At-a-glance

Name: Master ofFine Arts

Abbreviation: MFA

Duration: 3 trimesters 

Duration details: 3 trimesters of full-time study or normally 6 if studied part time

Schedule: Lectures

Intensity: Part time and full time

Type: Coursework and practicum

Study at: Flexible and on-campus (Kelburn, Wellington)

Complete: 180 points

Entry: Bachelor's degree in a relevant subject or extensive experience

Start: Trimester 1, 2 or 3

Apply by: Standard trimaster dates

Costs: From database for international only at this stage

Impact of previous university study in same subject: Requires

Entry requirements

To be accepted into this programme you'll need:

• A Bachelor's degree with Honours with a B-range average
• To have met the prerequisites for the subject you wish to study (see subject section below)
• Acceptance by the relevant Head of the School as capable of proceeding with the proposed course of study

Important information

• If you want to enrol in this programme but don't meet some the entry requirements you should contact the relevant Head of School to discuss your options.
• The academic Calendar is the authoritative source of programme and course information.

Programme requirements

For this programme you'll need to:

Complete 180 points

Subject requirements

In addition to the programme requirements, for this subject you'll need to:

Applied Linguistics

For the MA by thesis (120 points):

• Have previously completed 400- and 500-level courses worth 60 points in an approved area or an approved postgraduate qualification

• Have previously completed at least two years of professional experience in language education or other aspects of applied linguistics

• Complete ALIN 591

For the MA by coursework (120 points):

• Have previously completed a DipTESOL (or equivalent) or a Bachelor of Arts in a relevant subject
• Have previously completed at least two years of professional experience in language education or other aspects of applied linguistics
• Complete LALS 540 and LALS 541
• Complete further courses worth 90 points from LALS 510-584

For the MA by coursework (180 points):

• Have previously completed a Bachelor's degree in Linguistics, English Language Education or a language other than English
• Have previously completed at least two years of professional experience in language education or other aspects of applied linguistics
• Complete LALS 540 and LALS 541
• Complete further courses worth 150 points from LALS 510-584

Art History

Have previously completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours with a B-range average in this subject

Complete ARTH 591 worth 120 points

Asian Studies

Have previously completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours with a B-range average in this subject

Complete ASIA 591 worth 120 points

Chinese

Have previously completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours with a B-range average in this subject

Complete CHIN 591 worth 120 points

Classical Studies

Have previously completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours with a B-range average in this subject

Complete CLAS 591 worth 120 points

Classics

Have previously completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours with a B-range average in Greek or Latin

Complete CLAS 592 worth 120 points

Creative Writing

Have previously completed a university degree and satisfactory written and/or published evidence of appropriate literary ability in English

Complete either CREW 591 or CREW 592, each worth 120 points

Criminology

Have previously completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours with a B-range average in this subject

Complete CRIM 591 worth 120 points

Cultural Anthropology

Have previously completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours with a B-range average in this subject

Complete ANTH 591 worth 120 points

Education

Have previously completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours with a B-range average in this subject

Complete EDUC 591 worth 120 points

English

For the MA by thesis (120 points):

• Have previously completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours with a B-range average in this subject
• Complete ENGL 591

For the MA by coursework and thesis (120 points):

• Have previously completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours with a B-range average in this subject
• Complete ENGL 592 and one course from ENGL 401-460 

Film

Have previously completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours with a B-range average in this subject

Complete FILM 591 worth 120 points

Important information

You may choose to base your thesis on practical work.

French

Have previously completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours with a B-range average in this subject

Complete FREN 591 worth 120 points

Geography

Have previously completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours with a B-range average in this subject

Complete GEOG 591 worth 120 points

German

Have previously completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours with a B-range average in this subject

Complete GERM 591 worth 120 points

History

Have previously completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours with a B-range average in this subject

Complete HIST 591 worth 120 points

International Relations

Have previously completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours with a B-range average in this subject

Complete INTP 591 worth 120 points

Italian

Have previously completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours with a B-range average in this subject

Complete ITAL 591 worth 120 points

Japanese

Have previously completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours with a B-range average in this subject

Complete JAPA 591 worth 120 points

Māori Studies

For the MA by thesis (120 points)

• Have previously completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours with a B-range average in this subject
• Complete MAOR 591

For the MA by coursework and thesis (120 points)

• Have previously completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours with a B-range average in this subject
• Complete MAORI 408 and MAOR 592

For the MA by coursework and dissertation (120 points)

• Have previously completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours with a B-range average in this subject
• Complete four courses
  • MAOR 408
  • MAOR 595
  • Two courses from MAOR 502-511

For the MA by coursework (120 points)

• Have previously completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours with a B-range average in this subject
• Complete four courses
  • MAOR 408
  • MAOR 589
  • Four courses from MAOR 502-511

Important information

If you have previously passed MAOR 408 in a BA(Hons) you may replace it with an approved course from MAOR 502-511.

Mathematics

Have previously completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours with a B-range average in this subject

Complete MATH 591 worth 120 points

Media Studies

Have previously completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours with a B-range average in this subject

Complete MDIA 591 worth 120 points

Museum and Heritage Studies

Have previously completed a Bachelor's degree with Honours with a B-range average

Complete MHST 591 worth 120 points

Music

Have previously completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours with a B-range average in this subject

Complete NZSM 591 worth 120 points

Important information

Students may include a supplementary research component relevant to the topic of the thesis comprising 25% of the final grade.

New Zealand Literature

For the MA by thesis (120 points)

• Have previously completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours with a B-range average in English
• Complete NZLI 591 

For the MA by coursework and thesis (120 points)

• Have previously completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours with a B-range average in English
• Complete three courses NZLI 592 
• Complete further 400- and 500-level courses worth 30 points

New Zealand Studies

Have previously completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours with a B-range average

Complete NZST 591 worth 120 points

Pacific Studies

Have previously completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours with a B-range average in this subject

Complete PASI 591 worth 120 points

Philosophy

Have previously completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours with a B-range average in this subject

Complete PHIL 591 worth 120 points

Political Science

Have previously completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours with a B-range average in this subject

Complete POLS 591 worth 120 points

Psychology

Have previously completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours with a B-range average in this subject

Complete PSYC 591 worth 120 points

Religious Studies

Have previously completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours with a B-range average in this subject

Complete RELI 591 worth 120 points

Second Language Learning and Teaching

Have previously completed a Bachelor degree including at least 40 points of 300-level courses in the language to be included in this Master's degree

Complete four courses:

• LALS 510
• LALS 511
• LALS 522
• Either LALS 514 or LALS 520

Complete two 400-level courses in an approved language, including:

• One advanced language course in that language from 
  • CHIN 401
  • JAPA 401
  • FREN 401
  • GERM 401
  • ITAL 401
  • MAOR 401
  • SPAN 401 
• One further 400-level course in the same language

Complete further courses worth 60 points from:

• A research project in the approved language from:
  • CHIN 489
  • JAPA 489
  • FREN 489
  • GERM 489
  • ITAL 489
  • MAOR 406
  • SPAN 489
• LALS 515
• LALS 523
• LALS 524
• LALS 525
• LALS 531
• LALS 540
• LALA 541
• LALS 542
• Further approved 400-level CHIN, FREN, FHSS, GERM, ITAL, JAPA, SPAN or MAOR courses

Social Policy

For the MA by thesis (120 points)

• Have previously completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours with a B-range average in Sociology or equivalent scholarly experience of an appropriate kind
• Complete SPOL 591

For the MA by coursework and thesis (120 points)

• Have previously completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours with a B-range average in Sociology or equivalent scholarly experience of an appropriate kind
• Complete SPOL 592
• Complete further courses worth 30 points listed for the Bachelor of Arts with Honours

Sociology

For the MA by thesis (120 points)

• Have previously completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours with a B-range average in this subject and
• Complete SOSC 591

For the MA by coursework and thesis (120 points)

• Have previously completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours with a B-range average in this subject
• Complete SOSC 592
• Complete further courses worth 30 points listed for the Bachelor of Arts with Honours

Spanish

Have previously completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours with a B-range average in this subject

Complete SPAN 591 worth 120 points

Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

For the MA by thesis (120 points):

• Have previously completed 400- and 500-level courses worth 60 points in an approved area or an approved postgraduate qualification

• Have previously completed at least two years of professional experience in language education or other aspects of applied linguistics

• Complete ALIN 592

For the MA by coursework (120 points):

• Have previously completed a DipTESOL or a Bachelor's degree
• Have previously completed at least two years of professional experience in language education or other aspects of applied linguistics
• Complete 8 courses:
  • Three courses from:
    • LALS 510
    • LALS 511
    • LALS 515
    • LALS 516
    • LALS 521
    • LALS 522
    • LALS 523
    • LALS 524
    • LALS 531
  • Two courses from
    • LALS 512
    • LALS 513
    • LALS 544
    • LALS 562
    • LALS 563
  • Two courses from:
    • LALS 514
    • LALS 520
    • LALS 542
  • One further course from LALS 510-584

For the MA by coursework (180 points):

• Have previously completed a Bachelor's degree in Linguistics, English Language Education or a language other than English
• Have previously completed at least two years of professional experience in language education or other aspects of applied linguistics and
• Complete seven courses:
  • Three courses from:
    • LALS 510
    • LALS 511
    • LALS 515
    • LALS 516
    • LALS 521
    • LALS 522
    • LALS 523
    • LALS 524
    • LALS 531
  • Two courses from
    • LALS 512
    • LALS 513
    • LALS 544
    • LALS 462
    • LALS 563
  • Two courses from:
    • LALS 514
    • LALS 520
    • LALS 542
• Complete further courses worth 75 points from LALS 510-584

Theatre

For the MA by thesis (120 points)

• Have previously completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours with a B-range average in this subject
• Complete THEA 591

For the MA by coursework and thesis (120 points)

• Have previously completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours with a B-range average in this subject
• Complete three courses
  • THEA 594
  • One course from THEA 401-480

Important information

You may base THEA 591 or THEA 594 on practical work.