Scholarship overview
Key facts
Application dates
Restrictions
Peter and Doris Macdonald created this scholarship to inspire young people to shape the future of New Zealand through industrial design. While travelling overseas during his career as a scientist, Peter discovered industrial design in Scandinavia and was amazed by how thoughtful design turned everyday products and furniture into world-class, award-winning creations that were practical, beautiful, and highly valued. He realised that strong design wasn’t just about looks — it played a powerful role in a country’s success, identity, and economy. Believing New Zealand could benefit in the same way, Peter and Doris decided to support bright students with practical ideas by funding these scholarships. Through the Peter and Doris Macdonald Endowment Fund, their vision and generosity continue to open doors for the next generation of designers to make a lasting impact.
Typically, five awards are available annually:
- 3 x Peter and Doris Macdonald Scholarship for Industrial Design
- 1 x Peter and Doris Macdonald Scholarship for Industrial Design (Māori)
- 1 x Peter and Doris Macdonald Scholarship for Industrial Design (Pacific)
What you'll be studying
This is an undergraduate scholarship. You will be planning to enrol in the Bachelor of Design, Industrial Design, from next year.
Māori and Pacific applicants are encouraged to consider the Mātauranga Toi Māori double major to complement their Industrial Design study.
Eligibility criteria
You will be:
- a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident
- intending to enrol full time in the Bachelor of Design, Industrial Design at Massey University
- enrolling on the Wellington campus
Applicants applying for the Māori scholarship should be of Māori heritage; applicants applying for the Pacific scholarship should be of Pacific heritage. Applicants may be considered for up to all three scholarships, as applicable.
Application checklist
Include the following with your application:
- transcripts for your secondary school results to date. If you are studying NCEA please attach your School results Summary from the NZQA website at https://secure.nzqa.govt.nz/for-learners/records/login.do
- a PDF document of 2 - 5 A3 page portfolio This may include design concept and/or resolved design work which may include sketches, annotations, models, prototypes, material explorations, and photographs of process work or of well-crafted resolved 3D objects. Please make sure there sufficient annotations to highlight the human interaction, physical/mechanical and scientific or practical aspects of Design works.
All submissions should be delivered as PDF documents. Links in the PDF to digital content host platforms can be used (e.g. Vimeo, YouTube, itch.io, Artstation, portfolio websites, etc). Large supplementary digital content files may be provided as links to file sharing sites (Dropbox, Google Drive, etc). Links to social media sites will NOT be accepted (TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, etc).
- a one-page written statement (~300 words) exploring one of the following topics:
Topic 1: Making a positive impact on the world is a central goal across Ngā Pae Māhutonga Wellington School of Design. Which of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals resonate with you and how might this impact your design practice?
Topic 2: Peter Macdonald was a scientist, and in setting up this scholarship he was interested in supporting the economy in Aotearoa through “the advancement of the human interaction, physical/mechanical and scientific or practical aspects of Design.” Tell us about your areas of interest in relation to Peter’s aspirations for this award.
Selection considerations
When choosing our applicants we will look for academic excellence, cultural engagement, and evidence of leadership and creative potential.
The Selection Committee at their discretion may decide to hold interviews in cases where applicants are short-listed. A scholarship may be awarded without interviews. Applicants will be contacted if an interview is requested. Applicants may choose to invite a teacher, someone in the community, or whānau for support if they wish.