Qualification Regulations
Part I
These regulations are to be read in conjunction with all other Statutes and Regulations of the University including General Regulations for Postgraduate Degrees, Postgraduate Diplomas, and Postgraduate Certificates.
Part II
Admission
1. Admission to the Degree of Master of Fine Arts requires that the candidate will:
(a) have been awarded or qualified for the Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) or equivalent with a grade average of at least B in part 4 courses, or equivalent; or
(b) have been awarded or qualified for the Postgraduate Diploma in Fine Arts or equivalent with a grade average of at least B; or
(c) have been awarded or qualified for a relevant Bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification with a grade average of at least B; or
(d) have been granted admission under the Admission with Equivalent Status regulations and demonstrate practical, professional, and scholarly experience at an appropriate level; and
(e) be selected into the programme through an interview and the assessment of a portfolio of relevant work prepared by the applicant.
Qualification requirements
2. Candidates for the Master of Fine Arts shall follow a parts-based programme of study, which shall consist of courses totalling at least 180 approved credits, and include completion of Part One and Part Two. The requirements for Part One and Part Two are prescribed in the Schedule to the Degree.
3. Notwithstanding Regulation 2, the programme of study for candidates who has been admitted under Regulations 1(a) or 1(b) shall consist of thesis courses totalling 120 credits, as prescribed in Part Two in the Schedule for the Qualification.
Specialisations
4. The Master of Fine Arts is awarded without specialisation.
Student progression
5. The Degree of Master of Fine Arts may be awarded with Distinction or Merit. The class of award will be determined by the examiners on the performance of the candidate in the Part 2 courses within the schedule.
6. For progression to Part Two of the Master of Fine Arts, candidates must have maintained a grade of at least B (GPA 5) over the 60 credits undertaken for Part One.
Completion requirements
7. The timeframes for completion as outlined in the General Regulations for Postgraduate Degrees, Diplomas, and Certificates will apply.
8. Candidates may be graduated when they meet the Qualification requirements within the prescribed timeframes; candidates who do not meet the requirements for graduation may, subject to the approval of Academic Board, be awarded an appropriate exit qualification, should they meet its qualification requirements.
Unsatisfactory academic progress
9. The general Unsatisfactory Academic Progress regulations will apply.
Transitional provisions
10. Subject to any Maximum Time to Completion and the Abandonment of Studies provisions specified in the Part I regulations for the degree, candidates enrolled in the Master of Fine Arts prior to 1 January 2025 will complete the Master of Fine Arts under the 2024 regulations.
11. This transition expires 31 December 2027.
Schedule for the Master of Fine Arts
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.
Part One (Choose 60 credits from)
Research Methods (Choose 15 credits from)
Course code: 293731 Contextualising Creative Enterprise Practice Part 1 15 credits
An exploration of advanced critical and enterprise frameworks, and ways they may be applied to creative practice. Students work towards a proposal of a plan to take their Major Project to market, along with a text through which their Major Project is critically framed.
View full course detailsCourse code: 293732 Creative Practice Research Methods 15 credits
Students will advance their understanding of approaches to creative practice research, methods and theory in relation to their specific practice orientation.
View full course detailsCourse code: 298730 Māori Research Methodologies for Creative Practice 15 credits
Students will consider tikanga and methodologies relevant to their own creative practice, which may incorporate the use of customary and/or new technologies, innovations, and knowledge. This will include developing an understanding of tikanga, ethics and accountabilities around the use of mātauranga toi Māori, mātauranga-ā-iwi, mātauranga-ā-hapū and mātauranga-a-whānau in the development of their own creative outputs. Students will be supported to locate and articulate their own creative practice in a continuum of mātauranga toi Māori.
View full course detailsProject Development (Choose 30 credits from)
Course code: 213729 Fine Arts Research and Development: Honours 30 credits
Advance the exploration of content, context, methodology and the role of critical dialogue in the production of contemporary art. In consultation with lecturers, students develop a substantial, innovative research project that engages in critically reflexive practice.
View full course detailsAny 400-level or 700-level elective course from the College of Creative Arts (Prefixes: 133, 197, 198, 212, 213, 221, 222, 223, 224, 237, 289, 293, 296, 298) (Choose 15 credits from)
Part Two (Choose 120 credits from)
Course code: 197810 Thesis 120 credits
In this programme of independent research students generate and present a distinctive body of new work that demonstrates innovative engagement with art/ design practice. The thesis comprises the presented creative work and an exegesis.
View full course detailsCourse code: 197811 Thesis 120 Credit Part 1 60 credits
A supervised and guided independent study resulting in a published work.
View full course detailsCourse code: 197812 Thesis 120 Credit Part 2 60 credits
A supervised and guided independent study resulting in a published work.
View full course detailsLooking for a previous version of this regulation?