New Zealand has an international reputation as a provider of quality education. It offers a safe learning environment which provides excellent study opportunities and support services for international students and other more traditional aspects such as staff and student exchange and international research projects.

There are seven state-funded universities in New zealand, all of them internationally respected for their academic and research standards. In addition to a centrally co-ordinated system of quality assurance audits at both institution and programme level, each university undertakes internal quality checks.

New Zealand Universities are putting increased resources into the internationalisation of their universities. Most of these universities have dedicated International offices with primary responsibility for student recruitment and welfare.

The central co-ordinating body for the New Zealand Universities is the New Zealand Vice Chancellors’ Committee (NZVCC). This is a committee which represents the interests of the seven universities : Aukland, Waikato, Massey, Victoria, Canterbury, Lincoln and Otago. The NZVCC is the official interface between the New Zealand Government and the universities. The ongoing business of the committee is carried out by a secretariat located in Wellington. Broadly speaking the role of the committee is to formulate, promote and co-ordinate inter-university policy on behalf of the seven universities. An International Unit was established in December 1997 with the appointment of an International Manager, Ann Rutledge. The main focus of the Unit will be to co-ordinate generic promotion and marketing of New Zealand universities internationally.

All universities offer Bachelor’s, Masters and Doctoral degrees. Most Bachelor’s degree course require three but some may take up to six years. In some faculties a Bachelor’s Honours degree is conferred as an additional year of undergraduate study.

A postgraduate diploma usually requires one year of study after the Bachelor’s degree while a Master’s degree usually requires two years’ work after a Bachelors degree or one year after an Honours degree.

The Ph.D. normally takes at least three years of full-time study and research. The degree is awarded on the basis of the thesis, requiring original research and an oral examination. In special circumstances examiners require may also require the candidate to take a written examination.

Research is a vital concomitant of university teaching and the principle characteristic which distinguishes universities from other educational institutions. New Zealand maintains a high level of research activity, the calibre of which continues to be recognised internationally. The proof of this is the impressive list of publications, many of them in refereed journals, emanating from the country’s universities and the range of awards and distinctions achieved by those who lead the research effort in New Zealand.

The quality of a New Zealand university education is well recognised internationally. Many New Zealand graduates go onto postgraduate study at universities in Canada, The United Kingdom and the United States- the most common destinations- prior to taking up careers either overseas or back in New Zealand .In addition many New Zealand graduates are awarded prestigious prizes and scholarships for further study in countries other than New Zealand.

The academic year extends from late February or early march to November. The long summer vacation is from mid-November to mid-February. All universities except Canterbury operate a two-semester system, with intakes in both semesters in some programmes. This provides 12-13 weeks of teaching in the first half year, followed by several weeks of examinations. Each semester is in itself two parts, separated by a study break of one or two weeks. Canterbury has a four-term year with a three week examination period in June and breaks of two-three weeks between terms. There are some vacation courses for degrees although postgraduate research students continue work all year round.

In each subject the student is required to attend a given number of lectures, tutorials and/ or laboratory periods per week. In some courses field trips provide opportunities for on-site study of natural phenomena or social processes. These learning contacts are supplemented personal reading and research. Students are expected to develop independent study skills with a minimum of professional supervision.

Grades given in tests, assignments and practical work count towards the final grade for a course. Most courses have a final written examination held either at mid-year (June) or the end of the academic year (October/ November).

All students must be fluent in English language if they are to succeed at a university in New Zealand. There are many courses available at private and public institutions in New Zealand and elsewhere to assist international students to reach the required level of English language competence. The universities have specified minimum levels of competence e.g. 6.0 in IELTS or 550 in TOEFL for most undergraduate degrees; details of any higher requirements for specific degrees may be obtained from individual universities.

Applications for admissions to universities should include certified copies of the highest secondary school certificates received (e.g. GCE ‘A’ levels, STPM, IB) and official academic records of any tertiary study undertaken (e.g. university, polytechnic, technical college ). The basic level of admission is the same across the New Zealand university system. However, individual universities may require higher standards for admission to courses which are in high demand.

The living costs and cost of university study in New Zealand compare favourably with those of other countries and their universities. Details of costs are available from each university, or from New Zealand High Commissions and Embassies.

Author: The New Zealand Vice Chancellors Committee

This article first appeared in Studying Abroad magazine