Masters in Psychology in New Zealand: Top Universities, Admission Requirements, Cost, Scholarships and Job Prospects

Content Curator | Updated On - Aug 7, 2024

Highlights

Course Duration: The Masters in Psychology degree in New Zealand lasts 1 year as a full-time degree and up to 4 years as a part-time program.
Admission Requirements for Indian Students: Indian students require atleast 60-70% in bachelor’s degree with relevant discipline.
Cost of Study: The cost of pursuing a Masters in Psychology in New Zealand is around 40,860 to 66,150 NZD (20.80 lakhs to 33.64 lakhs INR) per annum.
Average Salary: The average annual salary of Masters in psychology in New Zealand is 68,000 NZD (34.58 lakhs INR) according to payscale.com.

Masters in Psychology in New Zealand is generally a 2 year research based postgraduate degree. 6 universities in New Zealand are ranked among 500 worldwide in QS Psychology Rankings 2024. The University of Auckland ranks #1st in New Zealand and #45 globally for Psychology program. As an Indian student, you can expect to pay 40,860 to 66,150 NZD (20.80 lakhs to 33.64 lakhs INR) annually in tuition fees for Masters in Psychology in New Zealand. The most popular specializations for psychology masters include health, clinical, forensic, cross-culture, teaching and education. The admission requirement for Masters in psychology varies across top universities in New Zealand.

Indian applicants must maintain an academic average of 60-70% in bachelor’s to secure admissions.
The University of Auckland, University of Waikato and Victoria University of Wellington require an academic average of 70% or above for admissions.
A band score of 6.5 in IELTS or 90 in TOEFL IBT is required from all international applicants.
A relevant work experience, research experience or volunteer work experience may be required.

Indian students can also work part-time while pursuing their Masters in Psychology in New Zealand. After successful completion of this program, you can apply for a 3 year post study work visa in Zealand. The top industries to work as psychologists in New Zealand include hospitals & health Care Services, residential & community Organizations, schools and Universities, offices & prisons.

Table of Content

Top Universities for Masters in Psychology in New Zealand
Why Study Masters in Psychology in New Zealand
Masters in Psychology in New Zealand Admission Requirements
Masters in Psychology in New Zealand Cost of Study
Masters in Psychology in New Zealand Scholarships
Masters in Psychology in New Zealand Job Prospects
FAQs

Top Universities for Masters in Psychology in New Zealand

Tabulated below are the top universities in New Zealand for Masters in Psychology according to QS Psychology Rankings 2024:

QS Psychology Rankings 2024	Top Universities	Programs	Duration	Annual Tuition Fees (NZD)
#45	University of Auckland	Master of Health Psychology	December 1, 2024	50,564
#101-150	University of Otago	MA/MS in Psychology	December 10, 2024	48,785
#101-150	Victoria University of Wellington	MS in Health Psychology \| MS in Forensic Psychology	February Intake [Dec 10, 2023] \| July Intake [May 1, 2024])	42,050
#101-150	Victoria University of Wellington	MS in Cross Culture Psychology	May Intake [Mar 1, 2024] \| September Intake [July 1, 2024]	42,050
#201-250	University of Canterbury	MS in Applied Psychology	December 8, 2024	43,800
#251-300	Massey University	MS in Psychology	November 1, 2024	53,030 to 66,150
#301-330	University of Waikato	Master of Applied Psychology	October 1, 2024	40,860
-	Auckland University of Technology	Master of Health Science in Psychology \| MA in Psychology	December 1, 2024	43,046

Why Study Masters in Psychology in New Zealand

Choosing New Zealand to study masters in psychology is a good choice for Indian students as the cost of study is affordable compared to other countries. Also, there are plenty of scholarships specifically available for Indian students including a fully funded scholarship.

Among universities offering masters of psychology in New Zealand, 3 universities are ranked among top 150 globally in QS Psychology Rankings 2024. This includes University of Auckland (#45th), University of Otago (#101-150th), University of Otago (#101-150th) and Victoria University of Wellington.
As an Indian you can work part-time up to 20 hours in New Zealand while pursuing your masters in psychology degree. During holidays, you are eligible to work full-time without an hour limit.
The Masters of Psychology also allows you to get 3 years of work study after graduation. After 2 years of working in New Zealand, you can apply for permanent residency.
The demand for qualified psychologists in New Zealand increased post covid -19 pandemic. Hence, it’s a great opportunity for Indian students to study a masters in psychology in New Zealand, practice 1 year under professional supervision and become a certified psychologist.

Masters in Psychology in New Zealand Admission Requirements

Mentioned below are the entry requirements to get into psychology masters in New Zealand for Indian students:

Admission Requirements:

Bachelor’s degree in arts or science in psychology major with 60-70%
English language proficiency:
- IELTS- 6.5
- TOEFL IBT- 90
Work or research experience may be required

Masters in Psychology in New Zealand Specific Requirements

Check out the specific entry requirements across top universities in New Zealand for Masters in Psychology:

University	Academic Requirements	English Language Proficiency Scores
University of Auckland	Bachelor’s degree with 5.0 GPA or 70-74% in	IELTS: 6.5 TOEFL: 90
University of Otago	Bachelor’s degree with Psychology as a major subject	IELTS: 6.5 TOEFL: 95
Victoria University of Wellington	Bachelor’s degree with a minimum B+ grade or 70-74%	IELTS: 6.5 TOEFL: 90
University of Canterbury	Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with minimum B grade average or 65-69%	IELTS: 6.5 TOEFL: 90
Massey University	Bachelor’s degree with Psychology (300 level course major) with minimum of B average or 65-69%	IELTS: 6.5 TOEFL: 90
University of Waikato	Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of B+ average or 70-74%	IELTS: 6.5 TOEFL: 90
Auckland University of Technology	Bachelor’s degree with minimum of B average or 65-69%	IELTS: 6.5 TOEFL: 90

New Zealand Visa Process for International Students

Indian students are encouraged to apply for New Zealand student visa upon receiving a letter of acceptance from any of the above universities. The requirements for New Zealand students visa are as follows:

Visa Requirements:

Letter of acceptance from a New Zealand University
Fee receipt
Passport copy
Bank statement showing 20,000 NZD to cover annual living expenses in New Zealand
Air ticket copy from home country
Pay the visa application fee
Medical Certificate
Police clearance certificate

Masters in Psychology in New Zealand Cost of Study

For a Masters in Psychology program in New Zealand, Indian students pay an average tuition of 47,000 NZD (23.90 lakhs INR) per annum. Apart from this, you need at least 20,000 NZD per year to cover annual living expenses in New Zealand.

Tuition Fees

Following are the estimated annual tuition fees for Indian students across top universities in New Zealand for masters in psychology program:

Masters in Psychology in New Zealand Cost of Study

University	Annual Tuition Fees (NZD)	Annual Tuition Fees (INR)
University of Auckland	50,564	25.74 lakhs
University of Otago	48,785	24.84 lakhs
Victoria University of Wellington	42,050	21.41 lakhs
University of Canterbury	43,800	22.30 lakhs
Massey University	59,590	30.34 lakhs
University of Waikato	40,860	20.80 lakhs
Auckland University of Technology	43,046	21.91 lakhs

Cost of Living in New Zealand

Below we have mentioned the breakdown of expenses that you can expect while planning a monthly budget for cost of living in New Zealand:

Expenses	Cost Per Month (NZD)	Cost Per Month (INR)
Accommodation	560 to 2,000	28,513 to 1.01 lakh
Entertainment	220	11,200
Food	320 to 480	16,293 to 24,440
Electricity	200 to 300	10,183 to 15,275
Transport	150	7,637
Phone & Internet	90	4,582

Masters in Psychology in New Zealand Scholarships

The universities in New Zealand offer a wide range of scholarships for Indian students pursuing masters degree. Eligible students can expect a scholarship amount up to 20,000 NZD on tuition fee through university fundings. A fully funded scholarship is also available for students from India and other Asian, African, Latin American and Caribbean countries.

Offered By	Scholarships Name	Eligibility Requirements	Award
University of Auckland	Master of Health Psychology First Year Student Prize	Students enrolled full-time \| 7.0 GPA on 9.0 scale \| Average grade B in 1st 120 points of course component in Master of Health Psychology	500 NZD
University of Auckland India High Achievers Scholarship	Must be an Indian \| Pursuing undergraduate Or graduate degree \| Must hold confidential or a non conditional admission offer \| GPA of 6.0 required for scholarships	20,000 NZD
University of Otago	International Master's Research Scholarship	International students pursuing a thesis based degree at Otago⁵ \| Applicant must demonstrate potential of research \| Separate Application required	18,204 NZD
University of Waikato	Vice Chancellor's International Excellence Scholarship	International students intended to enroll in a first year of postgraduate or undergraduate degree \| At least grade B+ in previous qualification \| Must have already paid tuition fee and have paid the tuition fees	15,000 NZD
Massey University	Master's Research Scholarship	Student be enrolled full-time or part-time in a master's research degree \| Statement from a supervisor \| Research proposal	15,000 NZD
Victoria University of Wellington	Manaaki New Zealand Scholarships programme	Students from Asian, African, Pacific, Latin America and Caribbean countries \| Applicant must 18 years old or above \| 1 year full-time relevant work experience	Fully funded scholarship

Masters in Psychology in New Zealand Job Prospects

The graduates of Masters in psychology in New Zealand typically earn an average salary of 68,000 NZD (34.58 lakhs INR). Upon completion of a masters of psychology degree in New Zealand, an Indian must practice at least 1 year under a supervisor to become a registered psychologist. As a registered psychologist, you can work in hospitals, schools, government organizations and prisons.

Top Paying Professions for Masters In Psychology in New Zealand Graduates:

Jon Profiles	Average Annual Salary (NZD)	Average Annual Salary (INR)
Chief Operating Officer	176,747	89.99 lakhs
Clinical Psychologist	90,463	46.06 lakhs
Psychologist	67,481	34.35 lakhs
Health Promotion Officer	65,573	33.38 lakhs
Educational Psychologist	65,572	33.38 lakhs
Human Resources Advisor	62,421	31.78 lakhs

Post-Study Work Visa in New Zealand

All Master degree graduates in New Zealand are eligible for a 3 year post study work in New Zealand. The cost of a post study visa is 700 NZD (35,609 INR) and takes around 7 weeks to process. Following are the requirements for post study work visa in New Zealand:

Requirements for Post Work Visa in New Zealand:

2 passport size photographs (paper application) or 1 photo (online application).
Passport copy
Health certificate
Police clearance certificate
Proof Qualification achieved in New Zealand
Letter of academic transcripts
Bank statement

New Zealand is one of the best countries to pursue masters in psychology programs. The country is home to several top universities for psychology according to QS WUR Rankings. Studying in New Zealand is a huge advantage as an Indian student as you receive numerous facilities including immense career and academic support, extensive range of scholarship opportunities, part-time/full-time jobs during study, post study work and PR after graduation.

FAQs

Ques. Is New Zealand good for masters in psychology?

Ans. New Zealand is one of the best countries to pursue a masters in psychology degree. The universities in New Zealand ranks among the top 500 universities in the world for Psychology by QS Rankings 2024. Other reasons why New Zealand is good choice for masters in psychology include plenty of scholarships for Indians, hand-on training, part-time and full-time job opportunities, easy work study after graduation.

Ques. Is psychology in demand in New Zealand?

Ans. Psychology is high-in demand in New Zealand across various industries. Currently, there are a large number of jobs to fill for psychology professionals across hospitals & health Care Services, schools and Universities, offices, prisons and residential & community Organizations.

Ques. Is Masters in New Zealand expensive?

Ans. A masters degree in New Zealand is affordable compared to other study destinations such as the UK, USA and Canada. Masters degrees in New Zealand typically cost around 20,000 to 45,000 NZD per annum for Indian students. Meanwhile, the average tuition fee for masters in psychology in New Zealand is 47,000 NZD (23.90 lakhs INR).

Ques. How can I work as a psychologist in New Zealand ?

Ans. To work as a psychologist in New Zealand in New Zealand, one must practice at least 1 year under the supervision of a professional after completing a masters degree. Post of completion of this, You will be registered under the New Zealand Psychologists Board to be able to work as a psychology professional.