New undergraduate health programmes to prepare future health workforce

Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland has announced a major redesign of its undergraduate health programmes, creating clearer and more flexible pathways into a wide range of health careers and strengthening the foundations required for clinical roles.

The changes, the most significant overhaul of the University’s undergraduate health offerings in decades, will take effect from 2027 and are designed to broaden student choice, improve equity and well-being, and ensure graduates are well prepared for the evolving needs of Aotearoa New Zealand’s health system.

Strengthened undergraduate programmes

Key programme changes include:

• A new Bachelor of Biomedical Science (BBiomedSc) will prepare students for careers in research and innovation through an integrated curriculum linking the science of disease with real-world diagnosis and treatment.
• A refreshed Bachelor of Health Sciences (BHSc), will offer new majors in Health Systems and Data Analytics, and Community Health, alongside the option to double major in Nutrition, preparing graduates to improve healthcare delivery, shape policy, and support healthier communities.
• An expanded Bachelor of Science (BSc) will offer six health-related majors: three new options in Cell and Molecular Bioscience, Medicinal Chemistry and Nutrition, alongside existing majors in Pharmacology, Physiology and Exercise Sciences, broadening pathways into research and an array of non-clinical careers.

Dean of the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Professor Warwick Bagg, says the redesign delivers strong, standalone qualifications that build future focused skills and gives students robust career options beyond clinical work.

“Our health system is facing increasingly complex challenges, and health careers are evolving,” Bagg says.

“As an education provider, we have a responsibility to prepare students not just for today’s workforce, but for what lies ahead.

“These redesigned programmes open up new possibilities for students and support the development of modern skills and new ways of thinking needed across the health sector.”

Bagg says the changes strengthen pathways into non clinical health careers, reducing the pressure of an all or nothing race into clinical programmes and recognising the need to view health in a broader context beyond traditional clinical roles.

“Impactful careers in health take many forms, and many students benefit from the chance to explore where their interests and strengths best fit. The ability to combine complementary majors will also increase graduates’ employability and long-term career resilience.

“Not every capable student ends up in a clinical programme. These degrees give students a strong option for meaningful, impactful careers across science, policy, data, innovation and community health.”

He says a case in point is the new Bachelor of Biomedical Science.

“Students will be in a cohort and can now study health conditions, such as diabetes or cancer, from multiple perspectives, in an integrated way, as they progress through the degree, which better prepares graduates for laboratory science, research, biotechnology and postgraduate study.”

Updated selection into clinical programmes

Alongside the programme redesign, the University is modernising how students are selected into its medical programmes, and there are also updates to the Pharmacy, Optometry and Medical Imaging admissions processes.

From 2027, applicants to the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) will still need to achieve a minimum GPA of 6.0 (B+). Final selection will then be based on performance in a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) and a situational judgement test (CASPer), replacing the current UCAT (University Clinical Aptitude Test).

These modern tools assess communication, decision-making and professional judgement, qualities Bagg says are vital to ensure safe and effective clinical practice.

“Excellence in healthcare relies on more than academic results alone, but this does not mean standards are being lowered,” Bagg says.

He says selection is rigorous and robust and a strong academic standard remains in place.

“What’s changing is how we define excellence once that standard is achieved. Evidence shows that once the academic threshold is met, there is little value in ranking applicants on very small GPA differences, and that MMI performance is a stronger indicator of how someone will perform when assessing clinical competence.”

He says the University is combining selection tools used internationally. “It helps us select well-rounded candidates, not just strong test-takers.”

The changes are also expected to improve the experience of first-year students across all health programmes, supporting a more diverse intake into health studies.

“The current model has fostered an overly competitive environment, even for students not aiming for clinical pathways,” Bagg says. “We want to foster collaboration and a sense that there are multiple valid pathways into meaningful health careers.

“Right now, success in admission is too closely linked to socio-economic advantage. We want to ensure more capable students see medicine as a realistic option so that our future health workforce is reflective of our society.”

Applicants to Pharmacy, Optometry and Medical Imaging will continue to be ranked using a combination of GPA and MMI performance. From 2026, the MMIs for all four clinical programmes will be delivered in an asynchronous format, with applicants recording timed responses to standardised pre-recorded questions rather than attending live interviews.

Bagg says this format allows all applicants to respond to the same questions in a structured format, improving consistency in assessment.

The University will also introduce a standardised Guaranteed Entry Score of 200 for school-leavers across all undergraduate health programmes, replacing existing variations between degrees.

Current first-year students applying for entry into clinical programmes starting in 2027 are not affected, with existing criteria remaining in place for those cohorts.

The Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, established in 1968, is one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s leading faculties for health education and research. Its programmes are developed in partnership with health professionals and combine strong academic foundations with real‑world clinical experience.