Health Bridging Certificate (Level 3 and 4)

Your workload

This is a full-time programme and you should expect to spend around 40 hours per week accessing required learning resources, completing assignments and undertaking self-directed study.

2023 block course dates (for those studying online)

Semester one block courses - North Island (Whitireia Community College, Porirua)

• Saturday 25 February - Sunday 26 February 
• Saturday 1 April - Sunday 2 April 
• Saturday 27 May - Sunday 28 May 

Semester one block courses - South Island (Otago Polytechnic Campus, Dunedin)

• Monday 27 February - Tuesday 28 February 
• Monday 3 April - Tuesday 4 April 
• Monday 29 May - Tuesday 30 May 

Semester two block courses - North Island (Whitireia Community College, Porirua)

• Saturday 22 July - Sunday 23 July (all prospective Midwifery students also attend on Monday 24 July - Tuesday 25 July)
• Saturday 2 September - Sunday 3 September 
• Saturday 11 November - Sunday 12 November 

Semester two block courses - South Island (Otago Polytechnic Campus, Dunedin)

• Monday 24 July - All prospective Midwifery students attend Intro to Careers in Health presentation 
• Tuesday 25 July - Wednesday 26 July (all new and returning students need to attend both of these days)  
• Monday 4 September - Tuesday 5 September 
• Monday 13 November - Tuesday 14 November

Entry requirements 

• Open entry.
• If English is not your first language, you must provide:
  • New Zealand University Entrance OR
  • Overall Academic IELTS 5.0 with no individual band score lower than 5.0 (achieved in one test completed in the last two years), OR
  • Acceptable alternative evidence of the required IELTS (see here for NZQA proficiency table and here for list of recognised proficiency tests). 

If you need to improve your English Language skills, we offer a wide range of English programmes.

Please note: You must have access to the internet to be able to complete this programme. 

Entry straight to Level 4

If you meet the below requirements, you will be able to apply for entry straight into Level 4. This six-month certificate starts in July every year. Click here for the Level 4 only programme.

• New Zealand Certificate in Study and Career Preparation (Level 3), or equivalent. 
• If English is not your first language, you must provide:
  • New Zealand University Entrance OR
  • Overall Academic IELTS 5.5 with no individual band score lower than 5.0 (achieved in one test completed in the last two years), OR
  • Acceptable alternative evidence of the required IELTS (see here for NZQA proficiency table and here for list of recognised proficiency tests). 

Please note: You must have access to the internet to be able to complete this programme. 

Covid-19 vaccination requirements

Please note that while you don't need to provide evidence of your Covid-19 vaccination status to apply for this Level 3 or Level 4 health bridging programme, you will need to provide evidence of your vaccination status if you want to apply for one of our health diplomas or degrees when you successfully complete this programme. 

Moving into our health-related degrees

Due to the high demand for places, successful completion of the this programme will not automatically guarantee you entry to our health-related degrees.

Progression to Bachelor of Nursing 

• A minimum B+ average pass, achieved across the four courses during semester two, is required to meet the entry requirements for the Bachelor of Nursing. This must include at least a B+ in Human Biological Science 2.
• These programmes also have non-academic entry requirements including language requirements for non-native speakers of English, so you may need to plan ahead!
• Nursing applicants for whom English is a second language will also need to meet the language requirements for the Bachelor of Nursing, which is an IELTS overall band score (academic) of 6.5.

Progression to Bachelor of Midwifery

• Midwifery Council states that applications from applicants under 20 who have met the academic entry criteria to the Bachelor of Midwifery via the Health Bridging Programme will be assessed on their individual merits.
• A minimum B+ average pass, achieved across the four courses during semester two, is required to meet the entry requirements for the Bachelor of Midwifery. This must include at least a B+ in Human Biological Science 2.
• These programmes also have non-academic entry requirements including language requirements for non-native speakers of English, so you may need to plan ahead!
• Midwifery applicants for whom English is a second language will also need to meet the language requirements for the Bachelor of Midwifery, which is an IELTS overall band score (academic) of 7.0.

Please contact Otago Polytechnic to discuss your pathway to a health-related degree. Email info@op.ac.nz or phone 0800 762 786.

If you have extensive knowledge and skills due to practical experience in this area, please ask us about our recognition of prior learning process. You may have already gained credits towards this qualification and could achieve it in a shorter timeframe. Please email info@op.ac.nz or call 0800 762 786 and your message will be sent to the appropriate department.

Fees Free 

If you’re a domestic student and this is your first time doing tertiary study in New Zealand (over 60 credits at Level 3 or higher), you may be able to get free tuition fees for this programme. 

All the details and criteria are on the Fees Free website and you can check whether you’re going to be able to access funding by entering your National Student Number. 

If you can access it, we’ll organise your fees with the Tertiary Education Commission when you’re enrolled to study with us. This funding doesn’t include additional costs or living costs.   

Check whether you can access funding here >

Additional costs

We recommend the text 'Introduction to the Human Body: The Essentials of Anatomy and Physiology'  by Gerard J.Tortora and Bryan Derrickson (7th edition or later). 

Student Services Fee

For most students, your tuition fee shown above includes a Student Services Fee – also known as the Student Levy. This compulsory fee covers your access to the student services we offer. This cost is tailored depending on how you're studying.

Tuition fees

The tuition fees shown above are approximate only. There may be a slight fee increase per year once Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) rules and guidelines are applied. These fees also don’t include additional costs or living costs.

A change for 2023 enrolments

When you apply to study with Otago Polytechnic in 2023, you will be enrolled with Te Pūkenga, the new national network of vocational and applied education in Aotearoa New Zealand. You will learn in the same way, in the same place, and with the same people, and you will graduate with a Te Pūkenga qualification.