Enrolling in Biomedical Science

The application deadline for the Bachelor of Science (BSc) specialising in Biomedical Science is 8 December. No late applications will be considered.

Please note: There is only a Semester One intake for this programme.

You need to accept your offer of a place in the programme before you can enrol into courses. If you aren't sure if you've accepted an offer, go to the Continue your application page.

Entry to the Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Science is limited. Selection into this programme will require a higher standard than some other programmes.

You can find the entry requirements for school leavers and further information on undergraduate study on the Undergraduate study in Biomedical Science page.

Webinars for future students

You can learn more about the resources available to help you enrol and plan your degree here.

To ensure you meet the requirements for the Biomedical Science specialisation you need to enrol in the compulsory courses for each semester as indicated below. The schedule for each semester is designed to ensure that all students have a clash-free timetable.

Semester One - required courses

• BIOSCI 107 Biology for Biomedical Science: Cellular Processes 
• CHEM 110 Chemistry of the Living World
• POPLHLTH 111 (if your intention is to apply for Medicine, Optometry, Pharmacy, or Medical Imaging) OR a Year 1 elective course (we recommend STATS 101 or 108).
• 1 x Waipapa Taumata Rau course. From 2025, all first-year undergraduate students will be required to enrol in a Waipapa Taumata Rau course.  For more information, visit the Waipapa Taumata Rau webpage. 

Semester Two - required courses

• BIOSCI 101 Life! Origins and Mechanisms
• BIOSCI 106 Foundations of Biochemistry
• PHYSICS 160 Physics for the Life Sciences
• MEDSCI 142 Biology for Biomedical Science: Organ Systems

Enrolling in your first year of the BSc (Biomedical Science)

Enrolments open on 1 November of each year. We recommend that you enrol into your courses for both Semester One and Semester Two as soon as you have accepted your offer and that you enrol as soon as you can, as places in courses fill quickly.

You must enrol into your courses for both Semester One and Two using the 'Cohort Programme' function in Timetable Planner on Student Services Online. Using the Cohort Programme function allows you to enrol in a set pattern of classes, and ensures you have no conflicts in your timetable for the whole year.

We are not always able to accommodate students' personal commitments when developing clash-free timetables. Students who select individual courses instead of enrolling using the Cohort Programme functionality will be dropped from courses and asked to enrol again, so we encourage you to follow the instructions below:

First Year students - how to enrol for Semester One

1. Sign into Student Services Online.
2. Click the Enrol icon, go to Add classes with and select Timetable Planner.
3. Select Semester One and then click the green Timetable Planner button.
4. Click the + Add Course button and choose the Search by Cohort tab.
5. Under Programme, select Bachelor of Science (Biomedical Science).
6. Under Cohort, choose one of the available cohort options in the drop down menu to display a preview of a timetable for that cohort pattern.
7. Check you have chosen a suitable cohort, noting that:
   
   • If you are intending to apply for Medicine, Optometry, Pharmacy or Medical Imaging after your first year, DO NOT select 'BIOMED 1 Cohort option 1' as the compulsory course POPLHLTH 111 is not included in this cohort. 
   • If you do not intend to apply for Medicine, Optometry, Pharmacy or Medical Imaging and will be continuing with Biomedical Science, you can select 'BIOMED 1 Cohort option 1' and choose to enrol in STATS 101 or 108 (recommended) or another Science course as your elective.
8. To view alternative timetable combinations, select a different cohort option in the drop down menu.
9. Click + Add Course when you have chosen your preferred timetable.
10. Click Done to return to the home page.
11. Select Generate Timetables at the bottom of this page to see a detailed view of your timetable. 
12. Once your timetable has been generated, you can select Send to Enrolment Cart.
13. Accept the terms and conditions and choose Confirm Enrolment.

If you're asked to complete an approved AELR course in the first 12 months of your studies and you are not on the pathway to clinical programmes, the requirement will be deferred until Summer School 2026 or your second year of study. 

How to enrol for Semester Two

Follow the instructions for Semester One above, and as there is no choice of an elective course, disregard step 7. 

Making changes

Once you have enrolled into your cohort option it will not be possible to make changes to your enrolments unless there are extenuating circumstances that require you to change. Please make sure when enrolling that you select the cohort enrolment option that best suits you.

If you do need to change your cohort enrolment option due to extenuating circumstances, please complete the Changes to your Biomedical Science cohort option form. Completing this form does not guarantee a change will be approved.

Courses fill quickly, so it will not be possible to change your timetable pattern as we get closer to the start of Semester One. Requests made after 14 February will not be approved.

Biomedical Science enrolment clinic for first year students

This video gives instructions on how to enrol in the Bachelor of Science - Biomedical Science first-year cohorts using Timetable Planner on Student Services Online.

Note: The degree planner in the video does not include the new Waipapa Taumata Rau (WTR) core course, which is a 15-point requirement for all undergraduate students in their first year of study from 2025.

Second and third year students

You do not need to use the Timetable Planner cohort functionality to enrol in your courses. You can choose the appropriate courses By Subject in the Timetable Planner in Student Services Online.

To guide you through courses that are required for this specialisation, please consult the Biomedical Science degree planner. You can also choose from a range of pathways to focus your courses on a particular area of interest.