- Type of qualification
- Master's degree
- Level of study
-
Postgraduate study
Once you’ve graduated with a bachelor’s degree – or have equal experience – you can study at the postgraduate level. Doctoral qualifications require additional entry requirements.
NZQF level 9Our courses follow the New Zealand Qualification Framework (NZQF) levels.
- Time to complete
-
1 year 6 months full-time (180 credits)Part-time available
- Where you can study
-
Wellington campus
-
International students
International students are not New Zealand citizens or residents.
- Open to international students on campus in New Zealand
Study a Master of Fine Arts – MFA
The Master of Fine Arts (MFA) has a strong collective philosophy. By bringing together students from across a broad spectrum of disciplinary and interdisciplinary fine arts practices, the MFA fosters rigorous conversations and exploration.
For artists, curators, social practitioners, working in all disciplines and modes
Students joining our MFA may have undergraduate training is in fine arts, design and/or photography, and be keen to work within gallery environments, in public space, or directly with communities. MFA students frequently draw on a breadth of knowledge systems including:
- Indigenous perspectives and research methods
- interdisciplinary practices engaging with contemporary social and political concerns
- arts publishing
- curatorial practice
- event and performance practices
- those places where the fine arts meet other modes of creative expression.
Excellent faculty and visiting practitioners
We have the largest number of internationally ranked researchers in visual art and design, including the highest percentage of mātauranga toi Māori faculty, of any New Zealand university. Academic staff teaching into postgraduate qualifications are active as artists, writers and curators and have significant research profiles nationally and internationally.
This research environment is supported by Te Whare Hēra International Artist Residency, a collaboration between Whiti o Rehua School of Art and Wellington City Council, and embedded engagement with the local and national art scene.
Facilities
Facilities include shared fine arts studios and workshops, including 3D fabrication, textiles and printmaking, photography darkrooms, a Digital Print Facility and print finishing spaces, colour managed computer suites, editing suites, motion capture spaces, green screens, audio recording facilities, digital fabrication technologies, exhibition and test spaces.
Get the full picture
Further study
Extend your creative practice and research interests after your MFA with progressive work creating new knowledge with a PhD.
A MFA is a good fit if you:
- are seeking greater conceptual depth, nuanced skills, and transformation in your creative practice
- thrive in an independent, self-motivated, experimental, research and process driven environment.
- value the conceptual, material and formal in your creative practice.
- are keen to locate yourself and your practice in relation to pressing questions and concerns of this place and time.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
Admission to Massey
All students must meet university entrance requirements to be admitted to the University.
Specific requirements
This is a selected entry qualification. This means there are a number of extra requirements you must meet.
To enter the Master of Fine Arts you must:
- meet the University entrance requirements, and:
-
have been awarded or qualified for the Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) or equivalent with a grade average of at least B in part 4 courses, or equivalent; or
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have been awarded or qualified for the Postgraduate Diploma in Fine Arts or equivalent with a grade average of at least B; or
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have been awarded or qualified for a relevant Bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification with a grade average of at least B; or
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have been granted admission under the Admission with Equivalent Status regulations and demonstrate practical, professional, and scholarly experience at an appropriate level; and
-
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be selected into the qualification through an interview and the assessment of a portfolio of your relevant work.
You will also need to:
- take part in an interview
- provide a portfolio of relevant work
- provide copies of all official academic transcripts for studies taken at all universities other than Massey University.
Portfolio requirements
For more information about portfolio requirements, see the College of Creative Arts' postgraduate applications page.
Application closing date
Applications close on 30 November for study commencing the following year (there is 1 intake each year).
English language requirements
To study this qualification you must meet Massey University's English language standards.
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 Get advice button on this page if you have any questions.
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 Get advice button on this page.
English language skills
If you need help with your English language skills before you start university, see our English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses.
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 qualification if you wish to continue your studies.
Official regulations
To understand what you need to study and must complete to graduate read the official rules and regulations or this qualification.
You should read these together with all other relevant Statutes and Regulations of the University including the General Regulations for Postgraduate Degrees, Postgraduate Diplomas, and Postgraduate Certificates.
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 qualifications go to the Massey University Calendar.
Please contact us through the Get advice button on this page if you have any questions.
Structure of the Master of Fine Arts
Structure of the Master of Fine Arts
The 180-credit Massey MFA takes place over 1.5 years / 3 semesters (full-time), offering you time to explore creatively, interrogate the fundamentals of your practice, and push your work in new directions.
Part One comprises 60 credits across a studio Research and Development course (30 credits) and Research Methods course (15 credits) and a 400 level elective (15 credits).
By Part Two (the 120 credit Thesis Project) you will have a critically informed sense of your positionality as a creative practitioner and carry that into your final project.
Some of the things we value: lively debate, criticality, technical virtuosity; exploration and experimentation, transformation, ambition, and social engagement. We foster a sense of community and embrace an ethos of manaakitanga.
Courses and specialisations
Courses and specialisations
Key terms
- Courses
- Each qualification has its own specific set of courses. Some universities call these papers. You enrol in courses after you get accepted into Massey.
- Course code
- Each course is numbered using 6 digits. The fourth number shows the level of the course. For example, in course 219206, the fourth number is a 2, so it is a 200-level course (usually studied in the second year of full-time study).
- Credits
- Each course is worth a number of credits. You combine courses (credits) to meet the total number of credits needed for your qualification.
- Specialisations
- Some qualifications let you choose what subject you'd like to specialise in. Your major or endorsement is what you will take the majority of your courses in.
Credit summary
180 credits
- Part One courses – 60 credits
- Part Two thesis – 120 credits
This is a parts-based qualification. This means there are regulations around your completion of Part One before progressing to Part Two, etc.
Course planning key
- Prerequisites
- Courses that need to be completed before moving onto a course at the next level. For example, a lot of 200-level courses have 100-level prerequisite courses.
- Corequisites
- Courses that must be completed at the same time as another course are known as corequisite courses.
- Restrictions
- Some courses are restricted against each other because their content is similar. This means you can only choose one of the offered courses to study and credit to your qualification.
Part One (Choose 60 credits from)
Research Methods (Choose 15 credits from)
Course code: 293731 Contextualising Creative Enterprise Practice Part 1 15 credits
An exploration of advanced critical and enterprise frameworks, and ways they may be applied to creative practice. Students work towards a proposal of a plan to take their Major Project to market, along with a text through which their Major Project is critically framed.
View full course detailsCourse code: 293732 Creative Practice Research Methods 15 credits
Students will advance their understanding of approaches to creative practice research, methods and theory in relation to their specific practice orientation.
View full course detailsCourse code: 298730 Māori Research Methodologies for Creative Practice 15 credits
Students will consider tikanga and methodologies relevant to their own creative practice, which may incorporate the use of customary and/or new technologies, innovations, and knowledge. This will include developing an understanding of tikanga, ethics and accountabilities around the use of mātauranga toi Māori, mātauranga-ā-iwi, mātauranga-ā-hapū and mātauranga-a-whānau in the development of their own creative outputs. Students will be supported to locate and articulate their own creative practice in a continuum of mātauranga toi Māori.
View full course detailsProject Development (Choose 30 credits from)
Course code: 213729 Fine Arts Research and Development: Honours 30 credits
Advance the exploration of content, context, methodology and the role of critical dialogue in the production of contemporary art. In consultation with lecturers, students develop a substantial, innovative research project that engages in critically reflexive practice.
View full course detailsAny 400-level or 700-level elective course from the College of Creative Arts (Prefixes: 133, 197, 198, 212, 213, 221, 222, 223, 224, 237, 289, 293, 296, 298) (Choose 15 credits from)
Part Two (Choose 120 credits from)
Course code: 197810 Thesis 120 credits
In this programme of independent research students generate and present a distinctive body of new work that demonstrates innovative engagement with art/ design practice. The thesis comprises the presented creative work and an exegesis.
View full course detailsCourse code: 197811 Thesis 120 Credit Part 1 60 credits
A supervised and guided independent study resulting in a published work.
View full course detailsCourse code: 197812 Thesis 120 Credit Part 2 60 credits
A supervised and guided independent study resulting in a published work.
View full course detailsFees and scholarships
Fees and scholarships
2026 tuition fees
- Domestic students: $11,615
- International students: $46,100
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.
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.
Scholarship and award opportunities
Find more scholarships and awardsFees disclaimer
This information is for estimation purposes only. Actual fees payable will be finalised on confirmation of enrolment. Unless otherwise stated, all fees shown are quoted in New Zealand dollars and include Goods and Services Tax, if any. Before relying on any information on these pages you should also read the University's Disclaimer Notice.
Careers and job opportunities
Careers and job opportunities
MFA graduates go on to diverse careers in the private and public sectors, including design, technology, business, fine art, writing and education. A rigorous 2-year MFA in design or fine arts is widely respected not only in North America but in countries in Asia, South and Central America and parts of Europe that look to the US model.
“I'd never intellectualised my process before. This was the first time I'd actually gone, 'Why am I doing this? What does this actually mean?’”
Accreditations and rankings
QS Ranking - Art & Design
College of Creative Arts – Toi Rauwhārangi ranks in the global top 200 for art and design by QS World University Rankings.
Related study options
Certificate in Creative Arts – CertCreativeArt
Massey’s Certificate in Creative Arts is a flexible qualification that will introduce you to the basics of design, screen, music and art covering a broad range of creative arts subjects. You can complete this qualification in person on our Wellington campus or via distance.
Diploma in Creative Arts – DipCreativeArts
You’ll study with design, screen, music and art degree students in a range of courses covering a broad range of creative arts subjects, studying in-person on our Wellington campus or via distance. Successful completion of this qualification can allow entrance directly into the second year of College of Creative Arts bachelor's degrees.
Expressive Arts – Bachelor of Communication
If you love being creative and want to study a selection of theatre, performance, creative writing, and digital media production, and you also want great career prospects, the Bachelor of Communication (Expressive Arts) is for you.
Graduate Diploma in Fine Arts – GDipFA
Massey’s Graduate Diploma in Fine Arts is for skilled graduates who want to gain new knowledge and skills in fine arts.
Mātauranga Toi Māori – Bachelor of Fine Arts with Honours
Study creative arts and help shape a future where te ao Māori is at the forefront of Aotearoa creative industries. A first for Aotearoa tertiary education, the Mātauranga Toi Māori major engages te ao Māori in Fine Arts disciplines.
Mātauranga Toi Māori – Bachelor of Fine Arts
Study creative arts and help shape a future where te ao Māori is at the forefront of Aotearoa creative industries. A first for Aotearoa tertiary education, the Mātauranga Toi Māori major engages te ao Māori in Fine Arts disciplines.
Postgraduate Diploma in Fine Arts – PGDipFA
Extend your creative practice and begin your fine arts journey. Massey’s Postgraduate Diploma in Fine Arts gives you the opportunity for advanced study in contemporary art.
Visual Communication Design – Bachelor of Design with Honours
Visual communication is one of the most universal forms of design. It is at the heart of how our world works; guiding, informing, persuading, and inspiring us every day.
Visual Communication Design – Bachelor of Design
Visual communication is one of the most universal forms of design. It is at the heart of how our world works; guiding, informing, persuading, and inspiring us every day.
Without Specialisation – Bachelor of Fine Arts with Honours
Discover how to produce work that makes people think and feel, act and react. Whatever your mode of art-making is, we’ll help you find and develop your own creative voice.
Without Specialisation – Bachelor of Fine Arts
Discover how to produce work that makes people think and feel, act and react. Whatever your mode of art-making is, we’ll help you find and develop your own creative voice.
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