Get ready for tertiary study with our foundation and bridging qualifications. Whether you haven't studied for a while, or have never studied they will help prepare you for your next step.
Foundation and bridging qualifications
Get a good base for future learning, including literacy, writing and numerical skills. We'll also teach you study skills and give you strategies for learning
Or choose a certificate that focuses on a specific subject to prepare you for further study in that area.
Course only study
If you aren’t ready to study a qualification you can enrol in one course or a few to help you meet your study goals.
Go to the Course only information linked to below to find out more about this study option. Check the choose courses tab to see what foundation and bridging courses you can study.
Availability
Our qualifications are delivered on either a Trimesterised or Open basis.
- Trimesterised qualifications have courses available to enrol in and study over set periods, three times a year - Trimester 1, 2 or 3.
- Open qualifications have courses available to enrol in and study every month throughout the year. Courses start on the first Monday of the month you select for enrolment.
Cost
- Course costs can be found on all course pages. The fees may increase annually.
- Annual administration fees. In addition to your course fees, you will need to pay an annual administration fee of $60.00 for your first enrolment each calendar year
- Qualification cost – to give you an idea of how much a qualification may cost in total over the duration of your studies, an approximate cost is provided for many of our qualifications. This is based on the required number of courses to complete the qualification and the average cost of those courses. It does not include annual administration fees, text books and course materials or external exam fees, and is subject to annual course fee increases.
Credits
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.
Delivery type
- Online – The course materials for online courses are delivered in an online format and all assignments are submitted online.
- Online/Print – These courses are delivered using a mix of online and paper based course materials. This may include receiving paper course materials, submitting assignments online, or being required to participate in online forums and learning activities.
- Print Only - The course will be delivered using paper based courses materials, and assignments may need to be submitted in hard copy rather than online. This will depend on the course.
Whether courses are delivered online, on paper or a mixture of both, there may also be components such as workshops, noho marae, work experience and practicum to participate in. To find out what your course involves check the course information page.
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.
Level
You can tell how hard a course or qualification is by the level it is set at:
- Levels 1-4 are about the same as secondary school and basic trades training.
- Levels 5-7 are the same as university study.
Prerequisites
- Prerequisites are courses that must be completed before another course can be studied.
- Co-requisites are courses that can be studied at the same time as another course.
If a course has a specific prerequisite or co-requisite course, it will be listed on the course page under the title 'Prerequisites'. If no courses are listed, check the entry and other requirements under the qualification you are studying for. Some courses require you to have studied at a particular level prior to enrolling.
Student loans
Not all qualifications or students are eligible for student loans. You will need to meet criteria such as studying a minimum number of credits over a specific study period.
Information about student loans and eligibility
Study type
Our qualifications are delivered on either a Trimesterised or Open basis.
- Trimesterised qualifications have courses available to enrol in and study over set periods, three times a year - Trimester 1, 2 or 3. Some courses many not be available every Trimester, and some may run longer than the standard 16-18 week period.
- Open qualifications have courses available to enrol in and study every month throughout the year. Courses start on the first Monday of the month you select for enrolment.
Workload
- Open course workload - all our open courses have a credit value. For each credit, allow about 10 hours of study. Your workload may be higher around assessment due dates.
- Trimester course workload - allow approximately 10-12 hours study time per week for each 20 credit course. Your workload may be higher around assessment due dates or exam time.