Pathways via the Faculty of Science

Demonstrate sufficient ability during study towards a Bachelor of Science degree and you may be offered entry into the BE(Hons) degree programme.

If you were initially denied admission to the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) or didn't study Calculus or Physics at Year 13 level, you can make up for the missing requirements by enrolling in the required courses with the Faculty of Science. Admission to Engineering will then be dependent on your performance in engineering-related courses in your BSc.

There are several pathways into the Bachelor of Engineering via the Faculty of Science:

If you haven't met the entry requirements for the BSc, you'll have to pursue a Tertiary Foundation Certificate (TFC) Engineering Pathway. Find out more on the TFC Pathways page.

If you've met the entry requirements for the BSc...

  • And are available to study the approved courses in Semester One, you may consider the Alternative Pathway option
  • And are not available to study the approved courses in Semester One, you may consider the Semester Two Pathway 

The approved courses are:

  • Maths: MATHS 102 or MATHS 108.
  • Physics: PHYSICS 102 or PHYSICS 120.

Alternative Pathway via Faculty of Science

This is the most common option for students who did not meet the subject and/or rank score entry requirements of the BE(Hons). The Alternative Pathway is only offered in Semester One, and is one semester in duration. There are 30 places available in this pathway. You will need to follow these steps:

  1. Enrol in a BSc and select one of the following suggested majors: Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Computer Science.
  2. You will be required to take four BSc courses in your first semester:
    • An approved MATHS course - MATHS 102 or MATHS 108
    • An approved PHYSICS course - PHYSICS 102 or PHYSICS 120 (PHYSICS 121 will not be accepted in this Semester One pathway) 
    • A General Education course that can be counted toward either a BSc or BE(Hons). Please note that AELR requirements may apply
    • One other Science course towards your BSc major from the approved courses list
  3. You may then transfer into the BE(Hons) in your second semester. This is subject to meeting several criteria:
    • If there are more than 30 eligible applicants, all applicants who have completed the approved BSc courses will be ranked according to their Semester One GPA. Please note that students taking MATHS 102 or PHYSICS 102 will not be disadvantaged with respect to the ranking.
    • Offers will be confirmed after course results are released at the end of Semester One.
    • Students seeking Semester Two admission to the BE(Hons) must apply online by 01 July. 
    • Selection is considered based on you gaining a minimum GPA of 5.0 (B average) across 60 points of study, and attaining the minimum required grades for the MATHS and PHYSICS courses. Please refer to the 'minimum grades required' table for more information.

Minimum grades required

Approved course Minimum grade required for consideration for Engineering Minimum grade required to cross-credit to BE(Hons) Who should take this course
MATHS 102 A- Not possible to cross-credit Students who have a limited background in Year 13 Calculus
MATHS 108 B B+ (credit for ENGSCI 111) Requires at least 13 credits in Mathematics at NCEA Level 3 including Differentiation Standard 91578, or D in CIE A2 Mathematics or C in CIE AS Mathematics or 3 out of 7 in IB Mathematics, or equivalent with approval of Department of Mathematics.**
PHYSICS 102 A- Not possible to cross-credit Students who have a limited background in Year 13 Physics
PHYSICS 120 B B, with credit for ENGGEN 121 if this is taken in Semester One and the BE(Hons) is started in Semester Two of the same year Requires PHYSICS 102, or at least 4 credits in the Mechanics (91524) or Waves (91578) standards in NCEA level 3 physics, and at least 6 credits in differentiation (91578) or integration (91579) standards in NCEA level 3 calculus, or equivalent with approval of Department of Physics.**

** This information has been provided by the Faculty of Science, and may be subject to change. If you are still unsure about your eligibility for your Science courses, please contact the Student Hubs for advice before the start of the semester at studentinfo@auckland.ac.nz.

Next steps: admission into Semester Two

Once you've been admitted to the BE(Hons) for Semester Two, you will be expected to enrol in the following courses:

  • CHEMMAT 121 – Materials Science
  • ELECTENG 101 – Electrical and Digital Systems
  • ENGGEN 115 – Principles of Engineering Design
  • ENGGEN 131 – Introduction to Engineering Computation and Software Development

Students who took both MATHS 102 and PHYSICS 102 must take the following Semester One BE(Hons) courses to catch up during the following two Summer School semesters:

  • ENGSCI 111
  • ENGGEN 121
  • ENGGEN 140

Students who took either MATHS 102 or PHYSICS 102 must also be available in the following Summer School to catch up, and will take at least one course:

  • ENGSCI 111 if MATHS 102 has been completed
  • ENGGEN 121 if PHYSICS 102 has been completed

Full-year pathway into the BE(Hons)

There’s still an opportunity to transfer into Part I of the BE(Hons) if you’ve failed to secure one of the places in Semester Two via Alternative Pathway. In this case, may still be admitted to the BE(Hons) after a year in the BSC if you're considered eligible after the following:

  • Undertaking a full year, with a minimum of 100 points, of the BSc
  • Maintaining a minimum GPA of 5.0 throughout the full academic year
  • Gaining at least a B in the appropriate Mathematics and Physics courses. If you do not meet the grade requirement in these courses in Semester One, you should enrol in alternate, but related courses in Semester Two:
    • Those who enrolled in PHYSICS 120 in Semester One can enrol in PHYSICS 121 in Semester Two
    • Those who enrolled in PHYSICS 121 in Semester One can enrol in PHYSICS 120 in Semester Two
    • Those who passed MATHS 108 with less than a B grade can enrol in MATHS 208 in Semester Two
    • Those who passed MATHS 102 with lower than an A- grade can enrol in MATHS 108 in Semester Two
    • Those who passed PHYSICS 102 with lower than an A- grade can enrol in PHYSICS 120 in Semester Two
    • Other courses in your Semester Two enrolments should count towards your BSc major, in case you're not successful in gaining entry into the BE(Hons)

You can determine your eligibility for the Maths and Physics course via these links:

If you have further questions, you can contact the Student Hubs for advice before the start of the semester at studentinfo@auckland.ac.nz.

Offers remain subject to the availability of places and are only confirmed once all school leaver applications have been considered. There are limited places in the BE(Hons), so applicants will be ranked on academic merit. 

Credits towards the BE(Hons)

15 points of credit will be granted if MATHS 108 is completed with a minimum B+ grade.

Semester Two Pathway into the BE(Hons)

This is an option if you didn't take an approved MATHS and/or PHYSICS course in Semester One.

You will have to follow this enrolment plan for Semester Two:

  • MATHS 102 or 108
  • PHYSICS 120
  • Science course from the BSc schedule for your major, or approved General Education course
  • Science course from the BSc schedule for your major

You will also have to:

  • Maintain a GPA of at least 5.0 over your most recent semester(s) of study
  • Attain good grades in approved MATHS and/or PHYSICS courses, as per the required grades for the Alternative Pathway

Students who gain entry into the BE(Hons) through this pathway will begin Part I of Engineering in Semester One of the following year. Offers remain subject to the availability of places and are only confirmed once all school leaver applications have been considered.

Credits towards the BE(Hons)

15 points of credit be granted if MATHS 108 is completed with a minimum B+ grade.