The University Of Auckland Acceptance Rate

We welcome applications from international students studying a wide range of New Zealand and international qualifications. You must fulfill our requirements to receive an offer of place, or you must be in a position to fulfill our requirements to be considered for a conditional offer of place.



Entry requirements are based on your prior study and we provide specific requirements for qualifications our international students have most frequently achieved. There are additional entry requirements for some programmes and these vary depending on the programme you are applying for.

See:

English language requirements

You must meet English language requirements. These may be met through an approved English language test or prior study in the English medium.

See:

Undergraduate entry requirements

Find out how to gain entry to the University, including standards you’ll have to meet under NCEA, CIE and IB; and alternative entrance pathways.

New Zealand secondary school applicants

Prior tertiary study

Overseas secondary school applicants

Undergraduate English language requirements

Discretionary Entrance applicants

Applicants under 16

Home school applicants

Undergraduate Targeted Admission Schemes (UTAS)

Foundation study applicants

2021 University entrance for school leavers

Masters degree entry requirements

Masters degrees are usually either one year (120 points), 18 months (180 points), or two years (240 points), of full-time study. Eligibility depends on completed prior study. Not all programmes include all options.

There are two types of Masters degrees:

  • Research Masters, which include a thesis or research portfolio of at least 90 points
  • Taught Masters, which are usually comprised of taught courses, but may include a dissertation or research project of less than 90 points.

Admission to a 120 point Masters degree

Normally this requires a completed bachelor honours degree or postgraduate diploma from New Zealand, or an acceptable equivalent postgraduate qualification from a recognised university (or similar) overseas.

For masters supervisors and research projects, see FindaThesis, the research webpages for your area of interest or contact the postgraduate adviser for your faculty.

Admission to a 180 point Masters degree

This normally requires a completed bachelor degree or postgraduate certificate from New Zealand, or an acceptable equivalent qualification from a recognised university (or similar) overseas. Previous work experience may be taken into account.

Admission to a 240 point Masters degree

This normally requires a completed bachelor degree from New Zealand, or an acceptable equivalent qualification from a recognised university (or similar) overseas. Previous work experience may be taken into account.



Supplementary requirements

Many programmes such as architecture, fine arts, music, urban design or writing, require supplementary evidence of creative ability (e.g. a portfolio or audition).

To see the entry requirements for your intended programme(s), view the programme pages:

Doctoral entry requirements

You must have completed a significant research project, dissertation or thesis, at university level. You need to have completed a postgraduate bachelors (honours) degree with first class or second class (division 1) honours, or a masters degree with first class or second class (division 1) honours in a relevant field.

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is available in approximately 100 subjects. Named doctorates are available in Clinical Psychology, Education, Fine Arts, Music, Musical Arts, and Medicine.  

Grade Point Equivalent (GPE) calculator

Grades or marks achieved at other institutions are given a Grade Point Equivalent (GPE) on the University’s 0-9 grading scale. If you have overseas qualifications you will typically need a GPE of 5.5.  To view an indication of your GPE, use our GPE Calculator.  

Supervision and research requirements

Meeting our academic requirements does not guarantee entry. You must demonstrate an ability to research independently, and possess a high level of theoretical understanding. Acceptance is subject to staff availability for supervision, and appropriate facilities.

You must write a preliminary research proposal to demonstrate your research capability and experience. This can be prepared in consultation with your proposed supervisor.

To identify doctoral supervisors and research projects see FindaThesis, the research webpages for your area of interest or contact the postgraduate adviser for your faculty.  

Named doctorate requirements

Doctor of Clinical Psychology isrestricted to New Zealand and Australian citizens and residents, and has a limited number of places each year.
Doctor of Education requires at least two years’ professional experience in education or in another professional area considered comparable by the Board of Graduate Studies.
Doctor of Medicine requires a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, or equivalent medical degree, and at least five years experience in medical practice.

English language requirements

You must meet Postgraduate English language requirements.

Contact

Phone: 09 923 5025 (within Auckland)
Phone:  0800 61 62 63 (outside Auckland)
Phone: +64 9 373 7513 (if overseas)
Email: [email protected]

Find out more



How to apply for a doctorate
Doctoral application process
Doctoral application help
Apply now