NEW ZEALAND - ISEP Massey University

To be eligible to participate in this program, students must meet the following requirements:

• Good academic and judicial standing during time of application AND time of participation in program
• Undergraduates must have completed at least two semesters of study at Lake Forest College AND have junior status or higher before participation. 
• At least 18 years of age by the program’s departure date. 
• Be able to stay at the host program for the duration of the semester, including through the exam and travel periods
• Minimum GPA of 2.75.  

Students applying to ISEP must apply for an Exchange option (in any country) as a first choice but may apply to a Direct option as a back-up.  Direct options may have an additional cost (see a financial section for more information).

AUCKLAND CAMPUS:
Auckland is an international city built around a stunning harbor. It is New Zealand’s largest urban area with a diverse multi-cultural population and world-class features and facilities. The Auckland Campus is part of the North Shore, which is just 20 minutes drive from the center of Auckland. The North Shore City region covers 120 km of coastline and includes more than 30 sandy swimming beaches. The area in which the campus is located has a wide range of amenities, numerous cafes, shopping centers, cinema complexes, art galleries, libraries, a Theatre of the Arts, and extensive leisure and sports facilities. A motorway links the North Shore with Auckland’s CBD and the International Airport. City bus services are efficient, well developed and relatively inexpensive.

PALMERSTON NORTH CAMPUS:
One-third of the people living in Palmerston North are between the ages of fifteen and thirty. Many are students, making Palmerston North a young person’s city with a lively social scene. The city center is vibrant with its many cafes, pubs, live theatre and live music. Sport and off-campus adventure are also part of the city’s attraction. Minutes from campus are some of the best mountain bike tracks anywhere. Further afield you will find bungy jumping, river kayaking, rafting, trout fishing, horseback riding and tramping. It’s only two hours’ drive to the capital city of Wellington, to vineyards and beaches in Hawke’s Bay, or to snow-covered ski slopes at Mount Ruapehu in the winter time.

WELLINGTON CAMPUS:
Resting on the edge of a spectacular harbor, encircled by green, towering hills, Wellington is a stunning and compact city. Vibrant, exciting and cultured, the nation’s capital combines the stimulation and sophistication of a big city with the quirkiness of a charming village. Extending just two kilometers in diameter, Wellington is a truly “walking city.” Here you’ll find a unique blend of national treasures, arts and culture, gastronomic delights, shopping sensations and scenic beauty, all conveniently located at the bottom of the North Island.

To learn more about the visa process for this country, please visit the ISEP Country Handbook for New Zealand. 

Massey is New Zealand’s only multi-campus university, with locations in Wellington, Auckland and Palmerston North. With an 80-year tradition of academic excellence, Massey offers a vast range of subjects, with key emphasis on natural sciences, engineering creative arts, and business. Enjoy NZ’s spectacular outdoors, with skiing, tramping, surfing, and vineyards all just a day trip away!

Many participants enjoy studying New Zealand-focused courses, such as Maori Language, New Zealand Economy, Bicultural Perspectives in Psychology, New Zealand Fauna and Flora, Ecological Studies, Law, Government and Social Policy, and Women in History: Australia and New Zealand. 

The typical course load is four papers (classes), or 60 credits, per term.  Students must take 60 credits to earn the equivalent of 4 Lake Forest credits. Each term runs 18 weeks long. Students will be enrolled into selected, approved papers prior to their arrival on campus whenever possible. During orientation week, students will have the opportunity to make changes to their schedules. 

Academic Environment and Teaching Style

Your classes will involve a combination of fairly formal lectures (often with large numbers of students in attendance), discussion-oriented “tutorials” (with around 10-15 students usually), and outside work. Professors present core material during lectures but students should not expect to ask questions (unless otherwise indicated by the professor); the tutorials are the time to work through the material in small groups and student participation is encouraged then. Laboratory sessions for students in the sciences and practical studio time for design students are also incorporated into the curriculum.

Kiwi students tend to specialize in their field of study early on. They may even start specializing in their majors during the final year of high school. The curriculum is usually established by the university for each degree program offered, most of it usually within the same subject, therefore there is not much flexibility when it comes to course selection.

Please note the New Zealand education system generally emphasizes independent study over class time, attendance, and participation. Coursework may be less structured than in other countries and students may be assigned significant outside reading that they will not be tested on until their final exam. Furthermore, there are usually fewer assignments counting towards the final grade, so a final exam or paper carries much more weight. For all these reasons, independence and self-discipline are very important in keeping up academically.

In New Zealand, students will generally not encounter continuous assessment. Rather, students are expected to be independent in their studying and keep up with outside reading throughout the semester, even though professors will not necessarily be checking up on them regularly. Self-motivation and strong time management skills are a must to avoid falling behind.

It is common for grades to be based solely on two papers and a final exam. Essays must be well-written and academic; professors will not be looking for “reflection papers” among these relatively few assignments. It is recommended that students talk with their professors about what is expected for their first essay. Professors will often offer to review drafts as well.

PROGRAMS

AUCKLAND CAMPUS (Direct only)
Business; Engineering; Humanities and Social Sciences; Sciences.

PALMERSTON NORTH CAMPUS (Direct and Exchange)
Turitea site - Agriculture, Animal Science, Biotechnology, Business, Computer Science, Engineering, Food Science and Technology, Horticulture, Humanities and Social Sciences, Life Sciences, Material Sciences, Media Studies, Sciences and Sports Studies.
Hokowhitu site - Education.

WELLINGTON CAMPUS (Direct only)
Business; Communications; Creative Arts and Design; Health; Humanities and Social Sciences; Music; Sciences.

HINTS FOR RESEARCHING COURSES

REMEMBER that this site operates on the Southern Hemisphere calendar! Be sure to search for courses using the correct semester parameters: Southern hemisphere SM1 (NH SM2) is February – July; Southern hemisphere SM2 (NH SM1) is July – November. 

From the Study at Massey page, you may search by field of interest, a programme (degree program) or paper (course). Click on any paper number for a course description and other details. 

When selecting courses, students should note the fourth digit of the course code. This number indicates the level of the course: 0 - sub-degree, 1 - first year, 2 - second year, 3 - third year, 4 - fourth year (only applies to a few subjects because undergraduate degrees are typically three years in duration), and 7 - postgraduate. 

It is not possible for students to study at more than one campus at a time, so students should select the campus they wish to study at based on the availability of courses. If you strongly prefer one campus over the others, you might want to enter this parameter into the course search engine before searching.

The number of credits a paper is worth is made up of the number of contact hours, time spent in private study, group work, labs, etc.

To Earn 4 Lake Forest credits, students must take 168 total contact hours, or 672 hours of in- and out-of-class time.

To Earn 3 Lake Forest credits, students must take 126 total contact hours, or 504 hours of in- and out-of-class time.

The number of credits listed here is estimated, and GEO will work with you, your advisor, and the registrar to ensure you are earning enough credits to keep you on track for graduation.

Please review the ISEP country handbook for more information on the education system, grades, class hours, and classroom etiquette.

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AUCKLAND CAMPUS:
Massey University, Auckland, is a compact and modern campus, architecturally designed in the Spanish Mission style. Lecture facilities are state-of-the-art, and facilities are both spacious and contemporary. Classes are small, teaching is interactive, and the atmosphere is friendly and relaxed. 

PALMERSTON NORTH CAMPUS:
Home to around 9,000 students, Massey’s original campus is bicycle-friendly and set among beautiful park-like grounds. It is made up of two locations split by the Manawatu River: Turitea across the river from the city and Hokowhitu on the city-side.

WELLINGTON CAMPUS:
The University’s magnificent Museum Building heralds its presence in Wellington. Perched at the crest of Mount Cook alongside the National War Memorial and Carillon, the former National Art Gallery and Dominion Museum overlooks the stunning vista of the capital city and its harbor. Following an award-winning heritage restoration, this magnificent building acts as the University”s front door to the capital city.

ORIENTATION

A mandatory orientation program is organized and run by the Massey International Student Support team. Activities typically include a traditional New Zealand BBQ and dinner, city tour and advice sessions designed to assimilate international students into university study within the next of wider New Zealand culture. During the orientation week, students need to confirm their final paper (class) enrollment for the semester. Students are able to make adjustments to their pre-approved selection of papers by visiting the relevant College administrators. 

ARRIVAL DETAILS
Airport pickup is available and differs for each campus. Additional information will be provided by the ISEP Coordinator at Massey.

STUDENT ACTIVITIES

AUCKLAND CAMPUS:
Massey University offers a wide range of extra-curricular student activities available for all students, from basketball to boxing or surfing, to cultural activities. Clubs Day, during the first week of the semester, is a great opportunity for students to peruse what’s on offer, but there is also a list of Massey University Clubs. Massey also has excellent recreation center facilities available

PALMERSTON NORTH CAMPUS:
Massey University offers a wide range of extra-curricular student activities available for all students, from the Alpine club to Fire-Spinning, to Waterpolo. Clubs Day, during the first week of the semester, is a great opportunity for students to peruse what’s on offer, but there is also a list of Massey University Clubs. Massey also has excellent recreation center facilities available.

WELLINGTON CAMPUS:
Massey University offers a wide range of extra-curricular student activities available for all students, from the Alpine club to Fire-Spinning, to Waterpolo. For more information on the Sport and Recreation at Massey Wellington, click here. The International Student Support team organizes a trip to Queen Charlotte Sounds for dolphin watching and a Martinborough winery tour every semester.

ISEP Exchange students live in single-occupancy rooms in self-catered residences with communal bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry facilities. Palmerston North campus housing is within a short walking distance (5-10 minutes) from the campus center. ISEP Exchange students receive a one-time meal stipend at the beginning of the semester. The stipend can be used to prepare meals or purchase meals at the cafeteria. It is meant to cover 19 meals/week.

ISEP Direct students are housed in single-occupancy rooms in residences with communal bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry facilities. Auckland campus housing is a 15-20 minute walk from campus and free shuttle bus services are provided. Wellington campus housing varies in location and is a 5-15 minute walk from campus. The ISEP Direct program does NOT include meal benefits; students are responsible for their own meals. 

For southern hemisphere programs, ISEP benefits do apply during the recess between semesters (June-July), whereas they do NOT apply between the end of one academic year and the beginning of a new academic year (December to February). 

For all approved programs for guaranteed financial aid transferability, students pay their Lake Forest College tuition plus a program fee. The program fee for a semester with the ISEP Exchange to Massey University includes orientation, on-site director, university fees, housing, and the equivalent of 19/meals per week. The Direct fee includes all of the above plus insurance, except meals. 

ISEP costs for Exchange are usually the most cost-effective, as it is intended to promote mobility of students around the world. Direct options are available for those students that prefer to attend a school with limited availability for Exchange, though costs may be different as they are set by the host school. However, the program fee may be different than that of Exchange, which tend to be less expensive to promote more exchange opportunities for all schools.

Here is an estimated budget for the Fall 2019/Spring 2020 programs:

Tuition rates and program fees are subject to change each year, but this information was up-to-date as ofMarch 2019. We will notify applicants, and update this page if the program fee or other estimates change.

You can discuss with Financial Aid your specific aid package and your expected family contribution.

Deposits to other programs, if required, are paid by the student to the host program, and will appear as a credit on your study abroad term bill from the College.

Keep in mind that you may spend more or less in certain areas like personal expenses, travel, meals, or airfare, depending on exchange rates and your own spending habits. Classroom or lab fees are not included in this estimate and will depend on your course registration choices.  

Don’t forget to apply for scholarships! A great listing can be found here.