Why choose Massey?
A history of research innovation and success - International recognition
- Massey University statistics
- Access and facilities
- Links with business and the community
A history of research innovation and success
Getting the best results from postgraduate study means being surrounded by the best: inspirational people, stimulating subject matter and extensive resources and support. Massey has a long and proud record of ground-breaking research and a reputation for research excellence on an international scale.
Our history goes back to 1927, when Massey was a college specialising in agriculture, horticulture and animal science.
Formally established as a university in 1964, it has continued to welcome and integrate new and increasingly sophisticated disciplines, so that today we offer a wide-ranging academic portfolio designed to satisfy global research needs and pave the way for future generations.
Our reputation for research excellence has seen us associated with - and receive public funding from - leading organisations such as the Marsden Fund, the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology, the Health Research Council and the Ministry of Education.
International recognition
Massey University has an international reputation for its research innovation, practices and results. Our achievements as one of the world’s premier learning establishments have been recognised most recently in our listing as one of the top three New Zealand universities in the prestigious Shanghai Jiao Tong University ranking of the world’s top 500 universities.
Accolades such as this show that Massey University is a great place to study and that Massey University postgraduate degrees can be a stepping stone to international success.
Massey University statistics
- produces the highest number of completed postgraduate research degrees in New Zealand
- has witnessed a more than 40 percent rise in the number or PhDs, EdDs and DBAs in the past 10 years
- employs staff with superb academic qualifications - over half of our academic staff hold PhDs
- is the only university represented in all of the New Zealand government-funded Centres of Research Excellence
- is home to innovative research initiatives such as: the Double Helix; New Zealand’s most powerful nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer; the EpiCentre, which played a pivotal role in controlling the United Kingdom’s foot and mouth epidemic; the Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution; and the Research School of Public Health.
Access and facilities
For on-campus study, we offer three locations - Auckland, Palmerston North and Wellington. We also provide an extensive distance learning (extramural) programme, enabling you to choose where and when you want to study, free of the constraints of regular lectures and timetables. Of the nearly 36,000 students enrolled with Massey, approximately 17,000 are studying via distance learning - and around 20 percent of our students are studying postgraduate qualifications.
Links with business and the community
Massey works closely with businesses and the wider community to understand the requirements of contemporary society. Links like these have helped to ensure our postgraduate degrees are highly sought after for their value and relevance in the marketplace.
Massey University also encourages students to build relationships with external partners by undertaking research projects off-campus. Often this research is with staff in the private sector, the government, and industry research entities, both domestically and internationally.
Recent initiatives include:
the Building Research Capability in the Social Sciences Network: a think tank to develop social policy and growth - a Biocommerce Centre, established adjacent to the Palmerston North campus, to grow the biotechnology industry in the Manawatu region of New Zealand
- the Centre for Small to Medium Enterprises
- the Centre for Organisational Excellence Research
- Auckland’s Albany-based e-Centre, a highly successful incubator for new businesses
- Te Pumanawa Hauora: Research Centre for Māori Health and Development
- being active in national and regional business incubators that bring together the skills of industry and academia such as Creative HQ.
