Admission to undergraduate study
- National Certificate in Educational Achievement
- Cambridge International Examinations (CIE)
- International Baccalaureate
- Previous secondary school qualifications
- Discretionary Entrance
- Adult admission
- Other methods of admission
- English language requirements
Massey University includes a preferential admission scheme in its policies for admission to undergraduate qualifications for domestic students. This scheme assists the University to manage its enrolments if courses are over-subscribed, but it is likely that most applicants will be offered a place in their qualification of choice.
Your application will be assessed as follows:
- Assessment of eligibility for university entrance through NCEA Level 3, University Entrance examination or another recognised admission method explained below;
- Assessment of a rank score, based on educational background, using the methods explained below. We will calculate a rank score for you;
- Assessment against the specific requirements for selection if any (eg assessment of your portfolio of work for the Bachelor of Design with Honours).
If you are under 20 years of age you will be given preference if you gain university entrance and score equal to or above the Preferential Entry Score of 120 points and meet the specific requirements for selection where required. If you are 20 years of age or older, and the University must make selection decisions because your qualification of choice has limited places and is over-subscribed, the assessments outlined above will be used to make those selection decisions. However, Massey University may give preference to students from under-represented groups when making selections into qualifications.
Students who achieve admission to university with a rank score lower than the Preferential Entry Score, or who have no rank score, are still eligible to apply, and it is anticipated that most will be admitted to a qualification. If there are more applicants for a qualification than can be accommodated, the rank score may be used, together with any stated selection criteria for the course concerned, to prioritise applicants or to determine whether a place can be offered in an alternative qualification.
The following qualifications have specific requirements for selection (see 3 above).
Bachelor of Aviation
Bachelor of Design
Bachelor of Design with Honours
Bachelor of Education
Bachelor of Education (Teaching) Early Years (0-8)
Bachelor of Education (Teaching) Primary / Diploma in Education Studies
Bachelor of Engineering with Honours
Bachelor of Fine Arts
Bachelor of Fine Arts with Honours
Bachelor of Food Technology with Honours
Bachelor of Māori Visual Arts
Bachelor of Music
Bachelor of Nursing
Bachelor of Science (some majors)
Bachelor of Speech Language Therapy
Bachelor of Veterinary Science
Bachelor of Veterinary Technology
Conjoint degree programmes
Bachelor of Arts / Bachelor of Business Studies
Bachelor of Arts / Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Business Studies / Bachelor of Science
Please contact us if you need any assistance or further information.
Back to topNational Certificate in Educational Achievement
We strongly encourage you to take achievement standards in approved subjects at Level 3 to help you to achieve the Preferential Entry Score and to provide you with the best preparation for University studies.
University Entrance
You are qualified for admission to university if you have obtained:
- a minimum of 42 credits at Level 3 or higher on the National Qualifications Framework, including a minimum of 14 credits at Level 3 or higher in each of two subjects from the approved subject list, with a further 14 credits at Level 3 or higher taken from no more than two additional domains on the National Qualifications Framework or approved subjects. A list of approved subjects is available at the NZQA website.
plus
- minimum of 14 credits at Level 1 or higher in Mathematics or Pāngarau on the National Qualifications Framework.
plus
- a minimum of 8 credits at Level 2 or higher in English or Te Reo Māori; 4 credits must be in reading and 4 credits must be in writing. These literacy credits are to be selected from a schedule of approved achievement standards and unit standards available at the NZQA website.
Admission to your chosen qualification
The Preferential Entry Score from NCEA, for the majority of undergraduate qualifications, is 120 points.
Your rank score will be calculated by:
- identifying your best 80 credits at NCEA Level 3 or higher over a maximum of five approved subjects;
- awarding four points for credits achieved with Excellence, three for Merit and two for Achieved.
Both achievement standards and unit standards in approved subjects will be counted. If you achieve fewer than 80 credits, the score will be based on those credits you have gained. If you achieve more than 80 credits the credits achieved with the highest level of achievement will be used.
Only five approved subjects are included in the calculation.
A maximum of 24 credits per subject are used and any credits above this limit are excluded. For example
|
Subject
|
Standard type
|
Results
|
Level of Achievement
|
Calculations
|
Rank Score
|
|
English
(22 credits) |
Achievement
|
6 4 |
Excellence Achieved |
6x4 points = 24 4x2 points = 8 |
56 |
|
History
(24 credits) |
Achievement
|
8
8 8 |
Excellence
Merit Achieved |
8x4 points = 32
8x3 points = 24 8x2 points = 16 |
72
|
|
Media Studies
(16 credits) |
Achievement
|
16
|
Achieved
|
16x2 points = 32
|
32
|
|
Social Studies
(14 credits) |
Achievement
|
14
|
Achieved
|
14x2 points = 28
|
28
|
|
Statistics and
Modelling (12 credits) |
Achievement
Unit |
8
4 |
Merit
Achieved |
8x3 points = 24
4x2 points = 8 |
24
Not counted in 80 best credits |
|
Total 212
|
Level 3 subject requirements for a particular qualification may be met in Year 12.
NCEA Level 3 credits achieved in Year 12 may be counted towards the 80 best credits required for ranking purposes.
For some qualifications you may be required to have taken specific subjects and gained a specific number of credits in those subjects. For others there are specific requirements in addition to NCEA results. See the list above for details.
Credits obtained in any required subjects do not have to be among the best 80 credits required for ranking purposes.
Cambridge International Examinations (CIE)
University Entrance
You are qualified for admission to university if you have obtained a minimum of 120 points on the UCAS Tariff, including:
- a minimum grade of D in each of at least two subjects equivalent to those on the approved subject list at A or AS level, plus;
- a minimum grade of D in one further subject either from the approved subject list, or from a domain on the National Qualifications Framework, at AS or A level.
For the literacy and numeracy requirements, you will need:
- An E pass or better in AS English
- A D pass or better in IGCSE Mathematics.
Admission to your chosen qualification
The Preferential Entry Score from CIE, for the majority of undergraduate qualifications, is 140 points.
Your rank score will be calculated by:
- identifying a maximum of six subject units from your last two years of study, at AS, A2 or A level, from subjects on the approved list;
- using the UCAS Tariff to calculate points for these subjects based on grades achieved, on the basis of the table below.
|
Level
|
A
|
B
|
C
|
D
|
E
|
|
A
|
120
|
100
|
80
|
60
|
40
|
|
AS
|
60
|
50
|
40
|
30
|
20
|
The CIE rank score is only calculated over approved subjects so may differ from the UCAS tariff used for university entrance.
A subject passed at A level counts as two subject units.
If you have passed more than six subject units, the subjects with the best level of achievement will be used to calculate the rank score. If you achieve fewer than six subject units, the score will be based on those you have achieved.
|
Subject
|
Level
|
Subject
Units |
Grade
|
Rank Score
|
|
English
|
A
|
2
|
C
|
80
|
|
Mathematics
|
A
|
2
|
D
|
60
|
|
Accounting
|
AS
|
1
|
B
|
50
|
|
Economics
|
AS
|
1
|
B
|
50
|
|
Geography
|
AS
|
1
|
B
|
Not counted
in best six subject units |
|
Total 240
|
International Baccalaureate
University Entrance
You are qualified for admission to university if you have been awarded the full International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma (a minimum of 24 points).
Admission to your chosen qualification
The Preferential Entry Score from IB, for the majority of undergraduate qualifications, is 26 points.
You will be given a rank score equivalent to your IB score, for example if you achieve an IB score of 31 points, you will be given a rank score of 31.
Previous secondary school qualifications
University Entrance
You are qualified for admission to university if you have obtained:
From the New Zealand University Entrance, Bursaries and Scholarships Examination (NZUEBS) prior to 2004
- A grade of A, B or C in each of 3 subjects from the approved list, plus Higher School Certificate;
- A New Zealand Bursary at ‘A’ or ‘B’ level;
- A combination of NZUEBS A, B or C grades and level 3 unit standards, from the National Qualifications Framework in subjects on the approved list (see NCEA), plus Higher School Certificate.
From the New Zealand Bursaries Examination prior to 1993
- A grade of A, B, C or D in each of 4 subjects.
From New Zealand University Entrance prior to 1986
- An award of New Zealand University Entrance, by examination or accreditation.
Admission to your chosen qualification
The Preferential Entry Score from secondary school qualifications above, for the majority of undergraduate qualifications, is 120 points.
You will be given a rank score of 120 points if you were accredited with the University Entrance qualification.
If you sat any of the external examinations listed above, your rank score will be calculated using your results from up to five subjects on the basis of the table below. Your best five results will be used for the calculation with grades of D or above included.
|
Grade
|
A
|
B
|
C
|
D
|
|
Score (points)
|
56
|
42
|
28
|
14
|
For example:
| Subject |
Grade
|
Rank Score
|
| English |
C
|
28
|
| Mathematics |
C
|
28
|
| Accounting |
B
|
42
|
| History |
B
|
42
|
| Biology |
A
|
56
|
|
Geography
|
D
|
Not counted in best five
subjects |
|
Total 196
|
Discretionary Entrance
- A person under the age of 20 years who does not meet the University Entrance standard, but:
- Is a citizen or permanent resident of New Zealand or Australia*;
- Is at least 16 years of age and under 20 on the first day of the semester in which they wish to study, and
- has not otherwise qualified for admission
*Australian applicants’ most recent year of schooling must have been in New Zealand. - Discretionary Entrance applicants are expected to have a very good academic record. The normal criteria for consideration for Discretionary Entrance are:
- Has received secondary schooling to at least New Zealand Year 12 level (or its equivalent overseas) and
- Has achieved a minimum of 72 credits at NCEA Level 2 including 14 credits in each of four subjects (three of which must be approved subjects) with a majority of credits at Merit or Excellence; and
- Has met the literacy and numeracy standards required for University Entrance, or their equivalents
- Discretionary Entrance is granted to a nominated under-graduate qualification.
- Persons who attempt to qualify for University Entrance in Year 13, but who fail to do so, may be considered for mid-year admission in the year following their NCEA assessment in universities where this is permitted. Admission will be at the discretion of the university concerned.
- A person studying at a New Zealand secondary school, who is attempting to qualify for entrance to university, may apply for Discretionary Entrance in the same year for the purpose of enrolling in papers offered in a Summer School by a university. Any person admitted under this Regulation who does not, in the following January, meet the University Entrance standard will be required to withdraw from the university and may re-apply for admission at mid-year. Students required to withdraw may complete their Summer School programme before doing so, but any papers passed will not be credited to a qualification until a University Entrance qualification is gained.
Adult admission
University Entrance
You are qualified for admission to university if you are a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident, you do not have the entrance qualifications described above but you will be at least 20 years of age by the final date for acceptance of late enrolment applications for the enrolment period in which your proposed programme of study commences.
Admission to your chosen qualification
Applicants who are 20 years of age or older, and who do not have a university entrance qualification, are eligible for admission to their chosen qualification provided that places are available or where places are limited, that the applicant is selected for that place.
A range of online self-assessment tools are available under the Learning section of the Massey University website that will help you gauge your readiness for university study. Massey University offers short university preparation courses that are an excellent way for mature students to refresh study skills. Short courses in specific subject areas, such as Physics and Chemistry, are also available if you require targeted preparation. Alternatively, the University has developed partnership agreements with reputable tertiary providers which offer bridging programmes to thoroughly prepare you for undergraduate study. Contact us for more information about these options.
Other methods of admission
If you have studied overseas or at another New Zealand tertiary institution, the University will assess your admission on a case-by-case basis. Information on equivalent admission qualifications from other countries is available on the International students web pages. International and domestic students who successfully complete the one-semester Certificate of University Preparation or the two-semester Certificate in Foundation Studies will qualify for university entrance.
If you are a domestic student, under the age of 20 years, and you do not qualify under any of the methods above, we recommend that you enrol in a bridging programme. Massey University has developed partnership agreements with reputable tertiary providers to deliver bridging programmes, contact us for more information.
English language requirements
All students studying at Massey University are expected to be able to write grammatically correct English, read English actively and with understanding, listen to and discern key points in spoken English and speak English freely and clearly. Procedures also exist for those students who wish to submit written work or examinations in Māori.
All international students whose first language is not English will be required to provide satisfactory evidence of their English language proficiency in the form of an academic IELTS or TOEFL score. More information is available on the International students web pages.
