Environment Qualifications - FAQs

For entry to Level 5 or 6 environmental qualifications, you will need to meet the following academic and admission requirements to be eligible to be accepted into these qualifications:

• New Zealand University Entrance, or
• A New Zealand or overseas qualification assessed to be equivalent to the above by the programme leader, or
• Passes in other certificate/diploma qualifications or courses as considered appropriate by the programme leader.

If you don’t meet these requirements, we can assess your academic records and work history/CV to see if you would be able to study at level 5.

For entry to Level 7 environmental studies, you will need an existing degree, or 5 years or more experience in the environmental field. Because environmental practice areas are very broad, an existing degree need not be science-related.

Studies in environmental sustainability add value to many content areas, such as business and social sciences.

Yes you can. However all full-time study is subject to approval by our Academic Registrar who will take into consideration your academic achievement to date and your availability to study full-time. 

All of our environment courses are trimesterised.  

You are advised to review on our website any courses you wish to take, in order to confirm in which trimester(s) they may be offered.

Two environmental courses (72191 Global Environmental Studies, 72194 Sustainable Development and New Zealand) include Assignment 1 quizzes, which are conducted online.

None of our environmental courses have exams.

You can enrol in a single course to meet your study or professional development goals under the Certificate of Proficiency programme:

http://www.openpolytechnic.ac.nz/qualifications-and-courses/op7304-course-only-certificate-of-proficiency/

Pre-requisite requirements may be waived depending on your previous academic achievement.

Yes, subject to ensuring that any courses for which you wish to transfer credits form part of the new programme. Our courses are staircased with this objective in mind.  As a result, you may wish to continue from Level 5 and 6 study towards diploma and degree studies, at your own pace. 

Follow the application process on our cross credit page

We consider cross-credits on a case by case basis. If you have already passed some relevant environment courses from another tertiary provider that you think could exempt you from having to do some parts of a qualification, you can apply for cross-credit or credit transfer after you have enrolled. You can obtain advice about likely cross credits prior to enrolling.

You will need to provide evidence that you have met the learning outcomes of the course you want credit for. You can apply for cross-credit or credit transfer when your enrolment is accepted. You will need to provide your academic transcript and you may need to provide your course outlines.

The following maximum cross-credit restrictions apply:

• 240 credits towards a 360 credit degree
• 60 credits towards a 120 credit diploma
• 50% of the total credits towards a 60 credit certificate

You cannot gain partial cross-credit for a course, and you cannot cross-credit towards Level 7 courses.

We use our iQualify learning management system to update course materials regularly. 

For environment areas undergoing reform (including impending replacement of resource management legislation),  this includes semesterised updates of learning guides, assessments, course learning materials, and post-completion advice for job-seeking graduates.