New Zealand Diploma in Wellness and Relaxation Massage (Level 5)

Entry requirements

Academic requirements

• NCEA Level 2 with 10 Literacy and 10 Numeracy credits, OR
• A relevant qualification at NZQF Level 3 or above, OR 
• A recognised equivalent.
• If you're over 20 and do not meet the entry requirements, you are eligible for special admission, and we'll work through that with you. 
• If you're under 20 and do not meet the entry requirements, you may be eligible for discretionary admission, and we'll work through that with you. 

International requirements and equivalence

To enter Otago Polytechnic's undergraduate certificates, diplomas and degrees, you need to have achieved a secondary school qualification that is equivalent to New Zealand's NCEA levels (National Certificate of Educational Achievement).

This information is available by country on our Equivalent academic entry requirements page.

English Language requirements

If English is not your first language, you must provide:

• New Zealand University Entrance OR
• Overall Academic IELTS 5.5 with no individual band score lower than 5.0 (achieved in one test completed in the last two years), OR
• Acceptable alternative evidence of the required IELTS (see here for internationally recognised proficiency tests and proficiency outcomes for international students).

If you need to improve your English Language skills, we offer a wide range of English programmes.

Additional requirements

You must:

• provide a health/general abilities declaration to ensure you are able to achieve practice competencies in this programme. We may need to work with you and ask for further reports. 
• provide a declaration of all existing or pending criminal convictions. 
• consent to undergo a Police Check 
  • a prior conviction may not necessarily exclude you from getting into the programme
  • if you do have a prior conviction, we'll have a chat with you about the implications for enrolment, programme completion and subsequent employment as a Massage Therapist 
  • information gathered regarding offences may be shared with a host organisation for the purposes of your practical placement(s) 
  • you may need to attend an interview, or we may ask you for referee checks, as part of the above 
  • any unsatisfactory result arising from any of the above may result in you being declined entry to the programme. 

Selection process

This programme is subject to maximum numbers. If the number of applicants exceeds the number of places, a ranking criteria will apply. This will be based on academic achievement and you may be asked to write 200 words on why you wish to study this programme.

Part-time study

Please note that our part-time option is only available to domestic students.

Additional costs

• Course-related materials such as equipment, textbooks and a uniform will come to a maximum cost of $1,000 per year
• You also require your own laptop/tablet that are able to bring with you to class

Tuition fees

The tuition fees shown above are approximate only. There may be a slight fee increase per year once Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) rules and guidelines are applied. These fees also don’t include additional costs or living costs.