Air Transport Pilot – Bachelor of Aviation

All Bachelor of Aviation students undertake a full-time qualification. In your first year you will take twelve 15-credit courses, making a total of 180 credits.

All your courses in Year One and Year Two are compulsory.

Meeting requirements for industry membership

Becoming a pilot

To become a pilot you will need to complete this qualification, comprising a total of 480 credits as outlined on this page.

At the completion of 360 credits in this qualification, you will have met the requirements for the award of a New Zealand Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) with Multi-Engine and Instrument Rating, plus hold credits for all New Zealand Air Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) Theory examinations.

To gain your full APTL, you will also need to complete practical experience as outlined on the aviation.govt.nz website.

Official regulations

To understand what you need to study and must complete to graduate read the official rules and regulations for this qualification.

You should read these together with all other relevant Statutes and Regulations of the University including the General Regulations for Undergraduate Degrees, Undergraduate Diplomas, Undergraduate Certificates, Graduate Diplomas and Graduate Certificates.

Returning students

For returning students, there may be changes to the majors and minors available and the courses you need to take. You can go to the section called ‘Transitional Provisions’ in the Regulations to find out more.

In some cases the qualification 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 qualifications go to the Massey University Calendar.

Please contact us through the Get advice button on this page if you have any questions.

Admission to Massey

All students must meet university entrance requirements to be admitted to the University.

• Massey University entry requirements

Specific requirements

This is a selected entry qualification. This means there are a number of extra requirements you must meet.

To enter the Bachelor of Aviation, you must pass NCEA Level 3/Year 13 or equivalent in an ‘English-rich’ subject in order to demonstrate your ability to write a formal extended essay. These include 1 of the following:

• classical studies
• English
• geography
• history
• history of art
• media studies
• religious education (RE)
• business studies
• biology
• economics.

We highly recommend that you have passed Mathematics (Calculus) and Physics at NCEA Level 3/Year 13 or equivalent.

When you first apply online you need to:

• provide a CV including academic and work history
• have completed a trial flight
• provide any information of circumstances in your past personal or professional life that might make you ineligible to train for, or hold, a professional pilots licence in New Zealand (see below for more information).

If you already have a NZCAA Class One Medical Certificate please also upload a copy with your application. But this is not essential for your initial application.

There are 2 more stages to the application process:

Stage 1

You will take and pass an online ‘ADAPT’ test. See below for information.

Before Stage 2

Before you will be considered by selection board in Stage 2, you will have:

• taken at least 1 trial (experience) flight
• pre-booked your medical appointments (with both a CAANZ approved medical examiner and optometrist).

Note: you must allow enough time to undertake all the medical and vision assessments required for a NZCAA Class One Medical Certificate so that you will have been issued this certificate no later than 1 week prior to your course commencement.

Stage 2

Your application will be assessed, and you may then be invited to the ‘selection board’. This involves:

• taking part in a panel interview
• passing pilot aptitude assessments - including a flight simulator aptitude test, psychometric and physics tests
• completing 2 writing tasks: English language competency tests (an essay and a vocabulary test) and a multi-choice / short answer mathematics assessment.
• completing a 'Fit and Proper Person' declaration that you know of no barrier to being issued a 'Fit and Proper Person' (F&P) clearance by the CAANZ.

Before you start

Once you are successful in gaining a place in the Bachelor of Aviation qualification you will also need to complete further tasks. These include:

• providing evidence of holding a current CAANZ Class One Medical Certificate,
• providing evidence of meeting the University’s academic and English Language regulations  (international students )

Selection Board

Selection boards are held twice each year:

• Beginning of October (and December, if required) for a Semester One start
• Late May/early June for a Semester Two start.

Once you apply for this qualification you will be advised of the exact date of your selection board appointment.

CAANZ Class One Medical Certificate

You must obtain a CAANZ Class One Medical Certificate before being confirmed into the Bachelor of Aviation. If you do not already hold a current Class One Medical Certificate you must arrange to book your medical appointments with both a CAANZ - approved medical examiner and optometrist, allowing enough time to complete same before your degree commences.

If you have a CAANZ Class One Medical Certificate please upload a copy with your application.

Application closing date

Applications for a Semester One start close on 1 November for domestic students and 1 October for international students, for study commencing the following year.

Applications for a Semester Two start close on 1 May for domestic students and 1 April for international students, in the year of study.

English language requirements

To study this qualification you must meet Massey University's English language standards. Where English is not your first language, you must have achieved an Academic IELTS of 6.5 with no band below 6.0, or equivalent.

• Massey University English language requirements.

English language skills

If you need help with your English language skills before you start university, see our English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses.

2026 tuition fees

• Domestic students: $63,369
• International students: $114,341

Tuition fees are estimates only. The exact fees charged will depend on which courses you select at the time of enrolment. The estimates are for full-time study (120 credits). Fees are in New Zealand dollars and include Goods and Services Tax (GST).

The estimates do not include the Student Services Fee. This fee is $1,164 for on-campus students and $948 for distance students for full-time study (120 credits). For more information about this fee and other fees you may need to pay, see non-tuition fees.

There may also be charges for things such as study resources, software, trips and contact workshops.

Course fees

You can view fees for the courses that make up your qualification on the course details pages.

• Course search

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, including how much could be covered and your eligibility on the Inland Revenue website.

• StudyLink
• Fees Free – Inland Revenue

Scholarship and award opportunities

• Massey University Undergraduate First Year Scholarship – School Leavers

A career as a pilot is exciting and highly sought-after.

The Bachelor of Aviation (Air Transport Pilot) opens up opportunities to become airline pilots or any other potential career within the aviation industry.

Many graduates work as flight instructors in New Zealand or Australia, enabling them to build on their instructional techniques expertise which is a valuable skill for those who eventually decide to take up a role as an Airline Training Captain.

You may wish to progress to key management or training positions for an airline or with international bodies such as the International Air Transport Association (IATA) or the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). Postgraduate study in aviation would be worth considering if you intend to follow this path.

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 as your study will be in New Zealand.

• Find out more about life as an international student at Massey, applying to Massey and getting help.
• Entry requirements for international students.