Bachelor of Health Science - Medical Imaging in New Zealand
A sought-after healthcare career with strong PR pathway options.
What you study
A Bachelor of Health Science in Medical Imaging trains you to produce and assess diagnostic images. You study anatomy, physiology, radiation physics and safety, patient care, and the imaging methods themselves: X-ray, CT, MRI and ultrasound. Clinical placement in hospital imaging departments runs through the degree rather than sitting at the end. The programme is built around the standards the New Zealand Medical Radiation Technologists Board sets for registration.
The Bachelor of Health Science - Medical Imaging is a Level 7 Healthcare qualification we help international students apply for at accredited New Zealand institutions.
Does the Bachelor of Health Science - Medical Imaging lead to residence in New Zealand?
Working here after you graduate
This is a degree at Level 7, so graduates can apply for a post-study work visa of up to three years and work in any job, anywhere in New Zealand. Immigration New Zealand only restricts what you may work in for non-degree qualifications at Level 7 and below, which does not apply here.
Points towards residence
The Skilled Migrant Category is a threshold of six points, not a score to maximise: once you reach six, more points earn nothing. A New Zealand bachelor's degree is worth 5 points, so one year of skilled work in New Zealand takes you to the 6 needed.
A qualification earned in New Zealand is worth more than the same level earned overseas, which is one of the few concrete advantages of studying here rather than at home.
The Green List
Graduates in this field commonly work in these roles, which are on Immigration New Zealand's Green List:
- Medical Imaging Technologist Tier 1, Straight to Residence
This role is regulated, so you also need registration with the New Zealand Medical Radiation Technologists Board before you can work in it.
The Board decides which qualifications it accepts for registration, and registration is required before you can work in the role. Confirm your chosen programme is one it recognises before you enrol.
Our study to residence pathways page sets out how the post-study work visa, the Green List and the Skilled Migrant Category fit together.
Who can advise you on this. Student NZ is an education advisory service. Joy helps you choose the course and the institution, and helps you prepare a student visa application. Advice about your own residence prospects has to come from a licensed immigration adviser, so we connect you to ProVisas' IAA-licensed advisers (Licence 201301110) for that part.
Green List roles are from Immigration New Zealand's list effective 23 March 2026; points are from its Skilled Migrant Category rules. Checked 17 September 2026. Immigration rules change, so confirm against the Green List and the Skilled Migrant Category before making a decision.
Where graduates work
Graduates work as medical imaging technologists in public hospitals and private radiology practices throughout New Zealand. Medical Imaging Technologist is a Tier 1 Green List occupation, which is the straight to residence tier. Registration with the Medical Radiation Technologists Board comes first: without it you cannot work in the role, so it is the gate on both the job and the residence pathway.
Questions about the Bachelor of Health Science - Medical Imaging
Can I specialise in MRI or ultrasound?
Usually after you register and start working, rather than during the degree. The bachelor's degree covers the main imaging methods and qualifies you for general practice. Advanced practice in MRI, CT or ultrasound is normally a postgraduate qualification taken alongside employment.
Do I have to register with the Board?
Yes. Medical imaging is a regulated profession in New Zealand and the Medical Radiation Technologists Board decides who may practise. It also decides which qualifications it accepts, so confirm that your chosen programme is one it recognises before you enrol rather than after you graduate.
How long is the degree?
A Level 7 bachelor's degree in this field is normally three years full time, including the clinical placement the Board requires. Graduates can then apply for a post-study work visa of up to three years.
Other qualifications to compare
The level a qualification sits at decides what you can apply for once you finish, so it is worth comparing a few before you enrol.
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