Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences with Honours

Study in Christchurch, Dunedin, or Wellington

The University of Otago has a strong international reputation for biomedical research. The Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences with Honours (BBiomedSc(Hons)) is an eight-month full‑time postgraduate programme which provides an excellent foundation for a career in biomedical research.

You will join your supervisor's research team and be based in their home department. Your supervisor and their team will provide training on all necessary scientific techniques.

The research focus of the BBiomedSc(Hons) provides an excellent foundation for employment in a research laboratory and pursuing master's or PhD studies in a wide range of biomedical sciences.

The BBiomedSc(Hons) is a thesis‑only qualification, comprising 85 per cent research and 15 per cent coursework. There are no final exams.

The coursework includes journal clubs and workshops, such as:

• Human and animal ethics
• Māori context to research
• Mental health and maintaining wellness
• Presentation skills
• Thesis writing skills
• Writing techniques

3 campuses, 6 biomedical fields

Available at our Christchurch, Dunedin, and Wellington campuses, the BBiomedSc(Hons) programme involves supervised research in one of the following departments and schools:

• Dunedin:
  • Department of Anatomy
  • Department of Biochemistry
  • Department of Microbiology and Immunology
  • Department of Human Nutrition
  • Department of Pathology
  • Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
  • Department of Physiology
• Christchurch:
  • University of Otago, Christchurch
• Wellington:
  • University of Otago, Wellington

Postgraduate entrance requirements

Entrance requirements for postgraduate study vary by programme with most requiring a minimum bachelor-level qualification in the same field, and some having additional requirements such as relevant work experience and/or professional registration in New Zealand.

A postgraduate certificate or postgraduate diploma can usually be taken at any time after the completion of your bachelor's degree.

If you hold an honours degree or postgraduate diploma you may be able to eligible for master’s study by thesis only. In some cases if you hold a bachelor’s degree you may apply for a coursework master’s degree or for master’s study by coursework and thesis.

To study a PhD you usually require the completion of a master’s degree, or a first-class or upper second-class honours degree in the same area of study, or a related discipline, as your intended area of research.

Check the postgraduate students pages for specific information on the entrance requirements of the programme you are interested in.

IELTS (Academic module) (including IELTS Online) : Overall score of 6.5, no individual band below 6.0

TOEFL iBT : Overall score of 90 and a writing score of 21 The University of Otago TOEFL institution code is 9483 (Please note we do not accept MyBest TOEFL scores)

Pearson Test of English ( PTE ) Academic : Overall score of 58 with no communicative skills score below 50

Duolingo English Test : Overall score of 120 (with no Individual Subscore below 95)

Relevant skills

After completing your BBiomedSc(Hons) year, you will have developed key career-ready attributes:

• Critical thinking with the ability to access, analyse, integrate, and apply information
• Grounding in the basic disciplines of biomedical science, coupled with advanced research experience in a specific area of interest
• Understanding of the principles of experimental design, and the application of quantitative methods
• Understanding of the broad mechanisms underlying normal and abnormal human biology, and the ability to apply scientific principles to biomedical problems
• Recognition that lifelong learning is required to remain informed in the rapidly-changing field of biomedical sciences
• Self-motivated learning with the ability to work independently, while recognising the value of teamwork