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TE HUARAHI
WHAI TOHU
 WHAT TO STUDY

Make sure you know what your study options are to ensure you’re on the right career pathway.

Strong foundations in science and maths are key to successful health studies.

Most health career pathways require you to undertake a combination of subjects like biology, chemistry, physics, calculus and similar subjects. The earlier you start taking these subjects the easier you will find them. Talk to your kaiako or careers advisor if you need help:

  • Year 10– Science, English, Maths and te reo Māori are what you should be focusing on this year. Make sure you pass your exams so that you can take these subjects in Year 11.
  • Year 11– NCEA Level 1: Science, English, Maths and te reo Māori are your priorities.
  • Year 12– NCEA Level 2: Science is your golden subject. If available, take Biology, Chemistry and Physics. For some degrees such as Medicine and Pharmacy you need to take more than one. English or te reo Māori are the other subjects you should stick with. Maths, History, Economics, Geography and PE are also good subjects to keep your options open.
  • Year 13– NCEA Level 3: Science/Biology, Physics and Chemistry are subjects to take. English, te reo Māori and Maths will help you too. However, if you’re Year 13 and haven’t taken science, there are still other ways you can get into health degrees, including certificate and foundation/bridging courses. 
  1. Year 11 – You need 80 credits to pass NCEA Level 1. Out of your 80 credits make sure you’ve got 10 credits in Maths and English as this is needed for University Entrance.
  2. Year 12 – You need 60 credits at level 2 or above + 20 credits from any level   to pass NCEA Level 2.
  3. Year 13 – You need 60 credits at level 3 or above + 20 credits from level 2 or above to pass NCEA Level 3.

University Entrance (UE) is the minimum requirement to go to a New Zealand university. To be awarded UE you will need:

  • NCEA Level 3
  • Three subjects – at Level 3, made up of:
  • Literacy – 10 credits at Level 2 or above, made up of:
    • 5 credits in reading
    • 5 credits in writing
  • Numeracy – 10 credits at Level 1 or above, made up of:
    • achievement standards – specified achievement standards available through a range of subjects, or
    • unit standards – package of three numeracy unit standards (26623, 26626, 26627- all three required), or
    • numeracy unit standard 32406 OR te pāngarau unit standard 32412.

Once you have met the requirements for University Entrance it will appear on your Record of Achievement.

Not all NCEA subjects and credits will count towards your University Entrance. The full list can be found here.

It’s never too late to start and it doesn’t matter which route you take as long as you get there.

Science is an exciting space where innovation and creativity takes place and it is an important foundation for building a career in health. It can be daunting to think about the different sciences you might have to take but the sooner you understand what that involves, the sooner you can activate support. Your school and kaiako have resources you can access to help make these credits easier for you to get. If you can manage science at secondary school you will be well set up for tertiary study.

Some resources that can support your study journey are provided below:

https://studyit.govt.nz/subjects

https://learncoach.com/ 

Māori cultural knowledge that you hold is very valuable within any health setting. Your cultural knowledge and lived experience as Māori is a highly sought after asset within the New Zealand health sector. Tikanga Māori is being integrated more and more and it is essential that the health sector has confident Māori supporting te reo Māori me ona tikanga in health workplaces.

Whether you spend time on your marae, can kōrero Māori or are just at the beginning of your journey into te ao Māori the health sector recognises the benefit your cultural expertise brings to creating healthy outcomes for whānau and communities.