Taking into consideration the rapid development of biomedical sciences, it is very important to build a strong scientific foundation for future physicians during their pre-medicine years that will reduce the time necessary for teaching and reviewing knowledge of fundamental science during medical school years, and allow students to spend more time to learn complex and more recently discovered scientific findings. Premedical students should have a solid knowledge of basic biomedical sciences and understand their relation to the physical sciences and mathematics. In addition, considering the importance of human contact to be a good physician, it is crucial that premedical students have knowledge in the area of humanities and social sciences.

A student will have the opportunity to progress to our MD program without MCAT. However, acceptance to and completion of the Bachelor of Medical Sciences (Pre-Medicine) program does not guarantee progression to the MD program. The MD Progression Committee, established at NU SOM, will decide if a student progresses based on the following criteria: an interview with the MD Progression Committee, GPA of 3.0 or above, professional behavior during the program, extracurricular activities, recommendation letters, additional documents requested by the MD Progression Committee.

In the first two years, the Medical Sciences program utilizes the undergraduate core curriculum with courses in various areas of natural sciences, humanities, and social sciences to broaden academic experience and to help students develop the knowledge, skills, and attributes needed for successful completion of the program. In the first half of the third year, students will take courses in the area of biomedical sciences to prepare them for the advanced courses to be taken in their fourth year of study. In addition, the second half of the third year will be dedicated to a capstone project that will help students develop their research skills by designing a research study in the area of biomedical sciences, conducting experiments, and collecting, interpreting, statistically analyzing, and presenting the obtained data. The fourth year will be dedicated to more advanced courses that are taught in the first year of medical school. This approach will allow students to obtain knowledge and understanding of complex pathological processes in health and disease.

The main aims of the program are:

• to train well-rounded students with varied coursework in the areas of natural sciences, humanities and social sciences, who have a solid understanding of basic biomedical sciences and understand their relation to the physical sciences and mathematics.
• to provide a learning environment and experience that will intellectually challenge the student and train to design and conduct research experiments, analyze and present the obtained data, who are creative and curious individuals with the ability to effectively work in a team environment.
• to train professionals who better understand the complexity, interaction and interdependency of different human body systems, and to satisfy medical school pre-requisite requirements and to be successful in the School of Medicine and graduate programs.
• to foster lifelong learning and critical thinking through the integration of liberal education with biomedical science knowledge, skills and interdisciplinary experiences.

The Program is specifically designed for those students who are interested in entering our MD program to become highly qualified physicians. In addition, the graduates will be prepared to enter a Graduate School to earn a Masters or/and PhD degree, or to do research after earning a Bachelor degree.

Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will be able to:

• explain the basic physical and chemical principles and their applications to the understanding of living systems, and how organisms sense and control their internal environment and how they respond to external change;
• apply quantitative reasoning and appropriate mathematics to describe or explain phenomena in the natural world;
• design and conduct research experiments, analyze and present the obtained data and will be able to use all available resources to address scientific issues and critically evaluate information;
• demonstrate professional and personal behaviors that are congruent with the high standards of moral, ethical, and legal conduct, and to possess effective communication and team player skills.
• apply knowledge of management and entrepreneurship in the work environment of social and health care services.

STEP 1. Create your personal account

Register on www.admissions.nu.edu.kz portal to create a Personal Account. Read the instructions about the application procedure given in your Personal account.

STEP 2. Complete your Application Form and attach the required documents

Fill out the application form and attach the required documents:

1. Scanned copy of a National ID card or passport;
2. Scanned copy of secondary school or higher education institution certificate (attestat/diploma) transcript or certificate from the school (spravka) according to the sample in the personal account;
3. Motivation letter in English;
4. Valid copies of certificates. The results of standardized tests must be sent directly to the University through test administrators.

STEP 3. Pay an application fee and finish the registration process

Finish the registration process by pressing the “Pay and Submit application” button. After submission applicants can’t change their applications.

The application fee is paid online via your Personal account with a bank card. The amount to pay is 5 000 tenge. Please be kindly informed that the application fee increases 3 times its established amount for applicants who pay the application fee within the last two weeks before the first officially approved deadline and during the extension period for application for participation in the admissions process for the Undergraduate programs (except Bachelor in Nursing (2-year) program of the School of Medicine). All application fees are non-refundable.

Step 4. Upload IELTS/TOEFL certificates

Upload IELTS/TOEFL results/certificates in your personal account in the section "Upload IELTS/TOEFL" and fill up the required information about the certificate.

Further steps

Check your e-mail for notifications from the NU Admissions Department and your personal account to learn about your application status.

If you experience any difficulties with the registration or online application, please contact info_admissions@nu.edu.kz. Refer to your IIN and/or Applicant ID while sending us your requests.

Mandatory entry requirements for all categories

*Superscoring does not apply to IELTS/TOEFL

**IELTS Online or IELTS Indicator, TOEFL iBT Home Edition or TOEFL PDT are not considered

***IELTS/TOEFL test certificates are considered valid if their results do not expire by the 1st of August of the relevant academic year to which Applicants are applying. Results of a test, taken before August 1, 2022, are not considered in the competition.

List of the applicants’ documents for online application

• Application form.
• Scan copy of passport or national ID, or birth certificate for applicants under the age of 16.
• Scan notarized copy of nationally recognized certificate stating completion of a secondary school or college with transcript or its foreign equivalent, A-level certificate or UK Foundation Programme (if available at the time of documents submission) or a certificate from educational institution according to the sample in personal account of applicant (in case the applicant is a current student of the final year at the time of online application).
• Scan notarized copy of NIS Grade 12 Certificate or its academic reports with predicted scores acknowledged by the school with obligation to submit the hard copy of the document in due time (only for graduates of NIS Grade 12 Certificate).
• Scan notarized copy of IB Diploma Programme with transcript or predicted scores acknowledged by the school with obligation to submit the hard copy of the document in due time (only for IB Diploma Programme graduates).
• Scan copy of Motivation letter in English.
• Verified score report of valid ACT certificate or verified score report of valid SAT Reasoning certificate downloaded from the test administrator system. ACT and SAT must be valid and passed no more than 3 years ago at the moment of online application. In case the applicant provides several valid SAT Reasoning/ACT certificates, the Superscoring will be applied.
• Score report of valid (no more than 2 years at the moment of online application) Academic IELTS/TOEFL certificate verified from the test administrator system and scanned copy of the certificate, or a scanned copy of a valid TOEFL PDT certificate.
• Scan copy of Diploma/Certificate of International and/or Republican Olympiad (only for International/Republic Olympiad winners indicated in Appendix 2 to these Regulations).
• Scan copy of transcript from the university attended in original language and English or academic reports with predicted scores acknowledged by the university attended (only for transfer students).
• Scan copy of course description of studied courses/subjects from university attended in both English and original languages (only for transfer students).
• Provost Two electronic academic reference letters in English (only for transfer students).

List of documents to be submitted by the applicants for online registration for enrollment

1. An original of a nationally recognized certificate stating completion of a secondary school, technical, vocational or post-secondary school.

2. An original of a NIS Grade 12 Certificate or A-level certificate (only for A-level/ NIS Grade 12 Certificate category applicants).

3. An original of an IB Diploma Programme with transcript (only for IB Diploma Programme graduates).

Important dates for those who are applying for the 2024-2025 academic year:

• for “NUET applicants” category, including foreign applicants – October 16 - December 4, 2023 (until 12:00 p.m. Astana time);
• for other categories (citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan) – October 16 - April 3, 2024 (until 12:00 p.m. Astana time);
• for international applicants – October 16 - February 29, 2024 (until 12:00 p.m. Astana time).

• Applications are considered to be complete upon their online submission. All electronic copies of the required documents must be uploaded to “Personal Account”.
• Applicants are responsible for ensuring the receipt of all required documents by the Admissions Department. Application documents are not subject to be returned.
• Nazarbayev University expects applicants to meet the minimum admission criteria but we do not guarantee admission to any applicant. The NU Admissions Committees make decisions on applicants based on a thorough evaluation of submitted applications, required documents, and test scores.
• The applicants with the highest-ranking scores are offered admission. Once a decision is made by the Admissions Committee, the Admissions Department will notify the applicants via email. The applicants can check the status of their applications in their NU personal accounts.

Description of the status assigned to the applicant at every competition stage.

Status is placed in the order of assignment to the applicant in the Personal account.

Does not meet the entry requirements. The applicant does not meet the minimum requirements of the program and is put down after checking the application forms and documents by the University's Admission Department.

Withdrawn. The status is assigned to applicants who refused to participate in the competition for the undergraduate program before the decision of the Admissions Committee is released

Recommended for admission. The applicant is recommended for admission by the Admissions Committee and an admission offer will be sent.

Waiting list. The applicant is on the waiting list. They meet the minimum requirements of the program, but due to lower scores, they are at the bottom of the ranking. Such applicants should expect a notification from the University, as there is a chance that offers may be sent if one of the previously recommended applicants refuses to enroll.

Rejected by Admissions Committee. The Admissions Committee rejected the applicant after reviewing his/her documents, without placing him/her on the waiting list or after the closing of the competition.

Refused admission offer. The applicant was recommended for admission but refused to study at NU.

Refused in favor of CPS. This status is available to the applicants who applied both to NUFYP and undergraduate programs. The applicant rejected to study in the undergraduate program in favor of the NUFYP. This status is given after the written refusal of the applicant to study at the Undergraduate program or if the applicant was on the waiting list and before receiving the letter of invitation to the Undergraduate program, confirmed his admission to the NUFYP program. In this latter case, the offer letter is not sent.

Guarantee fee paid. The applicant was recommended for enrollment and paid the mandatory guarantee fee.

Accepted admission offer. The status is assigned to applicants who have received letters of invitation to study, agreed to and fulfilled the conditions of the University - paid the guarantee fee, and submitted the original documents for enrollment

Did not come to Orientation week/Refused. This status is given to applicants who have agreed to study, submitted the original documents, but did not participate in the Orientation Week of the School. Applicants from the waiting list can be invited to the established vacant seats, if available.

Enrolled. The applicant is enrolled, and the status is assigned after the decision of the Provost on enrollment, which designates that the applicant officially becomes a student of the University.

Enrolled conditionally. The applicant is enrolled with a condition to submitting the original the attestat before the specified deadline.

Did not submit the documents/refused. The applicant did not provide the originals of the documents within the specified period. This means that the applicant refuses to study at the University.

• The applicants offered admission are required to formally accept or decline the University's offer to study by sending the completed Enrollment Form. This will be available upon the acceptance of the admission offer you will need to pay an Enrollment Deposit, refunded only upon signing the Contract on Rendering Education Services with the University after matriculation.
• All hard copies of the required documents must be delivered to the Admissions Department by the established deadline.

Year 1: Semester 1 (Fall Term)

Year 1: Semester 2 (Spring Term)

Year 2: Semester 1 (Fall Term)

Year 2: Semester 2 (Spring Term)

Year 3: Semester 1 (Fall Term)

Year 3: Semester 2 (Spring Term)

Year 4: Semester 1 (Fall Term)

Year 4: Semester 2 (Spring Term)

Introduction to Medicine

Introduction to Medicine is a one-semester introductory course that gives an overview of the Medical Sciences (Pre-Medicine) program and provides students with insight into various aspects of a physician profession. Through guest speakers, lectures, classroom discussions and readings, the students will gain understanding of the competencies, professionalism, and decision making skills needed to succeed in health professions. Students will be provided with information, resources, and tools to assist with planning and preparing for a career in medicine and biomedicine.

Modern Biology I

Modern Biology I course focuses on the fundamental principles of molecular biology, cell biology, biochemistry and evolution. These principles are introduced at the molecular level: the structure and function of biological macromolecules, how these molecules integrated into the cell, the basics of cellular metabolism, gene replication, expression and evolution. The course provides students with foundation that is essential to understand the basic mechanisms of life on cellular level with further implications for health/disease and biotechnology.

General Chemistry I

General Chemistry I is the first of a two-semester General Chemistry lecture sequence, designed for all science students interested in chemistry-related fields. This course is a pre-requisite for General Chemistry II. The course studies fundamental laws and theories of chemistry and covers, but not limited to, the following general topics: matter and measurement, molecular geometry, bonding theories, ionic and molecular compounds, types and chemical reactions, atomic and molecular mass, the mole, stoichiometry, chemical kinetics, and thermochemistry.

Kazakh Language

In these courses, students will develop or continue to develop advanced linguistic competencies in four areas: listening, reading, writing, and speaking. They will learn to give opinions on different topics, analyze the text, compare statistical data and write an essay. Hence, they will learn vocabulary and grammar appropriately for each. Furthermore, they will additionally learn new terms demonstrating Kazakh culture in this course.

Modern Biology II

Modern Biology II course focuses on the fundamental principles of molecular biology, cell biology and biochemistry. It provides an overview of the structure and function of membranes; the production of energy and some metabolic regulatory mechanisms; the cytoskeleton, the extracellular matrix, and cell movements; sexual reproduction; cell signaling, cell cycle control and oncogenic transformation. The laboratory course is the second course in a two-semester sequence designed to stress the principles and techniques of experimental work in molecular and cell biology. These laboratory exercises expose the student to a collection of experiments in studying cell structure and function, cell signaling, biomedical technologies, biotechnology, medical biology and critical biochemical pathways. The course provides students with foundation that is essential to understand the basic mechanisms of life on cellular level with further implications for health/disease.

General Chemistry II

This course focuses on chemical equilibrium with emphasis placed on their application to ‘real-world problems’. The chemistry of transition metals, and their complexes, will be discussed in the context of crystal field and molecular orbital theory. Molecular spectroscopy and its application in the molecular characterization/analysis will be introduced. In addition, the course will cover basic topics in organic chemistry including: stereochemistry, structural isomerization, functional groups, and simple reaction mechanisms.

Organic Chemistry

This course includes the study of the structure, synthesis and reactions of alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, alkyl halides, stereochemistry, and alcohols. It is designed to prepare science majors and other students for upper-division courses in their respective fields.

Biochemistry

This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the principles and methodologies of modern biochemistry. The course includes all the major topics in biochemistry in considerable depth including thermodynamics and enzymology, details of amino acid and nucleic acid structure, DNA and protein structure, synthesis and function from a biochemical perspective, structure and synthesis of lipids, as well as basic metabolic pathways.

Core Course in Business

This course introduces students to the fundamentals of entrepreneurship. It covers topics including opportunity identification, idea generation, building business models and plans, to presenting ideas. We will discuss the role of entrepreneurial activity in Kazakhstan’s economy. The course is a guide to high-growth entrepreneurship, combining theoretical frameworks with cases and practice-oriented exercises.

History of Kazakhstan

This course is a history of the territories which today make up Kazakhstan, from the Mongol conquests to the collapse of the USSR. The course combines a thematic approach with a chronological structure. We will examine two interrelated aspects of the history of the lands that today make up Kazakhstan. Firstly, we will analyze how authority was asserted, recognized, and challenged over the past few centuries. How did modern states emerge? What were the limits of state control over society and culture? What role did religious and national identities play in bringing political communities together and in tearing them apart? Who paid the costs of political and economic modernization? Secondly, we will study the usage of land and other natural resources. How did people assert the right to use land? What tensions did land usage and the exploitation of natural resources cause? What were the economic and environmental effects of land usage?

Introduction to Immunology, Microbiology and Genetics

The Introduction to Immunology, Microbiology and Genetics course prepares students to take the Immunology in Health and Disease, Human Genetics and Medical Microbiology courses. This course is an introduction to the principles of immunology including organs, cells and soluble components of the immune system. It focuses on definitions of antigens and antibodies, specificity of the immune response, understanding “self” and “non-self”. In addition, immunoglobulin structure, the genetics of immunoglobulin synthesis, cellular cooperation in the immune response, infectious and cancer immunity are studied. In addition, basic principles of microbiology will be taught as well. This course will introduce students to the basic properties of bacteria, archaea, eukaryotic microorganisms and viruses, with an emphasis on bacteria. The diversity within the microbial world will be emphasized, as well as their relevance to the health and diseases of humans. Moreover, this course will give students a broad introduction to human genetics and will prepare students to take Human Genetics. The course describes basic principles and mechanisms of physical characteristics/traits inheritance and development in living organisms.

Introduction to Statistics for Evidence-Based Practice

This course introduces students to descriptive and inferential statistics, i.e. parametric and nonparametric statistical tests that are commonly used by researchers in the health sciences and appear in published research reports. Emphasis is placed on student mastery of concepts and principles that are fundamental to descriptive and inferential statistics as well as interpretation and critical appraisal of their use in research studies. Students will also practice examining data to identify trends and problems.

Introduction to Anatomy and Histology

The Introduction to Anatomy and Histology course prepares students to take the Medical Anatomy, Cellular Pathologic Basis of Disease and other courses in the School of Medicine. This course focuses on the principles of human anatomy and physiology including mechanisms for homeostasis, chemical utilization and structure-function relationships. It also provides an introduction to pathophysiology and histology. The laboratory portion is focused on the anatomy and physiology of the human body.

In addition, this course focuses on the functional integration of the anatomical topography, as well as the physiological and ultrastructural dimensions of the human body.

Examination of basic histological and cytological techniques, including a comprehensive study of the ultrastructure of the eukaryotic animal cell. Basic tissue types and organ systems will be discussed as well.

Critical Research Reasoning

Students will learn to analyze and communicate scientific hypotheses and interpret, critique, and publicly present original scientific articles. The emphasis will be on the scientific content of current original primary research literature. Students will learn how a research study is designed and communicated effectively. Students will learn to make posters, presentations, analyze, discuss, and criticize scientific papers, consider the interplay between science and society, good laboratory practices and other critical issues. Therefore, it is assumed that the students will possess sufficient knowledge of biology, as well as, experience in laboratory techniques to achieve the course objectives effectively.

Introduction to Being a Physician

The purpose of this course is to introduce incoming medical students to what it means to be a physician, with an emphasis on the patient’s experience with chronic disease and the health care system. Students will have the opportunity to observe how physicians from a variety of disciplines apply their communication and clinical skills to patient care. Students will have the opportunity to observe physician-patient interactions, as well as to talk directly with patients and their family members about their personal experiences with physicians and the medical care system at large. This course will focus on learning how health problems affect patients and their families, and the role a physician can play in modifying that effect. There will also be a segment that introduces students to the role physicians can play in affecting the overall health of a community. Upon entering medical school, most individuals gradually evolve from thinking of themselves as students to that of physicians in training. This transition takes place even for those who pursue careers that are not directly involved in patient care, such as pathology or medical informatics, as well as those who plan to pursue a research career. The patient remains the focus for pursuing excellence in any career path in medicine. In this course, the students begin their journey with their focus directly on the patient (and the patient’s family).

Medical Anatomy

Anatomical knowledge remains one of the cornerstones of modern medical practice. This course represents a seven week program designed to provide an introduction to anatomical and medical terminology and broad coverage of all aspects of human functional and gross anatomy. The practical component of the course generally parallels and reinforces lecture concepts through the use of models, skeletal materials and pathology demonstration. A highly interactive learning environment is being fostered by the use of the three-dimensional educational tool, Anatomage table, which offers dynamic approach to individual and team-based learning.

Human Genetics

Human Genetics course is designed to provide students with general knowledge related to the organization of human genome, structure and function of DNA and RNA, inheritance mechanisms of simple and complex traits, genomics approaches and its application in medicine, types of genetic and chromosomal mutations and their role in human disease, description of clinical cases of the most frequent genetic disorders etc.

Fuel Metabolism

The Fuel Metabolism course provides the foundation for understanding metabolic processes taking place in the body under various circumstances. Different metabolic processes (carbohydrate-, lipid- and protein metabolism) will be discussed and connected with one another, and differences between these processes in healthy and ill individuals will be highlighted, which will include also information about diagnosis and treatment of metabolic disorders.

Pharmacology

In this course students will learn about the basic principles and mechanisms of commonly used drugs and how they exert their actions. Students will learn about pharmacokinetics including absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion and pharmacodynamics including drug-receptor interaction. Students will learn and apply commonly used pharmacological terminologies including agonist, antagonist (reversible, irreversible, competitive etc.), drug half-life, volume of distribution, bioavailability, elimination rate, area under the curve and many other relevant terms. Drugs that target autonomic nervous system such as cholinergic agonists and antagonists and adrenergic agonists and antagonists will also be covered in details. Furthermore, students will be introduced to the major drug classes and will learn about their mechanisms of action and will conclude the pharmacology course with common issues of clinical pharmacology.

Cellular Pathologic Basis of Disease

This course is focused on structural and functional properties of cells and tissues in both normal and disease states. Basic principles in cell biology, histology and pathology will be presented with core pharmacological principles to illustrate molecular mechanisms of normal and abnormal cell function as well as well strategies utilizing drugs to restore cellular function. Learning formats include lectures, team based learning (TBL), and problem based learning (PBL), workshops and laboratory exercises. Faculty members involved in this course have expertise in topics including cell biology and genetics, immunology, neurobiology, and pathology.

Immunology in Health and Disease

This course will allow students to better understand the functions of the immune system in health and disease and the pathogenetic mechanisms underlying the development of a wide range of diseases associated with the immune system. The course emphasizes the study of principle mechanisms at the molecular, cellular and functional levels of innate and acquired immunity, molecular aspects of immune regulation, cell signaling and activation, gene regulation and expression, impact of molecular changes at the tissue level, and the use of therapeutics to correct and modulate the functioning of the immune system.

Medical Microbiology

The Medical Microbiology course introduces basic concepts of infectious disease, focusing on bacteriology, virology, parasitology, the mechanisms of disease transmission and treatment.