Promoted in 1897 to commemorate Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee celebrations, this ancient university has metamorphosed into New Zealand’s most prestigious institution of higher education

Situated down under in Lord of the Rings country, the Victoria University of Wellington (VUW) is one of New Zealand’s oldest and most prestigious universities. Promoted in 1897 by an Act of Parliament to commemorate Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee celebrations, VUW was recently awarded the Trade New Zealand export award for excellence and innovation. This ancient varsity boasts five faculties which offer over 80 bachelors, 20 specialist Masters besides several diploma and certificate study programmes. It hosts 19,000 students, with over 2,600 international students from 70 countries instructed by 1,500 faculty.

“Victoria University has been the academic heart of the region for over 100 years and it continues to produce high quality graduates that provide the next generation of scholars, inventors, entrepreneurs, business and civic leaders. Our teaching and research with staff who are world leaders in their fields, is built on a proud tradition of academic excellence over the past century and is geared to meet the challenges of the current millennium,” says Prof. Stuart McCutcheon, vice-chancellor of VUW.

Wellington. Perched on the southern tip of New Zealand’s north island, Wellington (pop. 400,000) is the nation’s political, financial and cultural capital. It’s also this picturesque country’s new information technology (IT) capital, with over 1,000 new IT jobs created last year. Moreover it boasts many of this island nation’s national institutions — the National Library, the National Archives, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Parliament, government departments and the General Assembly library. And with 2,500 live cultural and entertainment performances in the city, there’s always something going on in Wellington. The city hosts 40 art and cultural festivals every year, including the biannual International Festival of the Arts — one of the top six art festivals in the world.

The Wellington region also offers numerous recreational and sporting activities such as water sports, hill and bush walking, tennis and fishing, with the ski slopes only a four hour drive away. With its mild, temperate climate with temperatures averaging 25oC in summer and 12oC in winter, it has more restaurants and cafés per capita than New York.

Campus facilities. Victoria University’s four campuses span the compact city centre. The Kelburn campus nestles on a hillside overlooking the stunningly picturesque Wellington harbour. The city or Pipitea campus is in the heart of Wellington’s commercial sector. It comprises beautifully restored historic government buildings on Lambton Quay, which hosts the faculty of law, while the adjacent 13-storey Rutherford House, hosts the faculties of commerce and administration and the centre for continuing education. The Te Aro or architecture and design campus is situated across town in an award-winning landmark building in the city’s artistic hub. The Kaori campus is the site of the Wellington College of Education and Foundation Studies programme.

All campuses are within easy walking distance of each other and close to a range of student accommodation options.

The university has a large central library, an extensive law library, and several smaller specialist libraries including bibliotheques for architecture, design and commerce. Computer facilities are available to all students. Moreover there are over 40 sports and 60 non-sporting clubs in Victoria — all affiliated to the Victoria University of Wellington Students Association. Cultural clubs include the Drama, EcoAction, Radical Society, Vic Comedy & Improv (Theatre-sports), and Science Fiction Clubs. Over 20 sports clubs regularly train or operate out of the Rec Centre. Clubs on campus cater for all, from beginners to social players right through to the pros.

Admission. The minimum eligibility criterion for admission into Victoria’s undergrad programmes is a 65 percent average in the CBSE or CISCE class XII exams or 70 percent in the higher secondary exams of the state boards. International students have to submit TOEFL test scores (min: 550) or IELTS (5.5). However some degrees (such as LLB, BIT and B Sc, computer science) may require a higher standard. For postgrad programmes, while the minimum entry requirement is a bachelor’s degree from a recognised tertiary education institution, for some courses evidence of relevant work/ research experience is necessary.

For further information on admissions write to Victoria International, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand. E-mail: victoria-international@vuw.ac.nz. Website: www.vuw.ac.nz.

Accommodation. Housing is guaranteed to all international students enrolling in Victoria University if they apply by October 1 for the following year or by May 1 for the second trimester. There are eight halls of residence housing over 1,400 students. Some provide meals while others are self-catering. For those who want to live off campus, there is a range of private accommodation options available. They include: full board, a furnished room with cooking facilities, flat or homestay.

To find out more write to the Accomm-odation Service, Victoria University, PO Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand or email accommodation@vuw.ac.nz.

Degree programmes. Victoria University offers 14 first (bachelors) degrees in over 80 subject areas, 20 specialist Masters degrees as well as certificate and diploma programmes. The five faculties include architecture and design; commerce and administration; humanities and social sciences; law and science. Each faculty consists of a number of schools committed to academic specialisation. These schools supervise research and teaching within their areas of specialisation. 

The university also offers a condensed eight-month Foundation Studies programme to help students who don’t qualify to acquire the academic skills and English language practice needed to gain entry into its study programmes. 

Scholastic options at Victoria

Victoria University has five faculties which offer bachelors, Masters and diploma programmes in a wide range of academic disciplines.

Faculty of Architecture and Design. Architecture, building science, design
Tuition fee (annual): NZ$ 16,000-21,000

Faculty of Commerce and Administration. Commerce, accounting, business administration, commercial law, communication studies, e-commerce, econometrics, economic history, economics, financial mathematics, human resource management and industrial relations, information management, international business, library and information studies, management, marketing, money & finance, public management, public policy, tourism management
NZ$15,000-32,000

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. Anthropology, art history, applied linguistics, Asian languages, Chinese, classics, creative writing, criminology design, economics, education, English as a second language, English language and literature, European studies, film, French, geography, German, Greek, history, international relations, Italian, Japanese, Latin, leisure and heritage, Maori studies, media studies, modern languages, music, New Zealand studies, nursing and midwifery, Pacific studies, philosophy, political science, psychology, religious studies, social policy, sociology, theatre, Spanish, women’s studies
N$8,500-25,000

Faculty of Law. Law 
NZ$15,000-18,000

Faculty of Science. Biology, biomedical science, chemistry, cell and molecular biology, computer science, conservation biology, conservation science, development studies, ecology and biodiversity, ecology and health, electronics, environmental studies, geography, geology, geophysics, information technology, logic and computation, marine biology, meteorology, physics, statistics and operations research.
NZ$17,000-21,000

Living expenses (annual): NZ$ 16,000

NB $=Rs.28

Summiya Yasmeen