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Terminology and general information
Delivery
Most of our courses are blended, which means you will be sent printed material that is supported online through our Online Campus. Some of our courses are delivered completely online, which means you receive all your course materials via email and the Online Campus.
Level of study
You can tell how hard a course is by the level it is set at – levels 1 - 4 are about the same as secondary school and basic trades training, while levels 5 - 7 are the same as university study.
Credit
Courses are assigned credits depending on how much time and effort is needed to complete their learning outcomes. In general, each credit represents approximately 10 hours of study time.
EFTS
EFTS stands for equivalent full-time student. An EFTS is the study time required for each course and is used by the Tertiary Education Commission to decide if a course is part-time or full-time. One year of full-time study is generally between 0.8 and 1.2 EFTS.
Prerequisite
A prerequisite is a unit or course that must be completed before another unit or course can be studied.
Open courses
Our open courses are open for admission throughout the year and each course starts on the first Monday of the month you choose for enrolment. When your enrolment is confirmed, you will receive a letter with your course start and end dates. You must complete your study within the given start and end dates for each course.
Trimesterised courses
Trimesterised courses are taught within a set period of time – Trimester 1 starts in February, Trimester 2 in July and Trimester 3 in November (see key dates).
Fixed-term courses
A fixed-term course has set start and finish dates. These may differ from the trimester start and finish dates.
Unit standard courses
A unit standard course describes the particular level of performance a student must reach to be judged 'competent' and to earn credit on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework. Unit standards are generally devised by industry, and cover a specific skill or knowledge area. Unit standards are grouped, by industry, into nationally recognised qualifications.
National certificates and national diplomas
National certificates and national diplomas are qualifications developed by Industry Training Organisations or Standard Setting Bodies and assessed against unit standards. They are listed on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework. Open Polytechnic is accredited to deliver them by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority.
New Zealand certificates and New Zealand diplomas
New Zealand certificates and New Zealand diplomas are qualifications which have national recognitions and are approved by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority. They are listed on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework. Open Polytechnic is accredited to deliver them by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority.
Open Polytechnic certificate, graduate certificates, graduate diplomas, diplomas and degrees
The Open Polytechnic certificates, diplomas, graduate certificates, graduate diplomas and degrees are qualifications developed by the Open Polytechnic in association with major stakeholders to meet industry needs. They are listed on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework. The programmes are approved and the Open Polytechnic is accredited to deliver them by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority.