How to apply for study abroad or exchange at Massey , He pēhea e tono ai kia ako ki tāwāhi ki Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuaroa rānei

Get everything you need and discover the steps you need to take to come to Massey on our study abroad or exchange programmes.

Before you apply

Before you start your application, you need to decide:

  • which of our three campuses you want to study at
  • what courses you want to take while you're here.

You will need to list your chosen courses and campus on your application form – though you won't enrol in courses until after your application has been accepted and you've paid your fees.

Read about our three campuses

Choosing courses

Courses are the individual classes you'll take at Massey. You'll usually take 4 courses per semester. This PDF lists the subjects taught on each of our campuses.

Before you choose a course, make sure it:

  • is available at the campus you want to study at – some of our courses are only offered at certain Massey campuses
  • is available during the semester or semesters you'll be in New Zealand
  • lasts the same length of time as your stay – if you’ll only be at Massey for one semester, don’t apply for a double semester course, which takes two semesters to complete
  • is the right level for you – see course levels and prerequisites below.

Search for courses you can study at Massey

Discuss your plans with the study abroad office at your home university before you apply. You need to get approval so the courses you take at Massey count towards your qualification.

Taking distance courses

Some courses at Massey are taught by distance. For these courses, you don't usually have to attend classes on campus – most of your teaching will be online.

As a study abroad or exchange student, you can take one distance course, if your university allows it. Your visa conditions state that you need to earn 45 credits from study on campus each semester – that's three regular Massey courses.

You can see whether a course is offered by distance or on campus under Location and study mode on the course page. Make sure at least three of your courses are offered at the campus you'll be attending.

Course levels

At Massey, we give each course a 6-digit number.

The first three numbers tell you what subject a course is in. The fourth digit tells you the level of study:

  • 131100 is a first-year undergraduate course
  • 131200 is a second-year undergraduate course
  • 131300 is a third-year undergraduate course
  • 131000 is a pre-degree course – don't choose one of these, as you won't get credit for it at your home university.

For postgraduate courses at Massey, the fourth digit is 7. For master's courses it's 8.

  • 131700 is a postgraduate honours course
  • 131804 is a master's course.

Prerequisites

If a course has prerequisites, you need to have completed another course before you can enrol in it. Lots of second-year undergraduate courses, for example, have first-year courses as prerequisites.

Find prerequisites on the course page. Since you'll be coming to Massey from another university, you probably won't have taken the exact prerequisites listed – but make sure you've done something very similar. We'll look at your transcript when you apply to check you meet the prerequisites.

Apply to Massey

1, Check the application deadlines

Submit your application before the closing dates in this table. Don’t panic if you miss the deadline – you may still be able to study at Massey if there is space in the courses you want to take.

This table shows the deadlines for applying for study abroad or exchange each semester.
Semester of study Application deadline
Semester One (February to June) 1 November (year before)
Semester Two (July to November) 1 May (same year)

Space is limited in some of our design and fine arts courses. If you want to study these subjects, it’s a good idea to submit your application early.

2, Make sure you meet our entry requirements

To come to Massey as a study abroad or exchange student, you need to meet our academic and English language entry requirements.

Academic entry requirements

You need to:

  • be studying toward a bachelor's or master’s degree at your home university
  • have completed at least one year of university study, or an associate degree
  • have a Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 2.75 on a 4.0 scale – this is about the same as a B.

Contact us to discuss your situation if your GPA is lower than 2.75. In some circumstances, we may be able to consider your application anyway.

Email: studyabroad@massey.ac.nz

English language entry requirements

You need to take a test so we know your English is strong enough for university study if:

  • English is not the first language of your home country
  • English is not the language of teaching in your home university.

You can take one of two English language exams: the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

International English Language Testing System (IELTS)

Take the Academic IELTS exam, not the General Training one.

Book an IELTS exam

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)

Book a test with TOEFL

English test results

Send us a scan of your results with your application. Your results will be valid for two years after the date you do the test.

Find out what scores you need to get

Students from universities that teach in English

If your university teaching is in English, but English isn't the first language of your home country, get your study abroad adviser to send us an official letter to explain. You may not need to take an English language exam.

3, Contact your home university

Exchange students

If your university has an exchange agreement with Massey, it can only send a certain number of students to us each year. You need to apply to your university for an exchange place before you apply to us. Get in touch with your student exchange office to find out how.

If you don’t get an exchange place, you can still apply to study abroad at Massey.

Study abroad students

You need permission from your university to spend a semester or year abroad. Contact your university's study abroad office to discuss your plans.

4, Send us your application form and supporting documents

Complete our Study Abroad and Student Exchange Application form. Be aware that the study abroad or exchange adviser at your university will need to fill in Part K for you.

Download the application form

Supporting documents

Along with your application form, we need some documents:

  • a scanned or photocopied image of your birth certificate or the identity page of your passport
  • scanned or photocopied academic transcripts or records that show your grades for each semester of your university study, and include a grading scale.

Your scans or photocopies need to be 'verified'. We consider documents verified if the study abroad office at your home university sends them to us, instead of you sending them yourself.

In some cases, you might also need to send us extra documents.

Translations if your documents are not in English

If your documents aren't in English, you also need to send us:

  • English translations
  • a signed letter from the translator, confirming the translations are accurate copies of your original documents.

English language test results

Send us a scanned copy of your IELTS or TEOFL results if English isn't the first language in your home country.

Evidence of disability, impairment or health condition

If we need to know about a disability, impairment or health condition that may affect you while you're at Massey, send us:

  • a letter from your doctor or another health professional
  • a letter from your home university's disability office that describes the services they provide for you.

Send us these letters with your application.

How to submit your application

It's easiest to send us your form and supporting documents by email.

Email: international@massey.ac.nz

5, Accept your Offer of Place

If you meet our entry requirements, we'll email you an Offer of Place.

Check the offer and make sure your details, campus location and the length of your study in New Zealand are correct – the Offer of Place is one of the documents you'll need to apply for your visa.

Once you've checked the document, follow the links to accept our offer.

Fee payment

  • If you're coming to Massey via study abroad, ask your home university how to pay your fees.
  • If you're coming as an exchange student, you'll keep paying your usual fees to your home university.

Other important links in our Offer of Place email

Our email will also include:

  • our terms and conditions for international students – these contain important information about the rules that apply to you at Massey, so it's important to read them
  • a link to apply for housing
  • a Student ID application.

After you apply

There are some extra things you need to do before you can come to New Zealand Aotearoa, like:

  • enrolling in courses
  • sorting out your student visa
  • getting medical and travel insurance
  • booking your accommodation.

Use our checklist to get ready for study abroad or exchange

Advice about study abroad and exchange applications

Contact Massey's International Mobility Team if you need more information about applying to us.

International Mobility Team

Phone

0800 MASSEY (0800 627 739)

Phone from outside NZ
Location

Physical and courier address

Office of Global Engagement
SST Level 6, Room 6.16
Massey University, Tennent Drive
Palmerston North 4474
New Zealand

Postal address

Office of Global Engagement (PN721)
Massey University
Private Bag 11 222
Palmerston North 4442
New Zealand