Courses in New Zealand: Application advice for International Students
The exact criteria for applying to an undergraduate course in New Zealand largely vary depending on your country of origin.
Broadly speaking, if you have previously completed a “foundation” year of studies towards an undergraduate degree in your chosen subject, this is usually sufficient to be admitted into most universities in New Zealand.
To give you some examples; a UK student will need at least three 'A' levels at grade C or above; American students will need to present a High School Diploma, a GED (General Education Development Certificate) with a score of at least 50 in each test and a SAT 1 result of at least 1600 or a composite ACT score of 24 or better, although lower scores may also be considered. If you have previously studied in France, you will need a Baccalauréat Diploma to gain entry to New Zealand University.
Some degrees may have additional degree-specific entry requirements such as auditions or face-to-face interviews, and some degrees do require a higher IELTS score - the figures may also vary depending on the competency level of other applicants applying to your course.
Lectures at universities in New Zealand are usually taught in English, which is New Zealand's national language. Most universities require you to demonstrate your proficiency in this language. A minimum score of 6.0 in IELTS is required for admission at the first-year level. An alternative is TOEFL (iBT) with a minimum score of 79-80.
If you meet the minimum entry requirements and you have your IELTS or TOEFL results, some universities may ask you to send original or certified true copies of academic certificates and transcripts as evidence of your achievement and if these are written in a language other than English, you will be required to send a certified translation of the documents.
However, if you are planning to apply with more than one university, it will save you time and money if you obtained an IQA (International Qualification Assessment - formerly a Qualifications Assessment Report) by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority. This report is an assessment and verification of the level of your qualification, it is accepted by all universities and at some universities it is mandatory in order to grant you admission.
If you have already completed more than a foundation year in your chosen subject, you may be able to transfer credits – there is a section in the application form, where you will be asked if you intend to transfer credits from a previous course, and you will need to enclose the relevant certified documents (transcripts and results and the certified copy of the syllabus).
Give yourself plenty of time, by applying well in advance
New Zealand’s intakes are in February and July, and the application deadline for July intake is April/May but it is wise to apply earlier for the more popular courses. In addition to this, international students will need to take care of other matters such as health and travel insurance, which are compulsory to study in New Zealand as a foreign student, and a student visa and study permit, which are obviously compulsory in order to be able to travel.
Make sure you allocate plenty of time by applying early for a course, as one of the requirements to get a student visa is to present the visa office with a letter of acceptance. The last thing you want is to be admitted on a course and then face delays due to visa matters!
