Study Abroad in Auckland with Unitec

Name: Study Abroad in Auckland with Unitec
Brand: Unitec Institute of Technology
SKU: 140170
Rating: 9 (21 reviews)

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Te Puna is the central student hub at the Mt Albert Campus. It brings together many of the services that students will use during their time at Unitec, from enrolment at Student Central, student study support (at Student Learning and Achievement), library services and medical clinic (Te Puna Waiora).

Mataaho is New Zealand's largest open plan trades training facility. Situated in Unitec's Mt Albert campus this building offers over 7000m2 of learning space and nearly $8 million in trade equipment.

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About

Come and study at NZ’s largest Institute of Technology where we are committed to being innovative in an applied learning environment.

Unitec is New Zealand’s largest institute of Technology located in the heart of Auckland, one of the worlds’ most liveable cities. We offer more than 140 work-orientated programmes to students from over 80 countries. We are a leader in adopting modern teaching and training approaches to prepare our students for success in the jobs of the future.

The Unitec Study Abroad programme allows students from overseas institutions to enrol at Unitec for one or two semesters. The courses you take can be from over 20 different disciplines and you pay a set tuition fee. All of our programmes offer cutting edge teaching and many will allow you to experience direct, industry engagements through projects, mini-internships and industry experts supporting your learning.

Highlights

Applied learning
Industry focused
Strong international community
Passionate and expert staff
Vibrant and lively city

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Questions & Answers

Reviews

9 Rating

based on 21 reviews

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Rating Spread Study Language

9-10 rating 61.9%
7-8 rating 38.1%
5-6 rating 0%
3-4 rating 0%
1-2 rating 0%

Academics 7.5
Support 8.9
Fun 8.2
Housing 7.4
Safety 9.6

Instruction 9
Support 10
Fun 9
Housing 8
Value 8

Good for Students, Adventure travelers

Showing 1 - 8 of 21

I am currently in exchange at UNITEC university, I found a very serene and welcoming environment, my doubts have always been resolved very quickly and in a very friendly way.
Unfortunately because of the current pandemic we were in lockdown so I could not visit the country as I would have liked, but I found the procedures with which they have solved this situation very reasonable and are always very willing to solve the technical problems that result.
I highly recommend this experience: getting in touch with people of different cultures and ways of thinking than the ones I am used to allowed me to change my perspective on many things.
I am sure that when this experience is over I will come go home with a very different cultural background compared to the one I was carrying with me when I arrived.

My welcome to Unitec was very strong! The uni and New Zealand is bi-cultural and this is shown in a very strong start for the uni semester for all the international students. Lecturers are very interactive and study is supported with public transport, a library and medical center and everything you could need to study well. The Uni is in a great location too, a long walk from a beautiful beach looking to Auckland and close to a public library. There are many sporting opportunities and clubs and a herbarium!

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?

Climbing volcanoes all over Auckland! Great for height and view lovers.

Unitec offers a wide range of different courses for exchange students and because of the small classes it is always possible to ask the teacher for help. Overall the whole Unitec team is always keen to support with any concerns. Apart from the green campus and the big library with lots of study opportunities (if needed) the campus has also international flair with people from all over the world celebrating their culture with different events right at the universoty.

Auckland is good to study too, but to be honest it is not very cheap. Nevertheless, the city has many events and there are lots of bars and coffee shops to enjoy the sunny hours or to go for a drink and explore the nightlife of the multi culti centre.

Everyone who loves the nature, rugby and to explore a partly unspoiled country should take the opportunity and study as exchange student here at Unitec!

What would you improve about this program?

Get a better description of the courses before choosing them!

My name is Ludwig and i'm a 21-year-old male from Germany.
I was given the opportunity to study abroad in New Zealand by my home University the FH Kufstein Tirol.

The Application process concerning Unitec itself was seamless and easy due to their well-designed application portal.
Other than that the visa application was a bit troublesome for me. although I applied well over two months before I planed to leave for New Zealand my visa didn't arrive in time, forcing me to move my flight.

But when i finally arrived in New Zealand everything went smoothly, i Received my student id on the first day, I got a great orientation and found my way around the campus and city very fast.
The Courses I Took were very practical and i had to do a great deal of learning in my own time. Which was not a bad thing at all.
The lecturers were very friendly and concerned for their students success.
Also, New Zealand is a beautiful country and I tried to travel a lot!
You definitely should try the same.

I hope this review helped!

What would you improve about this program?

I would improve the way the attendance tracking works. Unitec uses an App called seats, which is unfortunately very unreliably and I often had to make sure that my presence was recorded properly because exchange students need an atendence of 100% and this is tracked by the app.

One of my dreams came true with my place to study at Unitec. Studying, in a place where others only go on holiday and where is surrounded by beautiful landscapes and different cultures. We were traditionally greeted with a ceremony in Maori Culture Style during Orientation Week and were very welcome. Our student coordinators have already given us the most important information and have always helped us. There were also some events where the Exchange students met and had fun.
During the first weeks, there were still some changes in my courses, but they were easy and fast and with the help of the Student Coordinator, it was uncomplicated. The courses are interesting and it is fun to learn more about the business market in New Zealand.

All in all, I would recommend Unitec to everybody because you are in one of the most beautiful countries, you have a lot of green areas around Unitec, you learn interesting things and meet people from all over the world!

Over & Out,
Daniel

Coming to study in Auckland has been one of my best decisions. I love being in touch with nature and New Zealand is the best place where you can be studying and at the same time take a walk and be surprised by the diversity of plants and animals that you can find. The people of Auckland are very friendly and can help you with any problems you may encounter and give you advice on what to do and what not. I must admit that it can be a little scared to travel from your home country to this isolated part of the world, but once you arrive you will not regret it. There are many activities and places to visit in New Zealand and if you come with friends it will be a great adventure that will remain forever in your memory!
If possible, the best way to visit most of New Zealand is after having finished classes, so you can visit the South Island without worrying about having to return in time for your classes. One tip during classes, visit the north island as much as you can, and after school as much as you can from the south island!

I could not have been happier doing my study abroad at Unitec in beautiful New Zealand! The country is amazing with so many things to do, no matter what your interests are.
We were welcomed to the University with a traditional Maori welcome and we learnt about the culture which was very special and we were made to feel really welcome. All the teaching and support staff are friendly and approachable and very knowledgeable, not only with information regarding your studies but also anything you need to know about life in New Zealand. On top of this, the location and campus are 10/10! The classes are enjoyable and informative and we are given the choice of subjects which allows us to build on our interests. The only thing I could suggest is a greater socialisation between exchange students and the main student body.

What would you improve about this program?

The only thing I would suggest about the program is that there isn’t a lot of student life activities which allow for exchange students to socialise with the rest of the student body.

We were welcomed by lots of friendly faces and a traditional Maori welcome ceremony.
Back in Germany, I'm studying Communication Design and here I'm taking third-year classes in Business of Creative Enterprise. Having the chance to take part in a class where everyone else is doing their graduation project is pretty cool and some kind of trial run for my actual graduation when I come back. The lectures are very supportive and you've got plenty of freedom in choosing what you want to do in your projects.
Besides having a very lovely group of other exchange students the general student life could be a bit more exciting. But we are making the best of it and organize our own trips to explore New Zealand a bit. It's definitely a very beautiful country, that has basically everything to offer.

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you choose this program?

My University in Germany required a semester abroad before graduating, which basically initiated the whole me-going-abroad-thing. I got to choose from a lot of different places to go to, and it was very hard to decide. I first thought about going to Barcelona, then I thought about South Africa, then it was Peru for a while, and eventually I decided to go to New Zealand.

I chose to go there because I was excited and curious about living in New Zealand. The University I went to, Unitec, felt like a great place to study in since they were very open, very international, and also offered interesting classes that could be useful for my degree. They also offered scholarship for students from my University.

What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

My University in Germany helped a lot with the whole application process. I got told what to send where, who to send it to, what to include, what to take care of – they basically guided me through everything! They have also been of great help when it came to deciding where to go, in the first place.

Also, after I sent my application to Unitec and got accepted, they sent me a list of things that needed to be done; my Program Supervisor was available for questions almost 24/7.

Even though I got help with finding an accommodation, I had to organize it and take care of it myself. I also had to book my own flights and a shuttle/taxi, etc. to get to my accommodation. It wasn't a big deal though; if I had questions, I always had a supervisor at Unitec to contact.

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What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

Don't assume that doing a semester abroad is going to be just a vacation. Of course, it depends on what University you're attending; in my case, I did have a lot to do. We had a bunch of assignments to hand in and projects to finish.

There definitely are less busy times where I went on weekend trips; you can also go on longer trips during the mid-semester break. I would recommend to plan some time before or after the semester to travel around a bit. Then you don't have to worry too much about it during the semester in case you have more to do than you expected.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

I went to University four times a week. The days were really short since every lecture is only for 2-4 hours depending on the lecturer I had. If I had time in between classes, I usually went to the gym on campus or spend time at the library. It was a really nice and open area which had a little convenient store in it as well as cafes and restaurants to buy food and drinks. The rest of the day, I had free time and did stuff with my friends, like going to the beach, Auckland City Center, or just hanging out at home.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

My biggest fear was homesickness. I lived a year in the United States before, and I missed my family and friends a lot while there. So I was a bit scared that it would be the same when I go to New Zealand to study. However, I found that for me personally, the one and only cure for homesickness is people, people, people.

During my first day here, I woke up totally jetlagged, and I started to miss home. But then one girl who lived in the same hall as me knocked on my door and asked if I wanted to join her to go to the city. I went with her, and she became one of my best friends over here.

So even if you're scared and tired, just step out of your comfort zone and introduce yourself to your classmates or roommates the first day you arrive in your new home.

It will first help you to distract yourself from feeling homesick, and after a while, you'll just benefit from the friendship and the fun times you have together!

What is your favorite story to tell about your stay in New Zealand?

I am lucky to say that I have many great and unforgettable experiences made since literally the day I arrived in New Zealand. One of my favorite moments, however, was at the orientation day for international students at Unitec University.

That day, all the new international students got to participate in a traditional Maori ceremony. The Maori are the indigenous people of New Zealand and are an important and very meaningful part of their culture. After a few Unitec students performed this really cool and powerful Maori dance at the orientation, we all got to say hello to some of our future lecturers, important staff from Unitec, and Maori people who led the ceremony. We all lined up and greeted each and every one of them with a handshake and our foreheads and noses touching.

When I got to the leader of the Maori ceremony, she explained to me that this was called “the breath of life” and goes way back to the beginning of Maori history. I don’t know what it was about this special greeting but this was the warmest and most sincere welcome that I have ever experienced.

If you're planning to go to New Zealand as a student, backpacker or even just as a tourist, I just encourage you to take time to learn even just a little bit about the Maori culture. It is full of tradition and history, and it is important to be acknowledged as part of New Zealand culture.

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Daniel Achonwa

Program

Study Abroad in Auckland with Unitec

Job Title

International Relationship Coordinator

Daniel has done his fair share of travelling which has gained him invaluable knowledge and exposure to different cultures, languages and a global network of connections. He has visited and lived in several countries which cut across Africa, Asia, Europe & Oceania, which makes him no stranger to adapting to his ever-changing environment.

He came to New Zealand as a student and fell in love with this beautiful country, after which he decided to live here permanently. He has been with Unitec for 17 months and enjoys his current role - coordinating anything to do with the study abroad and exchange portfolio.

What is your favorite travel memory?

There are quite a few, but one of them would be when I went with some friends on a big boat to a small island on the Coromandel Peninsula. A couple of us in the group went snorkeling & fishing, while the rest stayed back to get things ready for a barbecue. The weather was perfect (summer) and the barbecue, even more, along with the company which made it an experience and a day to remember.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

If my time with Unitec has taught me anything, it is that you can have a family away from your own family.

Unitec is largely multi-cultural and all-encompassing as it also embraces diversity, not only with students but also with the staff.

I've been involved in various roles since joining Unitec in April 2018, and currently with the International Regional Managers team, which means no two days are ever the same.

So far, I have gained invaluable experience and the knowledge that my input adds value and positively impacts the students' experience further motivates me to always give my best.

Furthermore, working at Unitec has made me much more confident working in a multicultural environment.

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What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

One of the best updates I've received from a returning student would be one in which the student told me that when he initially embarked on his journey, he had a strange feeling which he could not understand - owing to culture shock. Eventually, he was able to adapt to his surroundings and in the process, his self-learning abilities and independence grew over time along with becoming at ease with making new friends from the region. Essentially, his experience so far has aided in his personal growth and also widened his career prospects.

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

Of the numerous programs, Unitec has to offer, I would likely go for a Postgraduate Diploma in Computing, specializing in Cybersecurity, especially as Unitec happens to have the first Cybersecurity Research Centre in New Zealand.

My interest in this course of study stems from the need to prevent or keep safe from the various threats lurking around internet-connected systems and also help prevent cyberattacks, data breaches, identity theft while aiding risk management.

Consequently, the skills/knowledge gained from cybersecurity would inevitably put me in high demand both in the private and public sectors.

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

Apart from Unitec being not only the largest institute of studies in New Zealand but it is also New Zealand's leading institute in tertiary education, providing both theoretical and hands-on learning, which makes it an attractive choice for students and staff alike.

Furthermore, Unitec is a strong proponent of diversity as can be seen with the students and staff - everyone is welcome here at Unitec, regardless of race, gender identity, sexuality, religion - name it, all are welcome to be a part of the Unitec fanau. Suffice to say that there are numerous factors that contribute to the uniqueness of Unitec.

I'm currently proud of the fact that my current team operates as a family unit, as we are always there to support and help achieve not only team goals but individual goals as well.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

I believe the success of Unitec lies in the value it places in its people - both student and staff alike, with students being at the heart of Unitec and staff (academic & non-academic) being there to help nurture the heart (students) in every way possible.

Furthermore, Unitec's commitment to the Treaty of Waitangi which is embodied in partnership document - Te Noho Kotahitanga, is another reason for its success. There are 5 principles in the partnership document;

Rangatiratanga - Authority and Responsibility
Wakaritenga - Legitimacy
Kaitiakitanga - Guardianship
Nohotahi - Co-operation
Ngākau Māhaki – Respect

These principles are reflected in our practice in very many ways and they help guide our everyday interaction (with staff and student). As a result, we all feel a strong connection to Unitec and we operate as one big fanau to achieve our individual and collective goals.

Nadia Bulanova

International Student Advisor - International Student Support Services

Ben McNally-Burn

International Relationship Manager

About Unitec Institute of Technology

Unitec is New Zealand's largest, top ranking Institute of Technology, with more than 18,000 students from around 80 countries. We are located in the heart of Auckland, one of the world’s most livable cities.

Here at Unitec we know that today’s employers want people who are doers just as much as thinkers. We teach over 150 hands-on, industry...

Learn More

Alumni Interviews

Pauline Brenke

Why did you choose this program?

What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

What is your favorite story to tell about your stay in New Zealand?

Staff Interviews

Daniel Achonwa

What is your favorite travel memory?

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?