Introduction
Welcome Message
Welcome to Massey University. Throughout its history, Massey has played a uniquely important role in the development of New Zealand through its ground-breaking research, its distinctive mix of internal, extramural and international teaching, commitment to innovation and close links with the wider society.
Massey has served generations of learners from all backgrounds. Our students experience research-led teaching, innovative modes of delivery, outstanding student support services and high quality resources.
Our ambition is that all Massey students graduate with the mix of academic excellence and employment-related skills that will serve them well in whatever they choose to do.
The staff of Massey University join with me in wishing you well with your studies.
Steve Maharey Vice-Chancellor
Admission and Enrolment
Massey University operates a multi-access enrolment system, which completes all processes involved in admission of students to the University and enrolment in all study modes (internal, extramural, block and Web) for papers offered in the current academic year or enrolment period. Students may enrol either by WebEnrol on the Massey University website, or by telephone enrolment, or alternatively by post. Students may, in addition, be requested to submit other information to the University to support their enrolment.
Planning a Programme of Study
University programmes exist inside a regulatory framework with all degrees, diplomas and certificates having a set structure. Some programmes are tightly circumscribed in terms of the papers that must be included, while others offer a great deal of flexibility.
Colleges have a detailed set of Regulations for each qualification that specify the number of credits allotted to papers that must be selected. Typically there is a core area of specialisation (the major or the endorsement) as well as a number of associated College papers that may be taken from other areas. When enrolling in a programme of study, students must keep in mind not only the number of credits but also the combination of credits and papers necessary to complete the requirements for their particular qualification.
There may also be requirements to be observed at a paper level, namely prerequisites (papers that must be completed to a defined standard before enrolment in another paper is confirmed), corequisites (papers that must be attempted in the same semester as another paper unless the corequisite paper has previously been passed) and restrictions (where papers are similar in content and therefore students may not count both papers to a qualification). Professional programmes will also have required practical components that must be met.
The Calendar remains the definitive document for all Course Regulations.
Students requiring assistance in planning their programmes of study should contact their College office or speak to one of the Student Liaison Advisers.
Semesters
The Massey University academic year is divided into distinct enrolment periods, which are Semester One, Semester Two and Summer School. Each semester consists of thirteen teaching weeks and concludes with its own examination period. In addition, a longer enrolment period, the Double Semester, parallels Semesters One and Two with an examination period at the end of Semester Two. Summer School comprises the November-February period and includes offerings both internal (generally January through February) and extramural (November through February).
A winter break of three weeks is normally scheduled between the Semester One examination period and the start of Semester Two. Within Semester One, a two-week mid-semester break is linked to the Easter holiday break. Within Semester Two, there is a two-week mid-semester break.
Some programmes and papers do not conform to these standard semester periods. Professional programmes in particular may have a longer instructional year to accommodate practical requirements.
The Credits System
Every paper has a credit value that indicates its contribution to the qualification enrolled for (or to any other qualification to which that paper can contribute). These values have been derived on the basis of an equivalent full-time year for a degree being 120 credits.
The credit value also gives an indication of the total amount of time that a student might reasonably expect to have to spend on each paper in order to satisfactorily complete the assessment requirements (including lectures, laboratories, tutorials, visits and study time for an internal student, or campus and/or regional courses, study groups and private study time for an extramural student). Converted into a number of hours per week, this is referred to as the effective weekly hours for the paper.
Each credit corresponds approximately to 50 minutes per week for a single-semester paper or 25 minutes per week for a double-semester paper. The total hours required for the paper can be calculated at 15 weeks (the number per semester) times 50 minutes (the expected study duration for a single semester paper) times 15 credits, so that a total commitment of 12.5 effective hours per week, or 187.5 effective hours per semester might be expected for a 15 credit paper. The effective weekly hours for a paper will depend on the number of weeks over which it is intended to spread the study programme during the year. The course outline provided for each paper should indicate the effective weekly hours and how these might typically be spent.
From 2007 all undergraduate papers (with the exception of a small number of papers) will have a 15 credit value. Between 1999-2006 all undergraduate papers (apart from a small number of qualification-specific papers in the Colleges of Design, Fine Arts and Music, Education and Sciences) had a 12.5-point value. Papers passed in previous years will carry the points earned in those years, except in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, where the papers passed in 1994 and prior years will all count at 15 points.
For details of specific transitional arrangements, reference should be made to the entry for the particular qualification elsewhere in the Calendar or to the relevant qualification handbook.
