The Postgraduate Certificate in Health Science offers a selection of courses designed to meet the needs of nurses, health practitioners, health sector managers and other professionals whose practice has a focus on health.

This certificate has an interdisciplinary programme, which includes courses specific to nursing practice, and it is approved by the Nursing Council of New Zealand as an advanced nursing practice programme.

ENTRY CRITERIA

The normal requirement for entry is an undergraduate degree in a health science with a B pass or better.

Where the candidate’s undergraduate degree does not provide the basis of study at the level required for more advanced study, enrolment in transitional or undergraduate courses may be required before the candidate shall be admitted.

Where an applicant does not hold an undergraduate degree in health science:

• The applicant shall provide evidence of having completed a relevant professional qualification, and
• Provide evidence of successful completion of a relevant qualification or programme of study which is equivalent to those of first degree graduates, through the submission of a portfolio of evidence.

A personal interview may be part of the application process.

English language entry requirement

All candidates, from countries where English is not the primary spoken language, require satisfactory achievement of tertiary studies in a country where English is the language of instruction or an IELTS score of at least 6.5 with no sub-test score lower than 6.0.

Entry with credit

Applicants may be admitted with credit transfer or recognition of prior learning. The Postgraduate Programmes Cluster Committee has discretion in the granting of academic credit.

Academic credit may be awarded as specified credit where there is a substantial match between previous learning and the course for which academic credit is sought; or unspecified credit where the learning is broadly relevant to, and at an equivalent level to, the course for which academic credit is sought.

Credit granted shall not be for course(s) completed as part of an undergraduate degree, nor shall credit be granted that exceeds one-half of the total programme credits.

A RPL/Entry with Credit application pack is available on enrolment. It is recommended that applications for RPL/Entry with credit are made as part of your initial application. This will assist in our academic advisement to you regarding course your programme of study and course section. However, your entry with credit cannot be processed until you are enrolled.

For further information please contact:

Stacey Wong, Postgraduate Programmes Secretary ext (06) 830 1507.

Special conditions

For acceptance into some of the nursing courses, students must provide evidence of a current practicing certificate with the Nursing Council of New Zealand.

For nurses considering the nurse practitioner pathway, please seek guidance in regard to course choices before enrolling. You may contact the postgraduate programmes coordinator through the postgraduate programmes secretary.

Some courses will require students to be actively working in the specialty area of practice.

February or July each year depending upon the courses selected.