Some New Zealand engineering degrees are university-based, such as the four-year Bachelor of Engineering degree offered by six of our eight universities. University degree courses are research-led and generally academic rather than vocational.
You can also study for a four-year Bachelor of Engineering at two of our institutes of technology and polytechnics (ITPs). ITPs are owned by the New Zealand government and have a vocational focus. Many ITPs also offer a three-year Bachelor of Engineering Technology, and most offer a two-year diploma in engineering.
Wherever you choose to study, and whatever course you decide to take, there are many good reasons to study engineering in New Zealand. Here are five of them:
1. Get a world-class education in a fantastic location
The quality of engineering education in New Zealand is extremely high – the latest QS world university rankings put the Civil and Structural Engineering courses offered by the University of Auckland and the University of Canterbury in the world’s top 50.
Add in the fact that you’ll be studying in a beautiful country with amazing outdoor recreation opportunities – everything from skiing and rock-climbing to mountain-biking and sailing.
2. Learn in a practical, hands-on teaching environment
New Zealanders are proud of their ingenuity and innovation. Kiwis invented the Hamilton jet-boat, the bungy, the zorb and the world’s first spring-free trampoline. Kiwi ingenuity is also behind world-leading company Rocket Lab, whose technology aims to propel small satellites into orbit at a fraction of the current industry prices, Para Sea Anchors and a project by Fitzroy Engineering that created a 450 tonne restaurant to sit underwater on a coral reef!
That same practical, hands-on approach is central to engineering education in New Zealand. Your teachers will encourage you to think independently, critically and creatively.
3. Open the door to a huge range of job opportunities
Engineering is about more than building bridges and buildings. Engineers work in a huge range of areas, from making and installing metal handrails, boilers and aircraft parts to developing computer programs and smartphone applications. Studying engineering in New Zealand will give you a wide range of job opportunities to choose from.
4. Fill the engineering skills gap in Christchurch
Rebuilding the city of Christchurch following the 2011 earthquakes has created a huge demand for engineers – particularly structural engineers, who check the safety of existing buildings, and civil engineers, who help design and build new buildings. This demand for engineers in Christchurch will last for many years. The city’s economy is expected to keep growing at a higher rate than the rest of New Zealand for the next 20 years.
5. Gain an internationally recognised recognition
Most New Zealand engineering courses are accredited as meeting internationally recognised benchmarks by New Zealand’s professional engineering body, IPENZ. That means you will receive a world-class engineering education recognised around the world.
IPENZ has accredited a total of 35 engineering courses from 21 different education providers. They range from two-year engineering diplomas to four-year engineering degrees.
You can find out which engineering courses are accredited on the IPENZ website.
Learn more about studying engineering in New Zealand on our Engineering programme page.
