New Zealand
Tertiary Education Opportunities in New Zealand
by Kam Weng Yuen
New Zealand has always been a popular destination for tertiary education for many self-sponsored Malaysians and government-linked-organisations sponsored students. The following sections will discuss the attractiveness and uniqueness of New Zealand tertiary education system and the country itself, a brief discussion on the Universities (limited to a number of recommended universities at this stage), and the a general guide to the process of getting into these universities (qualifications required, financial assistance, application process and dates).
Key Summary
Country: New Zealand
System: British strong academic tradition
Universities: Eight Public-Funded
Duration: 3 Years (degree) – 4 Years (with Honours)
Average Cost: RM95k-RM135k per annum (high estimate)
Application /Admission:
Type: Application through individual university
Deadline: Jan-Feb for autumn enrolment; Jun for winter enrolment
Qualification: STPM, “A” Levels, SAT, UE, NZ-High School NCEA, SAM, twinning prog. or SPM with College Foundation (2nd year entrance for some programmes is more rigorous, based on first year academic results)
The Country
A former colony of the British Empire, New Zealand is no longer a stranger country to most Malaysians. While being popular for its breath-taking sceneries (ala the Lord of the Rings backdrop), world-class sportsmen/women (All Blacks, tri-athletes, Indy-racing, American-Cup sailing, Sir Edmund Hillary), and its iconic symbols (kiwi fruit, birds, sheep and dairy farming), NZ people or Kiwi (as they call themselves) are also well known for their professionalism (consistently ranked top 3 in being least corrupt), environmentalism (the few countries that oppose US for its nuclear armaments and where Green-issues are major national issues), political freedom and liberal thinking. Geographically wise, the nation is separated into two large islands – the North and South Island. While 75% of the population stays in the North Island, the South Island covers more than 50% of its land area (an approximation by your truly). The population is demographic is rather diverse, consists of European-origin (70%), Maoris (15%), Pasific Islanders (8%) and Asian-origin (7%).
The Education System
New Zealand universities adopted the British university system when they were established in 1870. However, being a small progressive country, its tertiary education system has gone through major restructuring. Today, you can find a good blend of British-styled structure of examinations and courses, and the American-styled liberal education. Assessment mode is on average 60:40 ratio of exam to internal assessments. It is still a rather exam-focused system given it was once under the British system. Workload depends on the courses, vary from very heavy (weekly assessment) to light (only term exams).
The academic year starts in mid February (end of summer) and ends in late November (late spring). Most of the universities operate on a tri-semester system, with a short summer semester with limited course offering.
There are eight public universities and more than fifteen community colleges and polytechnics in New Zealand that offer bachelor-level degrees in a wide range of subjects. A number of the universities have very well-respected research and teaching in specialist subject areas such as Engineering, Veterinary Science, Environmental Studies, Medicine, Law and Biology. (See next section for more detail). Research is the principal characteristic that distinguishes universities from other tertiary education institutions in New Zealand. Many university academics dedicate more than half their working time to research activities, and many are world-renowned experts in their area of expertise.
For undergraduate degree, students have to complete a prescribed number of units/courses for their degree. These courses are normally divided into first-year (stage 1 or 100-level), second-year (stage 2 or 200-level) and third-year (stage 3 or 300-level). Students may also do another additional honour-year (400-level) upon completion of their degree programme. For some professional qualifications, only honour-level degree is offered. An example would be the professional engineering and law degrees. Honour-level admission is also sometimes dependent on the grades of the undergraduate degree.
The Universities
Following is the list of the all the universities (Note that there are several very good community colleges and polytechnics that offer degree level courses):
1. University of Auckland, Auckland (www.auckland.ac.nz)
2. University of Canterbury, Christchurch (www.canterbury.ac.nz)
3. University of Otago, Dunedin (www.otago.ac.nz)
4. University of Victoria, Wellington (www.vuw.ac.nz)
5. University of Massey, Palmerston North & Auckland (www.massey.ac.nz)
6. University of Waikato, Hamilton (www.waikato.ac.nz)
7. Lincoln University, Christchurch (www.lincoln.ac.nz)
8. Auckland University of Technology, Auckland (www.aut.ac.nz)
A report was prepared and published by the Tertiary Education Commission (www.tec.govt.nz) on the quality of research and education of all the universities. This report is very comprehensive (unlike your THES ranking), and it is the basis of research funding. The latest report of the universities ranking in each subject area can be downloaded here (http://www.tec.govt.nz/templates/standard.aspx?id=1924). By referring to the report, one can gauge the level of research strength of each universities on the respective subject area.
Description of each universities and a summary of its strong academic programmes/pro/cons will be added onto this section in future.
FAQs & Links
I will add this section in future. Any queries, please forward to me, Kam Weng Yuen at kamwy13883 (at) hotmail (dot) com. I would be more than willing to help you to sort out your application, accommodation hunting, and adjustment to the new way of life in New Zealand.
Some links of references:
http://www.fulbright.org.nz/studynz/uni.html
http://www.tec.govt.nz/default.aspx?id=205
http://www.newzealandeducated.com/
http://www.ted.govt.nz/ted/ted.portal
Personal Experiences
Kam Weng Yuen, B.Eng (Hons) & B.Com, University of Canterbury, New Zealand
Pros: Accredited qualification aside, New Zealand is one awesome country with some very friendly and open-minded people. The universities are often situated in very condusive environment (e.g. UoCanterbury is 40 minutes away from the beach/hills, and 50 minutes away from a world-class ski field. There are many niche programmes in NZ that are very well-regarded across the world. NZ degrees are also well accepted in most professional bodies (for example, for engineers, a NZ degree and professional accreditation are accepted in many countries by the virtue of the Washington Accord). Being a “small” country, most NZ universities have very focused research/teaching approach. Hence, you might not find all the courses you may like (as in US universities), but rest assured, if you re in one of these “niche” programmes, what you would learn would be the best in the world in that area. Most important of all, NZ is still a relatively economical option (the ever rising NZD might change that fact).
Cons: Very tough courses and examinations for most in-demand courses. Being a country that pride itself on meritocracy, popular courses are very tough to get in, as well as to get through. Medicine, Dentistry, Engineering and Law are very competitive. Content of the subjects may also be rather New Zealand-oriented in some universities. Racism towards Asian-looking students is a well-reported issue, though proactive steps have been taken towards overcoming such barrier. Education is also a big industry in NZ, hence there have been some tertiary providers/departments which might have compromised the quality of the education, for the sake of international students (who pay for more than 30% of its expenditures). Hence it is important to do some brief research on the courses you intend to undertake.
Notes: Most universities have international presence of about 20%, but these ratio can be up to 40% in some popular courses in particular universities [to be honest, this can be a pro or con, depending how you look at it.]. It should be noted that Malaysians have a significant presence in most popular NZ universities.
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