Massey University is an exciting and progressive New Zealand university. We offer internationally recognised research-led qualifications that are hugely relevant in today’s world.
Courses of study
Select the category heading to display the study courses.
Business
| Course Number | Course Name | School/Centre |
| 110.900 | PhD Accounting | School of Accountancy |
| 114.900 | PhD Human Resource Management | School of Management |
| 125.900 | PhD Finance | School of Economics & Finance |
| 137.900 | PhD Banking | School of Economics & Finance |
| 152.900 | PhD Management | School of Management |
| 156.900 | PhD Marketing | School of Communication Journalism & Marketing |
| 157.900 | PhD Information Systems | School of Management |
| 178.900 | PhD Economics | School of Economics & Finance |
| 190.900 | PhD Aviation | School of Aviation |
| 219.900 | PhD Communication and Journalism | School of Communication Journalism & Marketing |
Creative Arts
| Course Number | Course Name | School/Centre |
| 133.900 | PhD Music | School of Music and Creative Media Production Te Rewa o Puanga |
| 197.900 | PhD Design | School of Design Ngā Pae Māhutonga |
| 213.900 | PhD Fine Arts | School of Art Whiti o Rehua |
| 237.900 | PhD Visual & Material Culture | School of Art Whiti o Rehua |
Health
| Course Number | Course Name | School/Centre |
| 128.900 | PhD Ergonomics | Centre for Ergonomics, Occupational Safety and Health |
| 151.901 | PhD Nutritional Science | School of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition |
| 168.900 | PhD Nursing | School of Nursing |
| 177.900 | PhD Midwifery | School of Nursing |
| 179.900 | PhD Social Work | School of Social Work |
| 179.930 | Thesis Doctor of Social Work | School of Social Work |
| 194.900 | PhD Anatomy/Physiology | School of Health Sciences |
| 202.900 | PhD Medical Laboratory Science | School of Health Sciences |
| 214.900 | PhD Health Sciences | School of Health Sciences |
| 231.900 | PhD Public Health | School of Public Health |
| 234.900 | PhD Sport & Exercise Science | School of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition |
| 279.900 | PhD Social Policy | School of Social Work |
Humanities and Social Sciences
| Course Number | Course Name | School/Centre |
| 130.900 | PhD Emergency Management | School of Psychology |
| 131.900 | PhD Development Studies | School of People, Environment and Planning |
| 132.900 | PhD Resource and Environmental Planning | School of People, Environment and Planning |
| 134.900 | PhD Philosophy | School of Humanities |
| 139.900 | PhD English | School of English and Media Studies |
| 144.900 | PhD Public Policy | School of People, Environment and Planning |
| 145.900 | PhD Geography | School of People, Environment and Planning |
| 146.900 | PhD Social Anthropology | School of People, Environment and Planning |
| 148.900 | PhD History | School of Humanities |
| 150.900 | PhD Maori Studies | Te Pūtahi-a-Toi School of Māori Knowledge |
| 154.900 | PhD Media Studies | School of English and Media Studies |
| 167.900 | PhD Museum Studies | School of People, Environment and Planning |
| 172.900 | PhD Linguistics | School of Humanities |
| 175.900 | PhD Psychology | School of Psychology |
| 176.900 | PhD Sociology | School of People, Environment and Planning |
| 200.900 | PhD Politics | School of People, Environment and Planning |
| 267.900 | PhD Education | Institute of Education |
| 267.930 | Thesis Doctor of Education | Institute of Education |
| 272.900 | PhD Applied Linguistics | School of Humanities |
| 294.900 | PhD Defence and Security Studies | Centre for Defence and Security Studies |
| Doctor of Clinical Psychology | School of Psychology |
Sciences
| Course Number | Course Name | School/Centre |
| 111.900 | PhD Agricultural and Horticultural Systems Management | School of Agriculture and Environment |
| 112.900 | PhD Agribusiness | School of Agriculture and Environment |
| 117.900 | PhD Animal Science | School of Veterinary Science |
| 118.900 | PhD Veterinary Science | School of Veterinary Science |
| 119.900 | PhD Agriculture and Horticulture | School of Agriculture and Environment |
| 120.900 | PhD Plant Biology | School of Fundamental Sciences |
| 122.900 | PhD Biochemistry | School of Fundamental Sciences School of Natural and Computational Sciences |
| 123.900 | PhD Chemistry | School of Fundamental Sciences School of Natural and Computational Sciences |
| 124.900 | PhD Physics | School of Fundamental Sciences School of Natural and Computational Sciences |
| 138.900 | PhD Agricultural/Horticultural Engineering | School of Agriculture and Environment |
| 141.900 | PhD Food Technology | School of Food & Advanced Technology |
| 158.900 | PhD Information Technology | School of Food & Advanced Technology School of Natural and Computational Sciences |
| 159.900 | PhD Computer Science | School of Food & Advanced Technology School of Natural and Computational Sciences |
| 160.900 | PhD Mathematics | School of Fundamental Sciences School of Natural and Computational Sciences |
| 161.900 | PhD Statistics | School of Fundamental Sciences School of Natural and Computational Sciences |
| 162.900 | PhD Microbiology & Genetics | School of Fundamental Sciences School of Natural and Computational Sciences |
| 171.900 | PhD Plant Science | School of Agriculture and Environment |
| 188.900 | PhD Natural Resource Management | School of Agriculture and Environment |
| 189.900 | PhD Soil Science | School of Agriculture and Environment |
| 196.900 | PhD Ecology | School of Agriculture and Environment School of Natural and Computational Sciences |
| 199.900 | PhD Zoology | School of Agriculture and Environment School of Natural and Computational Sciences |
| 203.900 | PhD Genetics | School of Fundamental Sciences School of Natural and Computational Sciences |
| 204.900 | PhD Decision Science | School of Fundamental Sciences |
| 218.900 | PhD Construction | School of Built Environment |
| 228.900 | PhD Engineering | School of Food & Advanced Technology |
| 232.900 | PhD Conservation Biology | School of Agriculture and Environment School of Natural and Computational Sciences |
| 233.900 | PhD Earth Science | School of Agriculture and Environment |
| 236.900 | PhD Nanoscience | School of Fundamental Sciences |
| 240.900 | PhD Logistics and Supply Chain Management | School of Food & Advanced Technology |
Doctoral degree enrolment
Once you have accepted the Offer of Place and paid your fees, you are ready to enrol. You will need to be on campus to start your enrolment.
Make sure you bring the original documents needed for admission as outlined in your Offer of Place. You will need to take these documents to either the:
- Campus Information Services office
- Graduate Research School (Palmerston North) or
- International Student Support (ISS) office (if applicable).
International students will also need to show their New Zealand study visa to ISS staff who will also complete a university induction for you.
Provisional registration
The provisional registration application form is the final part of the enrolment stage. When this is complete you will have access to all campus facilities and services.
You must ensure that you are enrolled within 4 weeks of your arrival on campus.
You need to complete the form with your supervisor(s). This involves a discussion with your supervisor(s) around the first year’s requirements.
The form will document those requirements and expectations. You need to sign the form, as well as your primary supervisor and the Head of your academic unit or delegate.
You submit the completed form to the Graduate Research School. They will notify you by email to confirm the enrolment stage is complete. This can take five working days but is usually completed sooner. An incomplete form will take longer to process.
Application for Provisional Registration
Provisional Registration for International Doctoral Candidates While Based Overseas
Due to the COVID 19 crisis, the Graduate Research School has gained permission from the Tertiary Education Commission to enrol new doctoral international students while based overseas. Below are the guidelines and associated documentation. Please note: both the DRC 2 form ‘Application for Provisional Registration’ above, and the ‘Application to Commence Doctoral Studies While Based Overseas’ below, need to be submitted to the GRS.
Provisional Registration for Doctoral Candidates While Based Overseas – Guidelines.pdf (205 KB)
Application to commence doctoral studies overseas – Final Revised.pdf (196 KB)
Induction Checklist
You’ll receive the Induction Checklist during the Admission stage. Please make sure you have read this and that you go through the list before you arrive on campus.
If you have misplaced the checklist, you can download a copy from the link below.
Doctoral degree entry criteria and application process
You can apply for admission to a doctoral study programme anytime during the year. Make sure you meet all the entry criteria before submitting an application. We will decline applications that don’t meet the entry criteria.
Entry criteria
You must 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. This qualification must also include a substantive (minimum 30 credits) research project, dissertation or thesis in which you have achieved a minimum grade of B+
- International qualifications will be assessed in terms of their broad equivalence to a Massey Honours or Masters’ degrees with Grade Point Equivalency. Typically this should be 75% or B+. Admissions with Equivalent Status will be used to assess the quality and ranking of the overseas institution. A qualifying degree, like domestic qualifications must include a supervised research component such as a substantial thesis or dissertation and previous research methods study is recommended
- good academic references. The referees should know you in an academic capacity. At least one should be a supervisor for the research component of your most recent qualification (honours/masters). Contact them before you submit your application. Follow up to make sure they have received the request. We do not accept personal friends or relatives as referees.
English Language Requirements:
- English will be considered the First Language of citizens (passport holders) of the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the United States of America, Canada, New Zealand and Australia and therefore applicants from these countries do not usually need to meet English language requirements evidenced through an English language test
- Applicants who have successfully completed university study in the medium of English may also be exempt, following consideration by the Graduate Research School, if this has been within the last 2 years
- Our English language requirements are as follows:
- Academic IELTS score of 6.5 with no band less than 6.0 – this must be achieved in one sitting; or a minimum TOEFL iBT of 90 overall (minimum of 20 in writing). These tests are valid for 2 years. The Institute of Education requires a higher score.
Find out more about accepted alternative English language qualifications for international students
Documents you need to provide
Following the admission screening stage, we may request verified copies of the following documents:
- Transcripts for all tertiary qualifications, master’s, bachelor’s etc, even if these are incomplete
- Grading legends for all tertiary qualifications
- All graduation certificates, unless completion is noted on the transcripts
- Curriculum Vitae
- References to any publications you have
- English language test results (if you are from a country where English is not the first language)
- Evidence of your citizenship
Please make sure you have all of these ready before applying as it will speed up the application process. You will need to supply the original documents when you arrive.
How your application is processed
Once you submit the completed online admission form The Graduate Research School completes an eligibility assessment based on all documents and qualifications submitted. If you meet the basic entry requirements an academic assessment will be carried out in the academic unit you are applying to.
If your application is successful we issue you with an Offer of Place. You must accept the offer and pay your fees before you can start the enrolment stage.
Please allow four to six weeks for this process. However, significant delays will occur if you don’t provide all necessary documents.
Doctoral tuition and AES application fees
International students must accept the Offer of Place and then pay your fees. You will receive a receipt of payment from the Graduate Research School which you can use to apply for a visa. Once your visa has been approved, you will be able to come to Massey and enrol. Please see more information about the enrolment process below. Your offer will have an expiry date by which time you must be on campus and ready to enrol. Domestic students should pay their fees on enrolment.
All domestic students pay their fees on enrolment.
Find out more about doctoral tuition and university fees
Admission with Equivalent Status fee
If your highest qualification is from an overseas institution you will be required to pay an Admission with Equivalent Status (AES) overseas qualifications fee of NZD$137.00 before your application for admission will be considered. This fee will be refunded to you upon enrolment in the programme.
Please complete the following questionnaire to begin the admission application process.