New Zealand Education System

Credit requirements

This certificate is listed at level 2 and must comprise a minimum of 40 credits at level 2 or above.

Credit requirements

This certificate is listed at level 3 and must comprise a minimum of 40 credits at level 3 or above.

Credit requirements

This certificate is listed at level 4 and must comprise a minimum of 40 credits at level 4 or above

Credit requirements

This certificate is listed at level 1 and must comprise a minimum of 40 credits at level 1 or above

Diploma Level 5

A graduate of a level 5 diploma will be able to demonstrate broad operational or technical and theoretical knowledge within a specific field of work or study. Also one is responsible for the management of learning and performance of others. one should also be able to demonstrate broad operational or technical and theoretical knowledge within a specific field of work or study

Credit requirements

This diploma is listed at level 5. It must contain a minimum of 120 credits from level 4 or above including at least 72 credits at level 5 or above.

Credit requirements

This diploma is listed at level 6. It must contain a minimum of 120 credits from level 5 or above including at least 72 credits at level 6 or above.

Credit requirements

This diploma is listed at level 7. It must contain a minimum of 120 credits from level 5 or above including at least 72 credits at level 7 or above. Higher Education is considered to be very important due to the skills and expertise one acquires at this level. Undertaking higher studies in New Zealand will not only ensure that one gets an internationally recognized education but also ensures that one gets to enjoy the fruits of his/her education. There are eight universities throughout the countries along with 18 technology institutions and also some 600 training schools with topnotch specialty in offering skills. The higher education program is subsidized by the New Zealand government for permanent residents. Class numbers are small and courses here focus on practical skills and real world experience. Courses are available at all levels from certificates to master’s degrees. You are also assured of getting experienced lectures with courses shaped by government and industries.

Professional certificates and technical schools

These institutions provide different types of training and education depending on the field of work that you plan going into. Here you get enrolled into practical classes and it may take 2-18 months to complete. Some of these programs are civil engineering, electricians, plumbing, secretarial jobs and other technical jobs.

Associate's degrees

It is a level of tertiary education that is a step above the certificates and technical school programs. These programs offer a number of classes which in most cases are theory based; however some programs can be more practical. In most cases this option is for people who don't feel that urge to earn a bachelor's degree. Through undertaking this Zprogram they can go to the work place immediately or they can opt to further and finish up a bachelor's degree within a shorter time span. In most cases these degrees are in liberal arts fields though some of them may have technical aspects.

Bachelor's Degree

Studying an undergraduate program in New Zealand will ensure that your degree is recognized all over the world since it is at par with many outstanding British and Australian undergraduate degrees. Most higher education institutions have an academic year that runs from February-November whereby the semesters are split during June and July. Here you get different undergraduates degrees and certificates however this varies depending on the school you attend. These degree and certificates programs have different distinctions and will go ahead and grant you different privileges incase the need to further your education later on arises. Another beauty of New Zealand education system is you get to finish the course within 3 years. This is because you solely concentrate on classes that are geared towards your course of study. Thus these degrees will give you a well rounded education that will in turn prepare you for the world.

Postgraduate level

At the postgraduate level we have the postgraduate certificate or diploma qualifications which may take either six months or one year to complete. We have some limited number of master degrees which are completed within one year. A postgraduate diploma takes one year which is equals to two semesters to complete on a full time basis. New Zealand universities offer different qualifications for the different postgraduate certificates and diplomas. All these education providers in New Zealand are all ranked on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework where you get all the details regarding the different levels of qualifications available.

Credit requirements

A Bachelor Honours Degree may be either a 480-credit degree, or a discrete 120-credit degree following a Bachelor's Degree. The degree has a minimum of 120 credits at level 8, with a research component that represents at least 30 credits at that level.

Entry

Entry to honours study is normally based on achievement of above average performance in the credits within the Bachelor’s Degree that are relevant to the proposed honours study.

Outcomes

A graduate of a Bachelor Honours Degree is able to:

engage in self-directed learning and advanced study

demonstrate intellectual independence, analytic rigour, and the ability to understand and evaluate new knowledge and ideas

demonstrate the ability to identify topics for original research, plan and conduct research, analyse results, and communicate the findings to the satisfaction of subject experts.

Relationship with other qualifications

Achieved to an appropriate standard, a Bachelor Honours Degree should prepare graduates for admission to further postgraduate study.
Note:
Where the honours degree is a 480-credit (or more) programme, it must provide an exit point at the end of the study that meets the requirements for a Bachelor's Degree. Some Bachelor Honours Degrees (for example Bachelor of Laws with Honours), approved prior to 1 January 2006, have a minimum of 60 credits at level 8. These qualifications will be grandparented under previous rules. Research in the context of a Bachelor Honours Degree develops an individual’s ability to design and undertake a project under supervision, and to report on this in an appropriate way. It sharpens the individual's analytical and communication skills and provides a supported introduction to planning, conducting and reporting on the type of independent research that may be undertaken at higher levels.

Credit requirements

The Master’s Degree is at least 240 credits except where:

it builds on a Bachelor's Degree with Honours or an equivalent qualification, or significant relevant professional experience, in which cases it can be fewer than 240 but no fewer than 120 credits

it builds on a three-year Bachelor's Degree or an equivalent qualification, in which cases it can be fewer than 240 but no fewer than 180 credits.

The Master’s Degree must comprise a minimum of 40 credits at level 9 with the remainder at level 8.

Purpose

A Master’s Degree qualifies individuals who apply an advanced body of knowledge in a range of contexts for research, a pathway for further learning, professional practice and/or scholarship.
Master’s Degrees usually build on a Bachelor's Degree, Graduate Diploma, Bachelor Honours Degree or a Postgraduate Diploma. They may also build on extensive professional experience of an appropriate kind. Their outcomes are demonstrably in advance of undergraduate study, and require individuals to engage in research and/or advanced scholarship.
Master’s Degrees are constituted in one discipline or coherent programme of study. They may be undertaken by taught courses or research, or by a combination of both.

Entry

Providers of programmes leading to Master’s qualifications are responsible for establishing entry requirements. The minimum entry qualification for a Master’s Degree is a Bachelor's Degree or equivalent (to a Bachelor's Degree listed at level 7 on the NZQF).
A programme of study leading to the Master’s Degree is open to those who have met the entrance requirements, including specified levels of attainment, in the programme admission regulations.
The minimum entry qualification for a Master’s Degree of fewer than 240 credits but no fewer than 120 credits is either a Bachelor Honours Degree or a Postgraduate Diploma or an undergraduate degree followed by relevant professional experience.
Admission as an individual to a Master’s Degree is based on the evaluation of documentary evidence (including the academic record) of the individual applicant’s ability to undertake postgraduate study in a specialist field of enquiry or professional practice.

Structure

Master’s Degrees are structured in three principal ways:
By thesis or primarily by thesis: Entry to a Master’s Degree by thesis is normally based on a Bachelor Honours Degree or a Postgraduate Diploma in the same field of study. The degree includes 120 credits, of which at least 90 credits (at level 9) consist of a research project presented in the form of a thesis, dissertation, substantial research paper or scholarly creative work.
By coursework and thesis: Entry to a Master’s Degree by coursework and thesis is normally based on an undergraduate degree in the same field of study. The degree includes 240 credits, of which at least 90 credits at level 9 are in the form of a thesis, dissertation, substantial research paper or scholarly creative work, and of which up to 150 credits are from coursework.
By coursework: Entry to a Master’s Degree by coursework is normally based on an undergraduate degree achieved at a specified level of attainment. The degree is at least 120 to 240 credits and is achieved through coursework consisting of courses, project work and research in varying combinations.
It may build on undergraduate study in the same academic field, or it may build on the more generic graduate attributes of an undergraduate degree in other fields, or in some cases on relevant professional experience. Master’s Degrees that build on generic attributes and/or experience (often called 'conversion Master’s') are usually in professional fields and are recognised as appropriate professional preparation by the profession or industry concerned.

Outcomes

A graduate of a Master’s Degree is able to:

show evidence of advanced knowledge about a specialist field of enquiry or professional practice

demonstrate mastery of sophisticated theoretical subject matter

evaluate critically the findings and discussions in the literature

research, analyse and argue from evidence

work independently and apply knowledge to new situations

engage in rigorous intellectual analysis, criticism and problem-solving.

If a Master’s Degree includes a component of supervised research of not fewer than 90 credits at level 9, the graduate is also able to:

demonstrate a high order of skill in the planning, execution and completion of a piece of original research or creative scholarly work

apply such skills learned during the study programme to new situations.

The research should be completed to internationally recognised standards and demonstrate that the graduate has a capacity for independent thinking.

Relationship with other qualifications

A person who holds a Master’s Degree achieved to an appropriate standard, that includes a research component, may be considered for admission to a programme of advanced study and/or original research leading to a Doctoral Degree.

Credit requirements

A Doctoral Degree requires at least 360 credits and is listed at level 10.

The following types of Doctoral Degree are recognised.

Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD/DPhil): A thesis constitutes the entire body of work on which the award of the qualification will be judged. Coursework may also be prescribed for the individual, but this will only contribute to the preparation for research and acceptance into the doctoral programme. Where appropriate, individuals may present a creative work as part of the thesis requirement.
Doctorate in a specified field or discipline - the named doctorate (e.g. EdD or the DMus) : For a doctorate in a specified field, coursework may contribute to the assessed programme of study, but research or the scholarly creative activity and the associated thesis must occupy at least two full-time academic years and contribute not less than two-thirds of the overall credit for the degree.
The coursework, which is to be at a standard in advance of that expected for a masters paper, must be part of a coherent programme with the research work, and should normally cover no more than one full-time academic year.
An individual for a named doctorate must gain a passing grade in both the coursework and the thesis or its creative work equivalent.
Higher Doctorate (e.g. the DSc or the DLitt): Higher Doctorates are awarded for independent work of special excellence, as judged by leading international experts, which is completed before a person makes an application to enrol for the degree. Individuals will normally be expected to have completed at least ten years of independent work and to have published extensively.
Publication will normally be in scholarly books and/or in reputable international journals. Individuals in the visual or performing arts will have made equally outstanding contributions in their creative work.