Do you dream of being a dentist, dental technician, oral health therapist, medical laboratory scientist, doctor, pharmacist, physiotherapist or a radiation therapist? If so, then one of our Health Sciences professional programmes might be right for you.
The Health Sciences professional programmes are:
- Dental Technology
- Dentistry
- Medical Laboratory Science
- Medicine
- Oral Health
- Pharmacy
- Physiotherapy
- Radiation Therapy
Please consult the pages above for Guidelines for Admission and information about supporting documentation required for each professional programme, in order to ensure that you submit the correct documentation with your application.
Please contact AskOtago for further guidance on applying for admission into one of the Health Sciences professional programmes.
Changes affecting admissions to Health Sciences Professional Programmes
Applications for both Dentistry and Medicine in 2027
Applicants applying for entry to both Dentistry and Medicine in 2027 must rank one of these as their preferred programme when submitting their application. Applicants will be asked to acknowledge the process described here at the time of ranking.
Selection criteria remain unchanged. Stating a preference does not influence eligibility or ranking; it is used solely as an administrative tool to manage offers and the waitlist process efficiently.
Applicants who accept a full offer to their preferred programme will have their application to the alternate programme – including waitlist offer – automatically withdrawn.
Applicants who accept a waitlist offer to their preferred programme should be aware that this constitutes an acceptance of a place in that programme, subject to a full offer being made. If a full offer to the preferred programme is a subsequently made, the applicant will be required to accept it, and will be withdrawn from their previously accepted non-preferred programme.
Applicants who have accepted a place in their non-preferred programme and wish to withdraw from their preferred programme may do so at any time before a full offer to that programme is made by cancelling their accepted waitlist offer. If a waitlist offer to a preferred programme is confirmed as a full offer, acceptance of a place in the non-preferred programme is no longer possible.
Admission changes
It is important to be aware of any admission changes prior to submitting an application. Highlighted below are some changes that may affect your application to the Health Sciences Professional Programmes. These changes should also be read in conjunction with the Guidelines for Admission.
Health Sciences Admissions are available to assist with any queries relating to these changes.
Application dates
From 2025 the application opening and closing dates have substantially changed. In 2026 applications will open on 1 July and close on 13 August. While the opening date will be on 1 July every year, the closing date will change each year and will always be on a Thursday.
UCAT no longer required for Dentistry
UCAT is no longer required for Dentistry in 2024 for intake into the programme in 2025. All interviews for dentistry are expected to be held in October.
Changes to Dentistry
Applicants must have passed, or be enrolled in, the papers of the University of Otago Health Sciences First Year course or their equivalents at the time of application. However, applicants will also be considered if they have previously completed the recognised equivalents of these papers as part of the BHSc or BSc (Biomedical Sciences) courses at the University of Auckland.
Changes to scoring for ‘Two or More Years’ and ‘Graduate’ categories
Since 2019, there have been changes to admissions scoring for entry to some of the Health Sciences professional programmes.
Only the following categories are affected:
- Two or More Years of Study – Changes that were introduced in 2019 (for entry from 2020 onwards)
- Graduate category – Changes that were introduced in 2020 (for entry from 2021 onwards)
Changes to scoring for admission categories provides more information.
Changes to UMAT
Since 2019, UMAT is not used for admission to Medicine and Dentistry. This test was replaced by University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) for applicants applying for entry into Medicine.
ucat.edu.au provides more information.
The Admissions Policy for Health Professional Programmes
The Admissions Policy for Health Professional Programmes, formerly Te Kauae Parāoa, is the policy on admissions for domestic students to the health professional programmes offered by the Division of Health Sciences.
The Admissions Policy promotes and facilitates equity for students from underrepresented priority groups with the aim to produce a workforce that represents the communities it serves to improve health outcomes for all.
It is hoped this policy will continue to promote and facilitate equity for students from underrepresented priority groups, including: Māori, Pacific, rural, socioeconomic and refugee background.