Postgraduate Diploma in Specialist Teaching

The Postgraduate Diploma in Specialist Teaching will give you the skills and networks to work in a principles-based, interprofessional way to transform outcomes for all learners.  You will work collaboratively at universal, targeted and tailored levels to bring about barrier-free access to education.

The qualification uses inquiry and evidence-based approaches to support you in working with practitioners, kaiako and whānau in proactive and positive ways. Through developing strong and productive partnerships you will be able to support identity, language and culture across educational contexts.

The Postgraduate Diploma in Specialist Teaching has four compulsory courses:

The inter-professional approach allows you to learn with, from and about each other within a community of practice.

Note: The Postgraduate Diploma in Specialist Teaching does not qualify you to be a teacher.

All students must meet university entrance requirements to be admitted to the University.

• Massey University entry requirements

This is a selected entry qualification. This means there are a number of extra requirements you must meet.

To enter the Postgraduate Diploma in Specialist Teaching you will have:

• been awarded or qualified for a Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent; and
• been awarded or qualified for a relevant professional qualification; and
• have completed at least two years of relevant professional experience.

If your first language is not English or Te Reo Māori and you have not gained a New Zealand university entrance qualification, or an overseas entrance qualification in a country where the main language is English, you will be required to provide evidence of proficiency in English in the form of an academic International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score of 7.0 with no band less than 7.0 (or the equivalent TOEFL score) or other evidence that is acceptable to Massey University.

IELTS EXEMPTION: A teacher who has registered with the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand and holds a current Practising Certificate, will be exempted from meeting this English language requirement. For more information, see the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand.

• Verified copies of all academic transcripts for studies taken at all universities other than Massey University
• A copy of your current CV (including education and employment for at least the last five years. If you have recently changed jobs to a resource teacher role, please ensure the new role is included as your current employment)
• A verified copy of your current practising certificate issued by the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand (if a registered teacher with a current full practising certificate)
• If you are not a registered teacher you will also need to supply:

  • a completed NZ Police Request and Consent form, along with two pieces of verified identification (one of which must be photographic) from the list of acceptable forms of identification
  • a copy of a police report from every overseas country you have lived in for more 12 months in the last 10 years. Please do not supply originals as these will need to be supplied to the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand at a later date.
• If you do not hold a current New Zealand Professional Registration you will be required to undergo police vetting prior to gaining entry into the qualification.

Please provide a full CV including details of your educational and professional qualifications, employment history with dates and descriptions of roles and responsibilities, membership of associations/organisations, and a list of professional publications and research reports.

If you have any short or long-term disability including learning disability or heath issue that may affect your study, please upload a summary in your application. If you disclose any disability, health or personal information as part of your application, this will be assessed during the selection process and is confidential to the University staff processing your application.

If you need help with your English language skills before you start university, see our English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses.

Massey University - Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa is a leading New Zealand university, world-renowned for unique practical qualifications, ground-breaking research, and online courses. 

Each year over 5,000 international students from more than 100 countries find a warm welcome at Massey. We are ranked in the top 250 universities in the world by QS World Rankings and have a well-established reputation for academic leadership, research excellence and innovative teaching.