursing (Research) graduate will have:

• a high degree of mastery in their chosen area of study in nursing;


• advanced knowledge of a specialist body of theoretical and applied topics;


• higher order skills in analysis and critical evaluation evidenced through the planning; conduct and evaluation of scholarship and research;


• creativity and flexibility in the application of knoweldge and skills to new situations; and


• the ability to solve complex problems and think rigorously and independently

Students develop research skills that allow them to differentiate known from unknown knowledge; critically analyse the existing knowledge; understand the dimension of the unknown and from this understanding focus on a manageable field of endeavour; understand and use the various ways of locating new knowledge; select a methodology appropriate to the purpose of their individual study; collect and accumulate data pertinent to the research questions; merge new knowledge with existing concepts; interpret and make sense of new knowledge; and communicate the findings of this process to assist others to merge the new knowledge into existing conceptual schema in a field of nursing, and envisage the implications of the findings.

Advanced standing and credit transfer

Candidates who have completed higher education studies by research prior to the lodgement of their application may submit an application for advanced standing. Determination will be made of the basis of equivalence of the candidate’s:

• prior award to the requirements of the MN(Research);


• time spent in obtaining or studying towards the prior award;


• level of the prior award;


• theoretical level of work already completed;


• prior experience as a professional in the field.

Applications for Admission

Prospective students must make application to study in the Master of Nursing (Research) through the normal application process (click here to download the application form). The Graduate Studies Coordinator and the Dean of Faculty review all applications and accept or reject applications on the basis of the applicant’s ability to meet the entry criteria as stated above, the capacity of the faculty to supervise the student, and other resources required. Associate supervisors or co-supervisors may be appointed to supplement faculty expertise. For those applicants who meet all of the criteria above, the Dean and Course Coordinator recommend acceptance of the student to the Faculty Research and Teaching Committee and then to the Research Committee.

Research topics

Prospective candidates are invited to contact the Course Coordinator to discuss the possible topics for research.

English language proficiency requirements

Courses at Avondale College are delivered in the English language. In order to complete the courses successfully, applicants from a country where English is not the first language must demonstrate proficiency in English in one of the following ways:

• provide documentary evidence that a significant part of the education was conducted in the English language; or


• successful completion of at least two years of tertiary study conducted in the English language in Australia or another country in which English is the official language within the last two years; or


• provide documentary evidence that an IELTS score of 7.0 has been achieved with no individual band score less than 6.5.

International students

Overseas applicants are required to satisfy the Australian Government visa requirements (see the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) website at www.immi.gov.au/study).

The MN(Research) thesis

The MN(Research) thesis normally will report a research investigation (including findings). As a general rule the thesis should be no more than 50,000 words or 200 pages. However the actual length of the report rests with the student after discussion with the supervisor and is somewhat dependent on the topic and the purpose of the research. The thesis is a coherent exposition of the research study and follows a sequence in which the research objectives, methodology and methods employed are described.

Thesis binding

The thesis shall be bound in dark blue binding upon which lettering will be in gold.

Academic regalia

The standard black masters gown is overlaid with a hood of international orange with red trim and a standard mortar board.

Enquiries

For any postgraduate study enquiries, please contact the Faculty of Nursing and Health, Sydney Campus: phone 6 1 2 9487 9627 or contact the Graduate Studies Co-orrdinator, Dr Malcolm Anderson, Faculty of Nursing and Health, Sydney Campus: phone (02) 9487 9609. Email: malcolm.anderson@avondale.edu.au