If I started Biomed prior to 2010, under which regulations do I need to complete?
You will need to complete under the current regulations (2010 onwards). Please contact the Science Student Centre if you are not sure that you meet requirements for the degree.
Can I take Biomedical Science as part of a conjoint degree?
No. Biomedical Science is not available as a major in the conjoint because the number of points required to complete it is greater than the size of the conjoint. Students wanting to pursue this area of study within a conjoint may do it under a BIOSCI, PHARMCOL or PHYSIOL major, taking the core courses form the BIOMED major including BIOSCI 201-203, MEDSCI 205 and other MEDSCI or BIOSCI courses to meet the full requirement of the chosen major. Students completing a conjoint this way would still be eligible for consideration for postgraduate Biomedical Science.
Can I take a double major with Biomedical Science?
No. Because of the number of required course in Biomedical Science there is not room to include a second major. Students wishing to add another major (e.g.Stats, Maths or Computing are good options) should mirror the core of the Biomedical Science major in BIOSCI or PHYSIOL majors to allow space for the second option.
Which General Education courses can I take as part of this degree?
Biomedical Science students can only take General Education courses from schedule A, B, C, G or H. You can take any course from these schedules - please ensure you enrol into the 'G' stream, (e.g. PHIL 105G, not PHIL 105). Courses from schedules D, E or F will not count towards the Gen Ed requirement.
Visit www.calendar.auckland.ac.nz/regulations/general-education/index.html to see all available courses.
How many out-of-Faculty courses can I take in Biomedical Science?
One maximum. This programme is highly prescribed, therefore there is only room to take one out-of-Faculty course during your degree, and this is usually taken in Year 1 as an elective (POPLHLTH 111 will count as your out-of-Faculty course if you applied for Medicine in Year 1).
Can I transfer to Biomedical Science from other degree programmes after first year?
Yes, you can transfer if there is space in the programme, after one semester or after one year, but you will need a GPA ≥4.7. If spaces are limited in Year 2, students will be ranked according to their GPA and selected for entry this way. You must complete the full requirements for the programme, but it is possible to progress to a third year option while catching up prescribed courses. Courses outside the Science Schedule may not count to BSc - Biomedical Science.
Can I transfer from BHSc to Biomedical Science after Year 1?
Yes you can if there is space in the programme and if your GPA for the year is ≥4.7. Not all BHSc first year courses will be credited. If there isn’t space in the programme but you would like to move into a BSc and you meet entry requirements, we will accept you into a BSc in another major (e.g. BIOSCI, PHARMCOL or PHYSIOL, where you can take the core courses from BIOMED) and you can apply to transfer into Biomed at a later stage (you will need to maintain a GPA ≥4.7). In BHSc you will have completed the following Year 1 courses:
- BIOSCI 107
- CHEM 110
- MEDSCI 142
- POPLHLTH 111 (out of Faculty elective)
- GEN ED elective
You need the following which can be fitted in as indicated:
- BIOSCI 101 - Semester 1, 2011
- BIOSCI 106 - Semester 2, 2011
- PHYSICS 160 - anytime before completion
- STATISTICS 101 or 108 - anytime before completion
You may take any course for which you have the prerequisites. The programme should look something like this:
Semester 1, 2011
- BIOSCI 101
- MEDSCI 205
- two choices from the year 2 list or one choice from this list and Physics (prefer the former)
Semester 2, 2011
- BIOSCI 106
- BIOSCI 202
- REMAINING CHOICES FROM Year2 optional list/ physics/ other as suitable.
Semester 1, 2013
- BIOSCI 201 and Year 3 majoring requirements.
Semester 2, 2013
- BIOSCI 203 and Year 3 majoring requirements.
If I transfer into Biomed and am missing some required courses, how will I make these up and still complete my degree within three years?
You do not need to complete your degree in three years, unless you are applying for Honours, so you may take an extra semester to do so, although the availability of courses may affect how you structure your degree. If you would prefer to complete in three years you may take extra papers at Year 2 to create space in Year 3 to complete the Stage III requirements and ensure you have all the prerequisites. You can take a maximum of 11 courses per year, so taking 5 papers in one semester or taking up to two courses in Summer School are also ways to shorten the time it takes to complete your degree.
Which courses should I take to complete the ’45 points from the Science schedule’ requirement for Biomed?
All Biomed degrees need to include 45 points from Science courses. These can be any level and completed at any time, and is up to you whether they are courses that complement the biomedical sciences or are simply papers that interest you. Some students take extra Stage III courses (e.g. those wanting to do postgraduate study, and those applying for Honours who need six Stage III courses), while some prefer to lighten the load and take more Stage I courses. STATS 101 will count as 15 out of the 45 pts required, if you take an out-of-Faculty course as your elective.
I am trying to enrol in courses for Biomedical Science but they seem to be closed.
There are enough spaces for all students accepted for this major. It may be that your first choice of time for your lab is already full. You will need to choose another time. If there do not seem to be any open this may be a system glitch. Please contact the Science Student Centre for help (Email: scifac@auckland.ac.nz).
I am trying to enrol in first year courses for Biomedical Science but all classes seem to be full.
You may be selecting only those classes which are your preferred timetable. If you are unable to find a lab option which is open and which fits with your selected lecture time, you may need to switch to a different lecture stream. Not all classes are immediately visible in 'Class search'. You may need to click on 'View All' to see all open classes.
Which Statistics course can I take and when should I do it?
STATS 101, STATS 108 or BIOSCI 209 will all meet the requirement for Biomed. It can be fitted into your timetable at any time, or taken in Summer School. All papers cover basic statistics, the difference being that STATS 108 uses commerce examples while BIOSCI 209 uses biological investigation examples.
I failed the first year prerequisite for a second year course in the Biomedical Science programme. Can I take it again alongside the second year course?
Students are not permitted to take second or third year courses in the Biomedical Science programme without the prerequisites. This is to maintain the standard of the programme, and ensure students are adequately prepared before moving to the next level. On rare occasions an exception is made where a documented event beyond the student’s control has impacted on otherwise sound performance in part of a course. Threfore you will need to take the course again, and if you cannot move onto the advanced courses because you do not meet the prerequisites, then you will need to take other courses to bring your GPA up (e.g. 45 pts Science courses, a Gen Ed course).
I failed one or more than one course in the Biomed programme. Will I be taken out of the programme?
No. Students can take as long as they need to complete the Biomed programme, but be aware that some courses have limited entry, so if you do not meet the entry grade criteria you will need to bring your GPA up over a semester or two before you can take these courses.
What courses should I take for my second year of Biomedical Science?
From 2010 the compulsory courses for the second year are BIOSCI 201-203, MEDSCI 205.
You should also choose three of MEDSCI 201, 203, 204, 206, [either MEDSCI 202 or BIOSCI 204], or PSYCH 202.
You may then take either your STATS requirement (STATS 101, 108 or BIOSCI 209) or your second General Education course if you have already completed one in the previous year. The three courses of choice should be chosen to meet prerequisites for the third year courses you wish to take. The table above has suggestions for second year courses which relate to a range of areas of interest.
Some courses have a minimum GPA requirement. If you have not met this you could use the 45points of Science courses usually taken in third year to raise your GPA before getting access to the restricted courses, or choose an alternative. Once courses are full you will need to select something else.
How do I know what third year courses to take for Biomedical Science?
From 2010 the regulations for the programme require 2 MEDSCI 3xx, 2 BIOSCI 3xx, 1 (MEDSCI or BIOSCI 3xx or PSYCH 305 or CHEM 390). This is a total of five Stage III courses. You may choose any third year courses which meet this regulation. However, a range of suggested options which reflect major research groups in biomedical science are shown in the table above.
You can also choose to take your three (45 pts) Science courses to complete your third year.
If I can’t get into my choice of Stage 3 courses will I still be able to take post-graduate studies in my preferred area of biomedical study?
As long as your GPA is high enough for access to the preferred courses and you have at least some background in the desired area this is possible.
What Science Schedule courses should I take?
You may take any course from the Science Schedule but preference should be given to courses for which there is a major in the BSc.
What grade do I need to be selected for Honours?
A GPA of at least 6.5 across the seven core courses in Year 2 (excludes STATS). Up to 60 students will be selected.
How is entry to Honours form second year calculated?
This selection is on the basis of your grades in the seven core courses in Year 2. Grade points are assigned on the basis of A+=9. A=8.........C=2, C-=1 and averaged over the attempted courses including any which were not passed. If for any reason you are taking these courses out of sequence (transferring from another programme/ part-time) you will be assessed once you have completed these seven courses. Although we monitor student progress in this major, if you are out of sequence, then it might be advisable to contact the Science Student Centre for an assessment at the point you finish these requirements.
I wasn’t selected for honours in Biomedical Science on the basis of my second year marks, or I am transferring from another University. Am I still able to be considered?
While second year grades have proved to be the most reliable indicator of ability to cope with the intensive Honours year in Biomedical Science, some places are awarded to students who have narrowly missed the GPA = 6.5 cut off at Year 2, and whose third year performance has improved. Please apply online or contact the Faculty of Science Student Centre if you wish to be considered. Students who are not accepted for Honours should apply for the Postgraduate Diploma in Science (PGDipSc) in Biomedical Science and follow this with an MSc in Biomedical Science as a prelude to Doctorate.
