New Zealand Diploma in Psychology (Level 5)

The study of psychology provides students with a scientific understanding of why people think and act as they do. If you are interested in a scientific and deeper understanding of the human condition, the Diploma in Psychology may be the right qualification for you.

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Availability

Our distance learning courses are offered throughout the year to help you fit study around your work and life commitments.
Courses are offered up to 12 times per year depending on demand and availability of academic staff.
Exact start dates are in the course information pages and in our Enrolment dates page:

Enrolment dates

Cost

• Course costscan be found on all course pages.  The fees may increase annually.
• Qualification cost – to give you an idea of how much a qualification may cost in total over the duration of your studies, an approximate cost is provided for many of our qualifications. This is based on the required number of courses to complete the qualification and the average cost of those courses. It does not include annual administration fees, text books and course materials or external exam fees, and is subject to annual course fee increases.

Credits

Courses are assigned credits depending on how much time and effort is needed to complete their learning outcomes. In general, each credit represents approximately 10 hours of study time.

Delivery method

• Online – The course materials for online courses are delivered in an online format and all assignments are submitted online.
• Mixed – These courses are delivered using a mix of online and paper based course materials. This may include receiving paper course materials, submitting  assignments online, or being required to participate in online forums and learning activities.
• Print Only - The course will be delivered using paper based courses materials, and assignments may need to be submitted in hard copy rather than online. This will depend on the course.

Whether courses are delivered online, on paper or a mixture of both, there may also be components such as workshops, noho marae, work experience and practicum to participate in. To find out what your course involves check the course information page.

EFTS

EFTS stands for equivalent full-time student. An EFTS is the study time required for each course and is used by the Tertiary Education Commission to decide if a course is part-time or full-time. 

One year of full-time study is generally between 0.8 and 1.2 EFTS.

Level

You can tell how hard a course or qualification is by the level it is set at:

• Levels 1-4 are about the same as secondary school and basic trades training.
• Levels 5-7 are the same as university study.

Prerequisites

• Prerequisites are courses that must be completed before another course can be studied.
• Co-requisites are courses that can be studied at the same time as another course.

If a course has a specific prerequisite or co-requisite course, it will be listed on the course page under the title 'Prerequisites'. If no courses are listed, check the entry and other requirements under the qualification you are studying for. Some courses require you to have studied at a particular level prior to enrolling.

Student loans

Not all qualifications or students are eligible for student loans. You will need to meet criteria such as studying a minimum number of credits over a specific study period. It is up to you to apply for a student loan via StudyLink - Open Polytechnic does not do this for you.

Information about student loans and eligibility

StudyLink website

Teaching weeks

Teaching weeks is the number of weeks that we teach a course. This differs from the enrolment period, which is based on the course start and end dates.

For example, a 20-week enrolment period will have 16 teaching weeks, followed by four weeks to accommodate marking, any extensions and reassessments, or exams.

Workload

The workload estimate given on a course page is calculated like this:

Number of credits x 10, divided by the number of teaching weeks for the course. The hours will be rounded up to nearest whole number.

Please note, this is a guide only. You may need more or less time for study, and you may also need to do more hours during assessment due dates or exams times.

• Level

5

• Credits

120

• Cost $5,040 NZ Domestic Not including any course materials or external exam fees.
• Student loan Available. 

Student loans and eligibility

You’ll gain research, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation skills that are essential for any career, and gain valuable insights into the dynamic field of behavioural science. Psychology uses science, including statistical measures, to objectively interpret behaviour. Because psychology is a science, it relies on evidence-based research.

Graduates will possess a broad understanding of modern psychology following the completion of the Diploma. Psychology is a broad and diverse subject area as human behaviour is complex and there are many facets. These facets include our physiology, our cognition (or thinking processes), our biology, and our social and cultural contexts.

This qualification will prepare you to work in any industry that involves interaction with people. This may include human resources, student services, marketing, community work, and more.

When you achieve this qualification you will know how to:

• use psychological principles when interacting with people for the benefit of the group and individuals
• evaluate social, educational and workplace situations, whilst considering behavioural, social, and cultural factors that affect these situations, including those unique bicultural factors relevant to Aotearoa New Zealand contexts
• differentiate the fields and sub-fields within psychology and know how and why these relate to specific psychology-related career paths and employment areas within Aotearoa New Zealand
• apply scientific analysis to individual, social and group interactions to identify interconnecting factors that may underlie complex situations.

Maximum Programme Completion Time

To be awarded the qualification, the programme must be completed in no more than 3 years of first enrolment, unless there are exceptional circumstances.