Postgraduate Diploma in the Art and Science of Health Care

Graduates of this programme will articulate their scope of practice and its advancement, show expert practice working collaboratively across settings and within interdisciplinary environments, show effective leadership and consultancy, develop and influence health and socioeconomic policies and practice at a local and national level, and show scholarly research inquiry into professional practice.

Qualifications gained in the Postgraduate Diploma in the Art and Science of Health Care would be expected to focus on Advancing Clinical Practice with the graduate practising more effectively as an Advancing Practitioner, who will influence/improve the health outcomes for the population base they are involved in the care of.

Application by Academic Qualification

An undergraduate degree in a health profession discipline and with New Zealand registration in their health care discipline. It is expected that applicants will be in current clinical practice. 0.4 full time equivalent positions is the expected minimum. However, applicants who are unable to meet this will be assessed by the postgraduate programme manager to ensure they have appropriate clinical placements. Where an applicant does not hold an undergraduate degree in a health professional discipline, evidence of extensive professional practice and scholarly achievement to the equivalent of a Bachelor’s degree is to be presented in a curriculum vitae accompanied by a statement about advanced practice and postgraduate goals for the future.

Additional Criteria

A minimum of one-year full time post registration experience and so thus one year in practice at the discretion of the programme manager is required.

English Language Requirements

Applicants, whose first language is not English, or who come from a country where the language of instruction in schools is not English, are required to provide evidence of having achieved one of the following 

NCEA Level 3 with University Entrance, or an International Baccalaureate Diploma or Cambridge A¬ Level qualification for which the teaching and assessment was conducted in English, or

Cambridge Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CELTA), or Trinity College London Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CertTESOL), or

Successful completion of all primary education (being the equivalent of New Zealand primary school years 1 to 8) and at least three years of secondary education (being the equivalent of three years from New Zealand secondary school years 9 to 13) at schools in  either New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States one of the countries listed in Rule 18.5 where the student was taught using English as the language of instruction, or

Successful completion of at least five years of secondary education (being the equivalent of New Zealand secondary school years 9 to 13) at schools in either New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States where the student was taught using English as the language of instruction; or

Successful completion of a Bachelors’ Degree, Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma, Bachelor Honours degree, Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma, Masters’ Degree or Doctoral Degree, the language of instruction of which must be in English and which must be from a tertiary education provider from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom or the United States, or

Successful completion of one of the following internationally recognised proficiency tests listed below to the level required of the programme of study and with all scores achieved in a single test during the two years preceding the proposed date of enrolment:

IELTS test - Academic score of 6.5 with no band score lower than 6

TOEFL Paper based test (pBT) - Score of 590 (with an essay score 5.5 TWE)

TOEFL Internet based test (iBT) - Score of 79 (with a writing score of 21)

Cambridge English Examination –C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency with a score of 176.  No less than 169 in each skill.

OET - Minimum of Grade C+ or 300 in all sub-tests

NZCEL - a) Expiring Level, b) Current:  a) Level 5 (Academic) or (Professional), b) Level 5

Pearson Test of English (Academic) – PTE (Academic) score of 58 with no band score lower than 50

Language Cert - C1 Expert IESOL (LRWS) with HIGH PASS and no less than Pass in each skill or C2 Mastery IESOL (LRWS) with PASS and no less than Pass in each skill

Trinity ISE – ISE III with no less than pass in any band

In order to be awarded the Postgraduate Diploma in Art and Science of Health Care, the student will have been credited with all required papers as specified in the programme schedule. To be awarded the Postgraduate Diploma in the Art and Science of Health Care at SIT, the student will have been credited with four papers of choice as specified in the structure of the Postgraduate Diploma in the Art and Science of Health Care. The total credit value of the Postgraduate Diploma in the Art and Science of Health Care is 120 credits.

Please note that students failing to attend for 80% of the timetabled programme hours, may forfeit Zero Fee entitlement.