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New Zealand Education System

Understanding the NZ Education System

Programmes offered by education institutions in New Zealand are classified by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) at a level between 1 and 10. A higher level indicates a more complex and demanding programme and higher entry requirements.

Bay of Plenty Polytechnic offers certificates, diplomas, degrees and graduate diplomas ranging from level 1 to 7:

Certificates

  • Levels 1 to 4
  • Available at polytechnics/institutes of technology
  • Range in length from one week to a year to complete
  • International students are required to be proficient in the English language and have completed high school to enrol

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Diplomas

  • Levels 5 to 6
  • Available at polytechnics/institutes of technology
  • Range in length from one to two years to complete
  • International students are required to be proficient in the English language and have completed high school to enrol

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Degrees

  • Level 7
  • Also referred to as undergraduate degrees
  • Available at all universities and some polytechnics/institutes of technology
  • Range in length from three to four years to complete
  • International students are required to be proficient in the English language and have completed high school to enrol

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Graduate Diploma

  • Specialised programmes at Level 7
  • Available at some universities and some polytechnics/institutes of technology
  • Range in length from six months to one year to complete
  • For people who already have degrees or substantial work experience in their field

 

Learning

The reality of studying in New Zealand may be very different from both your previous experience in your own country and from your expectations of learning at Bay of Plenty Polytechnic. The following are some very general guidelines; if you are unsure about any specific situations, please talk to your course tutor, see the International Academic Support Tutor or another tutor in Ako Awe.

Your role in class:

  • You are expected to participate in discussions in class and to work in pairs or groups, as directed
  • You are expected to ask and answer questions in class
  • You may be invited to express your own opinion about something in class e.g. "What do you think about...?"

The tutor's role:

  • Tutors are just one of the resources you are expected to learn from. What they say and write in class is not the only information you are expected to know. You are expected to be able to synthesise ideas from a variety of sources
  • Tutors do not always tell you how to do what they want you to do; they often want you to work out solutions to problems for yourself
  • Tutors want you to apply what you are learning to real life situations and case studies
  • Some tutors may be happy to read a draft of an assignment before you submit it, but many are not — ask first!
  • Some tutors are happy to talk immediately after the class about what they’ve been teaching, and about assignment and test requirements, while others prefer you to make a separate appointment
  • Just because a tutor won’t give you the answer, it doesn’t mean they don’t know!

 Assessments and exams:

  • You may be asked to participate in a group assignment. Each member of the group shares and is equally responsible for the final grade. Many assignments also ask group members to indicate that all students named in the group contributed. If you find this very difficult you should approach the course tutor, however many teaching staff believe that solving interpersonal problems is a necessary communication skill for the workplace and may prefer you to offer your own solutions
  • Often, there are no exact answers
  • You must not copy sentences and paragraphs from books or the internet without referencing the source. It is usually preferable to paraphrase ideas you are incorporating into your own work but here too, you must show where the ideas came from. Failing to do this is plagiarism, a form of cheating which may compromise your academic record. Ako Awe provides help on how to reference material that you have researched
  • Exams are intended to test understanding of the subject, and not just factual information that you have memorised

Plagiarism & Academic Standards

Like all tertiary institutions in New Zealand, BoPP rigorously defends the quality of it’s  qualifications. Your teachers must be sure that all work you submit as part of your formal assessment is original; sentences and paragraphs copied from books or the internet (or the work of other students) without referencing the source is a form of cheating known as plagiarism. Where this is detected students may attend a disciplinary hearing and may fail that section of their programme.

If you are uncertain about how to reference material that you have researched, please talk to staff from Ako Awe, the library or your programme.

Academic Year

Our academic year extends from February to November. Some programmes have a mid-year intake in July. Programme brochures have specific dates, times and the duration of your programme. Preference is given to applications received by 1 October for programmes starting in February, and to applications received by 1 June for programmes starting in July. For more details see the Academic Calendar.