Universities in New Zealand

University education was established in New Zealand in 1870 and has a similar tradition to the British university system. There are eight state-funded universities, all of them internationally respected for their academic and research performance. In addition to a centrally co-ordinated system of quality assurance audits at both institution and program level, each university undertakes internal quality checks. All new programmes are accredited through a national university qualifications committee.
All New Zealand universities offer a broad range of subjects in the arts (humanities and social sciences), business and science.
Each also has its own specialist subjects such as medicine, engineering, law, veterinary science, computer studies, agriculture and environmental studies.

Graduate Study in New Zealand

With a completed Bachelor's degree, a graduate is able to go on to one-year graduate or postgraduate programmes, or to a Master’s or a Doctorate.

Graduate Diploma

A one-year, full-time course of study for graduates. Although regulations differ, prior learning or experiences in the subject matter of the diploma is not always required, giving graduates an opportunity to add a qualification in a different subject to that of their first degree.
A Graduate Diploma may also be used as a bridging qualification to specialist postgraduate study.

 

Postgraduate Diploma

A one-year, full-time course of study that builds on the subject matter in the academic field of a relevant Bachelor's degree.
 In many universities, the Postgraduate Diploma comprises the first year of a two-year Masters degree.

Bachelor's Programme in New Zealand

Bachelor's or undergraduate program in New Zealand are three years long.
In some specific disciplines and double degree areas, it can stretch up to four to six years.
There are Universities in New Zealand where a bachelor's degree can be earned in as little as two years.

Those students who can do exceptionally well can be encouraged into an Honor's Year, which makes up the fourth year of Bachelor's study in New Zealand's undergraduate degrees.
In some universities in New Zealand, best of the academic performances of students in their honor's year can lead them directly into a research based Doctorate or Ph.D. program.
 The minimum academic-eligibility conditions of New Zealand undergraduate programs are, completion of twelve years of elementary and secondary education or an equivalent education.
If the student is not proficient in English, they may be required to take the International English Testing System, IELTS.A minimum score in this IELTS testing is mandatory to get admission in the Universities of New Zealand.
There is a provision for the students whose are not able to clear the minimum score level of IELTS required by the institute to take admission in most of the Universities of New Zealand.
Such students will have to undergo a short duration bridging course in English at the institute before the chosen program of study starts to improve upon their language skills.

Master's Degree

The Master's degree is open to those who have completed a Bachelor's degree with good grades. Depending on the duration of the Bachelor's degree the course of study is one or two years of advanced study in the student's majoring discipline.
The successful student is expected to show, as the title implies, a real grasp of the subject, demonstrated by an understanding of the discipline, a capacity to reflect upon it, and an ability to undertake research.
Many Master's degrees include a thesis component of up to one year; in some cases, particularly when it follows a four-year Bachelor's (Honours) course or a Postgraduate Diploma, the degree may be taken by thesis only.
However, increasingly Master's degrees by papers or coursework plus a smaller research project are becoming available.

Doctorate

The main Doctorate offered by New Zealand universities is the PhD, or Doctor of Philosophy. This degree can be taken in almost any one of the wide range of subjects that universities offer. A student is normally required to prepare under supervision a substantial thesis that represents original research into an approved topic. This research is normally carried out over three full-time years. The PhD thesis is marked by a panel of examiners including at least two external to the university. In most cases this is followed by an oral examination of the thesis and the candidate's knowledge in the area before the degree is awarded.

Research in New Zealand Universities

New Zealand universities maintain a high level of research activity, the calibre of which continues to be internationally recognised.
The proof of this research quality is the impressive list of books and publications, many of the latter in refereed journals, which are produced each year. Further evidence of New Zealand's high standing is provided by the large number of awards and distinctions achieved by New Zealand research leaders.
In order to show its commitment to research-based tertiary education, the Government introduced the Performance-Based Research Fund (PBRF) in 2004. The PBRF, administered by the Tertiary Education Commission, providers a proportion of funding for the tertiary sector determined by the research output, research income and number of postgraduate thesis completions per institution.

Study Abroad

Study Abroad programs at universities in New Zealand allow students to sudy for one or two semesters, and take the credits back home as part of their degree at their home university. Students normally take three to four papers or courses per semester, depending on the study level.

Academic Year

The university academic year extends form mid-February or early March to November. The long summer vacation is from mid-November to mid-February. Most universities operate a semester system, with two intakes each year, though some specialist programmes, especially professional and postgraduate programmes, may only have one entry point per year.
The normal patter is 12 to 13 weeks of teaching in the first half-year, followed by examinations and a study break from mid-June to early July, then a further 12 to 13 weeks' teaching, followed again by examinations. Each semester is broken by a study break of one or two weeks. An increasing variety of courses are offered in summer schools and these may be referred to as the "third trimester" in some universities.

Semester 1 - February intake:		Applications close 08 December
Semester 2 - July intake:		Applications close 31 May
Summer School:		Applications close 01 December

 

Under Graduate Study

If English is not your first language, you will need to provide evidence of your English language ability. The University accepts a wide range of English tests.
For the International Foundation Year for non-EU students the minimum requirement is IELTS 5.0 or equivalent.
For the UnderGraduate Study,for non-Eu students the minimum requirement is IELTS 6.0 with no sub-score below 5.5 equivalent.

Postgraduate study

Entry requirements

If English is not your first language, you will need to provide evidence of your English language ability. The University accepts a wide range of English tests.