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Overview
Explore specialist teaching as an inter-professional field of practice
The Postgraduate Certificate in Specialist Teaching will give you advanced study to graduate as a specialist resource teacher.
Level
- Postgraduate, NZQF Level 8
Distance learning
- Available
Credits
- 60
Duration
- 1 year part-time. Not available for full-time study
Other
- Selected entry programme
Subject to CUAP approval
- Yes
The Postgraduate Certificate in Specialist Teaching (PGCertSpTchg) will allow you to graduate as a specialist resource teacher.
Deepen your knowledge of inclusive education as an inter-professional field of practice.
Become a specialist resource teacher in the areas of:
- blind and low vision
- complex educational needs
- deaf and hard of hearing
- early intervention
- gifted, or
- learning and behaviour
- neurodiversity woven throughout.
You’ll extend your capability for working collaboratively within a wider team of professional practice. You’ll also expand your skills in research, critical analysis, problem-solving and the effective use of technologies and online communications.
Your qualification options
Please note that the Postgraduate Certificate in Specialist Teaching does not qualify you to be a teacher. Explore education study options at Massey and the qualification you need to become a teacher in our education pathways tool.
Careers and further study
Careers
Graduates of the Postgraduate Certificate in Specialist Teaching provide educational support to staff, students and whānau across special and inclusive education areas in one of many roles, including:
- Resource Teacher of Learning and Behaviour (RTLB)
- Resource Teacher of Vision (RTV)
- Ongoing Resource Scheme (ORS) funded teacher
- Special Education Needs Coordinator (SENCo)
- Autism Spectrum Disorder Coordinator
- Gifted Education Coordinator
- experienced teachers in local or special schools or early childhood centres.
Further study
If you want to be a teacher, you will also need to take a postgraduate teaching qualification. Please explore your options in our education pathways tool.
Entry requirements
University admission
All students must meet university entrance requirements to be admitted to the University.
Programme admission
Required
This programme is a selected entry programme. This means there are a number of extra requirements you must meet.
To enter the Postgraduate Certificate in Specialist Teaching programme you will have:
- been awarded or qualified for a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent), and
- been awarded or qualified for a relevant professional qualification, and
- have completed at least two years relevant professional experience.
You must provide verified copies of all academic transcripts for studies taken at all universities other than Massey University
You will also provide the following documents as part of the selection process:
- a copy of your current curriculum vitae (including education and employment for at least the last five years)
- a verified copy of your current practising certificate issued by the Education Council of Aotearoa New Zealand (if a registered teacher with a current full practising certificate)
- a copy of a police report from every overseas country you have lived in for more 12 months in the last 10 years – please do not supply originals as these will need to be supplied to the Education Council at a later date.
If you are not a registered teacher you will also need to supply a completed New Zealand Police Request and Consent form, along with two pieces of verified identification (one of which must be photographic) from the list of acceptable forms of identification.
See below for more details.
Application closing date
Applications for this programme close on 10 December 2021.
English language requirements
If your first language is not English or Te Reo Māori and you have not gained a New Zealand university entrance qualification, or an overseas entrance qualification in a country where the main language is English, you will be required to provide evidence of proficiency in English. This will take the form of an academic International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score of 7.0 with no band less than 7.0 (or the equivalent TOEFL score) or other evidence that is acceptable to Academic Board.
IELTS exemption: A teacher who has registered with the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand and holds a current Practising Certificate will be exempted from meeting this English language requirement.
Other requirements
If you do not hold a current New Zealand professional registration you will be required to undergo police vetting prior to gaining entry into the programme.
Health and disability
If you have any short or long-term disabilities including a learning disability or health issue that may affect your study, please upload a summary in your application. If you disclose any disability, health or personal information as part of your application, this will be assessed during the selection process and is confidential to the university staff processing your application.
Curriculum vitae
Please provide a full curriculum vitae including details of your educational and professional qualifications, employment history with dates and descriptions of roles and responsibilities, membership of associations/organisations, and a list of professional publications and research reports.
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
60 credits
- Compulsory course – 30 credits
- Elective from the Schedule – 30 credits
Courses for this programme
Compulsory course
| 254766 | Professional Learning Pathways | 30 |
Elective courses
| 30 credits | ||
|---|---|---|
| 249740 | Theory and Practice of Deaf and Hard of Hearing | 30 |
| 249746 | Theory and Practice of Blind and Low Vision Education | 30 |
| 249747 | Theory and Practice of Early Intervention | 30 |
| 249753 | Theory and Practice of Learning and Behaviour Diversity | 30 |
| 249758 | Theory and Practice of Te Kaupapa o Te Kōhanga Reo | 30 |
| 249760 | Theory and Practice of Complex Educational Needs | 30 |
| 262751 | Theory and Practice of Gifted and Talented Education | 30 |
Planning your programme
Planning overview
If you study full-time, you’ll take 60 credits in one semester.
Maximum time limits for completion
There are maximum time limits to complete some undergraduate and all 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.
More information
- 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:
- have a New Zealand teacher education degree or a professional qualification
- are currently registered as a teacher or professional (e.g. speech therapist, educational psychologist)
- have at least two years’ experience as a teacher, educator or professional.
Accreditations and rankings
Massey is ranked in the world's top 200 universities for education in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings.
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 be 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.