Note: Regular updates
This page will be updated during the transition process. Please check regularly for updated information about the changes.
On this page
- Overview
- Key information on aspects of the Final Decision affecting students
- PhD or Doctoral students
- Engineering
- Supply Chain Management, Logistics and Quality Systems
- Food Technology
- Sciences - Ecology and Conservation, Molecular Cell Biology and Zoology
- What will happen now the Final Decision has been released?
- Financial assistance application process
- Enrolling in courses for 2024
- Halls of residence and accommodation for 2024
- Visa applications for international students
- Support services and further information
Overview
Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University is facing perhaps the most challenging financial circumstances it has ever had to navigate.
The College of Sciences and the university must consider changes and improvements to ensure we are:
- fit for the future
- able to support our core mission of teaching, learning and research
- in a financially sustainable position.
A College of Sciences Proposal for Change Final Decision has been released. These confirmed changes affect some of our sciences activities.
The changes we're making seek to reaffirm the College’s strengths – ensuring our core disciplines would remain part of our academic portfolio and are appropriately supported under the current financial conditions.
Sciences at Massey is committed to providing scientific and technological solutions for sustainable, living, digital and built environments via our core disciplines:
- veterinary science
- agricultural science
- food technology
- computational sciences
- construction
- other enabling scientific disciplines.
We will continue to teach and research sciences in areas of significance to Aotearoa New Zealand.
Work to strengthen the College of Sciences began prior to the pandemic, when changes were made to our academic offering in response to changing demographics and interests.
The Final Decision:
- confirms changes to the qualifications and specialisations delivered by the College of Sciences
- confirms the consolidation of some subjects to the Manawatū campus
- confirms the academic and technical staffing that would be required for teaching, learning and research.
Read the Final Decision
Final Decision webinar
Watch the Final Decision webinar recorded on 15 December 2023.
Note: The title slide mistakenly states Preliminary Decision. This webinar recording is about the Final Decision.
Key information on aspects of the Final Decision affecting students
We have carefully considered the areas that we propose to discontinue or change. While we recognise their importance to STEM in New Zealand, where we have discontinued a qualification, we are confident that there is sufficient capacity across Massey and the other New Zealand universities to serve the future student interest.
Note: If a College of Sciences qualification is not mentioned, no changes are currently being proposed.
If you are an affected student:
1, Important
If your study is affected by these changes, you will receive an individual email outlining your options from Massey University by close of business, Friday, 15 December 2023.
2, Action to take
Carefully consider your circumstances, options and choices. If you need further information, please don’t hesitate to contact one of the people listed on this page.
3, Action to take
If you need Academic Advice, there is an option for a drop-in appointment on Wednesday, 20 December 2023.
4, Please note
Massey University will close for Christmas on Thursday, 21 December 2023 and reopen on Wednesday, 3 January 2024.
5, Action to take
Undergraduate students
Please make your decisions as early as you can in 2024. However, if you need a little extra time, Massey accepts late enrolments until 21 February 2024. Semester One starts on Monday, 26 February 2024. Applications for late admissions must be received by 1 March 2024.
Postgraduate students
Planning meetings will be scheduled as soon as is practically possible with your supervisors in early 2024.
If you need to talk to us about your postgraduate research project before your individual planning session, book a 30-minute appointment with the Academic Dean – Postgraduate in advance (no drop-ins). Please book your session on one of the following days:
Tuesday, 9 January, 10 am to 12 pm, online only
Thursday, 11 January, 1 to 3 pm, online only
Wednesday, 17 January, 10 am to 3 pm, in person at Manawatū and online
6, Action to take
Massey accommodation options are available on the Manawatū campus for transferring students. Go to the information below
7, Action to take
Apply for financial assistance for costs anticipated or incurred to enable you to make these changes to your study. Go to the information below
PhD or Doctoral students
There may be changes to postgraduate study.
Now a final decision has been reached, we will be able to provide clear details of how Massey would enable your study into 2024 and beyond.
Postgraduate students in subjects that are being discontinued at the Auckland campus will be supported to complete with continued supervision arrangements and, if possible, at their current location.
Options will be discussed with students and their current and potential future supervisors to determine an individualised plan for each student, which also takes into account the terms of current scholarship and research funding arrangements, and any operational and health and safety requirements for continued fieldwork and laboratory work.
Please note
Massey University closes on Thursday, 21 December 2023 and reopens on Wednesday, 3 January 2024.
We will endeavour to schedule planning meetings as soon as is practically possible with your supervisors in early 2024.
If you have any concerns, please contact GRS or CoS Associate Dean Postgraduate
Postgraduate student study options from 2024
A variety of options are available and will be considered on a case-by-case basis. This includes recruitment of expertise for the supervisory team from other universities or retired Massey staff. Some students may need to move from the Auckland to Manawatū campus to complete their research, but there may also be opportunities for students to remain at one campus and complete laboratory work at another location during blocks of time under the guidance of supervisors at that location.
If it is required, Massey will work with other universities in New Zealand to help you transfer our postgraduate study.
Scholarships for Doctoral students
Every scholarship has terms and conditions associated with it and any change in those conditions will need to be considered carefully if they are affected by the changes in the college. You will need to work with GRS and the scholarship funder to determine the exact conditions for any scholarships you receive for your research in 2024 and beyond.
For Massey University Doctoral Scholarships (including for Māori and Pacific) it is not usual for Massey to pursue repayment of scholarships if a student moves to another university or does not complete their study.
Engineering
The Final Decision confirms that Massey University will discontinue the following qualifications in Engineering. No new enrolments will be accepted for 2024:
- Bachelor of Engineering with Honours would be discontinued on both campuses where it is currently taught (Auckland and Manawatū).
- All associated postgraduate qualifications in Engineering would also be discontinued, including:
- Master of Engineering (ME)
- Master of Engineering Studies (MEngSt)
- PhD (Engineering) qualifications.
For students within these qualifications, the following arrangements have been made:
- Bachelor of Engineering with Honours students will be offered a series of options for completing their qualification:
- Massey University will teach out the Bachelor of Engineering with Honours qualification for students completing Part four, for one year (2024). Any current student that has completed Part three of the Engineering qualification is eligible for completion on their current campus of study. There are other options for finishing their qualification if they cannot complete within the 2024 academic year.
- All other students will need to transfer to an alternative Massey qualification or tertiary education provider as detailed:
- Students completing a Master of Engineering (ME) or Master of Engineering Studies (MEngSt) within the 2024 academic year will be able to complete their qualification via teach out.
Supply Chain Management, Logistics and Quality Systems
The Final Decision confirms the following qualifications will be discontinued and no new enrolments will be accepted in 2024.
- All three of the Supply Chain Management qualifications:
- Graduate Diploma in Logistics and Supply Chain Management (GradDipL&SCM)
- Master of Supply Chain Management (MSCM)
- Postgraduate Diploma in Supply Chain Management (PGDipSCM).
- Master of Quality Systems (MQS)
- Postgraduate Diploma in Quality Systems (PGDipQS).
For students within these qualifications, the following arrangements have been made:
- We will teach out these qualifications over the next two academic years (2024 and 2025) as many of the students within these qualifications study part-time. Course selections may be limited.
- Students not able to complete in the teach out time will need to consider alternative options at other institutions.
Food Technology
The Final Decision confirms that Massey University will discontinue:
- Bachelor of Food Technology with Honours at the Auckland campus, and both specialisations:
- Food Process Engineering
- Food Product Technology.
- All associated Food Technology postgraduate qualifications in Food Technology on the Auckland campus:
- Master of Food Technology (MFoodTech)
- PhD (Food Technology).
These qualifications will not accept new enrolments from 2024.
For students within these qualifications, the following arrangements have been made:
- Students within the Bachelor of Food Technology with Honours qualification at the Auckland campus, will need to move to the Manawatū campus.
- Students within the Master of Food Technology may be able to complete their qualification at their current campus of study and an individual research plan will be created in collaboration with each student.
The Final Decision confirms to continue the following:
- Bachelor of Food Technology with Honours on the Manawatū campus and both specialisations:
- Food Process Engineering
- Food Product Technology.
This is a change from the original proposal and the Food Process Engineering specialisation will be retained by the university.
Bachelor of Food Technology with Honours
We are changing the Bachelor of Food Technology with Honours so that it will only be available on the Manawatū campus from 2024. Students wishing to continue studying in this qualification will need to transfer to Palmerston North as the qualification is not available by distance. Students can apply for financial assistance for the cost of transferring to the Manawatū campus.
Advice for students who do not wish to transfer to the Manawatū campus
Students who do not wish to transfer will have the following options:
- Those who have completed at least 360 credits with at least 75 credits at 300 level or above could be awarded a Bachelor of Science. To arrange this you need to contact us via the contact centre, Te Paepoto.
- Those who have completed at least 120 credits could be awarded a Diploma in Science and Technology. To arrange this, you need to contact us via the contact centre, Te Paepoto.
- Others may wish to consider transfer to another qualification at Massey University. Please seek academic advice on your personal circumstances.
- Others may wish to transfer to another university. The University of Auckland, AUT (and the University of Otago) offer Food Science qualifications. Completed credits may be able to be transferred.
Sciences - Ecology and Conservation, Molecular Cell Biology and Zoology
The Final Decision confirms the following qualifications and specialisations will be discontinued and no new enrolments will be accepted in 2024:
- The specialisations within the Bachelor of Science (BSc) qualification of Molecular Cell Biology, Ecology and Conservation, and Zoology on the Auckland campus.
- All related postgraduate qualifications (MSc and PGDipScTech) in the associated areas of Biological Sciences, Conservation Biology, and Zoology on the Auckland campus
Students within the BSc qualification, will need to transfer to the Manawatū campus to complete their qualification, or where possible, they may be able to complete their study by distance.
Postgraduate students may be able to complete their qualification at their current campus of study and an individual research plan will be created in collaboration with individual students.
Advice for BSc students on the Auckland Campus
We are making some changes to the BSc on the Auckland campus.
Some majors and minors will be closed to new enrolments at Auckland but will still be available at the Manawatū campus. These are Ecology and Conservation, Molecular Cell Biology, and Zoology.
If you have not yet completed all of your major courses, you will need to complete these at the Manawatū campus. If you have a small number of major courses to complete, we may be able to provide a suitable variation to your study so you can complete it at the Auckland campus using alternative courses. If you would prefer, we will help you to transfer your credits to another major offered at the Auckland campus.
If you have only electives to complete you may do so from available Auckland courses in the BSc or other programmes, or may select distance courses.
If you have not yet started your second and third year (200 and 300 level) major/minor courses, we recommend you select an alternative major/minor if you do not wish to study by distance or at the Manawatū campus.
Alternative majors and minors
The following BSc majors and minors will continue to be available at the Auckland campus:
- Human Nutrition
- Exercise and Sport Science
- Psychology
- Computer Science
- Mathematics.
Depending on the courses you have completed, you may also be able to complete a major in Biological Science.
The following BSc majors and minors will be available by distance:
- Environmental Science
- Earth Science
- Computer Science
- Mathematics
- Statistics
- Psychology.
Our distance courses bring the online classroom to you and cater for experiential learning during intensive contact workshops held on campus or in the field.
All majors and minors closing on the Auckland campus are available at our Manawatū campus. Students can apply for financial assistance for the cost of transferring to the Manawatū campus.
Potential for personal variations of study
Personal variations of study may be used to facilitate the completion of students. These options may facilitate students to complete their qualification from Auckland but may also facilitate the completion of students transferring to Manawatū. Students considering whether personal variations may be helpful for their study should seek detailed advice about their options from an Academic Advisor.
Personal variations above the normally allowed limits will be considered.
We will consider individual course substitutions where students can substitute a course already taken or a course from another major to count for a majoring course.
We will also consider transferring students to the BSc Biological Sciences major (currently no new enrolments), which can be attributed to a wide selection of courses in the fields of Molecular Cell Biology, Ecology and Conservation, and Zoology. Although some students may not have completed the relevant 100-level courses for this major we will consider personal variations from this rule on a case-by-case basis.
Students will also have the option of graduating with an unendorsed BSc (this is a BSc with no major), where they wish to take a wider selection of courses than those available from Biological Sciences. This would enable students to complete by selecting from a range of internal offerings in Human Nutrition, Exercise and Sport Science, Psychology, Computer Science, and Mathematics and a range of distance offerings in Environmental Science, Earth Science, Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics, and Psychology.
What will happen now the Final Decision has been released?
With the release of the Final Decision, students need to consider options for continuing their study.
Students impacted by these changes will be offered a choice of pathways to complete a qualification.
- These would be based on individual circumstances, for example, the number of credits already completed in a qualification.
- Our academic advice and other student support teams will be on hand to help you.
How to transfer to Manawatū
If you are considering a campus transfer, your location will need to change within the student portal to enable you to enrol in the correct courses. For example, if your location is set as “Auckland”, you will not see options for courses in the Manawatū.
Please email enrolment@massey.ac.nz to request to change your location in the system if you wish to explore the courses available.
International students will need to apply to Immigration NZ for a variation in their visa. The university can provide a support letter for you.
Please email enrolment@massey.ac.nz to request this.
How to transfer to another Massey qualification or specialisation
This is done through the student portal.
If you are transferring to another specialisation within the same qualification, this can be completed in the student portal if under 180 credits have been completed.
If over 180 credits are completed, contact Te Paepoto to complete this.
To change your qualification, a student needs to reapply for a new qualification in the Student Portal, under Admissions and Apply for New Qualification.
How to transfer to another university
Massey University courses can count towards qualifications in other universities if the courses are similar to those offered at the other university. All universities have processes to assess which Massey courses are equivalent to their own courses and which can be credited.
You will need to apply for enrolment at the other university and apply for credit for your Massey courses. You will need a transcript from Massey which you can order through the Student Portal. It normally takes 1-2 weeks to receive your documents but please let us know at pvc.sciences@massey.ac.nz if you need it sooner and we will fast-track your application.
More information about ordering academic documents is here Order academic records and completion letters - Massey University.
Although application dates have now passed for many programmes, most universities have space available for late applications and are willing to enrol transferring Massey students.
Massey will not stop offering or supporting science qualifications
The College of Sciences will continue to offer a wide range of qualifications and specialisations. We are proud of our contributions to capability development and knowledge creation in areas critical to Aotearoa New Zealand, including the fundamental sciences, agriculture, food technology, veterinary, computational sciences, animal sciences, and construction.
We remain the leading university in NZ for agriculture, and are committed to supporting and enhancing NZ's sustainable agri-food production, alongside delivering the country’s only vet training qualification.
A number of sciences are available at Auckland and are not part of these changes, including Information Sciences, Mathematics, Statistics, Psychology, Human Nutrition, Exercise and Sport Science, and Construction.
We will continue to offer high quality teaching
It is only through a sound financial footing that we can continue to offer high quality teaching and research. The changes being enacted will reduce the number of small classes which need to be taught and will reduce staff workload rather than increase it.
We have changed the number of technicians to reflect the changes in the use of laboratory space. The level of support remains sufficient for safe operation of the remaining facilities.
Your degree may still be accredited and accepted overseas
We will work closely with accrediting bodies to ensure that requirements are met to maintain the accreditation of our qualifications throughout this process. Any degree that has already been awarded by the university remains accredited.
Financial assistance application process
Financial assistance will be offered to students who need to transfer to another university to complete their studies, or who have had unavoidable costs associated with the planning of their study incurred during the consultation period for the Proposal for Change. This includes reimbursement of fair, reasonable, and demonstrable costs, such as non-refundable deposits.
Applications will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and decisions made on each applicant’s personal circumstances. Applicants are requested to submit applications as soon as possible. It is acknowledged that applicants may not become aware of costs until a later time and this does not prejudice the ability of an applicant to make a subsequent application later. It is preferable for applicants to group all expenses into one application and where full costs are not known to approximate what in their judgment will be the approximate cost.
Supporting documents for each request may need to be presented by applicants. Where a supporting document is readily available applicants should feel free to include it with the application. Where supporting documents are not provided with the initial application and, if needed, submission can be discussed in subsequent communications on the application.
How To Apply
Applicants must make the application on the form below. A record of this form will be sent to you once you submit it, and act as a receipt for your application.
What Assistance Can Be Applied For?
Every applicant’s situation and circumstances will be different. Below please find a list of items you may wish to consider when applying for financial assistance:
- Transfer costs between universities. For example, additional fees for cross-crediting.
- Fees for extra courses are required to enable your study at another university.
- Living situation change expenses – this might include moving expenses, temporary storage university hostel expenses, changes in living costs, deposits for accommodation already incurred, or the like.
- Non-refundable expenses incurred.
- Travel expenses including transportation costs or accommodation.
- Visa adjustment fees
- Other expenses are based on individual circumstances.
How will my application be processed?
The College of Sciences endeavours to resolve applications for assistance as expeditiously as possible, but this is also dependent on the volume of applications received. The process will involve communication between the College of Sciences and the applicant and potentially include an online meeting to confirm details and decisions. Applicants will be contacted after 8 January 2024, in order of urgency. This assistance process will remain open.
Enrolling in courses for 2024
If your qualification is not listed as being discontinued on this page, please proceed as normal with enrolments for 2024.
If you are in an affected or discontinued qualification, you can begin to organise options for your study in 2024. The university will contact you personally before the close of business, Friday 15 December 2023 to provide you with information to enable your study from 2024 onwards. A summary of the information for each qualification is also available on this page.
If you are considering a campus transfer, your location will need to change within the student portal to enable you to enrol in the correct courses. For example, if your location is set as “Auckland”, you will not see options for courses in the Manawatū. To request to change your location in the system if you wish to explore the courses available, please email enrolment@massey.ac.nz
Halls of residence and accommodation for 2024
If you have a current contract for Massey student accommodation and changes have been made to your qualifications, please contact the Student Accommodation team to either cancel or transfer your application. This would normally include a refund of any deposit made and could include an offer for accommodation at another Massey location. We will transfer any money you have paid to your new location, or complete the refund of the deposit.
If you have been impacted and think you will need Massey student accommodation but have not applied yet please apply as soon as possible and send an email to our team so we can prioritise your application.
Visa applications for international students
Your visa is linked to the campus that you are studying on.
Massey University supports the visa application process for students as needed. If the changes to your study situation impact your visa, the university will work with you and support the change to your circumstances on a case-by-case basis, as well as communicating with Immigration New Zealand.
For support with visa process, please email visa@massey.ac.nz
Support services and further information
We will be providing opportunities for students to speak to Massey staff about the changes that will take place.
Our wellbeing professionals can see you as either individuals or groups - please keep an eye on My Hub for details. You can also find details of our support services on our website.
Services and support for students
For any other information regarding your personal circumstances, please contact one of the following, depending on the nature of your enquiry:
| Type of enquiry | Contact |
|---|---|
| Advice about course selection | contact@massey.ac.nz |
| Advice about enrolment processes (Portal issues and so on) | contact@massey.ac.nz |
| Advice about transferring campus enrolment | enrolment@massey.ac.nz |
| Advice about financial assistance | cospfcfinasst@massey.ac.nz. |
| Advice about visas | visa@massey.ac.nz |
| Advice about health and wellbeing support | wellbeing@massey.ac.nz |
| Advice about Masters thesis study | COS Academic Dean – Postgraduate: c.p.whitby@massey.ac.nz |
| Advice about Doctoral thesis study |
GRS: doctoral.office@massey.ac.nz COS Academic Dean – Postgraduate: c.p.whitby@massey.ac.nz |
| Other advice | pvc.sciences@massey.ac.nz |
Note: Massey University closes on Thursday, 21 December 2023 and reopens on Wednesday, 3 January 2024. If contacting specific staff members, please note that these dates may differ.