Course details

Summary

Extend your knowledge in your specialist area at postgraduate level with our honours programme.

The Bachelor of Science (Honours) programme involves one year of full-time study, or two years of part-time study, after you have completed the requirements for the Bachelor of Science.

Physiology is a science concerned with explaining how living organisms work. Ultimately, understanding how living organisms work will allow us to understand what goes wrong in disease and provide a rational scientific basis for treatment of disease. Of the biological sciences, Physiology is highly quantitative and has close links with biochemistry, molecular biology, and mathematical modelling, pharmacology as well as zoology and plant biology.

Since the sequencing of the human genome has been completed, the importance of physiology as a discipline has increased dramatically, since the next task is to explain how the inanimate proteins produced by the genetic code are organised and work at the cell and tissue level to enable life to exist. Thus, Physiology is an increasingly important field of study for students interested in any aspect of biology or biomedical sciences.

Requirements:

30 points: MEDSCI 725, 733

45 points from MEDSCI 701 or 702, MEDSCI 703, 717, 727–732, 734, 737, 739

45 points: PHYSIOL 788 Dissertation

Career opportunities

Career opportunities which utilize a background in Physiology are as diverse as the discipline itself. Physiology is a foundation subject for the majority of programmes which offer training in the health sciences. A background in Physiology is also useful for a career path associated with servicing New Zealand's rapidly growing healthcare sector.

Finally, a research career in Physiology offers a range of exciting possibilities both here and overseas. As the emphasis of the human genome project is now shifting from gene sequencing to understanding gene function, the demand of the biomedical research community for scientists with a strong background in Physiology will ensure future employment opportunities for those with physiology training. Physiology, as a rigorous, experimental science, has always been important in medical research and drug development.

Further study options

• Master of Information Technology
• Master of Energy
• Master of Science
• Master of Speech Language Therapy Practice
• Doctor of Philosophy
• Doctor of Clinical Psychology

Bachelor of Science (Honours) other subjects:

Applied Mathematics, Bioinformatics, Biological Sciences, Biotechnology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Earth Sciences, Exercise Sciences, Food Science, Geography, Geology, Geophysics, Logic and Computation, Mathematics, Medical Physics and Image Technology, Medical Statistics, Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmacology, Photonics, Physics, Psychology, Statistics.

Entry criteria

The prerequisite is a major in Physiology and at least 90 points at Stage III.

English language requirements:IELTS 6.5; TOEFL (iBT) 90; TOEFL (paper-based) 575; CAE or CPE 176; PTE 58; MELAB 85.