Study in New Zealand

Study in New Zealand

ABOUT NEW ZEALAND

Located in the southwest of the Pacific Ocean, the country of New Zealand consists of two main landmasses, the North and South Islands, and over 700 smaller islands. While Australia is just 2000 kms away, it also happens to be very close to small island states such as New Caledonia, Fiji and Tonga. New Zealand shares a climate which is rather complex and varies from warm subtropical in the north and cool temperate climates in the south. Along with its capital city Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch, Hamilton, Dunedin and Napier-Hastings are some of the major cities that students travel to pursue their higher education. New Zealand is a developed country and holds very high ranks in international listings for education, civil liberties, governance transparency and economic freedom. With the service sector mostly dominating its national economy, it generates a significant amount of its national income through international tourism. It also holds key memberships to the United Nations, Commonwealth Nations, OECD, ASEAN Plus Six, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, the Pacific Community and the Pacific Islands Forum.

 

HIGHER EDUCATION STRUCTURE IN NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand has 8 universities which offer a wide range of tertiary education in three different cycles. They are:

Bachelor’s degree: For students graduating fresh out of school, New Zealand offers a Bachelor’s degree that usually takes upto 3 years to complete. While universities offer a wide range of courses such as accountancy, business studies and social work, some also give the option of pursuing a ‘conjoint program’ where a student can pursue two bachelor’s programs for upto 4 years with subject areas that are in common such as Bachelor of Arts with Business Studies. The country also offers an honours degree that students can pursue after their usual completion of the degree. The honours year is primarily given to teach specialised knowledge so as to prepare students willing to pursue a master’s degree post their graduation.

Requirement to pursue bachelor’s in New Zealand 

The general requirement to pursue bachelor’s in New Zealand are:

  • Successful completion of class 12 with 60% and above
  • IELTS score of more than 6.5
  • TOEFL score of more than 79

Master’s degree: After the successful completion of their bachelor’s degree, students have the option of pursuing a master’s degree which comprises either 2 years of post graduate education or a research program. While some master’s may also be 1-1.5 years depending on the course, most universities use a versatile method of exposing students to both academic coursework and research practises that help students prepare themselves for either a professional or an academic career.

Requirement to pursue Master’s in New Zealand 

The general requirement to pursue Master’s in New Zealand are:

  • Successful completion of class 12 with 60% and above
  • Successful completion of bachelor’s with 60% and above
  • IELTS score of more than 6.5
  • TOEFL score of more than 79

PhD: All universities in New Zealand provide the opportunity to students to pursue a PhD in any area of research that they wish for. Most doctoral degrees take upto 3-4 years of research to complete with the students having to defend their thesis in front of a panel of experts chosen by the University. During their research, students are also given a regular stipend by the university that would help them sustain and contribute to their costs of living in the country.

Requirement to pursue PhD in New Zealand 

The general requirement to pursue PhD in New Zealand are:

  • Successful completion of class 12 with 60% and above
  • Successful completion of bachelor’s with 60% and above
  • Successful completion of Master’s with 60% and above
  • An independent research proposal
  • IELTS score of more than 6.5
  • TOEFL score of more than 79

 

Cost of Studying in New Zealand 

The average annual cost of pursuing a bachelor’s degree may range from USD 20,500 – 25,000 (around INR 15,00,000 – 18,00,000) while a master’s degree may cost up to USD 29,000 annually (around INR 21,00,000)

Universities also provide on campus residence facilities called the Halls of Residence which may cost from USD 143 – 370 per week (around INR 10000 – 41000) which are either fully catered or self catered. Students can also avail off campus accommodation in the city where the average rent usually is USD 80 (around INR 5000) per week. However, the rent may vary from city to city.

 

WORK OPPORTUNITY IN NEW ZEALAND 

The New Zealand student visa usually allows up to 20 hours per week during academic years and up to 40 hours a week during summer break for students to work part time in the country. While the minimum wage is NZ 18.90, students may have to pay tax on what they earn. Therefore, they must get an IRD number from the New Zealand Tax department before they choose to start working. Students are most likely to find jobs in the service sectors while they may also find internships at professional offices which deal with their area of study.

After students graduate from their universities, they may apply for a post study work visa which will allow them to stay up to 3 years depending on their area of study. While students can look for work in popular job search websites in New Zealand such as Seek, TradeMe and New Kiwis, the country also offers a Work Connect program that is organised by the Tertiary Education Commission that help international students prepare for a professional career in the country.

 

VISA REQUIREMENTS FOR NEW ZEALAND 

To receive a student visa for New Zealand, any applicant must have:

  • A valid passport that does not expire within 3 months
  • A letter of acceptance from the university
  • A proof of sufficient funds to sustain the study in Germany
  • Proof of accommodation in New Zealand

 

SCHOLARSHIPS

While Universities have their own set of scholarships, the government provides a variety of funding programs for students to pursue their higher education in the country. Most notably, the New Zealand Commonwealth Scholarship, the New Zealand Excellence Award and the SEG Scholarship are some which international students can aim at applying for.