Postgraduate Studies in New Zealand

Postgraduate Studies in New Zealand are run through a University. Generally Postgraduate courses are a one year long course which consists of further study after successfully completing a Bachelor Degree. It will enhance the students knowledge in the field they have already studied.

There are three different types of Postgraduate study, this includes an Honours degree which is a one year course commencing after the Bachelor Degree is completed. This is a full time University course which consists mainly of course work and research.

To further the students education after both the Bachelor Degree and Honours is the Masters Degree. The Masters Degree can either be studied straight after completion of the Bachelor Degree or after completing the Honours Degree. If the student chooses to study the Masters Degree without studying the Honours Degree the course will take two years to complete. If the student has completed the Honours Degree it will only take one year to complete. A Masters Degree consists of thesis, this is based on the students previous research as well as course work.

For entrance into a Doctoral Degree the student must have successfully completed the Bachelor Degree, Honours and Masters Degree. To successfully achieve a Doctorate qualification is a huge accomplishment. This degree includes 3 years of full time University study and research. Completion of the Degree will depend on the work put into the students thesis, oral and written examinations.

To complete all of a students Postgraduate courses is a huge accomplishment and should be a goal for most students.

Entry to Postgraduate Studies in New Zealand requires verified confirmation of an acceptable previous study record and an English language level of IELTS 6.5 or better depending on the course.

Students who have already completed an undergraduate degree in their home country must submit this documentation for review by the institution they are applying to enter. The institution will review the degree course transcript, the reputation of the issuing institution, when the degree was completed and the relevance of the degree to the course applied for when deciding the enrolment application.

If the previous study is in an area not relevant to the course applied for it is likely the institution will first offer a place in a Graduate Diploma programme. This is an undergraduate qualification and students who complete this qualification (may take 1-2 years) with acceptable grades will be allowed entry into Master degree programmes. Master degrees normally take 2 years.

See Entry to University for full information on how you need to qualify for entry to tertiary studies in New Zealand

Alternatively students may be offered entry into a one year postgraduate diploma programme initially and if they complete this course successfully they can continue for one further year of study to obtain the Masters degree.

Some students may receive an offer of direct entry into a Masters degree if their meets all prerequisite requirements.

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