Bachelor of Natural Medicine – Admission and Enrolment Criteria
Admission to the programme shall be subject to the approval of the Academic Board of the South Pacific College of Natural Medicine.
- Applicants must be at least 18 years old at the commencement of the programme.
- Applicants must have NCEA level 3 (or equivalent) in Chemistry; or they will be required to complete an online Introduction to Biological Chemistry course.
- If the applicant has no background in Science or Chemistry, then they will be required to undertake and pass an Introduction to Biological Chemistry course (offered online) before the offer of a place and acceptance onto the programme can be confirmed.
- Applicants who hold NZ Certificate in Study & Employment Pathways – Natural Medicine (Level 4) will be considered to have met the science entry criteria for the BNatMed.
- All applicants will be required to undertake a basic English communication task during the application process.
- For domestic students for whom English is a second language, applicants must meet the Academic IELTS, overall band of 6.5 (or equivalent), with no band score under 6.0, before enrolment. Note the test results must be not more than two years old. Equivalence may take the form of a TOEFL Certificate, or proof of primary and secondary schooling through the medium of English.
- All international student applicants, whether or not they are first language English speakers, must provide proof of English language proficiency. This must be in the form of an IELTS or TOEFL Certificate (not more than two years old).
If a prospective international student does not have the required IELTS of TOEFL Certificate, then English language proficiency must be demonstrated through alternative means as set out in the NZQA Rule 18.2 (https://www.nzqa.govt.nz).NOTE: an offer of place by another New Zealand tertiary institution is not acceptable evidence under NZQA Rule 18.
Selection Criteria
In addition to the above admission criteria, preference will be given to applicants who meet the following:
- Completed Naturopathy courses at another college;
- Hold a tertiary qualification, preferably in a health-related field;
- Successfully completed the NZ Certificate in Study & Employment Pathways – Natural Medicine (Level 4) or a Personal Interest course, with an average A grade in their overall achievement;
- Demonstrate previous engagement with natural health;
- Interacts in a professional and respectful manner;
- Not in full-time employment;
- Able to engage on-campus classes or scheduled Zoom sessions.
- Students are expected to have a level of basic competency in computing skills and to have access to a reliable computer with video/audio capacity.
- Where a student has indicated a medical issue, a medical certificate may be requested as proof of the students’ capacity for tertiary study.
Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Recognition Transfer
- Recognition of Prior Learning is that credit granted following an assessment in respect of prior learning based on life experience, work experience, competency, informal education/training and/or formal education/training. A challenge test may be offered to applicants.
- Credit Recognition Transfer refers to situations where there is equivalent learning from similar colleges or situations where the learning is identical, as would be the case for any students who have taken our Personal Interest courses and then been accepted into the Bachelor of Natural Medicine.
The RPL/CRT Application Process
It is the sole responsibility of the student applying for RPL or CRT to provide all evidence to demonstrate that the Learning Outcomes for the course have been met. Evidence for assessment can come from previous course completion, job experience, formal tests and tasks, and previous proven achievements outside formal learning. Other courses should be of a similar length and NZQA level and cover similar content.
Students may be assessed by a combination of:
- evidence the student provides;
- further assessment tasks, to assess all the skills and knowledge required.
Starting the process
- A new applicant or current student indicates that they may be interested in applying for RPL or CRT during the pre-application process for the Bachelor of Natural Medicine or the annual course enrolment process.
- The Learning Outcomes for the course/s, full instructions and an application form are supplied to the applicant.
- A completed RPL and CRT Application Form and evidence are submitted to the Student Enrolment & Progression, the Financial Controller is informed, and an invoice is raised.
- On confirmation of payment of the processing fee, the Student Enrolment & Progression decides whether the application meets the criteria for:
- Recognition of Prior Learning or
- Credit Recognition Transfer
- The application will be assessed against the Learning Outcomes by the Student Enrolment & Progression Manager with assistance from the Academic Director and the Academic Team if necessary.
- Should the Student Enrolment & Progression Manager decide that more information is required in order to make a recommendation, the applicant will be contacted to produce further evidence.
