Bachelor of Nursing

Entry criteria

Entry Entry requirements Academic requirements

For those under 20

• NCEA Level 3 (equivalent of entry to university) including:

  • Three subjects - at Level 3 or above, made up of:
    • 14 credits in science e.g. biology, chemistry, general science, or approved science subjects
    • 14 credits in English OR English-rich subject
    • 14 credits in one other approved subject
    • the remaining credits may come from either achievement or unit standards, and
  • Literacy - 10 credits at Level 2 or above, made up of:
    • 5 credits in reading
    • 5 credits in writing, and
  • Numeracy - 10 credits at Level 1 or above, made up of:
    • specified achievement standards available through a range of subjects.

For those 20 and over

• You must have completed the equivalent of NCEA Level 3 science (or NZQA approved qualification) within the past five years.

Course specific requirements

• All applicants must also:
  • provide name and contact details of two referees. One referee should be an employer or community group representative and the other must be from someone who can comment on your academic ability. Referees must be people of standing in the community who are not friends or relatives of the applicant. If you have not studied in the last five years, a second professional referee may be contacted instead of an academic referee. Health Bridging Certificate students must nominate a programme lecturer as an academic reference
  • submit your current curriculum vitae (CV)
  • answer health declaration questions
  • complete a criminal conviction declaration and give permission for a Police Check to ensure you meet the requirements of the Children's Act 2014 (applicants who have lived in countries other than New Zealand need to provide a Police Clearance from each country)
  • submit a written statement (cover letter) including your reasons for wanting to study this programme and your skills and experience
  • let us know if you have any learning difficulties.

You also need to provide certified copies of proof of identity and proof of residency (where appropriate).

International requirements and equivalence

To enter Otago Polytechnic's undergraduate certificates, diplomas and degrees, you need to have achieved a secondary school qualification that is equivalent to New Zealand's NCEA levels (National Certificate of Educational Achievement).

This information is available by country on our Equivalent academic entry requirements page.

English Language requirements

If English is not your first language, you must provide:

• Overall IELTS 6.5 (academic, no band score lower than 6.5) achieved in one test completed in the last two years, OR
• Occupational English Test (OET) with a C+ band/score in each section in one sitting.

If you need to improve your English Language skills, we offer a wide range of English programmes.

Health and vaccination information

You must be physically and psychologically able to engage in diverse clinical nursing practice in New Zealand, including acute hospital, community and mental health settings during this programme.

You don’t need to supply evidence of your vaccination status to apply for this programme.

However, the placement component of this programme has a higher risk of exposure to vaccine preventable diseases. Therefore, most placement providers will require evidence from you that you are fully vaccinated and have immunity for tuberculosis, varicella, measles, hepatitis B and pertussis (within the last 10 years).

Evidence of immunity to vaccine preventable diseases is ascertained by a blood test and your vaccination records.

Placements are an integral part of this programme, and you’ll need to complete the vaccine requirements to be able to successfully achieve your qualification.

If you have concerns or questions about this requirement, please feel free to contact us.

Please note: Occasionally, clinical providers request additional information on health status. During your clinical placements, you will be exposed to risks commonly associated with the health services. These are broad and include personal injury such as needle-stick, through to potential harms to clients.

What if I don't meet the entry requirements?

Our Health Bridging Certificate acts as a bridging programme into this nursing qualification.

The Health Bridging Certificate is ideal if you need to update specific knowledge and skills and demonstrate your academic ability. Distance options are available.

Due to the high demand for places, successful completion of the Health Bridging Certificate (L...