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Bachelor of Applied Science (Laboratory Science)

AT UCOL Manawatū (Palmerston North)
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Qualification

Level 7

Fees

NZD$26,000 + Student Services Levy $614 per year

Duration

3 years

Next intake

February and July

Points

180 Points - 11 courses

Applicants under the age of l20 years must have University Entrance, including 30 credits in NCEA Level 2 from Science, Biology or Chemistry OR equivalent academic achievement OR one a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the Executive Dean. Over the age of 20 are not required to meet any of the academic qualifications above but will be required to attend a conversation

Year 1 -Level 5 Fundamentals of laboratory science

Year 2 -Level 6 Work placement

  • 300 hours work experience arranged by the lecturer
  • In 2023, 92% of the graduates went into post graduate studies or laboratory work, many with their placement company
  • Positive feedback from our partner companies on our students’ practical skills

Employment

  • 120 hours research project working with researchers in industry
  • Collaborative industry projects in 2023 validated techniques that improved qPCR performance for clinical applications

Year 3 -Level 7 Industry research project (elective)

The occupations available for a Laboratory Technician in New Zealand are wide and varied. The range of tasks include:

  • Environmental and conservation (analysing water, soil, or air samples for pollutants, contaminants, or pathogens)
  • Food and beverage testing (examining food products for quality, safety, and adherence to standards)
  • Horticulture -monitoring the health of crops
  • Industrial testing (testing materials used in manufacturing processes (e.g. metals, plastics, and chemicals)
  • Research and development (assisting scientists by preparing and analysing samples)
  • Clinical Laboratory Science (conducting tests and analysingsamples in medical laboratories for diagnostic purposes. Some graduates have found employment in this field)

Course Hours & Duration

This programme runs for 41 weeks, including 7 holiday weeks each year.

Per week, your learning will include approximately:

Class Time

15-17 hrs

Lectures, tutorials and/or online recordings.

Timetable set by your lecturer.

Work Experience

3.5-9 hrs

Industry placement or project.

Study Time

20 hrs

Study in your own time. You can also choose to study part-time.

Talk to us about your options with this programme.

Career & Study Outcomes

Graduates will have the skills to be employed as measurement technicians, research technicians, field technicians, or education/laboratory technicians in:

  • Private and government-funded laboratories
  • Crown Research Institutes
  • Education institutes

To find out more about possible job prospects and salaries

Course Information

Note: As a business division of Te Pūkenga – New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology, UCOL is committed to providing the best learning outcome for you. As part of this, all programmes are currently being reviewed to make them portable, consistent, and closely aligned with the needs of the industry. When published, this course information is correct, but the courses offered may change over time. If you have any questions, call an enrollment advisor at 0800 468 265.

This programme consists of 360 credits.

Professional Skills in Science (15 Credits)

Learn to work effectively in an applied science setting with an understanding of workplace legislative requirements. The course will cover:

  • Employer and employee obligations under workplace legislation.
  • Professional communication skills include teamwork, workplace behaviour, ethics, and integrity.
  • The Treaty of Waitangi
  • Oral and written communication skills.
  • Competence in using software technologies with guidance.
  • Computerised inventory and reporting systems.
  • Hazardous chemical classification, handling & storage.

Bioscience in Industry 1 (15 Credits)

Acquire the practical skills and theoretical knowledge in microbiology required to practise safely in a laboratory or industry setting. The course will cover:

  • Traditional and molecular microbiology methods for food and environmental quality.
  • Food, water quality and industrial microbes of interest.

Sterilisation and disinfection.

Biostatistics I (15 Credits)

Learn to make sense of numbers, graphs and fundamental statistical concepts; and to use, interpret and report them in a meaningful way in business practice. This course also provides a foundation for further study, research and project management requiring an analytical approach. The course will cover:

  • Data analysis
  • Probability
  • Population sampling and sampling distributions
  • Estimation
  • Inference, hypothesis testing
  • Simple regression analysis
  • Correlation of data
  • Communicating data
  • Computer software analysis
  • Summarising and interpreting data

Quality Assurance (15 Credits)

Learn to understand organisational techniques for establishing, maintaining and improving quality and business sustainability. The course will cover:

  • Quality terminology.
  • Quality management systems (including ISO 9001 and ISO 17025 and HACCP).
  • Leadership for quality.
  • Purchasing of consumables and capital items to support quality assurance.
  • The role of audit and review.

Chemistry for Applied Science (15 Credits)

Learn the skills and knowledge required: to work safely in a chemical laboratory; to be able to read and interpret chemical equations, use stoichiometry and chemical equilibria to evaluate and explain chemical observations; and have an elementary knowledge of the behaviours of acids, bases and salts in solution and carry out volumetric analyses. The course will cover:

  • The periodic table, atomic structure and properties of elements.
  • Structure, properties and bonding of chemical compounds.
  • Chemical formulae and chemical equations.
  • Redox chemistry, balancing redox reactions and redox titrations.
  • Acid-base equilibria including buffer behaviour and pH.
  • Calculations related to chemical analysis.
  • Laboratory safety

industrial Biomolecules (15 Credits)

Learn to apply knowledge of the structures and properties of biomolecules to their extraction and associated product quality requirements. The course will cover:

  • Functional groups, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids
  • Manufacturing processes including extraction and purification
  • Bioreactors
  • Logic structure of process controllers
  • Food and non-food products
  • Soxhlet fat extraction

Practical Skills (15 Credits)

lLearn to safely carry out a range of generic laboratory or workplace tasks appropriately and, where applicable, accurately. Become familiar with calibrating, maintaining and using laboratory glassware, balances, pH meters and analytical equipment. The course will cover:

  • Autopipetting.
  • Calibrate and maintain and calibrate generic equipment (Burettes, pipettes, balance, pH meter and pH electrode, viscometer, refractometer and pycnometer)
  • Perform quantitative spectrophotometric analysis, produce a standard curve, and interpret spectrophotometric data.
  • Gravimetric technique of analysis for a metal or an anion

The Chemical Basis of Biology and Separation Science (15 Credits)

Develop an understanding of chemical processes in biological systems and industrial applications. Learn to: employ solvent extraction and distillation as techniques to isolate and separate organic compounds from each other from a given mixture; and analyse chemical compounds using techniques involving extraction methods, distillation, and chromatography (thin layer and column). Be introduced to elementary thermodynamics and kinetics experiments and calculations.

The course will cover:

  • Introductory thermodynamic concepts and the thermodynamic laws.
  • High energy biomolecules, phosphoric acid anhydrides and ATP as an intermediate shuttle molecule. Energetics involving ATP recycling in the human body
  • Reaction orders, radioactive decay law and reaction rates
  • Fundamentals of enzyme kinetics, Michaelis Menton kinetics
  • Kinetics experiments
  • Thin layer and paper chromatography. Column chromatography (Size exclusion and ion exchange)

Bioscience in Industry 2 (15 Credits

Acquire the practical skills and theoretical knowledge in life sciences required to practise safely in a laboratory or industry setting. The course will cover:

  • Microbial degradation and bioremediation.
  • Sampling, isolation, identification and enumeration of food-borne pathogens. HACCP plans and Food Safety Programmes.
  • Water microbiology sampling

Environmental Quality Assessment (15 Credits)

Learn to take a process-based approach to environmental quality and its assessment and carry out and perform industrially used and other water quality laboratory tests. The course will cover:

  • Bi-cultural perspectives on environmental quality and degradation
  • The environment and the Treaty of Waitangi
  • Water chemistry sampling and analysis for nutrients and major components.
  • Water quality measure (industrial, natural and polluted waters – BOD, COD and water hardness).
  • Interplay between nutrient status and chemistry in aquatic systems.
  • Aquifer structure and water quality

Biostatistics II (15 Credits)

Learn to collect data, to interpret the results using statistical analysis, to display the results, and to make informed recommendations. The course will cover:

  • Professional statistics software
  • Transform continuous data using statistical methods
  • Data analysis using ANOVA
  • Data analysis using regression and correlation
  • Data display
  • Biostatistical data interpretation

Laboratory Instrumental Analytical Techniques (15 Credits)

Learn to analyse chemical elements and compounds employing commonly used instrumental and analytical methods. The course will cover:

  • Flame atomic absorption methods of analysis, FAAS, and UV/Visible spectroscopy
  • Infrared spectroscopy
  • UV/Visible and fluorescence spectroscopy
  • Gas Chromatography, instrumentation and GC analysis
  • Ion Exchange, Column and Size exclusion chromatography, High-pressure Liquid chromatography (HPLC)

Advanced Culture Techniques (15 Credits)

To prepare and perform advanced laboratory techniques and investigate epidemiology. The course will cover:

  • Cultural perspectives on the use of biological tissues
  • Virus enumeration
  • Pathogen detection
  • Tissue culture
  • Epidemiology
  • Koch’s postulates
  • Specialised media

Applied Science Investigation (15 Credits)

Learn to undertake an applied science investigation and evaluate the data. The course will cover:

  • Characteristics of the applied science literature
  • Research design
  • Data collection and analysis
  • Evaluation and synthesis of information
  • Cultural, ethical and legal requirements
  • Use of specialised and generic software
  • Research presentation

Work Placement (30 Credits)

Actively engage in an applied science workplace, and critically reflect on their experience. The course will cover:

  • Supervised work experience in an appropriate applied science workplace
  • Professional expectations
  • Interpersonal communication skills
  • Development of reflective skills
  • Mid-placement feedback
  • Post-placement debriefing

Research Methods (15 Credits)

Gain an understanding of the research process and ethical/cultural considerations of research, the ability to undertake a critical analysis of research, and the ability to communicate scientific research findings. The course will cover:

  • Types of research methodology & design (Fundamental/applied, qualitative – phenomenological, narrative, case-study, quantitative – descriptive survey, causal correlational, experimental)
  • Scientific Methodology
  • Ethical and Cultural Considerations of Research
  • Te Tiriti o Waitangi and partnership in research (kaupapa Māori, Māori centric, Māori relevant)
  • The intersection of Mātauranga Māori with Science
  • Method and Equipment Selection
  • Understanding of reported statistics (including reliability and repeatability of data and statistical significance)
  • Literature searching and critiquing
  • Research Communication

Biological Tissue Analysis (15 Credits)

Gain advanced technical skills in the collection and analysis of biological tissues with emphasis on tissue and laboratory testing conditions, factors that influence results, and an understanding of recent advancements in biological testing. The course will cover:

  • Organ systems and the immune system
  • Biochemical analysis of mammalian and plant tissues
  • Cultural safety of tissue sampling and testing
  • Chemical analysis of biological waste products
  • Research collaboration
  • Statistical analysis

Advanced Spectroscopic and Electroanalytical Techniques (15 Credits)

Gain a range of laboratory skills and knowledge of chemistry in advanced topics and be introduced to new concepts in chemical spectroscopic and chromatographic analysis.

The course will cover:

  • NMR and ESR techniques
  • Liquid chromatography
  • Gas chromatography
  • Flame atomic spectroscopy
  • UV, visible, infrared and near infrared spectroscopy
  • Mass spectrometry, ICP-MS and GC-MS

Advanced Molecular Techniques (15 Credits)

Gain advanced knowledge and practical skills related to Molecular Biology techniques and analysis, including problem solving, critical thinking skills and an awareness of new technologies in this field. The course will cover:

  • Gene transfer techniques, cloning and gene editing
  • Gene structure, expression and regulation
  • Advanced Molecular Biology techniques
  • Communicate knowledge of molecular biology techniques

Biodiversity for microbial populations

Bioscience in Industry 3 (15 Credits)

Gain advanced knowledge of the microbiology of food and environmental testing including a selection of test methods, validation of test methods, problem-solving and critical thinking skills. The course will cover:

  • Bi-cultural perspectives on water and food quality assessment
  • Technical Validation
  • Method and Equipment Selection
  • Reliability and repeatability of data
  • Critically reviewing techniques
  • Tests performed in a professional timeframe

Laboratory Management (15 Credits)

Learn the skills to manage situations in the laboratory relating to Health and Safety, risk and hazard analysis, quality assurance and inventory management, hazardous substances and audits within a quality standard and legislative compliance setting.

The course will cover:

  • Risk/Hazard Analysis
  • Quality assurance
  • Management of staff and human resources
  • Application of quality systems- IANZ, MPI, ISO 17075, AS/NZS 2243:2010
  • Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 and relevant regulations
  • Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 and amendment acts.
  • Resource Management Act 1991

Elective 1
Industry Project/ Internship (30 Credits)

Learn to carry out a significant project/internship related to your area of study for a specific organisation and apply theoretical learning and self-reflections to workplace situations. You will arrange your project with an industry provider/employer. The course will cover:

  • Industry placement/project
  • Research – creation of a research brief
  • Research – data collection, analysis and reporting

Elective 2
Laboratory Project (30 Credits)

Apply your knowledge and practical skills in the area of both laboratory practice and research to an investigation in your chosen field/topic. The course will cover:

  • Industry relevant project
  • Research – creation of a research brief
  • Research – data collection, analysis and report

Related programmes

Industry Connections

  • Fonterra
  • Ag Research
  • NZ Pharmaceuticals
  • Gribbles

Learning Facilities

  • Fully resourced science labs including laboratory equipment and materials for biology, microbiology, chemistry and molecular biology and PC laboratories.

Domestic Entry Requirements

Under 20 years of age applicants:

Applicants under the age of 20 years must have University Entrance, including 30 credits at NCEA Level 2 from Science, Biology or Chemistry.

OR

Equivalent academic achievement

OR

On a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the Executive Dean

OR

Provisional enrolment*

OR

In accordance with Section 2.7.

*Provisional enrolment is defined by NZQA as being Discretionary Entrance and includes the following clauses:

  • Are New Zealand or Australian citizens and permanent residents under 20 years of age
  • Must have a minimum of 14 credits in an approved subject at Level 2 towards NCEA
  • Must also have met the literacy and numeracy standards required for University Entrance

 

Applicants 20 years of age or over:

Applicants aged 20 years or over before the first day of the programme who don’t meet the academic qualifications outlined above must attend a conversation with the Academic Portfolio Manager (as set out in the Advice and Guidance section).

For more information about NCEA Credits see the UCOL Te Pūkenga NCEA explained page.

International Entry Requirements

In addition to the Domestic Entry Requirements, the following applies to international learner applicants.

Academic entry criteria

At least two academic subjects with a score of 60% or more, and background in at least two science subjects.

English language proficiency

International learner applicants whose first language is not English must have an IELTS Academic score of 6.0 with no band score lower than 5.5 (or equivalent including TOEFL). IELTS scores used must be taken from a single IELTS Test Report Form (i.e. combining scores from more than one test is not permissible).

Under 20 years of age

In addition to this, international applicants under 20 years of age must have NCEA equivalency.

Advice & Guidance

To maximise the chance of success, applicants who:

  • do not meet the entry requirements, or
  • have not included science or mathematics in their University Entrance subjects, or
  • are over the age of 20 years without a sound foundation in the sciences, will be encouraged to undertake the New Zealand Certificate in Study and Career Preparation L4.

Learners may be asked to attend a conversation with the Programme Leader. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss their career goals, reasons for study, choice of study, possible challenges, and the support that is available for them at UCOL.

This programme includes several weeks of work-based learning experiences in the second and third year. To ensure this work experience is of maximum benefit to the student some placements may be outside UCOL’s Te Pūkenga region. The student will be required to meet travel and/or accommodation costs related to this experience.

Learners need to be aware of the requirements of working in an industry laboratory with a particular emphasis on risk management and health and safety, and should discuss with the Programme Leader any allergies or particular health issues they may experience so that strategies for managing these conditions can be developed.

The availability of a particular elective course is subject to a viable number of learners enrolling in that course.

Recognition of prior learning

Applications for Recognition of Prior Learning, including Cross Credit, Credit Transfer and Assessment of Prior Learning may be made on the Recognition of Prior Learning Form where a student believes all learning outcomes for a course have already been met. Applications will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the UCOL Te Pūkenga Academic Statute and other relevant policies and procedures.

Application checklist

It will make the process easier if you prepare the following before you apply:

  • National Student Number (NSN) (If you don’t have a NSN, you may request one from NZQA, or you can supply a verified copy of your birth certificate, passport or Whakapapa statement.)
  • Evidence of your highest level of academic achievement (and evidence of prior learning, if applicable)
  • Evidence that you meet the entry requirements of the programme
  • Check if you’re eligible for additional support or a scholarship. If you’re 19 years or younger, you may be eligible to enrol in one of our free Youth Transition programmes.

Note that you will need to provide any verified documents in person, via post or email (not via the online application form).

Blended delivery

This programme is offered on a blended delivery approach, a unique combination of online and face-to-face learning. Learners are advised to get a PC or a laptop and an internet connection. Please consult the programme leader about the PC or laptop specifications.

Additional Costs

Please note that there are additional costs associated with the Bachelor of Applied Science (Laboratory Science) (Level 7) of approximately $195.00+:

Uniform

  • Covered footwear: $15+
  • Hair net or hair ties, if you have long hair: $10

Stationery

  • Scientific calculator: $34-130
  • Stationery (pens, pencils, ruler, paper etc): $30

Accreditation

The programme is approved by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority under the provisions of the Education and Training Act 2020, and Universal College of Learning, a business division of Te Pūkenga is accredited to teach it.

Quick Info

Level: 7

Locations: UCOL Manawatū in Palmerston North

Duration: 3 years full-time (41 weeks each year)

Part time option available.

(See Course Hours & Duration for details)

Dates:

Yr1, Yr2, Yr3: 26 Feb 2024 – 29 Nov 2024

Mid-year intakes:

Yr1, Yr2, Yr3: 22 Jul 2024 – 27 Jun 2025

2025 Dates:

Yr1, Yr2, Yr3: 24 Feb 2025 – 28 Nov 2025

Mid-year intakes:

Yr1, Yr2, Yr3: 14 Jul 2025 – 19 Jun 2026

Domestic Fees: *

2025 fees TBC

Scholarship info

Find out if you’re eligible for fees-free study

International Fees:*

2025 fees TBC

Additional Fees

Compulsory course costs may apply.

* Fees are indicative only, and are inclusive of the student services levy and GST (goods and services tax). The fee shown is for one year of study.

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