Overview
Become a sought-after employee
Massey’s environmental management graduates are in demand and many have employment before they even graduate.
Level
- Postgraduate, NZQF Level 8
Campus
- Manawatū
Distance learning
- Available
Credits
- 120
Duration
- 1 year(s) full-time. Available part-time.
International
- Available for international students studying in NZ or via distance learning
Other
- Not all listed subject course options are on offer every year.
Massey’s environmental management programme reflects the growing need to protect the environment and to use the resources of land, water, soil, plants, and animals in a balanced and sustainable way.
The Postgraduate Diploma in Environmental Management is for those who have an undergraduate qualification and want to extend their knowledge to environmental management issues.
What will I study?
You’ll gain an in-depth understanding of how the natural environment functions and of what can be done to address today’s environmental challenges. You’ll also learn how societal values, needs and attitudes are reconciled with the need to maintain the integrity of ecological systems. The core courses of your study cover the following topics:
- an evaluation of current environmental issues
- holistic and transdisciplinary approaches to environmental problem solving
- environmental assessment techniques
- environmental economics
- environmental policy
- environmental anthropology
- participation in environmental management
- research skills and undertaking literature reviews
- project evaluation.
There are opportunities to gain advanced knowledge in current land and water-based environmental management. You could also focus on policy or economic elements. You’ll increase your knowledge of important tools and techniques like GIS, Remote Sensing and Life Cycle Assessment.
You can take advantage of Massey’s world-leading expertise in science, agriculture, business, social science and fundamental sciences, and our understanding of the interconnectivity between disciplines.
Internationally relevant
Our staff are world-class academics. They are publishing internationally, with strong connections to relevant organisations across areas associated with environmental management. Massey is ranked in the top 5% of universities in the world.
We have a large number of international students, attracted by the increasing global relevance of environmental management. This brings a unique dimension to your study.
Approachable lecturers
Massey lecturers are very approachable. We are focused on your success and open to helping you plan your career or research.
Careers and further study
Careers
Postgraduate learning is a satisfying and challenging process. Environmental Management is an exciting and rewarding area of study.
Sought-after by employers
Being exposed to diverse disciplines and associated fieldwork is both challenging and rewarding. It is these skills and the applied nature of your learning that are highly-valuable to potential employers. Many of our students are employed before they graduate.
Demand for people with environmental management skills is growing in New Zealand and overseas. Organisations outside of those directly related to environmental issues are increasingly recognising the need to have expertise in this area in every industry.
Your lecturers maintain excellent relationships with key organisations and these relationships give our students networking opportunities for future careers.
Nearly 30% of our graduates are employed in research, universities or district or city councils. Many are also in private consultancies and business.
Earn more
A 2017 Ministry of Education publication, The post-study earnings and destinations of young domestic graduates, found that in New Zealand earnings and employment rates increase with the level of qualification completed.
Further study
Upon successful completion of the Postgraduate Diploma in Environmental Management, you may be able to go on to study the Master of Environmental Management.
International students
New Zealand is a great place to study. Massey University’s reputation is supported by our international rankings, accreditations and associations. We are rated five star plus by the QS World University Rankings.
Massey University has small class sizes, and our lecturers and staff are friendly and approachable.
As an international student, there are entry requirements that will apply to you. We recommend that you apply at least three months before your anticipated start date so your application can be processed in time. There are additional steps you will need to take. These include obtaining a visa and travel bookings if your study is to be in New Zealand.
Entry requirements
University admission
All students must meet university entrance requirements to be admitted to the University.
Programme admission
Required
To enter the Postgraduate Diploma in Environmental Management you will have been awarded or qualified for the Bachelor of Environmental Management, or equivalent, at an appropriate level of academic achievement (normally minimum B- grade average over 300-level majoring courses).
If you have been awarded or qualified for the Bachelor of Science majoring in Environmental Science, or equivalent, you may also apply for this programme.
English language requirements
To study this programme you must meet Massey University's English language standards.
Prior learning, credit and exemptions
For information on prior learning, exemptions and transfer of credit or other questions:
- review the Recognition of Prior Learning regulations
- contact us through the Enquire button on this page.
If you do not have the entry requirements
English language and foundation courses
If you need help with your English language skills before you start university, we have courses and programmes that may help.
Courses and planning
Credit summary
120 credits
From the Schedule to the Diploma including:
Compulsory and elective courses
Compulsory courses
Electives from the Schedule
Options
Option courses
Option courses
Attend field trips, studios, workshops, tutorials, and laboratories as required.
See ‘Courses for this programme’ below for schedules of courses.
Courses for this programme
Compulsory courses
| 30 credits | ||
|---|---|---|
| 188764 | Advanced Environmental Management I | 15 |
| 188765 | Advanced Environmental Management II | 15 |
Elective courses
| 119791 | Special Topic | 15 |
| 119792 | Special Topic | 15 |
| 188707 | Environmental Management Principles and Practice | 15 |
| 188708 | Land System Change | 15 |
Options
Option A: Water
| 145731 | Applied Fluvial Geomorphology | 15 |
| 189755 | Soil and Water Pollution | 30 |
| 189758 | Advanced Soil Water Management | 15 |
| 196712 | Aquatic Ecology | 30 |
Option B: Land
| 189753 | Soil and Land Evaluation | 30 |
| 189757 | Advanced Soil Conservation | 15 |
| 196713 | Ecology | 30 |
| 196726 | Plant Ecology | 30 |
| 233701 | Advanced Pedology | 30 |
| 233710 | Geology, Hazard & Society; Environmental Geology A | 15 |
| 233711 | Applied Environmental Geology; Environmental Geology B | 15 |
Option C: Techniques and Tools
| 145739 | GIS Principles and Applications | 30 |
| 145740 | GIS Programming and Practice | 30 |
| 152752 | Project Management | 30 |
| 189761 | Applied Remote Sensing | 30 |
| 218769 | Energy-Efficient Building Design | 15 |
| 233706 | Environmental Geographical Information Systems | 30 |
| 233707 | Environmental Remote Sensing | 30 |
| 238700 | Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Footprinting Principles | 15 |
| 238710 | Life Cycle Assessment and Footprinting Methods | 15 |
| 238711 | Life Cycle Assessment and Footprinting Case Studies | 15 |
| 238712 | Use of Life Cycle Assessment to Support Decision-Making | 15 |
| 238751 | Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Emission Science | 15 |
| 247790 | Special Topic Applied Statistics | 15 |
| 247791 | Special Topic in Data Analysis | 15 |
Option D: Policy and Environmental Economics
| 132735 | Natural Resource Policy and Planning | 30 |
| 145707 | Economic Geography | 30 |
| 152704 | Business and Sustainability | 30 |
| 188705 | Environmental Policy | 15 |
| 228740 | Energy Policy | 15 |
| 228748 | Climate Change Science and Policy | 15 |
| 235701 | Māori Values and Resource Management | 15 |
| 235707 | Māori Natural Resource Policy | 30 |
Option E: Environment and Society
| 131704 | Sustainable Development | 30 |
| 132751 | Natural Hazards and Resilient Communities | 30 |
| 176718 | Environmental Sociology | 30 |
| 188751 | Advanced Zero Waste for Sustainability | 30 |
| 218761 | Design and Management of Healthy Buildings | 15 |
| 228750 | Renewable Energy and Sustainable Development | 15 |
Planning your programme
Planning overview
If you study full-time, you’ll take 120 credits per year or 60 credits per semester.
The Postgraduate Diploma in Environmental Management is awarded without specialisation.
Maximum time limits for completion
There are maximum time limits to complete postgraduate qualifications. If you do not complete within the maximum time, you may be required to re-apply for the programme if you wish to continue your studies.
Time limits for Honours, Distinction and Merit
Where your qualification is completed within the stated time limit and to a high standard, you may be able to graduate with a class of Honours, Distinction or Merit.
- Look for information under ‘Student Progression’ in the General Regulations for Postgraduate Degrees, Postgraduate Diplomas and Postgraduate Certificates.
- Contact us through the Enquire button on this page if you have any questions.
Fees and scholarships
Fees and finance
Fees, student loans and free fees scheme
Your tuition fees may be different depending on the courses you choose. Your exact fees will show once you have chosen your courses.
There will also be some compulsory non-tuition fees and for some courses, there may also be charges for things such as study resources, software, trips and contact workshops.
Already know which courses you're going to choose?
If you already know which courses you are going to take, you can use our fees calculator to get an estimate of your fees.
Student loans (StudyLink) and Fees Free scheme
You may be eligible for a student loan to help towards paying your fees.
The New Zealand Government offers fees-free tertiary study for eligible domestic students. Find out more about the scheme and your eligibility on the Fees Free website. To use the site's eligibility checking tool, you will need your National Student Number.
Current and returning Massey students will find their National Student Number on their student homepage.
- Student loans (StudyLink)
- Fees Free
- Student homepage login
A good fit if you:
- want to be trained to provide objective data and interpretation to support environmental management decision-making
- would like to develop the skills to make a career out of your passion for the environment
- would like to advance your career to the next level.
Meet our students
“
I decided to study at Massey University because I wanted my future to be open to working in a variety of fields, and this programme has helped me develop the skills to achieve that.
” Alexandra Egan
Massey master's student
Key information for students
Compare qualifications and academic information across different New Zealand institutions.
Regulations
Review this important information before you apply for this programme. This gives you full details of the rules and regulations about what you need to study and what you must achieve in order to graduate with this qualification. That includes structure, courses and requirements. These regulations should be read in conjunction with all other Statutes and Regulations of the University including the below.
Postgraduate regulations
General Regulations for Postgraduate Degrees, Postgraduate Diplomas and Postgraduate Certificates.
Applying and enrolling
Applying for the programme
Check you are ready
If you are ready to apply, have a look at our application checklist. It will help you get prepared with what you need. Please also check the entry requirements carefully before you apply.
Choose your programme and click on Apply now
You will apply for the programme using the Apply now button on this page. You’ll also choose your specialisation (major, subject or endorsement) if applicable.
Some programmes have additional requirements such as the submission of a portfolio or CV. Click on Apply now and you will be able to submit those documents as part of the application process.
Receive and accept an Admission Offer of Place
You will receive an Admission Offer of Place when you have been accepted into the programme. You need to accept this before you can enrol in your courses. International students also need to pay their fees at this point.
Enrolling in courses
You’ll then get access to your own student homepage (also known as the student portal). This is where you can enrol in courses. Any updates on your application or enrolments will also be on your student homepage. Make sure you check this regularly.
When you choose courses, ensure you check for any requirements that apply including:
- prerequisites (courses you have to do before the one you are enrolling in)
- corequisites (courses you have to do at the same time as the one you are enrolling in)
- restrictions (courses that you cannot enrol in if you are completing or have completed another identified similar course)
- location – for instance some distance-based courses still have an on-campus element, so double check that the way the course is taught is suitable for your situation.
Each of our courses has its own webpage where you can find this information. You can use our course search to find course pages.
More information on courses is in the ‘Courses for this programme’ section on this page.
You can find information on application due dates and semester dates on the key dates page.
We look forward to welcoming you to Massey!
If you have any questions, contact us through the Enquire button on this page.
What are courses and credits?
What are courses and credits?
Each Massey programme is made up of courses (in some tertiary institutions they are called ‘papers’).
You will have some compulsory courses and some you can choose from.
Each course is worth a certain amount of credits (often 15 credits, but this does vary). You must gain a set number of credits to be able to graduate from this programme.
There may also be some rules about which courses you need to pass to progress to the next year, or stage, of your study (known as progression). There are also courses you must pass to graduate with a specialisation.
- See the ‘Courses for this programme’ section for the list of courses.
- Courses search
Understanding course numbers
The first three digits of our course numbers show you which subject the course is about.
The second three digits show you the level and course ID number. For instance:
- sub-degree courses are '0' (i.e. xxx.0xx)
- undergraduate study begins at 100-level, (i.e. xxx.1xx)
- as you progress through 200- and 300-level courses this number changes to 2 and 3 respectively. The higher the number that starts the second three digits, the higher the level of study.
| 1 | 6 | 2 | . | 3 | 0 | 1 | |
| Subject area | Level | Course ID number | |||||
Workload and time management
Use this tool to help determine how much time you will need each week to complete your studies.
Returning students
For returning students, there may be changes to the majors and minors available and the courses you need to take. Go to the section called ‘Transitional Provisions’ in the Regulations to find out more.
In some cases the programme or specialisation you enrolled in may no longer be taking new enrolments, so may not appear on these web pages. To find information on the regulations for these programmes go to the Massey University Calendar.
Please contact us through the Enquire button on this page if you have any questions.
Scholarships and awards
There are a number of scholarships available for new and current students. They could relate to your situation, achievement or interest.