IB Pathways

University of Otago · New Zealand

Health Sciences First Year (HSFY)

A one-year health degree in Dunedin.

Where
DunedinNew Zealand
Degree
First year towards a health degree
Length
1 years
Taught in
English
Starts
February 2027
Apply by
15 November 2026February 2027 start; 2028 date not published · February 2027 start by 15 Nov
Admission
SelectiveIB grades
EU/EEA fee
NZ$45,415 a year2027
More facts
Degree
First year towards a health degree
Length
1 years
Taught in
English
Starts
February 2027

Deadlines

  1. 15 November 2026

    Applications close
    Hard deadline
    DetailsSource

  2. 30 April 2027

    University of Otago — international applications close for semester 2, 2027
    Hard deadline
    Details

    Published with its year attached as the "Deadline for international applications commencing in semester 2, 2027", and it is the earliest of the three published mid-year dates — five and a half weeks before Auckland's and more than two months before IB results exist. Otago's international application round for 2027 opened on 1 May 2026, so this is the closing day of a twelve-month window rather than a sudden date. Formal classes begin 12 July 2027 and compulsory international orientation runs 5 to 9 July 2027, which is the same week IB results are released. Otago's page gives "5 July 2026" as the recommended last day to arrive for students starting in semester 2, 2027, directly above "5-9 July 2027" for that semester's compulsory orientation, so the arrival year is probably a misprint. Plan to be on campus before 5 July 2027 so that you make the orientation week Otago does date unambiguously, and confirm the day with Otago's international office before booking flights.

    Source

  3. 15 November 2027*

    University of Otago — offshore international applications close for semester 1, 2028
    Hard deadline
    Details

    Otago splits its international applicants in two and gives them different days, and the split is the trap for a student applying from Denmark. An offshore applicant — one applying from Denmark — closes on 15 November; an onshore one, already in New Zealand, has until 10 December. Take the later date and you have missed by twenty-five days. Otago published these as 15 November 2026 and 10 December 2026 for semester 1, 2027; the 2028 equivalents are not published, but Otago states that "The main international student application period is 1 May–15 November, for most studies commencing in semester 1 (February)", so 15 November 2027 is expected. Some programmes run different periods — teaching, oral health and dental technology are named — so check yours rather than assuming this date.

    Source
All dates for this programme (5 more)

  1. 1 November 2026*

    Decide between a July 2027 and a February 2028 start
    Your own plan
    Details

    Not published by anyone, and the decision the rest of this page depends on. A mid-year start means applying before you have any results at all; February 2028 means eight months between your last exam and your first lecture. Not every degree admits mid-year, and the professional ones generally do not.

  2. 15 November 2026

    Offshore international applications close for Semester 1 2027 (February start)
    DetailsSource

  3. 1 December 2026*

    Check you will meet University Entrance
    Your own plan
    Details

    The full IB Diploma, English as Language A at Standard or Higher Level (or Language B at Higher Level, which Auckland accepts only at grade 5 or above), and any mathematics subject. This is a check on your subject choices, so it has to happen while they can still change - which is why it is dated here and not when you apply.

    Source

  4. 15 May 2027

    University of Otago — accommodation for semester 2, 2027
    Priority
    Details

    "Deadline to apply for accommodation for semester 2 (in residential colleges or Uni Flats)", two weeks after the application itself. Dunedin is a small city built around its university and its residential colleges fill; missing this does not cost you the place, it costs you where you live, which in Otago's case is most of the first year. Applications for semester 2 accommodation open on 1 April 2027.

    Source

  5. 6 July 2027*

    IB results for the May 2027 session
    Details

    The date the whole page bends around. Two of the milestones above fall before it. The IB has not yet confirmed the May 2027 release date; early July is the long-standing pattern.

    Source

* Last year’s date, not yet confirmed.

Every date in New Zealand

What it is

The required first step to Dentistry, Medicine, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy and Medical Laboratory Science. Seven papers on the body and health, then a competitive second-year selection based on your HSFY results.

What you need

  • IB Diplomaat least 24 points
Requirements in full

Every IB applicant at Otago

Full IB Diploma with 24 points, English Language A (SL or HL) or Language B HL, and any maths. IELTS or TOEFL cannot replace the English requirement. Limited-entry degrees select higher.

Where it says so

Its entry requirements

Check it on otago.ac.nz

How places are decided

    • IB grades
    No subject is required, but chemistry, physics and calculus are recommended. For 2027 second-year international places: up to 25 in Medicine, 40 in Dentistry, 20 in Pharmacy.
Sources (3)
  1. Health Sciences First Year (HSFY) at Otago — checked 2026-10-07
  2. Entry requirements
  3. IB applicants at Otago

Other degrees at Otago