There are 10 levels of study
in New Zealand schools and universities. The lowest
level is a certificate and the highest is a doctoral
degree. Each level is more complex than the one below
it. These are the names of our qualifications and their
levels:
- Certificates are
levels 1 to 4
- Diplomas are levels
5 and 6
- Bachelor's degrees
and graduate diplomas are level 7
- Postgraduate
certificates and diplomas, and bachelor's degrees
with honours are level 8
- Master's degrees
are level 9
- Doctoral degrees
are level 10.
All of our major
education providers have qualifications with these
names. This means that you can easily understand the
level of the qualification and compare qualifications
between education providers.
All major education
providers are registered with the New Zealand
Qualifications Authority (NZQA), so you can be sure that
you are studying for an approved qualification that has
been assessed to ensure that it is high quality. Some
private training establishments don’t use NZQA
qualifications – you should check and make sure their
courses are suitable for you.
At polytechnics and institutes of technology you can
study for a certificate,
diploma or
degree. These
institutions offer more practical and vocational
courses. At colleges of education you can study for a
degree in education and teaching.
A
university bachelor's
degree usually takes three to four years. Most
degree structures give you the opportunity of combining
your 'major' subject with supporting subjects known as
'minor' subjects.
After you have a
bachelor's degree, you can study for a post-graduate
qualification such as a
graduate diploma,
master's degree
or doctorate.
If you already have an undergraduate degree from your
home country and your English is good, you may be able
to enrol in a post-graduate programme in New Zealand.
English language schools
generally offer two types of courses: courses which do
not give you a specific qualification, and courses which
do. General
English
Most English language
schools offer general English classes. These classes do
not give you a specific qualification, but at the end of
them you should be able to communicate more easily in
English, or be prepared to go on to further study.
Courses with specific
qualifications
Many English language
schools in New Zealand offer courses which provide
students with an internationally recognised
qualification. If you want to study at a tertiary
institution, for example, you will probably have to meet
specific English language requirements, so it is
important to find out exactly what standard of English
you need for the course you choose to study. New Zealand
English language schools offer two major English
language certificates:
- The
International
English Language Testing System (IELTS).
This system is used at most tertiary institutions in
the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and
Canada. It is increasingly also used in the United
States. It assesses your ability to read, write,
speak and listen in English.
- The
Princeton Test of
English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). This
certificate is used in many North American tertiary
institutions. It tests your ability to read, write
and listen, and tests your spoken English
separately.
