Did you know that international education is one of Aotearoa's top export industries, worth billions per year? If you've worked or studied at a university in NZ, you'll know that it is relatively multicultural with representation of students and academics from across the world. Personally, I moved to NZ from the west coast of the USA for a PhD degree and I've learned a lot from my immigration journey overseas. Sharing here a few tips and considerations for people currently overseas who are thinking about postgraduate study for research in New Zealand.
Considerations for Postgraduate Study in NZ:
First step: Understand the differences: The first step in considering postgrad study in NZ is understanding how the programmes are different from your home country. There's lots of online resources here, like this. For example, in NZ, PhD is typically a three-to-four year full-time advanced research degree (without many requirements for coursework). Here is an example from the Univ of Auckland that is pretty typical: "On entry to the PhD programme, you will be enrolled provisionally. By the end of your first year, you must meet a number of milestones to be confirmed into the PhD programme, including developing a full thesis proposal. After confirmation, you will continue to work on your research before submitting your thesis for examination after three years and within four years of your start date. The examination process includes an oral exam."
Part time study is typically available (usually between 6-8 years of study). Look at what else the university offers in terms of professional development, student support programmes, etc. to see how your quality of life will be supported as well (because its not just about the academic side!).
Second Step: Investigate Appropriate Supervisors: Once you understand how PhD programmes are setup here, and you feel like you have the right mix of independent research ability etc to complete a PhD, it is really important that you look into appropriate supervisors. Acceptance into most programmes in NZ is usually subject to staff availability, resources and facilities. How do you start the supervisor search? Search on university websites for keywords related to your fields to find possible supervisors, or have a look at relevant publications, etc., that will link you to esteemed experts in the space.
Once you find some possible supervisors, reach out to connect. See if they are currently accepting PhD students, or could recommend a colleague or collaborator who might be. Of course, you should do your homework - read their published research and see if they have any current projects listed to give you a sense of available projects.
Setup a time for an online call. This is really important, especially if you are getting more serious around the possibility for postgrad study. You want to treat this like a job interview or blind date - your supervisor will have a huge impact on the course of your study. Some important questions I would recommend asking:
How many PhD students do you supervise? How long does it usually take your students to complete?
What opportunities will there be for conference travel, presentations and/or teaching experience (if these things are important for you)?
How often will you meet in person, and how long does it take for them to give you written feedback on writing?
How do they approach project topic selection? What is their approach to publication (e.g., authorship ordering, etc)?
What are their general expectations of PhD students (and does this match your lifestyle e.g., working in an office space, flexi hours, etc)?
Finally, ask if you can reach out to at other students they have supervised - this can be a really helpful way to get that all important lived experience advice on what it is really like (and also help build your international network in your field).
Third Step: Visa Considerations: Hop on the immigration website to read more. Many universities have support here to provide advice on the visa process. There are also typically language testing requirements you will need to look into if that applies to you.
Fourth Step: Funding: It is my personal opion that students shouldn't self-fund their doctoral degree. PhDs are a high-level degree, similar to advanced, professional roles in the workforce, and we shouldn't be going in to debt for our contributions to the state of science - you will already be facing loss of earnings for a few years, and PhDs can be enough pressure without having financial stress on top. So if you can self-fund, go you! But if self-funding raises concerns or questions for you (like the majority of us), I would highly recommend waiting on starting your PhD until you secure at least partial funding. Plus many take longer than three years to complete, so even if you have a stipend, you will need to consider how you'll fund your PhD if you go over time.
This is a big issue in NZ at the moment, with a lot of funding at stake (e.g., New Zealand’s eight universities together disbursed more than $82 million on scholarship stipends for students at levels 9 and 10 in 2022 - plus tuition fees—another $30-$40 million— and personnel / associated overhead costs). This is a fraught area - "over the past decade, funding per student has declined by 16% in real terms while university costs have typically increased by around 1.4 times the consumer price index." What we see in practice is this: as funders need to pay more to offset increased stipend rates, many universities have or will reduce the number of scholarships awarded :(
Your ability to financially support yourself over the period of your studies is a key factor in being able to undertake study (obviously). I would plan on paying around $10k per year for tuition/fees/insurance/etc. You will also have to factor in your living costs (which vary from person to person).
Once you decide to seek funding - where do you start? First ask your supervisor if they have any PhD funding available - this might make the decision for your PhD supervisor very easy. If not, perhaps their university has doctoral scholarships available. In my situation, I decided to apply for a university-based doctoral scholarship after I secured my supervisor and let the results of this application determine if I would go ahead with PhD or not. Fortunately, I was successful and the rest is history (and I still live in NZ a decade later!). I appreciate not everyone has this success, especially as many university scholarships are strongly linked to GPA level. So where else can you look?
Have a google for funding options - starting here is a good idea: https://www.studywithnewzealand.govt.nz/en/how-to-apply/scholarships
Can you reach out to industries or charities to partially or fully fund your PhD if the work is relevant to their aims?
Perhaps you can seek funding through research funding bodies, or your potential supervisor may be willing to seek project grant funding which includes a PhD stipend for you.
Discuss with your possible supervisor and/or the university you might study with to see what options they can guide you to.
Reach out for a consultation to discuss your options and strategise a way forward.
All in all - try to enjoy the process and the excitement in considering future study - there are a lot of resources online to help guide you. I found my doctoral studies to be rewarding (and challenging) and it helped set me off on a entirely new career path afterwards in the area of health. What else helped you in your decision making around postgraduate study? Reach out if you would like to discuss your situation or to receive specific help and support.
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