Course details

Summary

The Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science (BMLSc) degree was introduced in 1992, to meet the needs of the medical diagnostic laboratory profession for a science-based academic qualification. The four-year programme includes a comprehensive grounding in health sciences and specialized training in the various laboratory testing disciplines, such as microbiology, biochemistry, and haematology.

Graduates can expect to gain early recognition and registration as medical laboratory scientists in New Zealand, and can also work in most other countries. Medical laboratory scientists play a major part in helping to diagnose and treat diseases. There is an increasing shortage of medical laboratory scientists worldwide. There are also many opportunities for postgraduate study, either in medical laboratory science, or in one of the related health sciences such as forensic pathology, or molecular pathology.

Programme Requirements

1st year

Health Sciences First Year Course

Note: Students enrolled in the Health Sciences First Year course will be required to achieve a satisfactory mark in a standard diagnostic English test or another approved measure of achievement.

2nd year

• MELS 207 Introduction to Diagnostic Pathology
• MELS 221 Microbes to Medicine (for BMLSc)
• MELS 223 Infection and Immunity (for BMLSc)
• MELS 230 Biochemistry (for BMLSc)
• MELS 241 Human Biology: Cells to Systems (for BMLSc)
• MELS 251 Physiology (for BMLSc)

3rd year

• MELS 301 Diagnostic Chemical Pathology
• MELS 302 Haematology and Transfusion Science
• MELS 304 Principles of Pathology
• MELS 305 Elements of Histotechnology
• MELS 306 Medical Microbiology

4th year

Two of:

• MELS 401 Advanced Diagnostic Chemical Pathology
• MELS 402 Clinical Microbiology
• MELS 403 Clinical Virology
• MELS 404 Diagnostic Molecular Pathology
• MELS 405 Cytopathology
• MELS 406 Haematology
• MELS 407 Histopathology
• MELS 408 Transfusion Science
• MELS 409 Clinical Immunology

Entry criteria

The minimum requirement for students is the completion of a high school qualification plus satisfactory completion of one year's study at an approved tertiary institution or successful completion New Zealand Foundation Year programme.

We also accept the following International qualifications: International Baccalaureate: IB Diploma with a minimum of 26 points; GCE Advanced Levels: minimum grade of 8.

English Language Requirements:

IELTS score of 6.0 in the academic module (with no individual band below 6.0); Internet-based TOEFL Score of 80 (writing 20); Paper-based TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score of 550 (TWE 4.5); CIE Cambridge International Examinations Grade E or better in AS English; Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) - Overall score of 176 (with no individual band below 169); Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) - Overall score of 176 (with no individual band below 169); GCE 'A' Level or 'AS' Level English Language or English Literature - grade C or higher; GCE 'AS' Level General Paper (English) - grade C or higher; APIEL (Advanced Placement International English Language) Examination - grade 3 or higher; IB International Baccalaureate - English at Higher or Standard level in Language A: literature, Language A: language and literature, or at Higher level in Language B; Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic - Overall score of 58 with no communicative skills score below 50.