Regulations for the Degree of Master of Nursing Science (MNSc)

1. Admission to the Programme

   1. Applications must be made by the due dates specified as part of the Guidelines for Admission into the Health Sciences Professional Programmes published at www.otago.ac.nz/healthsciences. (“the Guidelines”)
   2. Selection of eligible students for admission to the Master of Nursing Science programme shall be made by the Nursing Admissions Committee (“the Committee") whose terms of reference shall be established by the Division of Health Sciences and approved by the Senate.
   3. Subject to these regulations and the Selection Criteria established by the Committee and approved by Senate from time to time and published as part of the Guidelines, selection for admission shall be in the discretion of the Committee.
   4. Without limitation, the Selection Criteria may include:
      1. academic performance;
      2. demonstration of appropriate attributes for admission into the programme.
   5. The Division of Health Sciences' Te Kauae Parāoa policy promotes and facilitates equity for Māori students and students from other under-represented groups. In accordance with this policy, the Selection Criteria may provide for applicants in the following equity groups to be given preference for selection:
      • Māori
      • Resident Indigenous Pacific
      • Rural
      • Socioeconomic Equity
      • Refugee Background
   6. Recognition for inclusion in the Māori and Resident Indigenous Pacific equity groups shall be through demonstration of ancestry in accordance with the University's Ancestry Verification Procedures for Māori and Pacific Students and any other criteria the Senate may determine. Criteria for inclusion in the Rural, Socioeconomic Equity and Refugee Background equity groups shall be established by the Academic Board of the Division of Health Sciences and approved by the Senate. Criteria approved by the Senate shall be published as part of the Guidelines.
   7. Every applicant
      1. must hold an undergraduate degree requiring at least three years of fulltime study; or hold a bachelor's honours degree; or hold a bachelor's degree followed by a postgraduate diploma; or hold a master's or doctoral degree;
      Note: Applicants must have achieved a grade average of B or better in the final two years of the qualifying degree (except for a doctoral degree or a master's degree that is not graded) on which the application is based.
      2. must have provided a current curriculum vitae and a statement of interest.
   8. An applicant may be required to attend an interview.
   9. Notwithstanding any of the above provisions, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Health Sciences) shall have discretion to approve a recommendation from the Committee concerning any applicant who, not having satisfied these regulations in a particular aspect, in the Committee's view warrants admission to the programme for exceptional reasons.
   10. Any applicant who
       1. is, or who has been, the subject of criminal charges; or
       2. is, or who has been, subject to disciplinary proceedings of a tertiary institution or professional body; or
       3. has been found to have an issue (whether in connection with their mental or physical health, or their professional attributes or conduct, or otherwise) that compromises or is likely to compromise their fitness to practise; or
       4. is found to have failed to declare a matter covered by 1((j)(i)-(iii);

   may be declined admission to the programme by the Committee on the recommendation of the Health and Conduct Review Group. Any offer of admission made before responses to medical tests or requests for information regarding an applicant's health status or past conduct have been received is conditional on the information received confirming the applicant's suitability for admission.

   11. The number of candidates to be admitted to the first year of the programme will be determined by the number of places available for clinical teaching.

2. Structure of the Programme

   1. Every programme of study shall satisfy the requirements set out in the MNSc Schedule.
   2. Candidates will not normally be permitted to enrol for any second year paper until all first year papers have been passed.
   3. Candidates will not normally be permitted to enrol for any paper unless they can meet the inherent requirements for that paper.

3. Credits

   With the approval of the Board of Studies, a candidate may be credited with up to 30 points for work previously satisfactorily completed for a relevant course of study. Any such credits will be dependent on the student being able to meet the clinical hour requirements of the Nursing Council of New Zealand.

4. Duration of the Programme

   1. The duration of the programme will normally be two years of full-time study.
   2. A candidate for the degree will be expected to meet the requirements for the degree within four years of admission to the programme.

5. Terms Requirements

   1. No candidate shall be eligible to sit a paper in a final examination without having gained terms in that paper.
   2. A candidate gains terms in a paper by satisfactorily demonstrating acquisition of sufficient knowledge and skills, by attendance at clinical practice and by performance in a professional manner of such practical work and other work as the Department of Nursing may require.
   3. A candidate who fails to gain terms in any paper will be required to repeat the whole of that paper.
   4. Terms granted in any paper shall normally be for that year only.

6. Examination of the Research Project

   1. The written report shall normally be assessed by two examiners, one internal to the Department of Nursing and one external.
   2. The candidate's supervisor shall not be an examiner but may make a report on the work of the candidate to the Head of the Department of Nursing.

7. Exclusion from the Programme

   1. A candidate who obtains a D grade in one or more papers in any year may be permitted to re-enrol in those papers. Normally no candidate shall be permitted to:
      1. re-enrol if papers worth more than half the points of the programme for that year have been failed;
      2. re-enrol in a clinical experience paper on more than one occasion;
      3. re-enrol in more than three clinical experience papers over the duration of the programme.
   2. Any student who, during the course of their studies, is
      1. subject to criminal charges; or
      2. subject to disciplinary proceedings of the University or of a professional body; or
      3. found to have an issue (whether in connection with their mental or physical health, or their professional attributes or conduct, or otherwise) that compromises or is likely to compromise their fitness to practise; or
      4. found to have failed to declare a matter covered by (b)(i)-(iii),
      may be excluded from further study towards the degree by the Academic Board of the Division of Health Sciences on the recommendation of the Department of Nursing Academic Committee.

8. Withdrawal from the Programme

   1. Temporary withdrawal from programme
      1. A student who wishes to withdraw from the programme on a temporary basis must obtain the prior approval of the Department of Nursing Academic Committee. Where temporary withdrawal is approved, re-admission to the programme remains subject to the approval of the Department of Nursing Academic Committee. Any application for such approval needs to be made no later than 1 June in the year prior to that for which readmission is sought.
      2. Applications for temporary withdrawal and for readmission will be determined by the Department of Nursing Academic Committee in accordance with the criteria and procedures set out in the Withdrawal and Readmission Guidelines.
   2. Permanent withdrawal from programme
      1. Students who withdraw permanently (including students who withdraw without prior approval and students who fail to communicate their intentions within 12 months of when they were last enrolled or for any other 12 month period) have no right to be considered for readmission.
      2. Despite the previous clause, the Department of Nursing Academic Committee may allow a student who has permanently withdrawn to submit a fresh application under the regulations governing admission to the programme. In considering whether to allow such an application to proceed, the Department of Nursing Academic Committee may have regard to all of the circumstances of the student's withdrawal. Where an application is allowed to be made, the Master of Nursing Science Admissions Committee may also have regard to those circumstances when considering the application.

9. Level of Award of the Degree

   The degree may be awarded with distinction or with credit.

10. Variations

    The Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Health Sciences) may in exceptional circumstances approve a course of study which does not comply with these regulations.