Student exchange programme

Exchange programme application process and how to arrange credit for foreign university papers

Students who are currently enrolled in a degree programme at Massey are welcome to apply for the student exchange programme.  Check the eligibility requirements before applying and contact the Administrator - International Programmes if you have any questions about your eligibility.

When to apply

The application closing date to go on exchange in Massey's Semester One is 1 June (year prior).
The closing date for exchange in Massey's Semester Two is 1 October (year prior).

Students are required to apply for the exchange programme several months before the proposed exchange as there is a selection process for Massey exchange candidates.  Students also need time to complete the necessary preparation for the exchange to have the best chance of success.
  • For Undergraduate students, the best time to go on exchange is during the second or third year of your Massey degree programme.  Students who want go on exchange in their final year should check with their College that they will be able to meet Massey's requirements for completing their degree and all major/minor requirements (e.g. students may be required to complete 30x300-level credits in their major at Massey).  It is often easier to credit elective papers than major papers while on exchange, and therefore careful planning at the start of your degree is advised to ensure you can successfully incorporate an exchange experience during your studies.
  • For Postgraduate students, the application process requires closer liaison and careful consideration between Massey academic staff and the host institution, and can therefore be more complicated to organise.  Postgraduate students can participate as an exchange student for a maximum of one quarter (25 percent) of their degree, which is usually one semester.

    Postgraduate students are not able to undertake research while on exchange, but should study internally taught papers at the host university. There are limited exchange opportunities at postgraduate level, but most of Massey's North American partners (Canada and U.S.A.) welcome exchange students.

    Postgraduate business students intending to make an application for exchange to the University of California (UC) are required to sit a Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). Currently, this test is offered in New Zealand yearly in October. The UC campuses open to graduate business exchange students are Riverside and Berkeley.

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Exchange duration

To gain the most out of an exchange experience you should consider an exchange for the full academic year (i.e. two semester, approximately 9 months). This will give you more opportunity to settle into the new university environment, local city or town, establish long-term friendships and gain a better understanding of the local culture and lifestyle.

The northern hemisphere academic year is opposite to Massey's academic year, and is generally from September to December (Fall/Semester One) and January to May (Spring/Semester Two) with the summer vacation June to August. Japan is the main exception where the academic year begins in April and ends in March.
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Selecting a host university

All exchange destinations have merit and many are highly prestigious institutions which you may not otherwise have the opportunity to attend.  For the full list of Massey University's current exchange partners, click here.

When considering a host university, you may like to ask yourself the following questions:
  • What country or culture am I interested in learning about?
  • Where can I continue to study within my majoring subject?
  • Is language a barrier?
  • Do I want to learn a foreign language?
  • What destination would help enhance my career prospects?
  • How would this experience extend me?
  • Does the currency conversion of NZ dollars matter?
  • Should I exchange to a university in a larger or smaller city?

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Selecting papers to study at the host university

Once you have researched the host universities and chosen where you might like to go, you then need to select some papers you would like to study at the foreign institution. All students while on exchange should be enrolled in the equivalent full-time course load of 60 credits per semester, since the Massey tuition fees payable while on exchange are calculated on this basis. The host university and local immigration policy may also require exchange students to be enrolled full-time.  Check the host university catalogue to find out how many credits equate to full-time study.

Depending on the stage you are within your degree and if you have flexibility within your majoring requirements, you may like to identify papers which match your interests, or which may not be readily available at Massey. Past exchange students have studied interesting papers such as: Black American History; Medieval Europe; First Nations studies; Society, Culture and Belief in Europe 1350 - 1700; or Central Asia: Conflict Management and Regional Security.

Credit for foreign university papers needs to be approved by your Massey College as part of the application (page two of the student exchange application form). By doing this prior to departure you can ensure you will be maximising your time and experience while abroad, and studying at the same pace as you normally would if you stayed in New Zealand.

Check the host university websites for similar or equivalent programmes and papers that could be credited towards your Massey University degree (it might be helpful if you have already thought about what papers you might study if you remained at Massey University). Remember the terminology or title of the programmes may be different, but you only need to look at the content of individual papers offered.
The course offerings may not be available for your intended exchange semester at the time when you are planning your exchange.  Use the catalogue for the same semester the year before (e.g. Fall 2011 if intending to go on exchange in Fall 2012) for a guideline of the papers that are likely to be available.  While there may be changes to the courses offered, most host universities are not able to provide an indication of course offerings so far in advance.

It is a good idea to select twice as many papers at the university than you would need for a full-time course-load. The reason we suggest this is that sometimes your choices may not be available when you get to your destination (classes may be full, courses may not be offered, etc) and you will be in a better position if you can enrol into your next choice of papers instead of having to seek re-approval via long distance with your Massey College. If you do need to change your courses on arrival at the host university, please contact your College immediately to arrange a new credit approval so that you can be sure the papers you study while on exchange can be credited towards your Massey degree programme.

Students interested in studying at the University of California need to select papers from three different campuses, as the University of California will make the final decision about where to place you on exchange. Also read through the ‘Undergraduate Guide’ or ‘Graduate Guide’ (as applicable to your situation), including the ‘Impacted Majors Table’ which sets out disciplines by campus that are not available to exchange students.
 
Students applying to California State University need to select 8 to 10 courses from each of three or four campuses.
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Arranging credit approval

Step One: Please ensure that you retrieve as much information as possible about the papers you want to take at the host university.  You will need the full course code (which should indicate the subject area and level of study), the credit value (in the host university credit system), and a detailed course description (which should include the prerequisites, and may also include information about textbooks, assessments, etc) for each paper.  It would also be helpful to provide information about the total credits required for a degree at the host university, or the usual full-time course load for a semester or a year.  This information may be found on the relevant university or country information page on this website, or in the Academic Catalogue on the host university website. 
Step Two: You then need to make an appointment to discuss credit for your proposed papers with the College member responsible for your subject area (see below). You should contact the College staff at least three weeks prior to the application deadline. 

College of Business
  • Undergraduate: email Julie Williams, Academic Administrator 
  • Postgraduate and Aviation students: email Glyn Jeffrey, Director, Postgraduate Studies

College of Creative Arts

College of Education

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

  • Trish Barker, Academic Services Manager (nominee on behalf of the Academic Director)

College of Sciences

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Submitting an application

Complete the student exchange application form, which may be downloaded below.  Read the instructions on the application form and if you have any questions, contact the Administrator - International Programmes.  You will also need two referees, who should complete the confidential Referee Forms and submit them directly to the International Office.  At least one referee must be an academic (preferably a Massey lecturer or tutor; or a school teacher if you are a first year student).  The other referee may be an academic or someone in a position of authority who knows you well and can testify to your character.  If you intend to apply to a US university through ISEP, you must have two academic referees and they should complete the ISEP referee form (below) instead of the Massey referee form.

Application forms

Interview and selection process

Participating on the Massey student exchange programme is a privilege, and students selected for the programme are expected to be ambassadors for Massey University while studying overseas.  The student exchange selection committee will assess your application documents, Massey grades and your references.  The assessment process also involves an interview of all candidates.  You will be sent information about the interview once your complete application has been received.

After the interview, the Exchange Selection Committee will inform you whether you have been approved for the exchange programme.  The Committee may wait until the current semester's results are released before making a decision on your application.

Nomination for Exchange by Massey University

If you are approved by the Exchange Selection Committee, you will be invited to complete an exchange application to the host university. The Administrator - International Programmes will give you instructions on how to apply and will forward your completed application documents to the host university.  

The final decision to accept or decline your application rests with the host university. You should wait until you have received confirmation of acceptance from the host university before you purchase your airline return ticket, apply for a student visa, or make any other binding commitments.  After your nomination by Massey University, the likelihood of you being accepted by the host university is very good, but the decision about whether to accept you is ultimately with the host university.

Please note that the average processing time for our partner universities to assess exchange applications is two months.  You will need to be patient during this time as you wait for a decision from the host university.

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Page authorised by Director, International Office
Last updated on Monday 07 May 2012