Tohu Paetahi Tapuhi Bachelor of Nursing

Domestic Entry Requirements

General Admission Criteria

All applicants must meet the general admission criteria as approved by the Academic Board. In addition, all applicants are required to:

• Declare any previous criminal convictions (including international convictions) prior to admission being confirmed. Convictions of any offence may not necessarily exclude applicants from enrolment; the decision is at the discretion of the Academic Portfolio Manager; and
• Authorise UCOL to obtain a background check from the New Zealand Police Licensing and Vetting Agency. If a conviction and/or a matter of concern is identified, the decision for accepting the applicant's enrolment onto the programme is at the discretion of the Academic Portfolio Manager; and
• Complete a Health Declaration Form; and
• Provide certified copies of all relevant documentation.

Note: Before commencement of first clinical learning experience, applicants may need to supply a current Comprehensive First Aid certificate if required by the clinical agency. UCOL will advise if this is required.

The Academic Portfolio Manager may require learners to provide additional information before admission is confirmed.

Applicants under 20 years of age:

Applicants under the age of 20 years must have University Entrance

OR

Successful completion of the UCOL Certificate in Study and Career Preparation (Level 4).

OR

On a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the Executive Dean

OR

Provisional enrolment, which is defined by NZQA as being Discretionary Entrance and includes the following clauses:

Discretionary enrolment may be granted to those applicants under the age of 20 who:

• are a citizen or permanent resident of New Zealand or Australia*,
• have received secondary schooling to at least New Zealand Year 12 level (or its equivalent overseas) and earned at least 14 credits in an approved subject at Level 2 towards NCEA (or its equivalent), and
• have met the literacy and numeracy standards required for University Entrance, or their equivalents,

* Australian applicants’ most recent year of schooling must have been in New Zealand.

Applicants 20 years of age or over

A person having reached the age of 20 years before the first day of the programme in the year for which admission is sought, is not required to meet any of the academic qualifications above. Applicants will be required to meet the criteria for enrolment to study nursing and may be required to attend a conversation, as set out in the advice and guidance section, prior to their enrolment being accepted. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss their career goals, reasons for study, choice of study, possible challenges, and the support that is available for them at UCOL.

English language proficiency

If English is not your first language, you must also demonstrate English language skills equivalent to an IELTS overall band score (academic) of 6.5 in all bands (or equivalent including TOEFL). IELTS scores used must be taken from a single IELTS Test Report Form (i.e. combining scores from more than one test is not permissible).

International Entry Requirements

International learners will be assessed on a case-by-case basis to ensure they meet New Zealand University Entrance requirements. In addition, in accordance with NCNZ (2017) and the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act [HPCA] (2003) requirements, all learners whose first language is not English, or who come from a country where the general medium of instruction is not English, will be required to provide documentary evidence of proficiency in English (reading, writing, listening, and speaking).

The minimum requirements are:

Successful completion of an internationally recognised English Language proficiency tests to the equivalent of IELTS score of at least 6.5 (Academic) in all bands, achieved in one sitting authorised by the awarding body and which is within the preceding two years at the time the learner’s application is received and stamped by Registry;

OR

Successful completion of all primary education (being the equivalent of New Zealand primary school years 1 to 8) and at least three years of secondary education (being the equivalent of three years from New Zealand secondary school years 9 to 13) at schools in either New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States where the student was taught using English as the language of instruction;

OR

Successful completion of at least five years of secondary education (being the equivalent of New Zealand secondary school years 9 to 13) at schools in either New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States where the student was taught using English as the language of instruction;

OR

Successful completion of a Bachelor’s Degree, Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma, Bachelor Honours degree, Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma, Masters’ Degree or Doctoral Degree, the language of instruction of which must be in English and which must be from a tertiary education provider from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom or the United States;

OR

Exemption or waiver on the basis of equivalence; UCOL may offer an evaluative test to domestic leaerners (Citizens and NZPR) to determine equivalence.

The English Language requirements for this programme are higher than the minimum set by NZQA; therefore, applicants who have achieved NCEA Level 3 University Entrance may be required to provide evidence of English Language skills.

Under 20 years of age

In addition to this, international applicants under 20 years of age must have NCEA equivalency.