Program Reviews

I decided to study a at Victoria in 2014 and to do a Bachelor degree in Biomedical Science, majoring in Genetics.
For this program, there a compulsory courses and a couple of electives, each course running for one trimester with most of them having internal assessments and one final exam.
The first year courses cover a broad range of subjects without going into too much detail. They are nice introductions to the variety of topics and subjects and might give a good idea of what topics are going to be covered in second or third year.
The second year courses are stepping up a bit in how much detail they're covering which increases even more in third year.
A lot of locals think that the first year at University is very hard and difficult which I can understand from their point of view as high school is not very challenging here and transitioning from easy high school to a more academic approach can be difficult. For me personally, I thought that first year was a good revision of what we would learn in the last years of high school (Germany) and the transition into second year wasn't too difficult either as I found it nicer to concentrate on less diverse topics but to study them in detail which continued even further in third year.
Since I did a Science degree, all those courses have practical applications such as set hours of lab work throughout the trimester. The labs were a nice way to learn practical uses of the theory but could be improved by making them more challenging; all labs are provided with lab manuals and instructions on what to do but I think it would be nice to have a stronger focus on creative thinking and being able to establish lab protocols ourselves.
My favorite course at Uni has been Biol252, a second year course studying cell biology and cell development. While the academic staff in this course was very approachable, helpful and passionate, the labs were also designed very well and allowed us to study the development of sea urchins from the fertilized egg to the larvae state before they're ready for settlement. The course Biol219 - New Zealand Flora and Fauna was a great course too - a two week field trip course to study the native animals and plants of New Zealand. I enjoyed the course a lot as it was a nice approach of learning outside of the class room but also to include New Zealand's history and culture.
Academically I would say that Victoria University is a good university but certainly not as challenging as other Universities around the world. The assessments are good but if I'd compare it to the German standard that I am used to, then it is not competitive at all.
However, now I am doing a postgraduate degree at Victoria and I feel that this is way more challenging and with higher expectations of excellent academic delivery than there was in undergrad.
Over all, I enjoyed my time as an undergrad student, especially in such a great town as Wellington is. The view from the University is amazing, the academic stuff is very nice and approachable and everything is on a first name base. Victoria is offering lots of extracurricular activities such as the Victoria Plus Program or the Victoria International Leadership Program, lots of clubs and societies that make it easy to engage with academic and non-academic life of University. Victoria International is also hosting a lot of events to support international students.

I love it here at vic so far as an international student. I think one of the biggest things that made my transition so smooth was how great the uni hall housing is. It makes it easy to meet people and be independent in a new country, which is a really unique thing. I also thought people at vic international reception desk were helpful when I was trying to drop a course. Not to mention plenty of options for things to do on campus, in terms of student life. Additionally events only for international students making it even easier to meet people.

I completed a Master of Arts degree in Media Studies at Victoria University of Wellington and it was a fantastic experience which has irrevocably changed the direction of my life and forced me to reassess my values.

The University is large, but the relatively small size of the campus and the city of Wellington makes it feel like you aren't totally lost in the crowd. I experienced some health challenges while studying and everybody was incredibly helpful during that experience. I was able to make changes to my visa, file multiple complicated insurance claims, and work with my professors to adjust deadlines and academic expectations. This was a stressful time made easier by these people.

My academic program required a lot of research and the library and my professors were real assets in helping me get through it. If you do come to VUW for graduate work I'd recommend contacting your professors ahead of time to state your interests and passions, people are really relaxed and welcome proactive outreach students.

As far as lifestyle, Wellington and New Zealand are second to none. I became hooked on the super strong coffee, endless variety of outdoor activities, and the laid back attitude of Wellington. One thing which was not so great was housing. New Zealand houses are often not insulated, which sounds barbaric to people from colder climates like myself. It can be hard to find a house that is suitable, so once you decide to go to New Zealand look early and use social media to find good places. Cost of living is often complained about, but I found if you are a bit flexible with what you eat/purchase you can get by pretty easily (I'm also from a more expensive area of the U.S. so take my comments with a grain of salt).

I have absolutely no regrets about coming to Victoria, and I'm happy to answer any questions about it. I'm still in constant contact with friends I made there and New Zealand will never leave me, which is really awesome.

I did my Master's in computer science abroad at Victoria University of Wellington. The classes and professors were the best of several universities I have attended. I met amazing friends, wonderful industry contacts, and Victoria helped me land my dream job! New Zealand is a beautiful country to explore and live in. After graduation I became a resident of NZ, and never looked back! Definitely check this place out for your study abroad plans.

I had a fantastic experience on my exchange to VUW. I found the course work to be comparable to my home university and there was lots of support options if you needed them. Wellington is a fun, safe and beautiful city to live in and gives you great access to exploring New Zealand. My only issue was that I didn't live in University housing and Wellington has an extreme housing shortage! Students struggle to find an affordable place to live so I would recommend organizing something with the school.
Studying abroad was a great experience and I learned so much about different people, cultures and myself. Definitely would do it all over again if I had the chance.

This was an incredible experience that I would highly recommend to everyone. The classes were taught in a format different from my home university, however I was able to adjust and really enjoyed them. The professors were genuinely excited to teach their classes. And the location is amazing. Wellington is an incredible city and really fun, with great nightlife and awesome opportunities. I would do this again in a heartbeat.

I loved studying abroad at Victoria University - the overall experience made me want to move to Wellington! Such a quirky, cool city with so much going on - also just very beautiful. I enjoyed my classes and the chance to learn about prospectives different than what I was used to. My professors were all really nice and accommodating. I loved having more spread out finals than we have in the U.S. I wish I could have extended and studied there longer.

I've spent 5 months in New Zealand and more particularly in Wellington. The life in this city was awesome. There's a lot of activities to do, a lot of landscape to discover. Moreover, even if the weather wasn't that good, people are super nice, that makes the adaptation to the new city way more easier.
Victoria University was amazing too. The buildings are really nice and clean. The organization is on point and I never had problem to contact staff, lecturer. Everything was made to facilitate our integration with local people.
Moreover, there were a lot of services that were provided. University helped me finding a accommodation in a student hall. That was super easy and convenient.
Finally, life in New Zealand is so much different from the life in France. I really enjoyed my time in "the middle earth". I highly recommend people to come in this fabulous country. And for sure, one day I'll come back there.

When my friend and I arrived at our University Hall accommodation on our first day in Wellington, we couldn't believe our luck; it was just SO perfect. Very unlike the grotty or average places that we had in the UK, we were living in a very nice and spacious house, with a great living and kitchen area. We shared a room, and it was perfect for us to be living with 10 international students and one 'kiwi mate' (a New Zealand guy who helped us organise socials and was generally there to help). The only thing bad about living with 11 people was the mess that accumulated - especially after pre drinks before a night out - but most of us shared the responsibility of cleaning up, and also what else do you expect with 11 people sharing one kitchen?! However, it was so good living with internationals, as they in exactly the same boat as you. As an international student from England, I found the culture pretty similar, so if you want to ease into living in another country then this should definitely be a strong consideration.
In terms of the University itself, I actually found the workload very manageable, and to be honest easier than at my home uni. The modules that I did were New Zealand specific, and that was really interesting because I have never studied anything from a NZ/Pacific Island perspective before. I found it a really eye-opening experience, as I hadn't realised how American/Eurocentric our curriculum in England was, from primary school up to University. One thing that I would stress is that they do take note of your attendance, and I have been told by friends that you may be penalised if you do not meet the required amount.

Outside of University, there is so much going on in Wellington. You're really close to open countryside for such a great city, which is ideal for me because city life is sometimes too much for me. I liked the waterfront too, where you could purchase fresh fruit and veg every Sunday morning. The country is really great, too, there's lots of culturally significant places to visit, and beautiful scenery, especially in the South. It was definitely worth the semester.

So far, I have really enjoyed my experience at Victoria! Wellington is a small, relaxed, and cool city. New Zealand is great for the outdoorsman, not so much the urbanite. The winter weather is not so great either, beware of strong winds and rain. Also learn to deal with extremely steep hills. Nonetheless, there are many things to do and see in the country and city. The people are super nice and the city has a great vibe. The university is very supportive and offers several opportunities to engage with Wellington and the local people.