Open Polytechnic congratulates 2017 graduates

Posted on 10 August 2020

The Open Polytechnic held the last of its nationwide graduation ceremonies for the year in Wellington this week [23 May] with students from a wide range of diploma and degree subjects receiving their hard earned qualifications. 

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Bachelor of Applied Management graduates

This year’s ceremonies were held in Auckland [10 May], Christchurch [17 May] and Wellington. In total, over 700 students gained their diploma and degrees from the Open Polytechnic this graduating year.

Open Polytechnic also saw the first graduates in two of its new degrees. Herman Englebrecht is the first student to graduate with a Bachelor of Information Technology from the nationwide provider of online and distance education.

Herman says the decision to study through Open Polytechnic was the “golden answer” for him when choosing to kick-start a career in IT after his move from South Africa to New Zealand.

Bachelor of Social Work graduates with social work tutors

Alex Wong (centre) with his fellow Bachelor of Social Work graduates and Open Polytechnic staff

Open Polytechnic also celebrated the first group of Bachelor of Social Work students who graduated together at the Wellington ceremony. Social work graduate Alex Wong was the graduate speaker at the event.

“I began my studies with the Open Polytechnic out of the need to find a place in the world where I could be involved in a meaningful way in the community,” says Alex, adding that his social work degree is a step in the right direction of achieving his goal of helping others in the community, particularly Māori.

The flexible learning environment offered by the Open Polytechnic allows students to balance their studies around work, family and other commitments.

Each year, over 30,000 students study with the Open Polytechnic, New Zealand’s leading provider of online and distance learning. One of the country’s major educators of people in the current workforce, 70 per cent of Open Polytechnic’s students are combining work and study.

The three graduation ceremonies saw students awarded diplomas and degrees from a broad range of subjects including applied management, business, early childhood education, social work, accounting, engineering, information technology, real estate, human resources, library studies, psychology, arts and applied science.