Health Sciences First Year (HSFY) is the essential first step into five of the University of Otago's Health Sciences professional programmes. It is also an excellent way to begin your degree in biological or biomedical sciences.
The HSFY course has a pre-selected set of compulsory papers that all students must take if they are accepted into the programme. Tutorial and lab attendance in the HSFY papers is compulsory, and non-attendance may cause you to fail terms and be ineligible to sit the final exam.
HSFY students may choose to add an eighth paper in semester 2 from a list of approved papers in Humanities, Sciences, and Commerce. This optional paper is not required, and students are encouraged to carefully consider their workload, as the standard seven-paper HSFY programme is already a full academic load.
Pathways to Health Sciences professional programmes
HSFY counts as the first year of study for five of the Health Sciences professional programmes:
HSFY is useful preparation, but not required, for three of the Health Sciences professional programmes:
Each programme has its own Guidelines for Admission and documentation requirements.
Important admissions information
Successful completion of the HSFY programme does not guarantee entry into your preferred professional programme. Entry to these programmes is highly competitive, and places for international and non-HSFY applicants are very limited.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply for their preferred professional programme and to also plan at least one alternative study pathway if their first choice is unsuccessful.
Admission requirements and selection processes for Health Sciences professional programmes may change over time. Applicants are responsible for reviewing the relevant Guidelines for Admission for their chosen programme and ensuring they submit the correct supporting documentation.
If you have questions about applying for HSFY or progressing into a Health Sciences professional programme, contact AskOtago for guidance.
Further information
Guidelines for admission to Health Sciences professional programmes (includes eligibility and selection criteria)