New Zealand

New Zealand has several types of post-secondary educational institutions: universities, colleges, private institutions and polytechnics. There are 8 universities in New Zealand, which all offer high quality education. It's also important to note that all universities have their own international students sections dedicated to foreigners who wish to study in New Zealand. Programmes and courses offered in New Zealand tend to be are highly ranked on a global level. Many of them appear in international university rankings, such as the Times Higher Education Top 500 and the Shanghai Jiao Tong Top 500. Seven of New Zealand's universities feature in the 2012/13 QS World University rankings – the best ranking universities in New Zealand are University of Auckland (83) and University of Otago (133). Other listed universities include University of Canterbury (221), Victoria University of Wellington (237), Massey University (308) and the University of Waikato (374). One great advantage to studying in New Zealand is the unique approach to education the country has. Students are encouraged to think outside the box and find their own solutions, which is how many develop and perfect unique strengths and ideas whilst studying in the country.
New Zealand universities offer plenty of opportunities to study at all levels, from undergraduate to PhD, with a wide range of quality postgraduate programmes at the Masters and PhD levels. In New Zealand, Masters courses last for two years and PhD courses generally last 3 years. Specific qualifications are also on offer, such as Graduate Diplomas and Honours. Graduate Diplomas are one year long courses, often used as transition courses for students who wish to study at a Masters level for a subject they don't have an undergraduate degree in. Honours are specific degrees offered in New Zealand and Australia. These are one year long programmes taken after a Bachelor's degree, often open only to high-achieving students. In some cases, Honours can be the first year of a Masters qualification while in others it's the pathway to a PhD.