Regulations for The Foundation Certificate (International) - FCert(Int)

Official rules and regulations for the Foundation Certificate (International). These regulations are for the 2025 intake to this qualification.

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Go to Foundation Certificate (International) – FCert(Int)

Qualification Regulations

Part I

These regulations are to be read in conjunction with all other Statutes and Regulations of the University.

Part II

Admission

1. Admission to the Foundation Certificate (International) requires that the candidate will:

(a) Have completed NCEA Level 2, or equivalent; and

(b) if English is not the applicant’s first language, have achieved an IELTS of 5.5 overall with no band less than 5.0, or equivalent TOEFL score, or other evidence acceptable to Academic Board.

Qualification requirements

2. Candidates for the Foundation Certificate (International) shall follow a flexible programme of study, which shall consist of courses totalling at least 120 credits, comprising:

(a) the core courses listed in Schedule A for the Foundation Certificate (International) schedule; and

(b) courses selected for one pathway as listed in Schedule B for the Foundation Certificate (International);

and including:

(c) attending contact workshops, block courses, field trips, studios, workshops, tutorials, and laboratories as required.

Specialisations

3. The Foundation Certificate (International) is awarded without specialisation.

Completion requirements

4. A candidate’s programme of study may not normally exceed four academic years from date of first enrolment in a course to be credited to the Foundation Certificate (International).

5. Candidates may be graduated when they meet the Admission, Qualification and Academic requirements within the prescribed timeframes.

Unsatisfactory academic progress

6. The general Unsatisfactory Academic Progress regulations will apply.

Schedule for the Foundation Certificate (International)

Course planning key

Prerequisites
Courses that need to be completed before moving onto a course at the next level. For example, a lot of 200-level courses have 100-level prerequisite courses.
Corequisites
Courses that must be completed at the same time as another course are known as corequisite courses.
Restrictions
Some courses are restricted against each other because their content is similar. This means you can only choose one of the offered courses to study and credit to your qualification.
Key terms for course planning
Courses
Each qualification has its own specific set of courses. Some universities call these papers. You enrol in courses after you get accepted into Massey.
Course code
Each course is numbered using 6 digits. The fourth number shows the level of the course. For example, in course 219206, the fourth number is a 2, so it is a 200-level course (usually studied in the second year of full-time study).
Credits
Each course is worth a number of credits. You combine courses (credits) to meet the total number of credits needed for your qualification.
Specialisations
Some qualifications let you choose what subject you'd like to specialise in. Your major or endorsement is what you will take the majority of your courses in.

Core Courses (Choose 60 credits from)

Choose 60 credits from
Course code: 115016 Academic English 15 credits

Academic English provides an opportunity for students to explore, respond to, analyse and produce a range of academic and non-academic texts. Through reading, viewing, writing, listening, speaking, and using information and communication technologies (ICT), the course develops students’ confidence and competence in using the English language; their understanding of how different text-types are constructed for academic purposes and audiences; and their competence in key academic literacies required for undergraduate studies.

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Course code: 115017 Information Technology for Academic Studies 15 credits

In this course, students extend their competence with technology applications relevant to their academic studies. Students will particularly develop their capacity to identify problems that may benefit from a technological solution and identify which solution would be best in the specific context.

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Course code: 115018 Introduction to Academic Communications 15 credits

This course enables students to develop the oral and written skills that are required for tertiary level studies. It includes the skills and knowledge required to efficiently gather, organise and present information. Students will learn effective strategies to research and analyse information from a variety of sources and present that information in written and oral formats.

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Course code: 115019 Socio-cultural context of Aotearoa New Zealand 15 credits

This course provides students with an introduction to the socio-cultural context of Aotearoa New Zealand as a nation and how this impacts on people, organisations and businesses. It explores multiple perspectives and lenses in approaching questions of culture and society (particularly te ao Māori and te ao Pākehā). The course explores the principles and application of the Treaty of Waitangi/Te Tiriti o Waitangi to society, business and organisational contexts.

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Pathway Courses

Business Pathway (Choose 60 credits from)

Choose 60 credits from
Course code: 115020 Accounting Fundamentals 15 credits

This course introduces students to accounting concepts and practices including the recording of business events in an accounting worksheet and the preparation of primary accounting reports.

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Course code: 115021 Economics Fundamentals 15 credits

This course provides an introduction to the vital role of economics in the functioning and wellbeing of societies. This course will equip students with knowledge of the basic principles of microeconomics and macroeconomics.

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Course code: 115023 Management Fundamentals 15 credits

This course provides students with an understanding of the role of management within various types of businesses in Aotearoa New Zealand and the wider trading community. It provides an overview of the influencing factors to be considered by managers.

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Course code: 247024 General Mathematics 15 credits

This course equips students with knowledge of mathematical concepts and tools to foster their problem-solving skills. This unit covers the foundational themes of algebra, consumer and financial arithmetic and statistics to give students a preparation for entry into further studies, particularly in business disciplines.

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Science Pathway (Choose 60 credits from)

Choose 60 credits from
Course code: 247020 Biology Fundamentals 15 credits

Biology Fundamentals is an introductory course which will equip you with the knowledge of basic biology concepts. The course covers the foundational themes of life processes, ecology, and evolution in preparation for entry into further studies.

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Course code: 247021 Chemistry Fundamentals 15 credits

Chemistry Fundamentals is an introductory course which will equip you with the knowledge of basic chemistry concepts in preparation for entry into further studies. The course covers the foundational themes of the structure, properties and changes of matter, and how chemistry is used in society.

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Course code: 247022 Mathematics Fundamentals 15 credits

Mathematics Fundamentals is a foundational course which will develop the core mathematical skills necessary for many of the 100-level science courses that require fundamental algebraic fluency and statistical literacy. Your studies will combine fundamental mathematical and statistical methods designed to provide highly sought-after skills in mathematical reasoning, problem solving and numeracy.

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Course code: 247023 Physics Fundamentals 15 credits

Physics Fundamentals is an introductory course which will equip you with the knowledge of basic physics concepts. The course covers the foundational themes of motion, forces, energy, electricity, fluids and waves in preparation for entry into further studies.

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