Overview
Enhance your border and biosecurity career
Massey University’s Diploma in Border and Biosecurity will give you a credible and contemporary qualification to enhance your career prospects in border, biosecurity or primary industries.
Level
- Undergraduate, NZQF Level 6
Distance learning
- Available
Credits
- 120
Duration
- Available for part-time study only.
Massey’s Diploma in Border and Biosecurity is a part-time, multi-disciplinary border and biosecurity qualification.
Follow your interests
You can choose from a wide range of subject areas including plant and animal science, border security, biosecurity, organisational behaviour, law, globalisation and trade, data management and decision-making, logistics and supply-chain management.
Study to suit you
Your first year will include two compulsory courses relating to border and biosecurity studies. The rest of your qualification will be made up of elective courses that you choose to suit your interests.
Massey excels at distance learning, and all your teaching will be provided by distance and/or block courses. This offers flexibility for students with jobs or other commitments.
What you’ll learn
You’ll learn about:
- the concepts of border security and biosecurity
- contemporary border and biosecurity issues and practices
- the implications of these for countries’ national security and the economic and social wellbeing of their people.
You may also gain specialist knowledge in one or more of the following areas:
- advanced theoretical frameworks and government policies for a range of biosecurity challenges
- the sources of New Zealand law, legal principles and basic rules of interpretation
- the range of security challenges that face global and New Zealand borders
- the evaluation of international transportation systems and the global food system from different perspectives
- the fundamental features of the main classes of micro-organisms, insects, plants and/or animals and their relevance to biosecurity practices
- data analysis, research, fieldwork, and report and summary writing
- analysis of organisational decision-making strategies and evaluation of the potential effects of globalisation and technological advances on organisational behaviour.
Protect New Zealand’s economy, taonga and way of life
Biosecurity is a multi-disciplinary practice concerned with protecting valued life from pests and diseases. New Zealand’s primary industries are critical to the economy at a local scale and play an important role in food security at a global one. Protecting the biodiversity of indigenous flora and fauna is equally important. The qualification has a distinctly New Zealand focus while maintaining global relevance.
Why Massey?
Massey University offers knowledge and expertise across the breadth of disciplines required for a border and biosecurity qualification. Massey provides a high level of prestige and international recognition for the provision of this qualification, including associated research opportunities.
Industry connections
Massey is well connected within the government sector. Both the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and the New Zealand Customs Service (Customs) are members of Massey University’s Strategic Advisory Board, along with other key government security and intelligence agencies. You’ll be able to specialise in border management and biosecurity issues that focus on government-relevant skills.
Real-world learning
You’ll have the opportunity for applied learning and/or community and civic engagement that will connect you with the wider community and authenticate your study through real-world application.
Careers and further study
Careers
The Diploma in Border and Biosecurity will enhance your career prospects in the primary industries, local bodies and government agencies. You’ll have an edge when applying for sought-after roles within organisations such as MPI, Customs, and Maritime New Zealand. Primary sector employees, such as packhouse staff, farm managers and labourers, council staff undertaking pest control, and horticulturalists, will all benefit from this qualification.
Work here, or overseas
This diploma is highly relevant to the domestic situation and will enhance your career prospects within New Zealand. In addition, as New Zealand is a world leader in border and biosecurity expertise, graduates with this knowledge will also be sought-after internationally.
Further study
On completion of this diploma, you could go on to further university undergraduate study, such as a Bachelor of Arts (Security Studies).
Entry requirements
University admission
All students must meet university entrance requirements to be admitted to the University.
Programme admission
Required
There are no specific entry requirements for the Diploma in Border and Biosecurity, outside of university admission regulations.
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 qualifications that may help.
Summer School
If you need to do a course before you start your programme, there may be options for you in Summer School.
Courses and planning
Credit summary
120 credits
- Compulsory courses – 30 credits
- Courses from the Schedule – 90 credits
Courses for this programme
Compulsory courses
| 30 credits | ||
|---|---|---|
| 294101 | Introduction to Biosecurity | 15 |
| 294170 | Introduction to Border Security | 15 |
Compulsory course selection
| At least 75 credits from | ||
|---|---|---|
| 114240 | Organisational Behaviour | 15 |
| 117301 | Animal Biosecurity and Health | 15 |
| 146209 | Food and Eating | 15 |
| 155202 | Essentials of Law | 15 |
| 157216 | Management, Analytics and Decision Making | 15 |
| 199310 | Entomology | 15 |
| 240260 | Logistics and Supply Chain Fundamentals | 15 |
| 285201 | Understanding Plant Protection | 15 |
| 294201 | States, Borders and Resource Security | 15 |
| 294382 | Advanced Biosecurity | 15 |
Elective courses
| No more than 15 credits from | ||
|---|---|---|
| 117153 | Introduction to Animal Production in New Zealand | 15 |
| 119120 | Plants for Agriculture and Horticulture | 15 |
| 120101 | Plant Biology | 15 |
| 162103 | Introductory Biology | 15 |
Planning your programme
Planning overview
The Diploma in Border and Biosecurity is awarded without an endorsement.
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.
- Get an estimate of the tuition fees for your qualification
- View a list of non-tuition fees that may be payable
Already know which courses you're going to choose?
You can view fees for the courses that make up your qualification on the course details pages.
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 can find their National Student Number in the student portal.
- Student loans (StudyLink)
- Fees Free
- Student portal
A good fit if you:
- work, or wish to work, in a government agency, local council or the primary production sector
- aspire to be part of New Zealand’s biosecurity frontline
- want to preserve New Zealand’s cultural heritage and natural taonga.
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.
Undergraduate programmes
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 | |||||
About electives
Electives are courses that are not compulsory. Certain guidelines are usually provided on courses you may take. Elective courses contribute to the programme, but not to your major or specialisation.
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.