Step 1: getting ready
1, Accept your Offer of Place
The first thing you need to do is let us know you’re coming! Once you have been accepted into your qualification you need to make sure you accept your Offer of Place. This will be sent to your Student Portal.
How to access your student portal
How to accept your offer of place
Do this as soon as possible to secure your place and receive your Student ID number.
2, International students – pay your fees and get your visa
If you are an international student, you must pay your fees before you can apply for a visa.
Included in your Offer of Place is medical and travel insurance. This is part of New Zealand law. The easiest option is to buy insurance through StudentSafe. You won't have to sign up for StudentSafe.
How StudentSafe works and how much it costs
We'll offer StudentSafe medical and travel insurance to you when you pay your fees.
Get your visa
All international students will need a visa to study in New Zealand. You can choose the right visa for you and apply at Immigration New Zealand.
Apply for your visa at immigration.govt.nz
Student visa applications sometimes take a few months to process, so apply for yours as soon as you have accepted your Offer of Place and paid your fees.
3, Apply for accommodation
Finding the right place to live while you study is important because your home will be a huge part of your university experience.
Whether you want to live in a hall of residence with lots of other students, somewhere quiet you can relax after classes or in a homestay as part of a family, Massey has accommodation to suit you.
Register with the Accommodation Gateway to apply for halls of residence or apartments.
- Applications to live in halls and apartments in semester one will open on 1 August in the year before you start studying.
- You can apply for homestay accommodation at any time. It takes about two weeks to be assigned somewhere to live.
- Some accommodation options are very popular and fill up fast, so get your application in as soon as you can.
4, Enrol in courses for your first semester
Your enrolment at Massey won't be complete until you sign up for courses for your first semester. Follow these steps to enrol in courses:
- When you accept your Offer of Place, you'll receive an email to your personal account with your Student ID number.
- Log into the student portal using this number and the password you set up when you applied to Massey.
- Open the "Qualifications and Courses" tab.
- Under "My study", you'll see a link called "Enrol in courses". Follow the prompts to choose the courses you want to enrol in.
Course enrolment questions you complete before you select courses
How to complete your declaration
Course enrolments open on 1 October each year.
Some courses are very popular and fill up fast. Enrol as soon as possible to make sure you can do the courses you're most interested in.
5, Accept your Offer of Enrolment
If your enrolment is successful, you'll receive an Offer of Enrolment in the student portal. Follow these steps to accept the offer:
- sign into the student portal
- open the "Messages" tab
- you should have a message called "Offer of Enrolment"
- follow the prompts to accept your offer.
Your Offer of Enrolment message will outline the fees for each of your courses.
6, New Zealand citizens – sort out your finances and pay your fees
If you’re a New Zealand citizen, you may be able to get a grant to pay for the first year of your study with Fees Free Study. You won’t have to pay this back. If you study Fees Free, your fees will be paid on your behalf after you enrol in courses. You won't have to do anything.
Check whether you qualify at feesfree.govt.nz
You can also get a government loan to pay your fees and cover some of your costs while you study. If you have a student loan, you have to log into StudyLink to pay your fees.
Apply for a student loan at studylink.govt.nz
Applications for student finance can take a few months to process.
- If you think you qualify for Fees Free study, let us know as soon as possible. We will send you a form to fill in and apply on your behalf.
- To receive your student loan before the start of your first semester, you have to apply by 16 December. But don’t worry if you’re a bit late. You can still apply, even once you’ve started your qualification.
Step 2: before you start
1, Get online and set up your Massey system and apps
Whether you’re a distance student or you study at a campus, you’ll manage your life and academic work at Massey with our package of online learning and support tools: the student portal, Stream and MyHub.
One of the smartest ways to prepare for Massey is to set these up before the start of your first semester so that when courses start, you'll be free to focus on learning.
When and how to set up your network password, Stream and MyHub
How to set up your Massey University systems password
How to upload documents and view messages in your student portal
2, Order your student ID card
Your student ID card lets you access our library buildings, use the facilities, sit your exams, and gets you discounts at lots of shops, cafés and bars around our campuses.
You can order your card after you’ve enrolled in the courses for your first semester.
3, Sort out your timetable
You can view your class timetable in both the student portal and the Massey Uni App.
Step 3: the week before teaching starts
1, All students – Attend orientation
Compulsory – this means you must attend.
Get your Massey journey off to a great start in O-week with our programme of welcome events held the week before your classes start.
2, International students – Attend the International student welcome programme
Compulsory – this means you must attend.
Massey’s International student welcome programme is designed to make sure you have everything you need to stay happy and safe as a student in New Zealand. You must attend if you are an international student.
The welcome programme is a chance to:
- learn about your campus and city
- find out how we can support you while you’re here
- get important information about life in New Zealand
- make sure you’re ready to start your course
- meet other students from around the world.
It’s a good idea to arrive on campus two days before the welcome programme starts so you’ve got time to settle in. The international student welcome programme is included as part of orientation week – the week before teaching starts.
Step 4: settling in
1, Set yourself up for success
Use StudyUp skills to boost your time management, strategic reading and assignment writing.
2, Register with your campus health centre
We want you to be safe and well while studying. Our student health centres provide a wide range of medical services from skilled doctors, nurses and counsellors. We also have a gym on each campus available at great student rates.
Register with your campus health centre
Join your campus gym – free 7 day trial
Massey Halls residents
Gym membership is included in your accommodation package.
3, Get to know your support network
We offer a wide range of support to help you have a positive student experience and to make the most of your student life.
Related content
International students' application checklists
Use our checklists to make sure you are ready to apply. You can also find out what happens next.
