
Support diverse learners
With Massey’s Postgraduate Diploma in Specialist Teaching (Learning and Behaviour) you’ll work with diverse learners and make a difference to their lives.
The Postgraduate Diploma in Specialist Teaching (Learning and Behaviour) will give you advanced theoretical and research-based study of specialist teaching. It focuses on understanding, assessing and providing for learners who have learning and behaviour needs.
The programme adopts an enquiry-based approach and emphasises supporting learners and their teachers in inclusive educational environments. It examines evidence-based practices for specialist teachers and you’ll have the chance to do a supervised practicum in learning and behaviour.
The Postgraduate Diploma in Specialist Teaching is the Ministry of Education’s official qualification for New Zealand resource teachers: learning and behaviour (RTLB). To be an RTLB you must have or be working towards this qualification.
Please note that the Postgraduate Diploma 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.
Inclusive education is fast becoming the preferred model of education worldwide. A Postgraduate Diploma in Specialist Teaching (Learning and Behaviour) can lead to a range of career opportunities in New Zealand and further afield. Your skills will be in demand.
You could move into or enhance your career in many educational areas or roles such as:
All students must meet university entrance requirements to be admitted to the University.
This programme is a selected entry programme. This means there are a number of extra requirements you must meet.
To enter the Postgraduate Diploma in Specialist Teaching (Learning and Behaviour) you will:
If you are a new-to-Massey student, applications for this programme close on 10 December 2020.
If your first language is not English 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 in 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 Massey University.
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. For more information, see the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Please provide a full CV 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 have any short or long-term disability including learning disability or heath 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.
For information on prior learning, exemptions and transfer of credit or other questions:
If you need help with your English language skills before you start university, we have courses and programmes that may help.
From the Schedule to the Diploma including:
Core courses
Endorsement courses
A specialisation (endorsement) is compulsory, requiring 60 credits from the endorsement.
See ‘Courses for this programme’ below for schedules of courses.
Completion of this programme requires attendance at compulsory block workshops. See courses for details.
If you have previously graduated with a Postgraduate Certificate in Specialist Teaching you must surrender that qualification (within the required timeframe) in order to be eligible for the award of the Postgraduate Diploma in Specialist Teaching.
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.
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.
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.
If you already know which courses you are going to take, you can use our fees calculator to get an estimate of your fees.
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.
Massey is ranked in the world's top 150 universities for education in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings.
Compare qualifications and academic information across different New Zealand institutions.
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.
General Regulations for Postgraduate Degrees, Postgraduate Diplomas and Postgraduate Certificates.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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:
1 | 6 | 2 | . | 3 | 0 | 1 | |
Subject area | Level | Course ID number |
Use this tool to help determine how much time you will need each week to complete your studies.
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.
There are a number of scholarships available for new and current students. They could relate to your situation, achievement or interest.