New Zealand

Quality Learning Experience

• New Zealand qualifications are recognized and highly valued by industry and community leaders all over the world.• New Zealand has an excellent centrally-managed quality assurance system, the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA), which requires that all institutions enrolling international students be registered and ensures compliance with qualifications standards.
• • The New Zealand university system is research-based, as it is historically based on the British higher education model. This means there are a number of similarities between the 2 systems, such as the names of qualifications, teaching methods, and the look and feel of the university campuses.
• All academic staff are expected to be active researchers as well as teachers. This insistence on research-informed teaching ensures a high quality learning experience.
• The universities’ representative body, the New Zealand Vice-Chancellors’ Committee, has legal responsibility for university course approval and moderation procedures.
• The New Zealand Universities Academic Audit Unit supports this quality assurance method. These systems certify that university education in New Zealand is of a consistently excellent standard.

Broad range of study and research opportunities

• The eight institutions that make up the New Zealand university system are located in cities across the country’s two main islands, the North and the South.
• This distribution gives students the chance to pursue a wide range of opportunities in study, work, recreation, and culture.
• The proximity of all eight universities to New Zealand’s diverse natural environment offers students the chance to research anything from endangered marine mammals to earthquake engineering.
• Although all the universities offer core degrees in the arts, business and science, each also has its own distinctive profile.For example, Auckland and Otago have the country’s two medical schools, featuring hospital-based learning, whereas Canterbury and Auckland have an international profile for their engineering courses.

Innovation

• A fresh outlook generates fresh ideas. A youthful nation, New Zealand has forged ahead in developing its own ‘kiwi’ identity and innovative ways of thinking.
• New Zealanders who embody this innovative spirit include Ernest Rutherford and Alan MacDiarmid, both Nobel Prize winners for Chemistry, and Richard Taylor whose Weta Workshop created the stunning visual effects in The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy.

Moderate Entry Requirements

New Zealand does not have massive competition to enter the first year of a university degree. This is because the New Zealand government has invested heavily in university education over the years. As a result New Zealand has more capacity than it has students. Good students with moderate grades can gain entry to most Bachelor degree programmes without any problems. Therefore, entry requirements are moderate compared with most of the top universities in the USA, UK, Australia & Canada.

Welcoming Nation & Its Lifestyle

• International students are welcomed by New Zealand society, both for the cultural diversity they bring and their contribution to the economy.
• They are gladly received into New Zealand homes and student social networks. New Zealanders are well travelled, with a great interest in people from other cultures, so visitors and international students soon feel more than welcome.
• Campuses are highly international, with students from all corners of the globe studying and socialising together. Students come from Europe, South East Asia, the UK, North Asia, Japan, South America, India, and Australia, amongst many others.
• New Zealand also has a well-developed system of pastoral care for international students, backed by a government-monitored Code of Practice. This means you will be well looked after during your time studying there.
• New Zealand has a breathtaking natural environment blended with cities abuzz with excitement and culture.
• New Zealand’s cities are a cosmopolitan mix of cafes, shopping, movies and nightlife.
• New Zealand has a vibrant multicultural society, enriched by its own Maori culture and many from around the world.

Cost

• New Zealand offers a range of competitive programs for students when considering tuition fees.
• Costs like visas, health cover and additional living expenses offer good value students. The country has a comparatively low cost of living, abundant fresh food at reasonable prices and a wide variety of student accommodation options.
• Transport is also moderately priced, affording easy access to rivers, mountains, lakes, forests and beaches and the recreational opportunities they provide.

Earn while you learn

• Students enrolled in a course of 12 months duration or longer can work part-time for up to 20 hours a week during semester and full-time during holidays.
• Working provides an excellent opportunity to get work experience and integrate into the community.

Employment prospects

• With a skill shortage across various sectors in the New Zealand labour market, fresh graduates are in high demand in New Zealand.• Students with skills in demand and who wish to stay in New Zealand long-term may apply for a Skilled Migrant Visa which would allow them to live and work in New Zealand permanently.

Safe and Peaceful

• The 2011 Global Peace Index* ranked New Zealand as the world’s second most peaceful nation, (Source: *Institute for Economics & Peace).• New Zealand demonstrates political stability and social tolerance.

The Great Outdoors

• New Zealand, with its volcanoes, high snow-covered mountains, spectacular lakes, and white sandy beaches, is a land of unparalleled beauty.• New Zealand’s pristine landscape provides the backdrop for some extreme outdoor activities. From mountain climbing to the thrill of bungee jumping, skydiving and white-water rafting, New Zealand is the home for lovers of the great outdoors.

Support

• New Zealand has a high professional standard, a supportive learning environment, and a focus on student welfare.
• The New Zealand Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students sets out the minimum standards for the care and support of international students during their studies in New Zealand.