Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science
Want a career as a medical laboratory scientist and play a key role in the world of health science? The Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science prepares you for a career in this exciting field.
As specialised health professionals, medical laboratory scientists provide information about a patient’s state of health that is vital to the diagnosis of disease and monitoring of its treatment.
Through the Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science you develop skills in accurate observation and the collection, recording and interpretation of test results. Once you have completed this degree and fulfilled requirements of the Medical Sciences Council of New Zealand, you can register and practise as a medical laboratory scientist.
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Minimum entry requirements
If you have New Zealand qualifications
- University Entrance or equivalent including:
- NCEA: 14 or more credits in each of Biology, Chemistry and Statistics
- CIE: A D grade or better at AS or A level in each of Biology, Chemistry and Statistics
- Must be capable of meeting Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act (HPCA Act) requirements including police clearance
If you have qualifications from another country
See entry requirements for students from other countries. Select your country from the dropdown menu.
Useful New Zealand school subjects
Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Statistics
English language requirements
- At least IELTS (Academic) 6.5 overall with all bands 6.0 or higher; or equivalent.
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Develop the skills to prepare yourself for a career as a medical laboratory scientist and become familiar with relevant scientific topics, including genetics, pathology, haematology and microbiology.
Year 1
In your first year you take eight compulsory courses. These courses give you a general scientific grounding and a broader perspective on medical laboratory science.
Complete the following courses
Semester 1 courses
- BIOL500 Foundations of Life (15 points)
- MATH504 Introductory Mathematics for Science (15 points)
Semester 2 courses
- MICR501 Microbial Life (15 points)
- MELS500 Introductory Laboratory and Histological Techniques (15 points)
- MELS502 Introductory Immunology (15 points)
Courses offered in both semesters
- CHEM501 Principles of Chemistry (15 points)
- SCIE504 Science and Society (15 points)
- HEAL505 Human Anatomy and Physiology I (15 points)
Year 2
Your second-year courses cover genetics, pathology, immunohaematology, medical microbiology, laboratory information and quality management, and science practice in Aotearoa.
Complete the following courses
Semester 1 courses
- GENE603 Cells, Genes and Molecules (15 points)
- MELS603 Pathology I (15 points)
- MELS610 Laboratory Information and Quality Management (15 points)
- SCIE606 Vision Mātauranga: Science Practice in Aotearoa (15 points)
Semester 2 courses
- GENE604 Diagnostic Genetics (15 points)
- MELS607 Medical Microbiology I (15 points)
- MELS611 Clinical and Chemical Pathology (15 points)
- MELS612 Immunohaematology (15 points)
Year 3
You study different laboratory science specialisation subjects in more depth, and complete your capstone project where you can apply what you’ve learnt in your courses.
Complete the following courses
- MELS722 Advanced Immunology (15 points)
- MELS723 Advanced Haematology (15 points)
- MELS724 Advanced Chemical Pathology (15 points)
- MELS725 Advanced Medical Microbiology (15 points)
- MELS726 Advanced Transfusion Science (15 points)
- MELS727 Advanced Histology and Cytology (15 points)
- SCIE707 Science Capstone Project A (15 points)
- SCIE708 Science Capstone Project B (15 points)
Year 4
In your fourth and final year, you’ll put your theory into practice with placements in medical testing laboratories in New Zealand or Australia. Recent placements included:
- LabPLUS
- Labtests NZ
- New Zealand Blood Service
Complete two of
- MELS711 MLS Clinical Training Clinical Chemistry (60 points)
- MELS712 MLS Clinical Training Molecular Diagnostics (60 points)
- MELS714 MLS Clinical Training Haematology (60 points)
- MELS715 MLS Clinical Training Histology (60 points)
- MELS716 MLS Clinical Training Immunology (60 points)
- MELS717 MLS Clinical Training Medical Microbiology (60 points)
- MELS718 MLS Clinical Training Transfusion Science (60 points)
Want more info about work integrated learning at AUT?
Read more about workplace experience in AUT programmes, how it works and why it’s so beneficial when you start your career.
If you started your studies in the Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science before 2024, the courses you need to complete are a little different.
To find out what courses you need to take to complete your qualification if you started in 2023 or earlier view the regulations for your programme in the 2023 AUT Calendar.
Still have questions?
If you’re not sure which courses you should take email science.admin.team@aut.ac.nz
Ready to enrol in your courses?
Find out how you can enrol in the courses and classes for your programme, whether you’ve just joined AUT as a new student or you’re already studying with us. If you’re looking for a course timetable or more info on a specific course use our course search.
Skills you will develop
The outcomes for graduates of the Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science are outlined in the Graduate Profile below.
This degree prepares you for a career in a diagnostic laboratory. Registered medical laboratory scientists work in public hospitals and community laboratories doing diagnostic laboratory testing across all specialisations.
Other career paths include:
- Diagnostic reagent manufacture
- Laboratory management
- Marketing of medical equipment and reagents
Medical Sciences Council of New Zealand regulatory requirements
The Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science programme and the associated Graduate Diploma in Science at AUT are regulated by the Medical Sciences Council of New Zealand (MSCNZ) and governed by the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 (HPCA Act).
Under Section 45 of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act, health practitioners (for example medical laboratory scientists) are legally required to notify the Council if they have reason to believe that a student completing the programme may be unable to safely practise due to some mental or physical condition, including impairment caused by alcohol or drug abuse.
Find out more about industry trends, job descriptions and what employers may be looking for.
($8,190 - $8,875 tuition fees + $1,221.60 student services levy)
($45,400 tuition fees + $1,221.60 student services levy)
- Fees shown are based on a full-time workload for the points indicated next to the fee. The exact fee charged will depend on which courses you select at the time of enrolment.
- Fees are subject to change year to year. If you are planning for study beyond the current year, fees may vary from those stated.
- There may also be other fees and charges you need to pay.
- International students' tuition fees reflect the full cost of tuition. Domestic students' tuition fees are less due to a proportion of the tuition fees being funded by the New Zealand Government.
- Fees-free study may be available for domestic students
The information on this page was correct at time of publication. For a comprehensive overview of AUT qualifications, please refer to the Academic Calendar.