Selection Criteria
This section gives details of the degrees offered within Faculties, qualifications and courses which have a limited intake, together with their selection criteria. In all cases, these selection criteria are applied in accordance with the equity goals set out in the Victoria University - Strategic Plan.
For more information about New Zealand School of Music courses and qualifications, please visit the New Zealand School of Music.
On this page:
- Faculty of Architecture and Design
- Victoria Business School
- Faculty of Education
- Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Science
Faculty of Architecture and Design
Faculty of Architecture and Design
Te Wāhanga Waihanga-Hoahoa
139 Vivian Street, Te Aro Campus
Tel: 0-4-463 6200
Fax: 0-4-463 6204
Email: address or address
Website: Faculty of Architecture and Design
| Bachelor of Architecture (BAS) |
| Bachelor of Building Science (BBSc) |
| Bachelor of Design Innovation (BDI) |
BAS, BDI and BBSc: Criteria For Selection of Students into Second Year
Entry into second year (part 2) for the Bachelor of Architectural Studies (BAS), Bachelor of Design Innovation (BDI) and Bachelor of Building Science (BBSC) is based on your academic performance in first-year (part 1). Entry generally requires good grades across all courses completed courses in first-year (part 1).
Candidates with relevant degrees, qualifications in related disciplines or extensive professional experience will also be considered for entry to the second year of the degree. Transferring students please check the relevant degree pages for selection criteria.
Appeals Against Selection Committee Decisions
The selection of students into the second year of the BAS, BDI and BBSc is made by a Selection Committee for each degree appointed by the Head of School.
Appeals against the decisions of the Selection Committees should be directed in the first instance to the relevant Head of School.
Faculty Equity Policy
The principal criterion for selection is academic merit. Where a choice has to be made between students who have equivalent academic records, preference is given to students from groups which are under-represented in their cohort.
Assignment to Studio Sessions
DSDN 112, 141, 142, 144, 171 and SARC 111, 112, 131, 151 and 161 have common lectures but the class is divided into groups for the studio sessions.
Sign-up lists will be posted on the Vivian Street noticeboards during Orientation Week (week prior to Trimester 1 commencing). Please write your name against your preferred studio session for each of the above first-trimester courses in which you are enrolled.
Victoria Business School
Victoria Business School
Orauariki
Railway West Wing, Pipitea Campus
Tel: 0-4-463 5376
Fax: 0-4-463 5360
Email: address
Website: Victoria Business School
| Bachelor of Commerce and Administration (BCA) |
| Conjoint Bachelor of Commerce and Administration and Bachelor of Science (BCA/BSc) |
| Bachelor of Tourism Management (BTM) |
Selection Criteria for Limited Entry Courses
Undergraduate BCA/BTM Courses
Selection for MARK313 will be made on the basis of academic merit, with early admission as long as spaces remain for students with a B grade or better in MARK201 (or211) and 202. Admission to courses with capacity limits will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
Honours and Master's Programmes
Academic merit.
Appeals Against Exclusion
Exclusion from individual BCA courses should be discussed with the relevant Head of School. Appeals against any of these decisions should go to the Associate Dean (Students).
Faculty of Education
Faculty of Education
Te Whānau o Ako Pai
Donald Street, Karori
tel : 0-4-463 9500
fax: 0-4-463 9649
Email: address
Website: Faculty of Education
* No new intake for 2012
Selection Criteria for Limited Entry Courses
Graduate Diploma of Teaching - Early Childhood Education, Primary and Secondary
Applicants must have a university undergraduate degree and will be selected on the basis of academic merit. Preference in the secondary graduate diploma may be given to those who intend to teach subjects in high demand.
All applicants are assessed by the Faculty of Education for suitability to the teaching profession. This involves meeting set criteria, having supportive referees, making declarations about any criminal convictions or health and disability issues and successfully taking part in an assessment exercise.
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Te Wāhanga Aronui
Level 4, Murphy Building
Tel: 0-4-463 5745
Fax: 0-4-463 5183
Email: address
Website: Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
| Bachelor of Arts (BA) |
| Conjoint Bachelor BA/BTeach |
| Conjoint Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood Education) (BA/BTeach(ECE)) |
Selection Criteria For Undergraduate Limited Entry Courses and Programmes
Unless otherwise specified below, places will be allocated according to room capacity.
First Year
Applicants who achieve the Guaranteed Entry Score or equivalent will normally be accepted into the BA degree. This does not necessarily mean you will gain entry to all of the courses of your choice. Language students must enrol in the course most appropriate to their level of experience and background. If you are uncertain, you should seek advice from the teaching area concerned.
CREW Courses
Applicants submit samples of their creative writing, together with a one-page supporting statement along with their enrolment application. The quality of the writing sample submitted is particularly important to the selection process.
Students must complete an application, available when applying online, or request a hard copy of the form from Student Recruitment, Admission and Orientation. The closing dates for applications is 10 December 2011.
ELIN Courses
Admission to ELIN English Proficiency courses is determined by English Language Proficiency.
FILM, THEA and THFI Courses (except Film 101)
Students are selected according to practical aptitude, relevant experience, and academic record, particularly in cognate courses and overall achievement. Students applying for production courses in Theatre and Film are required to enrol online before 10 December 2011, and to complete any separate application forms required by the programmes.
INTP/POLS 378
- Enrolment as a 200-level or a 300-level POLS/INTP major and students with particular interests in Asian studies.
- Relevance to a student's overall course of study.
- Academic merit.
- Personal motivation and commitment, as judged from an application.
WRIT 151
Any student for whom English is a second language is eligible for WRIT 151.
Selection Criteria for the Honours and Postgraduate Courses
ARTH 403
Students will be selected on the basis of academic merit.
ELIN 801 and 802
Students are selected on the basis of the relevance of undergraduate programme, their personal motivation and commitment, as demonstrated in an interview and academic merit.
FILM 404
Evidence of creative ability, academic merit and enrolment in a Film Honours programme.
FILM/THEA 405
Admission will be based on a writing sample.
INTP/POLS 400-level Courses
Selection is by the Postgraduate Coordinator based first students enrolled with B+ average at 300-level courses.
INTP 586 and 595
Selection is by the MIR Coordinator on the basis of academic merit, assessed through application form and academic transcripts.
THEA 406
Selection will be based on the student’s aptitude for directing as demonstrated in THEA304, and academic merit.
Selection Criteria for the Honours and Postgraduate Programmes
MA in Creative Writing
Applicants submit samples of their creative writing, a description of their proposed thesis project, previous academic qualifications, if relevant, a 'literary CV' (information about any earlier publications, workshops, or other involvement in the world of imaginative writing) and a proposed reading list as part of the context for their writing during the programme. The quality of the writing sample/s submitted is particularly important to the selection process.
Master of Theatre Arts
Students for the Master of Theatre Arts will be required to make written application; those short-listed are then interviewed and auditioned, and final selections are made on the basis of demonstrated qualities in interview and audition. The emphasis is on quality rather than quantity of graduates.
Motivation is considered a crucial factor in the MTA and is tested initially through a full application form and referee process designed to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each applicant. Applicants are then required to attend an audition for which considerable preparation is required. Applicants are then interviewed by a panel.
Faculty of Law
Faculty of Law
Te Kauhanganui Tātai Ture
Government Buildings, 55 Lambton Quay
Tel: 0-4-463 6366
Fax: 0-4-463 6365
Email: law-enquiries@vuw.ac.nz
Website: Faculty of Law
| Bachelor of Laws (LLB) |
Criteria for Selection of Students Into Second-Year Law
A maximum of 300 places in each of LAWS 211, 212, 213 and 214 is available. Applicants for second-year Law must have passed:
- LAWS 121, 122 and 123 at Victoria, or their equivalents at another New Zealand or Australian university and
- at least 70 other non-LAWS points by 10 December.
Note: All transferring students must have 120 points including 100-level Law to be eligible for selection.
Subject to the provisions for exceptional circumstances set out below, students will be selected for places in second-year courses on the following basis:
Priority will be given to students who have previously enrolled in a 200-level LAWS course at Victoria University or any other New Zealand university provided they satisfy the criteria at category 1 below, followed by first-time applicants who satisfy the criteria at category 2 below.
Note:
- "200-level LAWS course" means LAWS 211, 212, 213 and 214. It does not include LAWS 297 or its predecessors LAWS 298 and 299.
- Non-LAWS grades are not taken into account when calculating grade averages for the purposes of applying any of these entry criteria.
Category 1
Returning 200-level LAWS students who have passed more than 50% of all previous 200-level LAWS courses (at Victoria or any other New Zealand university) in respect of which they have received a grade (ie. a passing grade or failing grade). More than 50% of all previous 200-level LAWS courses means one out of one, two out of two, two out of three or three out of four.
Category 2
First-time applicants (ie. LLB students who have not previously enrolled in a 200-level LAWS course, but who have completed their 100-level LAWS courses) who:-
have a B+ grade point average (or better) over LAWS 121, 122 and 123, and
-
have passed at least 70 non-LAWS points, (or 120 points, including the equivalent of LAWS 121, 122 and 123) by 10 December.
If there are more applicants in category 2 than there are places available, students in category 2 will be ranked and selected according to their LAWS grade point average. When calculating the grade point average for category 2 applicants, the student’s highest LAWS passing grades are taken into account; previous lower passing grades, and any failing grades, are not taken into account.
If there is a need to determine cut-off points (ie between accepted, waitlisted and declined applicants), specific marks in 100-level LAWS courses may be taken into account.
Category 3
If there is space remaining after categories 1 and 2 above have been considered, that remaining space will be filled by ranking all other applicants by grade point average in the LAWS courses and selecting according to that ranking.
In calculating the grade point average for category 3, only the best 100-level LAWS passing grades are taken into account, but all 200-level LAWS grades, including 200-level LAWS failing grades, are taken into account. (ie all grades for LAWS 211, 212, 213 and 214. LAWS 297, 298 or 299 grades are not included in this calculation.) Find further rules regarding the eligibility of returning law students to second-year law courses on the Law website.
Māori Admissions Process
A supplementary admission process is also run to assess tangata whenua students for entry into second-year LAWS courses if they would not otherwise be considered. Ten percent of available places in each second-year LAWS course are reserved for Māori students applying under the Māori Admissions Process.
Graduates
Graduate students may be permitted to enrol in 100-level and 200-level LAWS concurrently. They may also be permitted to enrol in 200-level LAWS without concurrent enrolment in 100-level LAWS, but only where they have previously passed 100-level courses.
To be considered for graduate enrolment graduate students must have achieved a B+ average over their most recent 90 non-LAWS points or their equivalent. If that permission is granted, graduates may enrol concurrently in 100- and 200-level LAWS once only. The policy regarding graduate entry to the LLB may be seen on the Law website.
Exceptional Circumstances
Although the above criteria will be the primary basis for admission to second-year Law, students who have passed the prerequisite courses but failed to otherwise satisfy the entry criteria may seek selection into second-year courses on the basis of exceptional circumstances. These are circumstances that make the application of the above criteria inappropriate to them and that justify ranking them ahead of applicants who have stronger qualifications for admission in terms of this policy.
The documentation of exceptional circumstances must be made on the Faculty’s form in writing and be submitted by 10 December 2011; late applications cannot be considered.
These applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis by a panel of Faculty members, chaired by the Deputy Dean.
Other Selection Considerations
Applicants with international or non-standard qualifications are subject to the preceding criteria. Contact the Law Faculty Student Administration Office for advice.
Appeals Against Exclusion From Limited Entry Courses
These should be made, in writing, to the Student Administration Manager of the Law Faculty.
200-Level Streams
Choose your stream carefully as you may not be permitted to change stream mid-year. A course/stream preference form is included as part of the online enrolment process.
Criteria for Selection of Students into 300-Level Electives
Laws 301 and 312
All students must complete LAWS 301, Property Law, and LAWS 312, Equity, Trusts and Succession in their third year, or fourth year if studying for a double degree (provided they have not completed LAWS 301 prior to 2011).
300-Level Electives
Applications for all 300-level law electives including the summer trimester should be submitted by the limited entry deadline of 10 December.
A student can not enrol in any 300-level LAWS elective (in any trimester) which has a 200-level LAWS course as a prerequisite unless they have already received a pass grade for that prerequisite course. To enrol in a 300-level elective in the first or second trimester you must have either passed LAWS 301 or be enrolled in it. If a course is oversubscribed by 10 December, priority is given to students who are enrolling in their final trimester of study. The balance will be accepted by ballot. If the number of applications at 10 December does not exceed the cap, applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to selection criteria and prerequisites.
Refer to the Law website for details of selection into the summer trimester.
Faculty of Science
Faculty of Science
Te Wāhanga Pūtaiao
Level 1, Cotton Building
Tel: 0-4-463 5101
Fax: 0-4-463 5122
Email: science-faculty@vuw.ac.nz
Website: Faculty of Science
Selection Criteria For Limited Entry Courses
Selection is based on academic merit.
Selection Criteria For Limited Entry Programmes
Honours/MSc Part 1 Courses
Selection is based on academic merit, particularly at 300-level.
Diplomas and Master's Programmes
In general the selection criteria involve:
- academic merit
- relevant experience
- motivation to do the programme
- Interviews may be required.
Appeals Against Exclusion from Limited Entry Courses
These should be made, in writing, to the Associate Dean (Students) of the Faculty of Science.