Master of Education (Early Childhood Education) (Primary Education)

Pathway Options

Master’s by thesis or primarily by thesis
- 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time
- You will complete the compulsory 30-credit research methods course and a 90-credit research thesis.

Master’s by coursework and thesis
- 18 months full-time or 3 years part-time
- For students taking the primary endorsement you will complete three 30-credit courses being the compulsory Research Methods, Primary Assessment, and Primary Curriculum courses, before you undertake your 90-credit research thesis.
- For students taking the ECE endorsement you will complete three 30-credit courses including the compulsory Research Methods Course and can choose up to one of the primary endorsement courses, i.e. Curriculum in Primary Education or Assessment in Primary Education.

Master’s by coursework only
- 18 months full-time or 3 years part-time
- For students taking the primary endorsement you will complete three compulsory 30-credit courses being the Research Methods, Assessment in Primary Education, and Curriculum in Primary Education courses. You will also complete between one and three additional 30-credit courses (note: the number of courses depends on your entry qualifications). You may choose from a suite of level 8 and 9 courses, with a maximum two level 8 courses.
- For students taking the ECE endorsement you will complete the compulsory Research Methods course and three 30-credit courses (note only one of these can be a primary endorsement course, i.e. Curriculum in Primary Education or Assessment in Primary Education.

Teacher Registration Pathway

This programme does not directly qualify students for Teacher Registration and a Practicing Certificate from the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand. For further studies to become a registered teacher in New Zealand, check out our Graduate Diploma of Teaching Primary

• Full-time and Part-time
• Online learning

Full-time students will study 2 courses per semester whilst part-time students will study 1 course per semester.

Students who hold a Postgraduate Diploma in education, related fields or a Bachelor with Honours degree, can undertake either:

• Master’s by thesis or primarily by thesis (need to complete 120 credits), or

• Master’s by coursework only (need to complete 120 credits)

Students who hold an undergraduate degree can undertake either:

• Master’s by coursework and thesis (need to complete 180 credits), or

• Masters by coursework (need to complete 180 credits)

Assessment

This programme is assessed by internal assessment. Assessments are varied and include essays, reports, PowerPoint presentations, multimedia presentations and other assessment types.

To be eligible for programme admission, you must:

• Hold an NZQA or equivalent level 7 degree or diploma.

• International students are required to show proficiency in English by achieving an IELTS 6.5 overall (no band lower than 6) or a minimum mark of 58 overall at PTE Academic (no band lower than 50).
  NZ residents schooled outside of New Zealand may need to provide other evidence of their English language proficiency.
  See: Language Competency Requirements

What is a verified copy?
A verified copy is a photocopy of your original document signed as being a true and accurate copy by a Justice of the Peace (JP), solicitor, church minister, kaumātua, police officer, school principal, Member of Parliament or Te Rito Maioha teaching staff member. You can find a list of Justices of the Peace in the Yellow Pages of the telephone book or at Royal Federation of NZ Justices’ Associations

Documents required to submit an application

1. Primary ID
You must supply a verified copy of one of the documents below:

• New Zealand Birth Certificate issued on or after 1 January 1998 carrying a unique identification number
• New Zealand Passport
• Overseas passport (must include relevant visa/residency permit)
• New Zealand Emergency travel document
• New Zealand refugee travel document
• New Zealand certificate of identity (issued under the Passports Act 1992 to non-NZ citizens who cannot obtain a passport from their country of origin)
• New Zealand certificate of identity (issued under the Immigration Act 1987 to people who have refugee status)
• New Zealand citizenship certificate

2. Secondary ID
You must supply a verified copy of one of the documents below:

• New Zealand Driver’s licence
• 18+ Card
• Community services card
• NZ student photo identification card – from another tertiary institution
• NZ employee photo identification card
• NZ electoral roll record
• Inland revenue number
• NZ utility bill, issued not more than six months earlier.

3. Evidence of Qualification

*If you choose to complete a Level 8 Leadership course, you will attend a 1.5-day online block course in the first week of the semester.

Students can take up to a total of two courses from the level 8 Postgraduate Diploma in Leadership (ECE) or the Postgraduate Diploma in Infant and Toddler Learning and Development programmes. The courses descriptors are detailed under the programme details for those specific qualifications.

Fees cover all tuition costs, student guides, and readings.

All fees shown are for domestic students studying in 2026*:

*Fees may be subject to late payment fees after the due date

Enrolling as an international student, you will be subject to international fees.