What’s the difference between all those university diplomas in New-Zealand and maybe Australia???
Hello everybody,
I am from France and I’m planning to fly out to New-Zealand and study at the university of Auckland.
I’ve still got a bit of time to decide exactly what degree I’ll choose, but the system is a bit different from what we have in France, so I need your help to work this out.
I have my Bachelor’s degree in English. I’m interested in something in Literature or Creative Writing only in higher diplomas (after Bachelor’s).
What I would like to know is: what’s the difference between:
- Certificate
- Master
- Graduate Diploma
- Postgraduate diploma
- Postgraduate certificate
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
- Doctorate
- …more???
I’m really confused and I’ll take any explanation and information.
Thanks a lot, mates. I hope to be in Oceania soon!
Ben.
This is probably not quite the answer you’re after, but I hope some of it helps-
I too have a Bachelor’s in English, and I too am hoping to pursue grad school in New Zealand. A Master’s (MA- for Master of Arts) is the degree which follows a Bachelor’s (a MA is superior to a BA). In New Zealand, the MA can be obtained in as little as a year, depending on program and whether it is a taught or research degree (I’m a bit fuzzy on this concept– it seems that a taught degree is more lecture oriented and takes less time whereas a research degree is more of an independent effort but may take approximately two years). A PhD is a doctoral degree (a Doctor of Philosophy) and would be the degree awarded after a MA (though an MA is not necessarily prerequisite). PhD is a doctorate degree, but specifically refers to one who has a degree in the humanities (as opposed to a Medical Doctorate –MD– for a doctoral degree in medicine). Certificates imply completion of a given study, but do not carry the same authority as a degree. They may be more useful for those who either return for additional studies –those who may already hold a postgraduate degree such as an MA or a PhD– or for those who do not require a full degree. I apologize if this information regarding certificates is at all inaccurate, as it is not something with which I would consider myself extremely familiar. I base this off only my general understanding of the postgraduate degree structure.
I wish you the best of luck in your application to the University of Auckland– perhaps we’ll see each other there someday!
This is probably not quite the answer you’re after, but I hope some of it helps-
I too have a Bachelor’s in English, and I too am hoping to pursue grad school in New Zealand. A Master’s (MA- for Master of Arts) is the degree which follows a Bachelor’s (a MA is superior to a BA). In New Zealand, the MA can be obtained in as little as a year, depending on program and whether it is a taught or research degree (I’m a bit fuzzy on this concept– it seems that a taught degree is more lecture oriented and takes less time whereas a research degree is more of an independent effort but may take approximately two years). A PhD is a doctoral degree (a Doctor of Philosophy) and would be the degree awarded after a MA (though an MA is not necessarily prerequisite). PhD is a doctorate degree, but specifically refers to one who has a degree in the humanities (as opposed to a Medical Doctorate –MD– for a doctoral degree in medicine). Certificates imply completion of a given study, but do not carry the same authority as a degree. They may be more useful for those who either return for additional studies –those who may already hold a postgraduate degree such as an MA or a PhD– or for those who do not require a full degree. I apologize if this information regarding certificates is at all inaccurate, as it is not something with which I would consider myself extremely familiar. I base this off only my general understanding of the postgraduate degree structure.
I wish you the best of luck in your application to the University of Auckland– perhaps we’ll see each other there someday!
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