Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science (BMLSc)
Overview
The Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science degree (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 specialised training in the various laboratory testing disciplines, such as microbiology, biochemistry, and haematology. Most candidates enter the degree programme through the University of Otago Health Sciences First Year course.
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
Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science (BMLSc)
| Year | Papers | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1st year |
Health Sciences First Year Course Notes: (i) 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. (ii) No student will be permitted to take an examination in a subject of the first year course in which a pass has already been gained. |
126 |
| 2nd year |
27 18 18 18 18 21 |
|
| 3rd year |
30 30 15 15 30 |
|
| 4th year | Two of MELX 401, MELX 402, MELX 403, MELX 404, MELX 405, MELX 406, MELX 407, MELX 408 | 120 |
Regulations for the Degree of Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science (BMLSc)
1 Admission to the Programme
(a) Admission to the second year of the programme shall be determined by the Medical Laboratory Science Admissions Committee (see Note 2).
(b) Admission to the programme shall be subject to applicants meeting a specified English language requirement prior to entry to any second year classes.
(c) The maximum number of students to be admitted annually to the second year of the programme is 60.
(d) Applications for admissions may be made under the following categories:
Health Sciences First Year
Second Year of University Study
Competitive Graduate
Alternative
(e) The University of Otago supports the participation of the following peoples in the health workforce, therefore, applicants in any category (see regulation 1(d)) may also be considered in one or both of the following sub-categories:
(i) Māori.
(ii) New Zealand resident Pacific Islander (of Polynesian or Melanesian descent).
(f) To be considered for entry under the Health Sciences First Year category, an applicant must
(i) be in the first year of university study;
(ii) pass all of the papers prescribed for the University of Otago Health Sciences First Year course, at the first attempt, with a B– (65%) grade average or better;
(iii) have a valid Undergraduate Medical and Health Sciences Admissions Test (UMAT) result that is above a threshold determined annually by the Medical Laboratory Science Admissions Committee. Selection of applicants who have met these criteria will be based on their Grade Point Average (GPA).
(g) To be considered for entry under the Second Year of University Study category, an applicant must
(i) have completed two or more years of full-time study at a university in New Zealand, including the equivalent of the papers prescribed for the Health Sciences First Year course, with a B- (65%) grade average (Otago equivalent) or better across all papers;
(ii) have a valid UMAT result that is above a threshold determined annually by the Medical Laboratory Science Admissions Committee. Selection of applicants who have met both criteria will be based on their GPA.
(h) To be considered for entry under the Competitive Graduate category, an applicant must
(i) have completed in the minimum academic time, and within three years of the date of application, the requirements of a first degree awarded by a university in New Zealand, as well as the equivalent of the papers prescribed for the Health Sciences First Year course, with a B- (65%) grade average (Otago equivalent) or better across all paper
(ii) have a valid UMAT result that is above a threshold determined annually by the Medical Laboratory Science Admissions Committee. Selection of applicants who have met both criteria will be based on their GPA.
(i) To be considered for entry under the Alternative category, an applicant
(i) may be a graduate of a university in New Zealand who completed the requirements of his or her first degree more than three years previously
or
may have a second or higher degree
or
may be a New Zealand or Australian citizen or permanent resident who has completed a degree at an overseas university;
(ii) must have passed the equivalent of the papers prescribed for the Health Sciences First Year course, and have achieved a minimum academic standard to be determined by the Medical Labortory Science Admissions Committee in any papers undertaken at university level (usually a B- (65%) grade);
(iii) have a valid UMAT result that is above a threshold determined annually by the Medical Laboratory Science Admissions Committee. Selection of applicants who have met all three criteria will be based on their GPA.
(j) The Admissions Committee shall have discretion to offer a limited number of additional places in second year classes to applicants sponsored through the New Zealand Government or to full fee-paying privately-sponsored overseas students who meet all necessary prerequisites at a minimum academic standard determined by the Admissions Committee.
2 Structure of the Programme
(a) Every programme of study must satisfy the programme requirements above.
(b) No candidate may enrol in any papers other than those prescribed for the degree, except with the approval of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Health Sciences).
(c) Candidates will not normally be permitted to enrol for any papers of a year until all papers of the preceding year have been passed.
3 Credits
The Board of the Division of Health Sciences may grant such credits as it deems appropriate for work done previously by a candidate.
4 Cross Credits
A candidate who is enrolled for the degree concurrently with another degree, or who has completed another degree, may cross credit 100-, 200- or 300-level papers which are common to both degrees to a maximum of 180 points, provided that a maximum of 36 points for 300-level papers may be cross credited, and that no paper at 300-level may be cross credited unless 300-level papers worth at least 216 points have been passed towards the two degrees.
5 Examinations
(a) A candidate shall be required to gain terms in a paper before being permitted to sit the examination in that paper.
(b) A candidate who has qualified for admission, but has not sat or having sat obtains a D grade in one or more papers in any year, may be permitted to sit a special examination in those papers, provided in any year that a candidate has not failed papers worth more than 60 points. In that event, the candidate will be required to repeat all of the failed papers. Any candidate who has achieved an E grade in one or more subjects shall not normally be admitted to special examinations but shall be required to repeat the paper.
6 Withdrawal from the Programme
A candidate who withdraws from the programme must obtain the approval of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Health Sciences) before being readmitted (see Note 3 below).
7 Exclusion from the Programme
A candidate who has failed to complete the requirements of a year of the programme in two years of study may be excluded by the Board of the Division of Health Sciences, on the recommendation of the Board of Studies for Medical Laboratory Science, from further study towards the degree.
8 Level of Award of the Degree
The degree may be awarded with distinction or with credit.
9 Variations
The Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Health Sciences) may in exceptional circumstances approve a course of study which does not comply with these regulations.
Notes:
(1) All papers prescribed for the University of Otago Health Sciences First Year course must be passed with a B (70%) GPA or better. If an additional optional paper from the approved list is taken, and provided all of the prescribed papers are passed at or above the required minimum standard, the results in the best seven papers will be counted for admission purposes.
(2) An application for admission to the programme is required; this is separate from the enrolment process. Candidates for admission must apply, using the prescribed form, to the Admissions Office, Division of Health Sciences, PO Box 647, Dunedin, no later than 1 October in the year preceding desired entry.
(3) Applications for readmission must be received by the Manager, Undergraduate Admissions, Division of Health Sciences, no later than 1 October in the year preceding desired readmission.
(4) Candidates will be placed in approved medical laboratories for the fourth year of the programme which will be taught in two semesters.
(5) Papers of the fourth year may sometimes be offered only in one semester, and not all papers will necessarily be available in any one year.
(6) In order to obtain a pass in each fourth year paper, a candidate shall be required to complete assignments, achieve specified competencies, and pass the examination.
