How to Apply to Life Sciences and Medical Degrees at Flinders University: Medical Science, Science (Biotechnology, Marine Biology and More), Health Sciences, Nursing and the Six-Year Clinical Sciences to Doctor of Medicine Pathway, for Australian Applicants, International Students (Including Chinese Applicants) and Transfer Students

Flinders University is based in Adelaide, South Australia, and medicine, nursing and health sciences and science are among its main areas. Here is what you need to know for 2027 entry, based on Flinders’ official information, in four parts: Australian applicants, international students, students at high schools in China and transfer students. Biomedical engineering is only mentioned in passing: it is not covered on the pages used for this guide, so see the engineering pages.

1. The degrees

• Bachelor of Medical Science: three years full-time, international CRICOS code 028940C, March and July starts, Bedford Park, SATAC code 214421. First year covers Histology, Biology, Chemistry and Physiology plus two option topics; second year includes Skills for Medical Scientists, Human Physiology and Biochemistry; third year focuses on your major and includes a professional placement. Majors are Medical Studies, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Molecular Medicine, Health and Medical Research, and Physiology, Neuroscience and Anatomy. There is a 2.5-year accelerated version (it requires Stage 2 Chemistry; SATAC 244651, shown as a CSP place, so whether international students can take it is not stated on the course page and you should ask Flinders) and an Honours year. Flinders calls Medical Science one of the best graduate pathways into the Doctor of Medicine (MD) and says completing the degree gives eligibility for a reserved sub-quota into the Flinders MD; whether that applies to international students is not published.
• Bachelor of Science: three years, CRICOS 055237B, March and July starts, Bedford Park. The common first year has Molecular Basis of Life, Chemistry, Mathematics, Communicating STEM and Coding for Science plus three option topics (for example Biological Diversity, Biostatistics, Earth and Environmental Sciences and Physics). In years 2 and 3 you choose a major and minors; majors include Molecular Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics, Sustainability and Wireless Systems Security (the Nuclear Engineering major is for Australian citizens only), and life-science minors include Animal Behaviour, Aquaculture, Biodiversity and Conservation, Biotechnology, Coasts and Oceans, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Plant Science and Palaeontology. The Chemistry major is accredited by the Royal Australian Chemical Institute.
• Specialised science degrees: the international Science page also lists the Bachelor of Science (Biotechnology) (CRICOS 074771M), the Bachelor of Science (Marine Biology) (CRICOS 033068G), Animal Behaviour, Biodiversity and Conservation, Environmental Science, Forensic and Analytical Science and Palaeontology, all three years, at Bedford Park, with March and July starts. The Molecular Biology major page says that major sits inside the Bachelor of Science and has a three-plus-one-year Honours pathway version.
• Bachelor of Health Sciences: three years, CRICOS 020920E, Bedford Park and the City campus, SATAC 244351 (Bedford Park) and 284371 (City). First year has five core topics plus three options; afterwards you can specialise in Digital Health, Health and Biomedical Sciences or Therapy Studies, or take a health major with two minors. Flinders describes careers that do not involve needles or operating rooms, such as health program coordinator or research officer, and allied-health careers such as occupational therapy and physiotherapy.
• Bachelor of Nursing (Preregistration): three years, CRICOS 005195K, March and July starts; the international page gives the campuses as Bedford Park and the City campus (domestic students also have Riverland and an online option). Professional placements run through the degree. Flinders says it is accredited by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council until 23 July 2030 and approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, and graduates are eligible to apply for registration as a registered nurse; use of the City campus teaching laboratories is noted as pending accreditation approval. The course page states that overseas exchange is not available for this degree. Flinders also lists a Bachelor of Midwifery (Preregistration) and a graduate-entry Bachelor of Nursing, which are not covered here.
• Bachelor of Clinical Sciences / Doctor of Medicine (the Medicine pathway): six years full-time, listed for international students; the page says this pathway is open to school leavers only. It has its own section below.
• Other degrees: the international Medicine page also lists the Bachelor of Public Health, the Bachelor of Paramedicine and the Bachelor of Medical Science (Laboratory Medicine), and the Health Sciences page lists Exercise and Sport Science, Human Nutrition, Nutrition and Dietetics, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy and Speech Pathology among others. Their entry conditions are not given on the pages used for this guide, so see each course page; the English requirement for some of them is above 6.0.

2. Prerequisites

• The course pages for Medical Science, Science (including Biotechnology and Marine Biology), Health Sciences and Nursing (Preregistration) all list no prerequisites and no assumed knowledge. Flinders does not require school biology or chemistry; what the first-year chemistry and biology topics expect from school is not published, so ask Flinders.
• The accelerated Medical Science degree requires Stage 2 Chemistry (see above). The Medicine pathway page also lists no prerequisites, but admission uses several criteria (see below).

3. Australian applicants

• Guaranteed Entry ATAR (course pages): 70 for Medical Science (STAT 150, GPA 5.0, TAFE/VET Diploma or above); 65 for Science (STAT 150, GPA 4.0); 70 for Science (Biotechnology) (STAT 165, GPA 4.5); 75 for Science (Marine Biology) (STAT 165, GPA 4.5); 70 for Health Sciences (STAT 150, GPA 4.5, Diploma or above); and 70 for Nursing at Bedford Park and Riverland (STAT 150, GPA 4.5; the City campus ATAR shows N/A, and the STAT, GPA and TAFE/VET options also apply to City). The Molecular Biology Honours pathway version is 80 (STAT 165, GPA 5.0).
• How to apply: through the South Australian Tertiary Admissions Centre (SATAC); each course page gives its SATAC code. Flinders also accepts applications on STAT results, earlier higher education or TAFE/VET study and adult entry, and the course pages invite applicants without an ATAR to talk to Flinders about other routes.
• 2027 Commonwealth Supported Place fees (a year): Medical Science AUD 11,916; Biotechnology and Marine Biology AUD 10,898 each; Health Sciences AUD 9,880; Nursing AUD 4,908; the Medicine pathway AUD 11,916. The Bachelor of Science course page leaves its fee blank; not published on the pages used for this guide.
• Medicine pathway (domestic entry): applicants must have completed Year 12 or equivalent with no higher-education study record and sit UCAT ANZ (registration opens in March each year); the final rank combines 90% Year 12 results and 10% test score, and no interview is required. For ATAR-based offers in Semester 1, 2026 the highest was 99.95, the median 99.45 and the lowest 93.90. Rural and remote and Indigenous sub-quotas exist, with their own eligibility conditions.
• The 2027 domestic closing date is not listed on the course pages; not published, so see SATAC and Flinders’ key dates.

4. International students

• Minimum entry: see the next section; the minimum is comparable to ATAR 60 and some courses need more. The course pages do not give separate entry scores for international applicants; not published, so ask Flinders rather than copying the domestic ATAR.
• English: for most undergraduate courses (the table’s “all undergraduate courses except those specified”), Flinders asks for IELTS Academic 6.0 overall with 6.0 in speaking and writing. Other tests: TOEFL iBT 72 (18 speaking, 18 writing; choose “Taking TOEFL for Australia” when you register), PTE Academic 50 overall with 50 in speaking and writing, Cambridge C1 Advanced B2 overall with 300 in speaking and writing, Duolingo 105 (110 speaking and writing) and LanguageCert Academic 61 (70 speaking, 64 writing). Some programs ask for more (see the courses below). If you fall short, you can study English at Flinders University Academy or an approved ELICOS provider, or use an approved secondary or tertiary qualification taught in English in a country where English is the official or main language, no more than five years old (counted up to an overall IELTS of 6.5). Flinders also says IELTS One Skill Retake is accepted.
• Course-specific English: Medical Science, Science (including Biotechnology and Marine Biology) and Health Sciences list IELTS 6.0 with 6.0 in speaking and writing and Pearson 50. Nursing (Preregistration) lists IELTS 7.0 overall (6.5 writing; 7.0 speaking, listening and reading) and Pearson 63, accepts IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, Cambridge, PTE Academic or OET, and also allows evidence of at least six years of primary and secondary schooling taught only in English in Australia, New Zealand, the USA, Canada, Ireland or the UK (including at least two years between Years 7 and 12). Duolingo and LanguageCert Academic are not accepted from 2026 for Nursing, Medicine, Midwifery, Occupational Therapy, Optometry, Physiotherapy, Paramedicine and Psychology courses. The Medicine pathway lists IELTS 7.0 in every band and Pearson 65.
• Start and length: Medical Science, Science, Health Sciences and Nursing start in March and July, run three years full-time, and part-time study is not available to international students; the Medicine pathway runs six years and its start-month field shows February and March in two columns that the page does not clearly label (ask Flinders which applies to international students). Except for Nursing, the course pages list overseas exchange and practical experience as available.
• Fees: the course pages show 2026 figures: AUD 43,500 a year for Medical Science and Science (including Biotechnology and Marine Biology), AUD 46,700 for Health Sciences and AUD 44,300 for Nursing. The 2027 international commencing tuition fee schedule (updated August 2026) lists AUD 45,600 for the Bachelor of Medical Science (the accelerated, Honours and Laboratory Medicine versions are the same) and for the Bachelor of Science including Biotechnology and Marine Biology, AUD 49,000 for Health Sciences, AUD 46,500 for Nursing (Preregistration), AUD 48,300 for Human Nutrition, AUD 39,200 for Public Health, AUD 44,700 for Paramedicine and AUD 54,900 for the Clinical Sciences / Doctor of Medicine (starred: this is the undergraduate commencing fee, and the postgraduate component is charged at the corresponding postgraduate fee adjusted for annual increases). The schedule does not say whether figures are per year or per semester, while the course pages call fees annual indicative fees; ask Flinders. Flinders does not explain the difference between the course-page and schedule figures.
• How to apply: you can apply online yourself or through a Flinders registered agent. Flinders publishes a list of countries whose citizens must apply through a registered agent when applying from outside Australia (grouped as Africa, Caribbean, Europe, Middle East, South America and South Asia); China is not on the list. You upload certified copies of all academic documents (electronic academic documents must be certified, and some countries’ passports too) as PDF, JPEG, TIF or GIF, and Flinders emails a confirmation containing your application number. Flinders warns that some courses have limited places and may close without notice. The application fee and course-by-course closing dates are not given on the pages used for this guide; check the website and the course page.
• Scholarships (the scholarships page carries 2026 intake entries and lists the Semester 1, 2027 deadline as “to be confirmed”, so check the website): the Vice-Chancellor Excellence Scholarship takes 50% off tuition for the duration of the course, needs an equivalent ATAR of 95 or above at undergraduate level, is competitive, asks shortlisted applicants for a video and requires recipients to join the International Ambassador Program; the Global Excellence Scholarship takes 30% off (ATAR or equivalent 80.00 or above, or 80 or more in the Academy’s International Foundation Studies Program); the Global Scholarship takes 25% off (ATAR or equivalent 70.00 to 79.95 and 5 points above the course’s minimum entry score, or 70 to 79 in the foundation program and 5 points above the minimum); and the Kickstart Scholarship takes 20% off for new full-fee international students (not available if you transfer in with more than one third of the course in credit). Flinders states that the Global, Global Excellence and Kickstart scholarships exclude courses such as the Bachelor of Clinical Science/Doctor of Medicine.

The Medicine pathway for international students

• The international Medicine page and the course page list this degree; the international column shows tuition of AUD 54,900 and IELTS 7.0 in every band. The page says the pathway is open to school leavers only: applicants competing on SACE Stage 2, the International Baccalaureate or an interstate or overseas equivalent with no higher-education study record (a bachelor’s degree from TAFE or a registered training organisation also counts as a record; Year 12 students who take a Flinders extension studies topic can still apply).
• The entry requirements say: complete Year 12 or equivalent, sit UCAT ANZ, rank on 90% Year 12 results and 10% test score, and no interview. How UCAT ANZ applies to international applicants (whether it is compulsory, where to sit it, whether there are international places) is not published on the pages used for this guide; ask Flinders. The student profile table says 73 students started in Semester 1, 2026, of whom 38 (52%) were international students, including international students already studying in Australia.
• CRICOS codes: the course page gives 121289E for the Bachelor of Clinical Sciences and 077675J for the MD, while the fee schedule gives a combined code 080922F; the two disagree, so rely on your offer.
• Flinders says its MD is accredited by the Australian Medical Council and graduates are eligible for provisional registration with the Medical Board of Australia after a year as a hospital intern, with South Australian internships managed by South Australian Medical Education and Training. Whether international graduates can obtain internship places or registration is not published.
• The first two years cover Molecular Basis of Life, chemistry, human physiology and structure, genetics, immunology, biochemistry and psychology; you start the MD in year 3 while completing the bachelor’s degree, with clinical and industry placements in years 5 and 6. Flinders states that the Global, Global Excellence and Kickstart scholarships do not apply to this degree.

5. Students at high schools in China

• How the Gaokao is used: Flinders recognises international secondary qualifications for direct undergraduate entry; the minimum is comparable to ATAR 60 and some courses need more. The undergraduate entry requirements page has a conversion table from the Gaokao percentage to ATAR: a Gaokao of 55% equals ATAR 60, 59% equals 65, 60% equals 70, 63% equals 75, 65% equals 80, 70% equals 85, 75% equals 90 and 80% equals 95. The same table lists A-Level, IB and SAT equivalents (at ATAR 80: A-Level 9, IB 28, SAT 1260; at ATAR 70: A-Level 7, IB 25, SAT 1100). The page does not explain how the Gaokao “percentage” is calculated (total score or a conversion, given different provincial maximums); not published, so ask Flinders.
• Chinese school documents: Flinders asks for certified transcripts and qualifications to be uploaded, but the pages used here give no separate instructions on Chinese transcripts, the Huikao or credential-verification bodies (such as CHSI), and no interview requirement is stated; ask Flinders. Flinders also runs a China website (china.flinders.edu.au), whose content is not given on the pages used for this guide, so check it for notes aimed at applicants from China.
• Agents: China is not on the list of countries that must apply through a registered agent, so you may apply directly or through an agent.
• If you do not meet direct entry: Flinders University Academy offers diplomas, foundation and English programs that Flinders describes as a direct pathway into the destination degree; the entry conditions of those programs are not given on the pages used for this guide.
• What these degrees need: the international course pages do not say which ATAR equivalent applies, so do not assume that a Gaokao of 65% (ATAR 80) or the domestic ATAR 65 to 75 is the requirement. The Medicine pathway uses several criteria, and how a Gaokao result is converted for it is not published; ask Flinders.
• Prerequisite subjects: the course pages list none; the English requirements for Nursing and Medicine are above.

6. Transfer and credit

• Credit: study at another university, TAFE or registered training provider may count towards a Flinders degree. Flinders says credit is assessed separately from admission, so you must still meet the course’s entry requirements; say in your application that you want credit assessed and provide an official transcript (original, certified copy or shared through My eQuals), subject outlines and learning outcomes from the time you studied, course structure information, a grading key and translations of any non-English documents. China is among the countries in the credit-transfer search.
• Minimum credit for TAFE/VET qualifications: Certificate IV 4.5 units (one topic), Diploma 9 units, Advanced Diploma and Associate Degree 13.5 units, with up to 36 units towards a three-year degree for Diploma holders or above; the minimum may not apply to degrees that must meet professional or registration body requirements. These figures are indicative and subject to assessment.
• Types of credit: Flinders describes specified credit (a direct match to a Flinders topic), unspecified credit (counts towards electives) and block credit; the type is explained in your outcome letter. How much you would receive depends on your earlier courses and is not published.
• Effect on scholarships: the Kickstart Scholarship is not available if you transfer in with more than one third of the course total in credit.
• Domestic transfer: the Medical Science page lists a reference GPA of 5.0 and the Science, Biotechnology, Marine Biology, Health Sciences and Nursing pages 4.0 to 4.5; the exact GPA threshold for transferring in and any chemistry or biology sequence required are not published, nor is how credit interacts with nursing registration standards.
• Internal routes: the Medical Science page’s “Pathway options” list Health Sciences, Science and the Diploma in Health Sciences as routes into the degree; whether places are limited is not published.

Checklist

Australian applicants:

• Guaranteed Entry ATAR 65 to 75 depending on the degree (Nursing 70); the Medicine pathway needs UCAT ANZ, with 90% weight on Year 12 results
• Apply through SATAC; most prerequisites are listed as none

International students:

• Comparable to ATAR 60 at minimum; ask Flinders for each degree’s score; IELTS 6.0 for most degrees, 7.0 for Nursing, 7.0 in every band for the Medicine pathway
• 2027 commencing fee schedule: Medical Science AUD 45,600, Nursing AUD 46,500, Medicine pathway AUD 54,900; Flinders states the Global, Global Excellence and Kickstart scholarships do not apply to the Medicine pathway

Students at high schools in China:

• Gaokao 65% is the table’s equivalent of ATAR 80 and 55% of ATAR 60; you may apply directly or through an agent

Transfer students:

• Ask for a credit assessment in your application with subject outlines; more than one third of the course in credit rules out the Kickstart Scholarship

Sources: Flinders University, Medicine for international students; Science for international students; Health sciences for international students; Nursing for international students; Bachelor of Medical Science; Bachelor of Clinical Sciences / Doctor of Medicine; Bachelor of Science; Bachelor of Science (Biotechnology); Bachelor of Science (Marine Biology); Major in Molecular Biology; Bachelor of Health Sciences; Bachelor of Nursing (Preregistration); Undergraduate entry requirements; English language requirements; How to apply; Countries requiring a registered agent; International academic scholarships; 2027 international commencing tuition fee schedule; Credit transfer. International tuition follows the 2027 commencing fee schedule (updated August 2026), while most course pages still show 2026 figures; domestic fees are for 2027 and the scholarships page is labelled 2026 intake. Check Flinders for the latest details.