University of Waikato

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The University of Waikato is located in the city of Hamilton, New Zealand's fourth largest city in the northern central area of the North Island, only 90 minutes drive south of Auckland.
The Waikato region offers a wide range of recreational activities with many of New Zealand's major lifestyle attractions less than one and a half hours drive from the University These include excellent surfing and swimming beaches, forest parks, lakes, thermal hot pools, and limestone caves. The North Island's central snow covered mountain ski areas are only three hours drive away. New Zealand's popular tourist resort of Rotorua is less than one hour drive.

Hamilton is a scenic city of over 115,000 people offering a relaxed way of life and a healthy environment. The city is well served with many parks, gardens and scenic river walks, and has a flourishing music, art, and cafe culture, all with a New Zealand/Pacific flavour. Hamilton has all the attributes of a larger city combined with the advantages of a small city: no smog, an absence of traffic problems, easy access to outdoor activities. Sport and recreation are abundant and popular; hiking, surfing, caving, horse racing, boating, rowing, kayaking and fishing, golf, rugby, snow skiing and black / white water rafting are just a few activities enjoyed locally. Hamilton has a temperate climate, with mild but wet winters and summers that are warm and dry.

The University
Established in 1964, The University of Waikato is New Zealand's most modern and innovative university, widely recognised for its flexibility and international standards of academic excellence. In 2004 over 14,000 students were enrolled at the University of Waikato. More than one-quarter of students are over 25 years of older, and over half are women. The University of Waikato has the highest proportion of (indigenous) Mäori students on any campus in New Zealand and is committed to providing appropriate programmes for these students. The Mäori character of the campus is an important aspect of its overall identity, with the School of Mäori and Pacific Development recognised as an international leader in teaching and research for the benefit of New Zealand, the Pacific, and the international communities it serves. It is possible to take a variety of academic programmes that focus on issues related to Indigenous People. The courses concerning New Zealand/Pacific Society and Culture are especially popular with international students.

The heart of the University is its campus. The University of Waikato is spread over 67 hectares (170 acres) of beautifully landscaped park-like grounds, and includes extensive sporting and recreational areas surrounding three ornamental lakes. Many sporting and cultural groups are active on campus, including various international students' clubs. The University provides excellent study facilities, including modern lecture rooms and laboratories, a library of over 1,000,000 volumes, and an extensive computer network with over 800 terminals.

The University of Waikato comprises of seven Schools of Studies (Faculties). They are:

1. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
2. Waikato Management School (Recognised as NZ's premier Business School)
3. School of Science and Technology
4. School of Computing and Mathematical Science
5. School of Education
6. School of Law
7. School of Mäori and Pacific Development (Recognised as NZ's premier school for the study of native and indigenous issues)
All students must enrol in one of the Schools of Studies and take the majority of their courses from subjects offered in that school. Each school has different requirements of minimum numbers of courses and compulsory courses. A full list of courses is available online in the University Calendar (Catalog). In a rapidly changing world graduates must have sufficient flexibility to make connections between different aspects of their study. Waikato degrees are flexible and allow an interdisciplinary approach that builds on your various strengths and abilities, teaching complementary skills - such as language or science courses in a business management programme. As well as flexibility University of Waikato offers uniqueness - many of our degree programmes, and subjects aren't available elsewhere. The University of Waikato has recognised graduate programmes in a wide variety of subjects, up to DPhil level.

Research interests are enhanced by international organisations and companies, and affiliations with local business and industry. The University of Waikato's research involvement is varied, however Waikato is particularly strong in the areas of Education, Computing, Mathematics, Sciences and Social Sciences. Although the University has far too many research facilities to mention here, an indication of their wide range can be seen in the following selection: Management Research Centre, Technology Management and Innovation Unit, Centre for Labour and Trade Union Studies, Carbon Dating Unit, Honey Research Unit, Thermophile Research Unit, Antarctic Research Unit, Legal Information Institute of New Zealand, International Global Change Institute (and many more).

Research is further reinforced by close contact between the University and commercial or governmental research facilities located on or adjacent to the campus. Significant among them are the Ruakura Research Centre (the largest Agricultural and Horticultural research facility in the Southern Hemisphere), Landcare, National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA Ecosystems), and the Institute of Professional Legal Studies.

Cementing the University of Waikato's role as a key New Zealand research institute is UNILink, the University's own consulting division dedicated to national and international sourcing of commercial research contracts. As a result the University of Waikato attracts the highest percentage of research income in proportion to its student population of any university in New Zealand.

The Academic Year
The academic year runs from March to November. It is divided into two semesters by a four-week study break in June/July. Most schools within the University offer a mid-year intake so it is possible to enroll in the March-June or the July-November semesters, as well as in the year-long program. Summer School is available for many courses and allows students to accelerate the completion of their degree. The International MBA is taught over one year and begins in July.

International Focus
As The New Zealand University for the 21st Century, the University of Waikato is dedicated to the success of its international students and has made a commitment to internationalisation, aiming to increase student numbers to 10% of total enrolments. In 2004 the University is home to over 3000 international students who came to the University of Waikato from a wide variety of different countries, particularly from the Pacific Rim and Asia regions. There are also a growing number of students from diverse places such as Nepal, Eritrea Mongolia, Ukraine, and various African countries.

The International Enrolment Unit on campus facilitates the initial admission and enrolment of International Students, while the International Centre manages all of the ongoing international student support, Study Abroad and exchanges, and the coordination of international activities and marketing. The International Centre specialises in several areas that will assist your in your pre-departure and arrival in New Zealand. The staff are committed to providing excellent service to students and are always available to help. Some of the services to international students provided by the International Centre include: advising on enrolment and application procedures, organising accommodation, airport pick-up, orientation programme, acting as a referral point for other services in the university, advice on visa requirements, medical insurance and general concerns, mail holding, and Study Abroad / Student Exchange assistance. An International Student Counsellor is situated in Student Services and is available for all international students.

For those students for whom English is not their native language, the University of Waikato Language Institute is one of the most advanced in New Zealand, offering a very wide range of courses taught at three campuses, including one in central Auckland City. Language programmes include tailored courses to enhance English usage and English teaching. Another very popular programme is the one-year Certificate of Attainment in Foundation Studies, which prepares students from a non-English background for university study in New Zealand.

Accommodation
Accommodation is available on and off campus. The University has approximately 1000 places in accommodation available for students, a number of which are set aside specifically for international students. The University provides a choice from full board to self-catering, from conventional Halls of Residence to cottage style units. In addition, an accommodation advisory service provides access to accommodation in private board, homestay, flats (apartments) and houses.

Applications
Prospective students wishing to enrol at the University of Waikato should contact the International Admission & Enrolment Office. To enrol for the first semester of the academic year, applications should be returned by 1 December of the year prior to desired entry. To enrol for the second semester applications should be received by 1 May. Your application will be acknowledged immediately by letter and there is a full time Application Administrator in the International Admission & Enrolment Office who can advise you of the progress of your application at any stage.

We are committed to providing our students with world-class, research-driven teaching, in a dynamic learning environment with excellent facilities. The quality of our staff, their teaching and their research are manifest across all disciplines. We have achieved major successes in New Zealand's Tertiary Teaching Excellence Awards. And in the first national evaluation of university research quality (PBRF), Waikato had 28 subjects assessed and was ranked first or first equal in seven of them (25%).
Although Waikato is a relatively young university, it has forged a strong international reputation. We strive to play an even more prominent role on the international scene, exposing staff and students to international connections and perspectives. Our global connections are wide and strong, and our international student profile is diverse. But the University of Waikato also has a very special character which is linked to our region and to the industries, enterprises, communities and iwi with whom we are partners and whose interests we serve.

For those of you who are, or who plan to be, students here, be aware that University is about more than simply acquiring knowledge. Equally important are all the other dimensions of university life that help mould learners into competent, well-rounded and successful graduates of qualifications that command a job market premium.