My first posting here, so a big HI to everyone.

I am just about to apply for a Student visa to study for a degree in Perth, and planning to stay with my brother near Rockingham. I am looking for a university which I can commute to from here - any advice on distances?

Does anyone know about which University has the best reputation for a Nursing degree?? I will also probably need to take the Certificate IV in Nursing which is equivalent to our Access courses, so any advise on this would be great too.


Thanks all

The University of Western Australia is the best university in Perth. It's part of the Group of Eight, http://www.go8.edu.au

I don't know whether they do nursing however. There are other universities in Perth (eg Murdoch and Edith Cowan).

Make sure that whatever course you plan to take is accredited by the state nursing board and the ANMC.

Jeremy

Murdoch University (http://www.murdoch.edu.au) has a campus in Rockingham - it would definitely help with the commute time, but I'm not sure if they do nursing.

Rockingham isn't going to be very convenient in respect to Universities. Perth has:

University of WA - this is one of the 'sandstone' universities and considered one of the best in Oz. UWA is in Nedlands - i.e. close to the city. UWA has a medical faculty and the best reputation for medical studies. This is the prestige place to get a degree if that counts for anything. www.uwa.edu.au

Curtin University - formerly the Western Australian Institute of Technology (WAIT). Curtain is in Bentley - again close to the city. Despite its name, Curtin has a nursing school. www.curtin.edu.au

Murdoch University - has a number of campuses, and is probably going to be the closest to you. Check this site: http://www.nursing.murdoch.edu.au/

Edith Cowan University - Again a number of campuses and they also have a nursing school. www.ecu.edu.au

University of Notre Dame Australia - www.nd.edu.au The Fremantle campus also has a nursing school......

You have plenty of choice! With something as important as your career, I'd choose based on the best degree, not necessarily the best location.

As for TAFE, check http://www.challengertafe.wa.edu.au. Not sure if they do Nursing at their campuses though.

Doing the Cert IV first is a long winded way of getting into Uni, I'd check my options first. Try http://www.tisc.edu.au/ for info.

Hope this helps.

There are free shuttle buses that run from murdoch university's Rockingham campus to the main campus, so it wont be a problem.

If you are living in Rockingham, I would suggest it would be a bit more of a hassle getting to other unis by public transport, though still possible of course. You can also go straight from rockingham to fremantle where Notre Dame University is. You can still get HECS funding even though theoretically it is a private university.HECS means you can get resident/citizen tuition rates and can defer payment until you are working. It is then repaid out of your income at a set percentage. 6% of gross income is maximum they can take I think.

Hope that helps.

UWA is a bit of an elitist outfit. old school snobbery still associated with it. All universities in Perth have a nursing degree course and all have to meet similar standards for course structure.

Forgot to mention. if you are able to satisfy the entry criteria for the course (ie; can meet the standards in literacy and have senior year biology from secondary school), I cant see why you would need to do any certificate. if you find you do not meet the entry criteria, you can take what is known as a STATS test, and gain entry that way.

Other option is to do a 2yr course in Enrolled Nursing at a metropolitan TAFE and then apply to universityto do the degree in registered nursing. You will gain some advanced standing (credit off your degree, usually of 8 units or 1 year). If you need biology, you can take it at a senior college while studying at TAFE. Canning College would be the most convenient, unless they have some down rockingham, fremantle, or mandurah way now.

New Murdoch campus in Mandurah now too. Big article in the paper a few months back, about the Nursing courses available there, and other clippets recently, but I don't have the articles anymore. Just remember thinking, that's good, my eldest wants to be a nurse, so she won't have far to travel for Uni. Children's ward to be built at Mandurah hospital over the next couple of years, so they'll need plenty of nurses there too.

The Engineering faculty piss-ups are legendary though

Former PM Bob Hawke still holds the world yard of ale sculling record in the UWA student bar - an unbeaten 12 seconds.

The original poster is going to be on a student visa - that means international fees and no HECS.



Jeremy