Postgraduate application information
Whether you're a fresh graduate or navigating a non-traditional academic journey, our postgraduate programmes offer a diverse range of opportunities.
Pathway programmes for international students
If you are an international student who does not meet the English language requirements for a postgraduate degree, you have the opportunity to study our Academic English programme at the University of Waikato College, which is designed to develop your English language skills. With successful completion of Level 8, you can progress to most postgraduate degrees at the University of Waikato.
The University of Waikato welcomes applications from students completing the NCUK Master’s Preparation Programme. For further details, please visit our dedicated NCUK information page.
A graduate certificate is for graduates who do not have a substantial background in a particular subject in their undergraduate degree.
A graduate certificate allows students to prepare for postgraduate study in that subject or to add a specialisation that is different from their major. This course comprises of undergraduate papers.
Entry requirements
- A recognised bachelors degree, or a qualification considered by the Academic Board to be equivalent.
- If you don't meet these requirements, admission can be granted through other criteria. See full regulations in the University Calendar.
A graduate diploma is for graduates who do not have a substantial background in a particular subject in their undergraduate degree.
A graduate diploma allows students to prepare for postgraduate study in that subject or to add a specialisation that is different from their major. This course comprises of undergraduate papers.
Entry requirements
- A recognised bachelors degree, or a qualification considered by the Academic Board to be equivalent.
- If you don't meet these requirements, admission can be granted through other criteria. See full regulations in the University Calendar.
This degree consists of either:
- a dissertation and coursework
- coursework only
This degree can be either in the same area as your undergraduate study or in a new area of study.
Depending on your previous study and chosen subject, a masters may take one, one and a half, or two years to complete.
Entry requirements
- A recognised bachelors degree with a B-/B/B+ average, and a B-/B/B+ average in a relevant subject (if required). Please refer to the respective masters degree course page for more detailed admission criteria.
- Some Faculties/Schools require an honours degree (to demonstrate research capacity). Where the above requirements are not met, further study in a lower level programme may be required first.
This degree consists of a research project in the form of a thesis, dissertation, substantial research or creative work.
Entry requirements
- A recognised bachelors degree with a B/B+ average, and a B/B+ average in a relevant subject (if required).
- Some faculties/schools require an honours degree (to demonstrate research capacity). Where the above requirements are not met, further study in a lower level programme may be required first.
This programme comprises graduate level papers and normally takes six months. It meets the needs of graduates who wish to deepen their knowledge of the subject they studied at undergraduate level.
Entry requirements
The most common entry into the PGCert is to have:
- A bachelors degree from the University of Waikato, or a qualification considered by the Academic Board to be equivalent, and
- Previously completed study at an advanced level in the subject to be taken.
This programme comprises of graduate level papers and normally takes one year. It meets the needs of graduates who wish to deepen their knowledge of the subject they studied at undergraduate level.
Entry requirements
- A recognised bachelors degree, or a qualification considered by the Academic Board to be equivalent, and
Previously completed study at an advanced level in the subject to be taken. - If you don't meet these requirements, admission can be granted through other criteria. See full regulations in the University Calendar.
English Language Entry Requirements
The University teaches in the medium of English and requires all students to demonstrate proficiency in written and spoken English.
If you are an international student, you will need to meet English language entry requirements. If you do not meet the English language requirement for your chosen qualification, you can enrol in an Academic English programme with our University of Waikato College.
If you have successfully completed study in the medium of English, you may be considered for an English language waiver.
Refer to the equivalent qualifications section for more details.
| English language test | Postgraduate, including higher degrees (all courses except those listed below) |
|
IELTS |
6.5 overall (no band less than 6.0) |
|
iBT (internet-based) TOEFL |
90 with a score of 21 in writing |
|
iBT (home-based) TOEFL |
90 with a score of 21 in writing |
|
C1 Advanced (formally known as Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE)) |
176 and no bands below 169 |
|
C2 Proficiency (formally known as Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE)) |
176 and no bands below 169 |
|
Language Cert International ESOL (LRWS) |
C1 Expert with an overall high pass and no less than a pass in each skill |
|
Language Cert International ESOL (LRWS) |
C2 Mastery with an overall pass and no less than a pass in each skill |
|
New Zealand Certificate in English Language (NZCEL) |
Level 5 (Academic) |
|
Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB) |
Minimum score of 59 |
|
Pearson PTE Academic |
56 and no PTE communicative skills below 46 |
|
Trinity College London Integrated Skills in English (ISE) |
III with a pass in all four components |
|
University of Waikato College |
Successful completion of Level 8 with a B grade in the Certificate of Attainment in Academic English (CAAE) programme |
For entry requirements to professional qualifications such as Law, Initial Teacher Education (ITE), and Nursing, please refer to the Academic Calendar.
For the English language entry requirements for Graduate Certificates and Graduate Diplomas, please see our undergraduate entry requirements page.
Equivalent qualifications
If you have successfully completed study in the medium of English, or you have taken an English language assessment not listed, please refer to the documents below. These documents list all approved alternatives to our English language entry requirements.
Postgraduate options
Ready to advance your knowledge and career? Explore our diverse range of postgraduate programmes at the University of Waikato.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
An officially verified document is a photocopy of an original document that has been signed and dated by an authorised person who can confirm that it is identical to the original. This could be a Justice of the Peace, solicitor, barrister, Notary public, court registrar, school principal, official of the issuing institution (either in New Zealand or overseas), an embassy, high commission, or consulate general.
This person will need to see the original document and verify that the photocopy is a genuine, unaltered copy. They will then sign, date, and stamp the photocopy with an official stamp or write 'certified original sighted, and this is a true copy of that original'.
University staff at the Student Administration desk on campus or the University of Waikato registered educational staff can also verify your documents.
You may submit scanned copies of your documents for assessment purposes, but you will need to provide hard copies or scanned verified documents prior to enrolment. Please check your offer letter to see what you need to provide.
There are several ways you can gain admission to the University. Find out about university entry requirements.
Some programmes require applicants to provide additional information, references, undergo police vetting and/or complete an interview. Please refer to the individual programme pages for more information.
The University does not offer any extramural courses, however there are some papers that are offered via the net. This information can be found using Find a Paper and filtering by 'Online'.
Contact us on 0800 WAIKATO or +64 7 807 9275 and we can put you in touch with one of our International Student Advisers who can assist you.
120 points per year is considered full-time study. This generally equates to eight first year papers however this varies across faculties.
We offer a choice of foundation and international diploma programmes that provide the preparation needed for undergraduate studies. Specialist teachers will support you in developing the core study skills, subject knowledge, and English language level required to succeed.
No.
The Halls of Residence offer accommodation on the assumption that the student will be accepted into the University of Waikato.
Once your enrolment is complete, we will need a photograph of you to produce your student ID Card. Learn more about Student ID cards.
Course literature and required textbooks will be published in the course outline. The course outline is only available to students that are fully enrolled and is usually released a few days before the first lecture. You will not require textbooks for the first week of lectures.
It is helpful to bring a refill pad or tablet etc, a pen and a print out of the course outline (as the first lecture will generally be based around this document).