Te Whare Wananga o Waikato Gate 1, Knighton Road Hamilton 3240, New Zealand
Career Counselling
The University of Waikato is a highly ranked education and research institute located in Hamilton and Tauranga, New Zealand. With over 10,000 full time students, it is a centre of excellence for sustainable and future focussed education. Over 15,000 international students from 135 different countries have studied at the University since the year 2000.
The academic and research activities of the University are organised into five main areas: three Divisions (Arts, Law, Psychology and Social Sciences, Health, Engineering, Computing and Science, and Educ...
| Establishment year | 1964 |
| Total Students | 10,538 (equivalent full time students, 2021) |
| International Students | 1,727 (equivalent full time students, 2021) |
| QS World University Rankings 2024 | 250 |
| Campus Size | 168 acres (main Hamilton campus) |
| Total Number of Campuses | 2 in NZ; 1 in China |
| University Website | https://www.waikato.ac.nz/ |
| No. of Schools and Divisions | 5 main areas (3 Divisions, 1 School, 1 Faculty) |
| Nobel Prize Winner Alumni | 0 |
| No. of Education Programs | 147 (subjects), 22 (undergraduate degrees), 96 (postgraduate diplomas and degrees), 6 (foundation certificates) |
| Student to Faculty ratio | 16.6:1 |
The University of Waikato offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses through 5 main areas: three Divisions, one School and one Faculty.
Over and above the five main groupings, there are also the University of Waikato College (that runs all Foundation programmes) and the School of Graduate Research (that deals with doctoral students).
Domestic undergraduate applicants will be admitted to the University of Waikato if they satisfy one of multiple entry requirements:
International undergraduate applicants must meet certain minimum criteria on two main parameters:
The minimum entry requirements for all postgraduate courses consist of an average grade of B or B+ over the course of an undergraduate degree (or equivalent performance in different international systems, e.g. a cumulative GPA out of 10 or 4). Some departments may require an honours degree to prove that the student can handle the rigorous requirements of research intensive courses. The English language requirements for international PG students are exactly the same as for international UG students.
The application and enrolment process is the same for all new students and applicants to the University of Waikato. It consists of the following steps:
Undergraduate domestic students pay the lowest tuition fees, on average. The course search tool should be used to find the exact numbers, but they typically vary from $6,591 per year (for some Arts UG degrees) to $7,608 (Bachelor of Science degrees). Honours UG degrees typically have tuition fees that are in line with those for PG taught courses.
Undergraduate international students pay substantially higher tuition fees, ranging from $28,025 per year (BA in Anthropology, for example) to $41,760 (Bachelor of Engineering and Health).
Postgraduate domestic students pay between $7,416 (for Master of Arts degrees) and $9,039 (some Master of Engineering degrees) as annual tuition fees.
Postgraduate international students pay the highest tuition fees, with the low end setting at $34,190 per year, and the high end going up to $42,310 per year. Research degrees are approximately in line with the fees for PG taught courses.
There are University costs that are exclusive of tuition fees: for example, the Student Services Levy pays for common facilities available to all, and comes up to almost $900 per year for a normal course load. Parking and the Student Health Service charges are minor costs, and are usually less than $50. International students also have to pay for medical insurance.
Accommodation costs at the Student Halls of Residence on the Hamilton campus (with food included as part of the package) range from $13,124 to $16,010 per year. Students also spend on travel and personal items.
The University of Waikato has two campuses in New Zealand: in the cities of Hamilton and Tauranga. The main Hamilton campus contains a Student Centre with two libraries, computer labs, and support for student queries. A unique eco-friendly feature of this campus is the presence of over 1,300 pike barking spots. The Tauranga campus, located in the Central Business District of the City, is close to two popular beaches: Mount Maunganui and Pāpāmoa. It contains multiple academic, sports, and fitness facilities to support students. The University has also partnered with Zhejiang University in China; since 2002, Waikato has offered three degrees (undergraduate qualifications in Business, Media Design, and Interface Design) in the country.
UniRec is a state of the art gym located in the Hamilton campus. It offers over 40 group exercise options to improve collective physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing. It also has cardio, functional training, and weight workout areas, and multiple sports halls, squash courts, and swimming pools. The same Centre also offers services for high performance athletes on campus, ranging from physiotherapy to personal training and injury rehabilitation.
Student health is a priority on both campuses, with Hamilton offering access to nurses and doctors round the clock.
The University of Waikato has more extensive sports fields than any other university in New Zealand. There are competitive options at every level of skill: from Social Sports Leagues to Inter-Faculty sports matches to the highest level, where students can represent the University in league sports fixtures against other institutions. For regular play, the University has twelve major sports clubs (for example: spikeball, cricket, hockey, football), with resources for students who want to play up to twenty other sports. There are also multiple volunteering options within Waikato Sport, with the eagerly awaited parkruns relying on volunteers.
Career Development Services at the University of Waikato provides students with online services, helps improve resumes and with interview preparation, and connects students with employers in relevant fields of expertise and interest. The associated online portal, MyCareer, allows students to set up professional profiles, register for seminars and workshops, set up meetings with Careers guidance professionals and apply for opportunities - both full time (jobs) and part time (internships).
The Employability Plus Programme helps University students gain professional skills through volunteer opportunities. The University also partners with external job boards - like NZUni Talent and Grad New Zealand - to increase the number of diversity of job opportunities available to students and recent alumni.
The Scholarships page on the University website acts as a database and lists all the available scholarships (more than 120) with entry criteria and application deadlines. There are scholarships available to both UG and PG students that cover a part of the accommodation, a part of the tuition fee, or both.
The main undergraduate scholarships for international students are the Vice Chancellor’s International Excellence Scholarships; these are offered to students from China, Malaysia, India, and Vietnam. All of them are based on excellent academic performance and entail tuition fee reductions of up to $15,000.
Postgraduate international students can apply for the Vice Chancellor’s Scholarships, with a similar award amount; those who do not qualify can also explore the University of Waikato International Progression Bursary, which requires no separate application and entails a reward of up to $10,000.
The Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship Programme is the flagship award of the University; students who display leadership skills, exceptional academic excellence, or who have achieved great things in sports, creative or performing arts, can apply for this scholarship once every year.
