About the programme
The Bachelor of Nursing is an NZQF Level 7 programme at Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT) that prepares students to practise as registered nurses. It carries 360 credits and normally takes 3 years of full-time study, though it can be spread over up to five years.
The degree meets the Nursing Council of New Zealand competencies for the Registered Nurse scope of practice. After graduating, students sit the NCNZ State Final Examination to become registered in New Zealand, and the qualification is recognised across the country and overseas.
Learning is blended: lectures and tutorials, online resources, simulation training and clinical placements. Placements start in year one and total more than 1,100 hours in hospitals, aged care, mental health and community services across Nelson, Marlborough and the wider Te Tauihu region. Some placements are outside the home campus region, so students need their own transport and must be ready for shift work; every placement is compulsory.
New first-year students follow a refreshed curriculum based on the Otago BN, with stronger integration of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, a focus on equity and sustainability, and current clinical placement models. The whole degree can be completed in Nelson or in Marlborough, which has its own nursing team and an updated clinical skills lab. Classes are small, and a student-led Whānau Peer Group supports Māori learners.
Entry requirements
- University Entrance via NCEA Level 3 with at least 14 credits each in a science subject, in English or an English-rich subject and in one other approved subject, plus literacy and numeracy. Applicants over 20 need NCEA Level 3 science or an equivalent completed within the last five years, for example through a Level 4 bridging programme.
- If English is not your first language: IELTS Academic 6.5 with no band below 6.5, OET with at least C+ in each section in one sitting, or NZCEL Level 5, all within two years of applying.
- Evidence of fitness for nursing registration: health status and any learning challenges, disclosure of convictions, consent to safety and police checks, and immunisation records as required by Health NZ Te Whatu Ora.
- A personal statement on why you chose nursing and details of two referees; an interview may be required.
What you study
- Nursing Practice 1–2
- Human Body Systems 1–2 and Pharmacology
- Evidence Based Nursing 1–3
- People of this Place 1: Society and Hauora
- Nursing Practice 3: Community Health
- Nursing Practice 4: Acute Care
- Pathophysiology and Knowledge for Practice
- Nursing Practice 5: Senior Persons Health
- Nursing Practice 6: Mental Health and Addictions
- Transition to Registered Nurse Practice
Careers after graduation
- Registered nurse in hospitals, community settings and aged care
- Mental health and addiction services
- Health education and nurse teaching
- Public health and health policy
- Digital health and telemedicine
- Clinical research
- Postgraduate pathways to Nurse Practitioner, Clinical Nurse Specialist or leadership roles
Post-study work visa
Equal to the length of the programme, 3 years maximum
Depends on the qualification, the length of study and other Immigration New Zealand requirements.
This description is based on the official programme page, checked on 19/09/2026. Ask an NIU adviser about fees and intake dates — the programme page on the NMIT website