From the creeks of Wellington to the nestled cityscape of Christchurch, the southern end of the Pacific treasures the beautiful country of New Zealand. This small island country is also a growing hub for higher study. With a rich culture, excellent academia, and perfect career growth opportunities, New Zealand can be a higher study destination. Let’s take a look at the study opportunities in New Zealand for international students at the bachelor, master’s, and Ph.D. levels.
Why Study in New Zealand?
New Zealand has somewhat modest options compared to Nordic and central European countries. It might even pale compared to its Tasmanian rivals Australia with just 8 universities in total.
But that’s where the catch is. Even though New Zealand has only 8 universities, all of them are listed in the top 500 of the QS World Ranking. Additionally, all the New Zealand universities are part of the Lisbon Qualification Recognition Convention, which allows their degree to be recognized in 50 countries across the world.
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The universities and curriculum are inclined to research as every university offers excellent pedagogy and outcome-based study facilities. New Zealand also offers up to 3 years of post-study visa to secure a job and build a career.
Additionally, the quality of life index in New Zealand is very high at 188 suggesting a perfect mix of PPI, health security as well as overall economic well-being.
Higher Study In New Zealand
New Zealand has a total of 8 universities and over 100 specialized institutions for training-based studies as well as Polytechnic studies. International students can access any of the universities or institutes, but the high concentration has always been on the university.
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Popular streams include business and engineering, with a strong choice for life sciences as well. The university tracks accept students through an individual assessment based on available positions.
There is no centralized admission process in New Zealand for all universities. There are two intakes in New Zealand each year, one in February and the other in September.
Application for the February session starts around September of the previous year, whereas the application for the September intake starts around May of the same year.
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For bachelor’s, students will have to exclusively follow the central admission process of each university. For thesis-based masters and Ph.D., a prospective student can contact professors to supervise and they might fast-track the application process through recommendations.
Application Process
There are several steps involved in the admission process in New Zealand. And it all starts with choosing the right major and stream.
Choosing a Major
Since New Zealand has only 8 universities, there aren’t any dedicated websites for searching different streams and majors in different universities. So students will have to individually visit the admission section of the universities.
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You can check out the details here:
-University of Auckland
-University of Otago
-University of Canterbury
-Victoria University of Wellington
-Auckland University of Technology
-Massey University
-University of Waikato
-Lincoln University
In addition to streams and courses, students can also follow these websites for admission timelines and guidelines.
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Required Documents
The second thing to consider is the required documents for the application. New Zealand doesn’t have any specialized requirements like some Nordic countries. Standard certified copies of documents are accepted either through mail or web portal. Some of the common documents applicable across the board include –
-Official Transcripts (Last completed Degree)
-LOR
-Statement of Purpose
-Language Proficiency certification (IELTS/TOEFL iBT)
-Proof of application fee payment
-Bank statement
-Additionally, some universities or majors may specifically require a GRE or GMAT score in case of applying for an MBA. Be sure to check that before proceeding.
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Cost of Higher Education in New Zealand
With just 8 universities, it’s pretty easy to break down the overall cost of education in New Zealand.
The cost of bachelors in New Zealand is roughly 32,000 NZD per year which translates to about 2121228 BDT (1 NZD = 66 BDT). On the other hand, the cost of master’s is about 35,000 NZD or 2320093 BDT. The cost gets reduced for Ph.D. at around 8000 NZD or 530307 BDT per year.
The New Zealand regulation stipulates that you show at least a year’s tuition fee as a bank statement before arriving in New Zealand. Of course, there are other opportunities to cover the tuition fees, and we’ll discuss that in the next points.
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Scholarship Opportunities in New Zealand
Since the higher study options themselves are limited in New Zealand, the scholarships are also somewhat limited. There are little to no scholarships available at the bachelor’s level, with most of the scholarships available at the master’s and Ph.D. levels.
Most of the available scholarships are university-based and students are either referred for the scholarship by the professor (in the case of thesis-based masters) or considered by the central admission authority.
Some notable scholarships include –
Lincoln University International Taught Master Merit Scholarships
Wellington Master’s by Thesis Scholarship
Tongarewa Scholarship at Victoria University of Wellington
University of Auckland International Student Excellence Scholarship
University of Waikato International Excellence Scholarship
Energy Scholarship at the University of Canterbury.
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Cost of Living and Work Opportunities in New Zealand
The cost of living in New Zealand is on the higher side, mostly due to the high rent fees in city centers. A single-room apartment may cost up to 1500 NZD. Combined with personal expenses and utilities, the cost comes in at around 3000 NZD per month or 198865 BDT.
Students are allowed to work 20 hours per week at max with 40 hours being the cap at summer vacation.
Thankfully, New Zealand has a high minimum wage starting at around 18.50 NZD per hour.
After completion of the study, a student can convert their student visa into a job visa. The median salary for a fresh graduate in New Zealand stands at around 80,000 NZD or 5303071 BDT per year.
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Final Words
Even though New Zealand is a small island country across the end of the Pacific, it still boasts some of the best education in its limited capacity. With over 20,000 international students currently pursuing different degrees at different levels, New Zealand is also growing to be a multicultural, cosmopolitan country. The lenient immigration law combined with ample work and career prospects should be a positive indicator for Bangladeshi students wishing to pursue higher studies in New Zealand.
Source: United News of Bangladesh