Bachelor of Musculoskeletal Health

Gain skills for a health sector career with diverse opportunities.
Developed according to best practice approaches in clinical education and delivered utilising innovative teaching methods, the Bachelor of Musculoskeletal Health will equip you with the knowledge and skills required for employment in non-registered areas of health care and management.
You'll start your studies by gaining foundational knowledge of musculoskeletal health and osteopathy and forming a basis for critical thinking. In year two, the emphasis is on evidence-based clinical practice and extending your bioscience knowledge. Your final year focuses almost entirely on the development of clinical practice learning, critical thinking and increasingly complex problem solving and decision-making.
Throughout the degree, clinical practice courses will give you industry experience by enabling you to apply your knowledge in real-world environments.
Please note: to become a registered osteopath, you must also gain a Postgraduate Diploma in Osteopathy, a one-year Level 8 programme at Ara.
Applicants who meet the requirements for admission are accepted in the order their applications are received, with a proportion of places reserved on the programme for priority learners. In the event that there are more applications than spaces available on the programme, a waitlist will be maintained.

New Zealand University Entrance: NCEA Level 3 (60 credits at level 3 and 20 credits at level 2 or higher) which must include:

14 credits at Level 3 in each of biology or physical education or health education, English or classical studies or history or geography or art history or religious studies or social studies

One other subject from the list of approved subjects*

OR New Zealand Certificate in Study and Career Preparation (Level 4) Ara Pre Health Pathway or equivalent.

Due to Covid-19 disruption, if you studied and achieved NCEA Level 3 during 2020, you only need 12 credits per Level 3 subject (i.e. total of 36 credits). Literacy and Numeracy requirements remain the same

If you have undertaken examinations other than NCEA (e.g. International Baccalaureate, Cambridge Examination), Ara will assess your qualification for academic entry equivalency.

* NZQA approved subjects

Alternative Requirements

Still want to study but don't meet the Academic Requirements?

If you show that you have equivalent skills for tertiary study gained through study, work and/or life experience, you may be able to gain alternative entry.

Overall IELTS 6.0 Academic

SPEAKING - 5.5
READING - 5.5
WRITING - 5.5
LISTENING – 5.5

TOEFL (pBT) - Score of 550 (with an essay score of 5 TWE)

TOEFL (iBT) - Score of 60 or higher (with a writing score of 18)

Cambridge English Qualifications - B2 First, or B2 First for schools, or C1 Advanced, or C2 Proficiency with a score of 169. No less than 162 in each skill

PTE (Academic) score of 50 with no band score lower than 42

INTERNATIONAL CLOSE DATE: 1 OCTOBER