Taught Postgraduate

The Master of Science in Nursing [MSc(Nurs)] Programme admits Bachelor's degree holders from non-nursing disciplines and prepares them for registration with the Nursing Council of Hong Kong [NCHK] as a Registered Nurse. The Programme provides a comprehensive and holistic nursing education which strives to achieve professional excellence in nursing. Students will develop the capacity to become a transformative nurse, making a positive impact on the outcomes of patients and healthcare systems, with the capacity to become a future leader in the profession.

Graduates will become an independent and competent practitioner and an enabling partner, with a global vision, an insatiable quest for knowledge, and the courage to embrace change and uncertainties in an interdisciplinary team. The capstone project of the Programme prepares students for higher degrees through research study.

Programme Structure

MSc(Nurs) is a full-time programme with a normative study period of 3 academic years. Its curriculum consists a total of 29 courses (204 credits) which focuses on quality care, clinical skills, leadership and is designed to be both research-intensive and research-informed.

In addition to the 22 professional core courses and 5 practicum courses, students are also required to complete the capstone experience including a Advanced Nursing Research and Evidence-based Practice course and a Nursing Thesis. Through active involvement in the practical and real research questions and design, students will be able to become a competent learner being able to formulate a meaningful research questions, critically appraise literature and rigorously plan for an appropriate research design.

Clinical Practicum

The clinical practicum enables students to apply theoretical concepts in practical situations and these off-campus experiences are integral components of the MSc(Nurs). Students have the opportunities to practice their nursing care and skills under the instructions and supervision of experienced mentors in all aspects of nursing. 

Exchange

Students are provided with outgoing exchange opportunities for broadening their horizon and enhancing cultural and professional knowledge exchange.

Teaching Strategies

A variety of innovative and interdisciplinary teaching strategies and initiatives are employed to facilitate effective learning throughout the three years. The main teaching and learning methods include but are not limited to formal lectures, seminars, tutorials, nursing laboratories, simulation-based learning and clinical practice.  Other teaching strategies such as interdisciplinary learning, computer-assisted learning and problem-based learning are incorporated into the curriculum in order to meet the need of diverse learners.

Graduates who have satisfactorily completed all programme requirements will be awarded the master degree in nursing and be eligible for direct registration as a Registered Nurse with the NCHK. 

Graduates with cumulative clinical experiences will subsequently lead to career promotion as advanced practice nurses, nurse consultants, nurse managers, administrators or educators.

To be eligible for admission to the curriculum leading to the degree of MSc(Nurs), candidates shall:

• comply with the General Regulations;
• comply with the Regulations for Taught Postgraduate Curricula;
• hold a Bachelor's degree in a non-nursing discipline of this University or a qualification of equivalent standard from this University or another comparable institution accepted for this purpose in recent 5 years normally;
• meet the ‘Minimum entry requirements for training of Registered Nurses’ from the Nursing Council of Hong Kong;
• have a good command of written and spoken English and Chinese (Cantonese); and
• satisfy the examiners in a qualifying examination if required.

A candidate shall achieve the English proficiency as specified by the University’s admission requirements for the taught postgraduate programmes: https://aal.hku.hk/tpg/english-language-requirements.

Application for admission fee (non-refundable): HK$300

Composition fee (subject to the University’s approval): HK$150,000 per year

Application can be submitted online via https://admissions.hku.hk/tpg/programme/master-science-nursing.

The following documents should be submitted to the HKU School of Nursing as soon as you have completed the online application either by post ⁱ or in person:

1. Originals or certified true copiesⁱⁱ of ALL academic transcripts and graduation certificates^{iii, iv}
   (sample of declaration form in Hong Kong);
2. Certified true copiesⁱⁱ of HKID;
3. Two academic referee’s reports (Download from here);
4. Originals or certified true copiesⁱⁱ of TOEFL^vi / IELTS^vi official score report (if applicable); and
5. Other documents which you would like to bring the attention of the University.

Remarks

ⁱ  Please quote your application number and full name in all correspondence and supporting documents and ensure your mail items bear sufficient postage with return address.  

ⁱⁱ Please note that the University will only ACCEPT originals or copies of the documents that have been duly declared as true copies before a notary public. Copies of documents may be certified by the appropriate officials of your home institute if you are an overseas applicant.

No photocopies will be accepted.  Transcripts, diplomas, certificates and other relevant documents which are NOT in English should be accompanied by a formally certified translation in English. Certified translation may be provided by your home institution.

ⁱⁱⁱ Bachelor degree should be conferred on or before August 31 of the current admission year.

^iv For qualifications obtained from universities in Mainland China: An Online Verification Report of Higher Education Qualification Certificate (教育部学历证书电子注册备案表) in both Chinese and English version issued by the CHSI (学信网) / CHESICC (全国高等学校学生信息咨询与就业指导中心) is required. Please set the validity period of the reports as at least 6 months.

^v Applicants can log into the TOLA applicant interface and view/edit invited referees. The applicant can review the invited referees by accessing the “Academic/professional referees” section.

^vi Only TOEFL / IELTS scores recorded in the two years before the date of application are considered.
TOEFL applicants should request the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to send an official score report to the University (TOEFL code 9671) direct.