Consultation Proposal
Changing the New Zealand Master’s
Degree Definition
August 2012
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Changing the New Zealand Master’s Degree Definition
Introduction
NZQA is seeking comment on a proposal to change the definition of New Zealand Master’s
Degrees to allow shorter Master’s Degrees comprising 180 credits following completion of a
360-credit1 Bachelor Degree. NZQA is also seeking comment on:

whether to restrict 180-credit Master’s Degrees to students that have completed a
Bachelor Degree ‘at a specified level of attainment’

minor clarifications of current credit and admission requirements for Master’s Degrees
that do not change substance or intent.
Development
The consultation proposal follows a recommendation to allow 180-credit Master’s Degrees
that NZQA received in June 2012 from Universities New Zealand (the New Zealand
Universities Vice-Chancellors’ Committee), subsequent to their consultation with universities.
Under the Education Act 1989, the rules for qualifications, including the qualification
definitions within the New Zealand Qualifications Framework, apply to schools and all tertiary
education institutions, including universities, institutes of technology and polytechnics,
wānanga, private training establishments and government training establishments.
Changing the definition of a New Zealand Master’s Degree requires NZQA Board and
Ministerial approval because it involves changing the rules for listing Master’s Degrees on
the New Zealand Qualifications Framework.
Current definition and rules for Master’s Degrees
Currently, the New Zealand Master’s Degree comprises at least 240 credits in total, except
where it builds on four years of prior study at Bachelor Degree level or above, in which cases
it can be fewer than 240, but no fewer than 120, credits. It must include a minimum of 40
credits at level 9 with the remainder at level 8.
There are three types of Master’s Degree: by thesis, by coursework and thesis, and by
coursework. If the Degree is by thesis, or coursework and thesis, it must contain a piece of
scholarly research of at least 90 credits at level 9.
The proposal would not change any of the current requirements for the proportion of credits
at level 9 in a Master’s Degree and New Zealand institutions will still be able to offer 240credit (or plus) Master’s Degrees. Neither is NZQA proposing to change the current
minimum entry qualification for a Master’s Degree, which is a Bachelor Degree or equivalent.
The consultation proposal
NZQA is proposing to allow Master’s Degrees comprising at least 180 credits following
completion of a 360-credit Bachelors Degree. The current Master’s Degree qualification
definition, with deleted text and additional options indicating the proposed changes, is
presented as an Appendix.
A specified level of attainment for the previous Bachelors Degree
NZQA is also considering a Universities New Zealand recommendation that entry to a 180credit Master’s Degree must follow a three-year Bachelors Degree ‘completed at a specified
level of attainment’. Universities New Zealand has explained this rule would trigger providers
to specify an entry requirement (for example a ‘B’ grade-point average) for the shorter
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Each credit on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework represents ten notional learning hours,
with 120 credits being one-year’s Equivalent Full Time Study
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Master’s Degree, which would then be subject to a case-by-case programme approval
process by NZQA or the Committee for University Academic Programmes (CUAP).
An alternative is to make completion of a Bachelors Degree the sole prerequisite within the
rules and for providers to determine any higher entry requirements. Providers are already
required to specify entry requirements in the programme approval process.
Two options are presented for your comment. The first option is Universities New Zealand’s
preferred wording; while the second option is based on completion of a Bachelors Degree.
Option
one
Option
two
A Master’s degree must comprise at least 240 credits, except:
 where it builds on four years of prior study at Bachelor Degree level or above,
in which case it can be fewer than 240, but no fewer than 120, credits
 where it builds on a three-year Bachelor Degree or equivalent completed at a
specified level of attainment, in which cases it can be fewer than 240 but no
fewer than 180 credits.
A Master’s Degree must comprise at least 180 credits following completion of a
360-credit Bachelors Degree, except where it builds on four years of prior study at
Bachelor Degree level or above, in which case it can be fewer than 180, but no
fewer than 120, credits.
NZQA is interested in your views on the options. Please note that the Australian
Qualifications Framework does not have a ‘specified level of attainment’ entry requirement
for the Master’s Degree, while in the United Kingdom entry requirements to the Master’s
Degree are normally determined by the institution.
Minor clarifications to wording on credit requirements in each type of degree
NZQA is proposing a minor clarification of the wording on the 90-credit requirement for the
piece of scholarly research in the ‘Master’s by thesis or primarily by thesis’. The proposed
wording, which is more consistent with the CUAP definition, would be as follows:
The degree includes 120 credits of which at least 90 credits (at level 9) consists at least 90
credits at level 9 consisting of a research project…
NZQA has also deleted repetitive wording on the credit requirements for each type of
Master’s Degree.
Minor clarification to wording on admission to a Master’s Degree
NZQA is also proposing a very minor change to the ‘admission requirements for an
individual’, changing it from a footnote into substantive text, to clarify that individual
admission will continue to be based on the prospective student’s academic record.
Purpose of the Proposal for a 180-credit Master’s Degree
An internationally competitive model
A key driver for the proposal is to enhance the international competitiveness of New Zealand
Master’s Degrees, which are generally longer than in a number of other countries that New
Zealand commonly compares itself with, including Australia, the United Kingdom and
Canada.
The proposal to allow shorter Master’s Degrees would put New Zealand on a par with
Australian Qualifications Framework specifications, through allowing award of a Master’s
Degree after a total of four-and-a-half years of degree level study2. The United Kingdom
2See
p58 of the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF, 2011)
http://www.aqf.edu.au/Portals/0/Documents/Handbook/AustQuals%20FrmwrkFirstEditionJuly2011_FI
NAL.pdf
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would remain more generous than New Zealand as it allows a ‘taught’ Master’s Degree to be
awarded after a total of four years university study.
A shorter Master’s Degree is likely to assist in attracting increased numbers of international
students to New Zealand, which is currently disadvantaged in the postgraduate market by its
more restrictive Master’s Degree definition. New Zealand’s export education industry would
then be better placed to respond to the Government’s International Education Leadership
Statement Goal to grow the value of export education over the next 15 years.
Table 1 summarises minimum credit requirements for overseas Master’s Degrees, compared
to the current New Zealand definition and the proposed change.
Table 1 – Summary of Minimum Credit Requirements for Master’s Degrees
Australia
United Kingdom
Current New Zealand
Proposal
At least 1.5 years
following a level 7
qualification; 1 year
following a level 8;
at least one full-time
calendar year for
graduates with a
Bachelor's degree with
honours (but ‘honours’
is not an additional
year);
at least 240 credits,
except where it builds
on four years of prior
study at Bachelor
Degree level or above,
in which case it can be
fewer than 240, but no
fewer than 120, credits
at least 180 credits
following completion of
a 360-credit Bachelors
Degree except where it
builds on four years of
prior study at Bachelor
Degree level or above,
in which case it can be
fewer than 180, but no
fewer than 120, credits.
Alignment with international changes to coursework Master’s Degrees
The proposal aligns with international changes to the nature of Master’s Degrees, and allows
New Zealand institutions to keep pace with these changes. Internationally, Master’s Degree
programmes have become increasingly diverse in order to meet differing and specific labourmarket needs. Coursework Master’s Degrees have proved especially popular with
international students in other countries, as noted here:
There is a strong preference from international students for Coursework Masters in
fields considered to be more directly related to opportunities in the labour market
(Rogers, 2008).
For all students, whether domestic or international, there is an opportunity cost in studying as
students forgo potential earnings in pursuit of higher learning. Shorter coursework Master’s
Degrees, like those typically offered by Australian universities, are likely to appeal to students
wishing to develop advanced vocational knowledge and skills within a compacted and
efficient timeframe.
Research into the international competitiveness and comparability of the New Zealand
Master’s Degree has found that the proportion of coursework Master’s Degrees offered at
New Zealand universities to be comparatively low, at only 31.2 per cent (Rogers, 2008). This
compares with Australia and the United Kingdom where coursework Master’s Degrees make
up more than 95 per cent of the total Master’s Degree programmes offered.
Research-based Master’s Degrees are protected
The proposed change to the New Zealand Master’s Degree definition would still protect and
underpin the important contribution that postgraduate research makes to New Zealand
industry, economy and society. The 90-credit piece of scholarly research required in the
Master’s Degree by thesis, and/or by coursework and thesis, will continue to be the accepted
pathway to doctoral study. While degree-awarding institutions are increasingly likely to offer
Master’s Degrees by coursework, research-rich Master’s Degrees would remain firmly
anchored within institutions’ wider research programmes and continue to inform their
coursework Master’s programmes.
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Compatibility with the Bologna process
NZQA is comfortable that the proposed move to shorten Master’s Degrees would not be at
the expense of New Zealand’s international reputation for quality Degree programmes. The
proposed change to the Master’s Degree definition is within the minimum length of Master’s
Degrees agreed within the ‘Bologna process’. Master’s Degrees, or the ‘2nd cycle’ in the
Bologna process are between 180 and 240 New Zealand credits (i.e. 90-120 credits in the
European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS).
New Zealand became aligned to the Bologna process by acceding, in 2008, to the
Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications Concerning Higher Education in the
European Region, commonly known as the Lisbon Convention. The Bologna process
describes three ‘cycles’ of degree-level qualifications: 1st cycle Bachelor Degrees, 2nd cycle
Master’s Degrees, and 3rd cycle Doctoral Degrees. This common description of the typical
level and length of degrees enhances qualification comparability and labour market mobility,
amongst Bologna process participants.
NZQA is not proposing a change to New Zealand’s relatively transparent rules about the
minimum proportion of credits the highest level in the Master’s Degree. The requirement for
40 credits at level 9, and the rest at level 8, is within typical international parameters for
Master’s Degrees (it is important to note that most overseas Master’s Degrees, including the
Bologna ones, do not differentiate between level 8 and level 9 and therefore the relative
proportions of levels 8 and 9, in the same way that New Zealand does).
Focus on outcomes maintained
The New Zealand Qualifications Framework definitions are focused on the outcomes of
qualifications, and this is not set to change. A New Zealand Master’s Degree graduate is
able to demonstrate ‘mastery’ of their subject field and the Master’s Degree will continue to
qualify individuals who apply an advanced body of knowledge in a range of contexts for
research, a pathway for further learning, professional practice and/or scholarship.
Next steps
Feedback from the sector will inform final proposals for approval from the NZQA Board and
the Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment, which is anticipated in late
September or in October 2012.
Selected resources
Australian Qualifications Framework Council. (2011). Australian Qualifications Framework.
http://www.aqf.edu.au/Portals/0/Documents/Handbook/AustQuals%20FrmwrkFirstEditionJuly
2011_FINAL.pdf
European Higher Education Area (2005). The framework of qualifications for the European
Higher Education Area. http://www.ehea.info/article-details.aspx?ArticleId=73
Quality Assurance Agency. (2010). Masters Degree Characteristics. [United Kingdom]
http://www.qaa.ac.uk/Publications/InformationAndGuidance/Documents/MastersDegreeChar
acteristics.pdf
Rogers, T. (2008). New Zealand University Masters Degrees: An Assessment of their
position and opportunities in the global market. A report commissioned by Education New
Zealand, prepared by Tim Rogers, International Education Consultants, UK. (2008)
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How to provide feedback
Written submissions are welcomed and a separate questionnaire is provided for your
feedback. While electronic responses are preferred, we also accept hard-copy responses. If
you are sending your submission as an attachment to an email, please send it as a word or
rtf document, rather than a pdf.
Please email feedback to Mastersdegrees@nzqa.govt.nz
Consultation: Master’s Degrees Definition
Quality Assurance Division
NZQA
PO Box 160
Wellington 6140
Please provide feedback by Thursday 13 September 2012.
Or post to:
Consultation questions
1. What, in your view, would be the impact on New Zealand’s international competitiveness
and comparability, if NZQA allows 180-credit Master’s Degrees?
2. What do you regard as the likely impact of the proposal on New Zealand institutions?
3. Please explain your preference for either of the following options:

Option One – entry requirements are left to individual providers to specify, as long as
they are based on completion of a Bachelors Degree; or

Option Two - entry to a 180-credit Master’s Degree must follow a three-year
Bachelors Degree completed at a specified level of attainment (such as a grade point
average) that is subject to programme approval by NZQA or CUAP?
4. Can you identify any concerns with the proposed minor wording changes:

on credit requirements for a Master’s Degree by thesis or primarily by thesis;

that delete repetitive wording on credit requirements for each type of degree; and

on individual admission requirements?
You are welcome to provide any further comments on the proposal.
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Appendix
Proposed Changes to the Definition of a New Zealand Master’s Degree
The following definition of the New Zealand Master’s Degree is an excerpt from the NZQA
document The New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQA, April 2011, p22), with deleted
text or additional options indicating the proposed changes.
Master’s Degree
Purpose
A Master’s Degree qualifies individuals who apply an advanced body of knowledge in a
range of contexts for research, a pathway for further learning, professional practice and/or
scholarship.
Master’s Degrees usually build on a Bachelor Degree, Graduate Diploma, Bachelor Honours
Degree or a Postgraduate Diploma. They may also build on extensive professional
experience of an appropriate kind. Their outcomes are demonstrably in advance of
undergraduate study, and require individuals to engage in research and/or advanced
scholarship.
Master’s Degrees are constituted in one discipline or coherent programme of study. They
may be undertaken by taught courses or research, or by a combination of both.
Credit requirements
The Master’s Degree must include a minimum of 40 credits at level 9 with the remainder at
level 8.
Option
one
Option
two
It comprises at least 240 credits, except:

where it builds on four years of prior study at Bachelor Degree level or above,
in which case it can be fewer than 240, but no fewer than 120, credits

where it builds on a three-year Bachelor Degree or equivalent completed at a
specified level of attainment, in which cases it can be fewer than 240 but no
fewer than 180 credits.
It comprises at least 180 credits following completion of a 360-credit Bachelors
Degree, except where it builds on four years of prior study at Bachelor Degree
level or above, in which case it can be fewer than 180, but no fewer than 120,
credits.
Master’s Degrees are structured in three principal ways:
Wording clarified because the reference to 120 credits at level 9 is unclear and does not
line up with the CUAP definition.
By thesis or primarily by thesis
Entry to a Master’s Degree by thesis is normally based on a Bachelor Honours Degree or a
Postgraduate Diploma in the same field of study. The degree includes 120 credits of which at
least 90 credits (at level 9) consists at least 90 credits at level 9 consisting of a research
project presented in the form of a thesis, dissertation, substantial research paper or scholarly
creative work.
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By coursework and thesis
Entry to a Master’s Degree by coursework and thesis is normally based on an undergraduate
degree in the same field of study. The degree includes 240 credits of which at least 90
credits at level 9 are in the form of a thesis, dissertation, substantial research paper or
scholarly creative work, with the remaining up to 150 credits are from coursework.
By coursework
Entry to a Master’s Degree by coursework worth 120 to 240 credits is normally based on an
undergraduate degree. The degree is achieved through coursework consisting of courses,
project work and research in varying combinations. It may build on undergraduate study in
the same academic field, or it may build on the more generic graduate attributes of an
undergraduate degree in other fields, or in some cases on relevant professional experience.
Master’s Degrees that build on generic attributes and/or experience (often called “conversion
Master’s”) are usually in professional fields and are recognised as appropriate professional
preparation by the profession or industry concerned.
Entry
Providers of courses approved programmes leading to Master’s qualifications are
responsible for establishing entry requirements.
The minimum entry qualification for a 240credit Master’s Degree is a Bachelor Degree or
equivalent3.
Option For a Master’s Degree of fewer than 240 credits but no fewer than 120 credits is
one
either a Bachelor Honours Degree or a Postgraduate Diploma or an undergraduate
degree followed by relevant professional experience. For a Master’s Degree of
fewer than 240 credits but no fewer than 180 credits, the entry qualification is a
Bachelor Degree or an equivalent qualification completed at a specified level of
attainment.
Option The minimum entry qualification for a Master’s Degree of fewer than 180 credits
two
but no fewer than 120 credits is either a Bachelor Honours Degree or a
Postgraduate Diploma or an undergraduate degree followed by relevant
professional experience.
An applicant who holds either a Bachelor Honours Degree or a Postgraduate Certificate or
Postgraduate Diploma may be exempted from all or some of the taught courses in a Master’s
Degree.
Clarification
Change the ‘admission requirements for an individual’ from a footnote (see below) to
substantive text
Admission to a Master’s Degree is based on the evaluation of documentary evidence
(including the academic record) of the individual applicant’s ability to undertake postgraduate
study in a specialist field of enquiry or professional practice. The individual applicant must
have attained, through formal study, professional or other experience, a high order of
knowledge about the principal subject(s), and have demonstrated interest in, and an aptitude
for, scholarship.
Admission as an individual for a Master’s Degree is based on the evaluation of documentary evidence
(including the academic record) of the applicant’s ability to undertake postgraduate study in a specialist field
of enquiry or professional practice, The individual must have attained, through formal study, professional or
other experience, a high order of knowledge about the principal subject(s), and have demonstrated interest
in, and an aptitude for, scholarship.
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Outcomes
A graduate of a Master’s Degree is able to:

show evidence of advanced knowledge about a specialist field of enquiry or professional
practice

demonstrate mastery of sophisticated theoretical subject matter

evaluate critically the findings and discussions in the literature

research, analyse and argue from evidence

work independently and apply knowledge to new situations

engage in rigorous intellectual analysis, criticism and problem-solving.
If a Master’s Degree includes a component of supervised research of not fewer than 90
credits at level 9, the graduate is also able to:

demonstrate a high order of skill in the planning, execution and completion of a piece of
original research or creative scholarly work, and

apply such skills learned during the study programme to new situations.
The research should be completed to internationally recognised standards and demonstrate
that the graduate has a capacity for independent thinking.
Relationship with other qualifications
A person who holds a Master’s Degree achieved to an appropriate standard and including a
research component of at least 90 credits may be considered for admission to a programme
of advanced study and/or original research leading to a Doctoral Degree.
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