Strong international ranking and expert teaching staff coupled with world class facilities and a rich pool of natural resources, New Zealand is becoming increasingly popular among international students seeking qualifications that are recognized worldwide and on par with world’s other great education providers such as UK, USA, Australia and Canada.
There are 8 public universities in New Zealand which offers courses ranging from undergraduate programmes to PhD and post doctoral courses. Five New Zealand universities were ranked in the top 400 universities in the world by the 2013-2014 Times Higher Education World University Rankings. New Zealand has 22 Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics that offer highly vocational and skill based courses ranging from certificate level through to Bachelors and Post Graduate level. There are a growing number of private tertiary and training providers offering study options in diverse range of subjects.
Some of the deciding factors that has been cited by International students for choosing New Zealand as their higher study destination has been
Value for money
With the lowest cost of living among the developed nations and the opportunity to work 20 hours per week while studying and 40 hours during the summer holidays, New Zealand provides an immense financial relief for international students who wish to budget their overall expenses towards their education in New Zealand.
Multicultural Environment
The diverse mix of cultures and people provides a welcoming feel to the international students and makes it easier for them to integrate into the culture.
Safe and Secure study destination.
New Zealand has a reputation for being a safe country with very low crime rate. New Zealand is ranked 3rd in the Global Peace Index. It is one of the few countries in the world where the government has set out strict guidelines to ensure that International students are well informed, safe and properly cared for through the Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International students. Every education provider that caters to international students is signatory to this Code of Practice laid by the Ministry of Education
Scholarships
The New Zealand Government and New Zealand Universities provide a number of scholarships for international students who wish to study in New Zealand.
Post study work permit
Following the successful completion of level 5 & 6, Level 7, 8 and 9 students are entitled to 1 year post study work permit which provides students with an opportunity to explore job prospects in New Zealand and acquire valuable international work experience.
Spouse Accompaniment
Students who proceed for Post Graduate programs and a few level 7 programs that figure in the shortage skill list are entitled to take their spouse along with full work rights.
Employment prospects after graduation.
With skills shortage existing across various sectors in the New Zealand Labour market there is a strong demand for skilled workers especially in health, social work, Information and communication technology, hospitality, agriculture, farming and engineering industries.
Fantastic immigration policies
Students with qualifications and skills in the long term shortage skill list published by Immigration New Zealand and who wish to stay in New Zealand long term may apply for resident visa under the skilled migrant category to live and work in New Zealand permanently.
POPULAR COURSES
The Masters in Engineering Studies with a wide range of specialism to choose from and the Masters in Engineering Project Management and Construction Management have been very popular among the engineers from our region. The cost effective level 7 programmes like Graduate Diploma in Project Management, Operations and Production Management, Construction Management and Highway Engineering has also been some of the sought-after programs among the engineering graduates from India. Highly job-centric undergraduate and Post graduate IT programs in the field of Networking, Animation, System Administration and Software Development has been a draw among the IT graduates owing to the high employment potential. Among the management programmes, Masters in Professional Accounting and Logistics and Supply Chain Management have been attracting maximum number of Commerce and Business Graduates owing to good employment prospects in New Zealand. Cost effective level 7 programmes in Accounting, Professional Accounting, Logistics and Shipping Management has also been experiencing several takers. Programmes like Post Graduate Diploma in Social Service Worker and Addiction Studies have attracted the social workers from India. Students from the Hospitality sector can look forward to pursue Hospitality and Tourism programmes and Fast Track Cookery Programmes which are in great demand. Programmes like Wood Manufacturing, Farming Technology, Diary Technology, Food Technology, Bio Technology, Viticulture, Aqua Culture has also generated a great deal of interest among the Indian student fraternity. The Bachelors in Nursing programme with options to seek cross credit for 1 to 1-1/2 years leading to the NZNC registration has been very popular among the nurses from our region. New Zealand has been a hot destination for PhD aspirants as they are required to pay only a very nominal fee.
It would be strongly recommended for students wishing to pursue their studies in New Zealand to refer to the website of Education New Zealand, the crown entity of New Zealand Government that takes care of Internationalizations of education (http://enz.govt.nz/) and proceed through an Education New Zealand Recognized Agency (ENZRA).