New Degree to benefit students, the economy and exports
New Degree to benefit students, the economy and
export education
17 December 2012
The introduction of a shorter Master’s Degree, which will enable universities to better meet the needs of New Zealand’s labour market and help boost export education, is strongly supported by Universities New Zealand – Te Pōkai Tara.
In future, high achieving students will
be able to complete a Master’s Degree in 12 to 18 months
instead of two years. It will comprise 180 credits,
following completion of a three year Bachelor’s
Degree.
The new degree will enable students to
complete their studies more efficiently says Professor Roy
Crawford, the Chair of University New Zealand’s Committee
on University Academic Programmes.
“I expect it will be
popular with graduates looking to enhance knowledge and
skills to boost their career and employment
prospects.”
Professor Crawford says that the new
degree reflects international best practice and a commitment
to quality, and will align New Zealand’s Master’s
Degrees with those offered in Australia, the United Kingdom
and Canada.
“New Zealand must be internationally competitive to meet the expectations of domestic students and to attract more international students to study here. We need to offer qualifications of comparable entry requirements and duration to those of our international competitors. We envisage that this change will have a very positive impact on increasing the numbers of students who choose New Zealand as their study destination for postgraduate degrees.”
“The Government is aiming
to boost the value of export education over the next 15
years. The new Master’s Degree will contribute towards
achieving this goal.”
Universities New Zealand made
recommendations to the New Zealand Qualifications Authority
to introduce the new degree, following consultation with the
universities.
The structure of a Master’s Degree
will remain the same with the current options retained.
These are: wholly or primarily by thesis; by coursework and
thesis; or by coursework only.
The two-year Master’s will also continue to be offered.
The new degrees
will be offered from 2013 and several of the new Master’s
programmes have already been approved by Universities New
Zealand.