How to apply for master’s study , Me pēhea e tono ai hei whai tohu paerua

Check if you meet the academic and English language entry requirements for a master’s degree, and find out how to apply for postgraduate study at Massey.

Once you’ve decided on the master’s degree you want to do, follow these steps to apply.

1. Check you meet the entry requirements

To be accepted into a master’s degree at Massey, there are a number of requirements you need to meet. Some of these will depend on the qualification you want to do and whether it’s selected entry. Selected entry qualifications have extra requirements you need to meet to gain entry to them.

Academic entry requirements

To be accepted into most master’s degrees, you need one of the following:

  1. a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject with a minimum B grade average in your major’s 300-level courses
  2. an honours degree or postgraduate diploma in a relevant subject with a minimum B grade average.

The grade averages you need might be different from these. Check the qualification page for the master’s degree you want to apply for to see what grades you need.

Find a course or qualification

For some master’s degrees, you may still be able to apply if you don’t meet the academic entry requirements but you have relevant work or life experience.

Learn more about recognition of prior learning

If you’re not sure whether you meet the entry requirements, you can contact one of our postgraduate consultants at academicadvice@massey.ac.nz

English language entry requirements

You need to meet the English language requirements for study at Massey. For most postgraduate qualifications you need one of the following:

  • to have successfully completed university study taught in English within the last two years
  • to be from a country where English is the first language – New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom or the United States
  • an Academic International English Language Test (IELTS) score of at least 6.5 with no band less than 6.0
  • an internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL iBT) score of at least 90 overall and 20 in writing.

Find out how to register for an IELTS test

Learn about taking a TOEFL test

Other entry requirements

Some master’s degrees are selected entry, meaning there’s a limited number of places and selection is competitive. If you’re applying for a selected-entry qualification, you may need to supply extra application materials such as a portfolio of your work.

Check the application requirements for your intended qualification carefully if you’re not sure about what you need to submit.

2. Check the application due dates

The date your application is due will depend on the semester you want to begin your study in and whether the qualification you’re applying for is selected entry. Selected entry qualifications usually only have one application due date each year.

Find out more about application due dates

3. Get your documents ready

To process your application, we’ll need to see verified copies of documents such as your academic transcripts, proof of citizenship and English language test results.

The documents we need may vary depending on the qualification you’re applying for, whether you’re a domestic or international student, and whether you’ve studied at Massey before.

The documents we might ask you for are:

  • transcripts for all your tertiary qualifications, including those you haven’t completed
  • graduation certificates for all your tertiary qualifications
  • your CV
  • a portfolio of your work if you’re applying for a selected entry qualification
  • English language test results (if you are from a country where English is not the first language)
  • evidence of your citizenship.

Find out more about the documents you need to apply

4. Find a supervisor if you need to

For some qualifications, you need to find a supervisor before we can confirm your enrolment. This includes areas of study where research is highly specialised and limited supervisors are available, such as the Master of Science (MSc).

If you are applying for one of these qualifications, we will contact you after you have completed your enrolment online to explain the extra requirements.

Search for potential supervisors

5. Complete the online application

Once you’ve completed all the steps above, you’re ready to apply – do this from the page for the qualification you want to study, or apply now.

After you apply

After you submit your online application, we will check you meet the entry requirements.

If you provide all the documents we need, the process usually takes around two to four weeks.

If your application is successful we will send you an Offer of Place. Before you can enrol, you need to accept the offer

Contact us

If you have any questions about master’s study, contact us. Include your student ID number if you’re a current student.

Contact us