Program Reviews

The University of Auckland is one of the best locations to study Pacific cultures, especially Māori and Polynesian cultures, in the world. There are Māori and Pacific Studies courses here that are difficult or impossible to experience at almost any other university that one might have the opportunity to study at.

The University has a fairly large student population, but the main campus is very near the heart of Auckland so students will not feel isolated when studying. Auckland has a variety of museums and arts opportunities that are available for reasonable prices, and some are free for students.

Academic supports have been robust enough for my needs while at the university, and extracurricular life has been engaging enough to meet my expectations.

The University of Auckland is definitely a different experience than the school I am used to in the States; however I have loved every second. The academics are challenging and the grading is a little more harsh, but it is completely doable. New Zealand is a beautiful country and I have had a blast exploring it's natural beauty.

I advise going to the library during the week and getting all of your work done so your weekends can be free for traveling. Most classes have 2-3 big assignments that will require a lot of attention; however, a couple long days in the library will get you a more than sufficient grade.

Campus life is great if you love free or cheap food. Being a vegan I have throughly enjoyed the $5 vegan lunch on Tuesdays and Wednesdays as well as freebees like popsicles and apple juice.

There is something for everyone at the University of Auckland and an enormous, beautiful country to explore.

Took a few marine-related modules and i can vouch for the dedication and commitment of the lecturers towards the learning of their students. Fun field trips to Leigh marine reserves and the courses are generally fun! The modules here are less challenging and easier to understand given that the lecturers are much more experienced and are able to articulate what they want to teach in a simpler manner.

Lifestyle wise, there isnt much to do around Auckland except maybe Rangitoto island. So go out and travel the rest of the North and South Island. Being based in UoA makes it incredibly easy to travel to several places of interests in the North Island such as Cape Reinga, Whangarei, Tongariro, Taranaki, Rotoroa and Tauranga! Really gonna miss studying in UoA for sure!

I´ve been in New Zealand for two months now, and I am completely in love with this country! Auckland is a great city and I like studying here. Life can be expensive at first, but then you begin learning how to get closer to the budget, especially if you get a job.
Everyone´s very relaxed and ''chill'' as they say here, no bad words, only kind people so far! The atmosphere at Uni is quite special as well. At least on the city campus, where I have all my classes. There are lots of uni clubs to join, and there is always something going on every week if you pay attention to the clubs announcements. There are several clubs for travelling and doing outdoor activities and I would like to recommend joining SASS. Lovely people, scenery trips and great fun altogether.
About Uni´s workload, I understand that it depends on the subjects you are taking. For some papers, there are a lot of assignments, but not for others, especially if there´s a final exam. Good professionals. Also, the study abroad team has been very supportive from the very beginning as well. They really make an effort to make things easy for you, and that´s one of the things that I appreciated the most when I arrived.
Thanks, Auckland!! :D

I've really enjoyed getting to know more about the natural landscape and environmental policies of New Zealand in my classes here. Going on an epic hiking and camping road trip during the spring break was incredible - there is so much to see!

The classes are comparable to my university in Boston, though I am taking classes of a higher "level" here to fulfill lower requirements at my home university. I love how the professors switch in the middle of courses, so that each prof is teaching based on their research and area of expertise as it relates to the course. I also very much appreciate that every course is required to record and publish their lectures. It makes it super helpful for revising exams.

The computer science department leaves much to be desired. Probably would not recommend if you have other options - the instruction has been a bit terrible in both my courses, across several professors.

At first it was really difficult for me to meet people as english is not my first langage. I also had trouble understanding the methods used here (different from my home country). But my classmates and teachers nicely helped me whenever I needed it. I understood that I should not be afraid to ask for help. It's okay, and so helpul! Plus it made me meet people!

Then, I registered for SASS club. Thanks to them, I visited wonderful places in NZ that were too far in bus, or that I didn't even know they exist! (and for a very good price)
For example, we went to Rotorua to see the living Maori village, we also tried the ludge and the skyline! We did horse ride, and a lot of hiking in montains and forests. And we stay at a farm to discover how it works.

Last thing, as I lived in an uni accomodation, I had free access to the recreation center. What a chance! We can do a lot of fitness classes like pump or zumba.

All in all, yes I came here to work, but not only. It's okay not having 100%. I think the most important thing is to make this opportunity unforgattable: travel, discover, meet people, check clubs, do sports!

I love UoA. If I had a choice to study here for the rest of my college career, I would. Academic wise, I find my classes to be less challenging than my home university, but the professors are great and all of my lectures are recorded, so I never feel worried about missing class (this allows me more time to see the country!). I like that the university uses the online site Canvas for assignments and grading, it is easily navigable. I live in Carlaw Park Student Village and
although we have RA's, its really great accommodation and such a friendly atmosphere. It's close to campus and its a great way to meet other international students and kiwis. UoA's clubs are amazing too, I'm in the rock climbing club and scuba diving club and I frequently go away on weekend trips around the country with these clubs. Auckland is a perfect place because you still have that busy city vibe, but you're also surrounded by nature. The Auckland Domain is literally right next to my flat and I love studying there after class. AskAuckland is a great resource for any questions you might have. The University makes it really easy for international students to access any help they need. I would definitely study here again. It's so easy to travel around New Zealand (its only the size of California) and there's so much to see. I love hiking and there's endless trails and mountains to climb in this country!

First of all, I’d like to say that I feel really lucky to be here, because in my home school, there is only one quota able to study in UoA. So I felt very excited when I found myself passed through the selection. And there are two reasons why I dream of coming here, the first is that I have a best friend here who majors in food science (we have been schoolmates since primary school, and she came here during the last year of senior high; as I came here, now we can continue to be schoolmates even in university and that’s really fascinating), while the second is that the law school in UoA has a high ranking in the world rankings. As for life in UoA, what impressed me most is the “anti-discrimination” sign in general library and many other places, I really appreciate the attitude of university to emphasize on equality. And compared to my homeland, UoA really shows a great respect towards LGBT group, I have seen the rainbow flag (attached) many times. In addition, I do enjoy the comfortable atmosphere in UoA library, I’d like to spend my whole day sitting in the library and reading and writing. In a word, life here is really enjoyable and peaceful, thanks for study abroad program providing me this opportunity. <3

The University of Auckland gave me a very unique experience. The uni is located in the perfect place. It's central to the city which made college life easy, but it was also easy to get out of the city and enjoy nature, perfect for the weekends! The UoA gave students the best of both lives with academics that were challenging and fundamental to your education and also a social life with various club offerings and events put on by faculty to help you enjoy your time there. In terms of work load, the UoA is very laidback, but tests are demanding so putting in the work is needed. Although class sizes are quite large professors are easily accessible and there are many forum sites used for classes so definitely use them! The UoA has so many resources for all aspects of student life and New Zealand itself is an amazing country to be in.

I knew very little about New Zealand before coming but I wanted to go to a new place that otherwise I would probably not come visit in my lifetime. The campus is located in the heart of the city which makes exploring the city very easy. Traveling to other areas of New Zealand is challenging because most places are a few hours away and therefore require renting a car and making a weekend out of it. The classes are good and there is lots of support for international students and events to stay busy and meet new people. While not a super culture rich city, the closeness to nature is a draw and being on the harbor is beautiful! Locals are super friendly and very interested in giving recommendations on where to go and things to do if you ask and try to get involved!