Transfer from another tertiary institution
Find out how to apply for a transfer of credit so that you can count your previous tertiary study towards one of our degrees or other qualifications.
We welcome you to study at Victoria University of Wellington—it’s your place to connect, learn, and grow in Aotearoa’s capital city. If you’ve already studied at another university, polytechnic, wānanga or private training establishment, we can help you credit your previous tertiary education achievements towards one of our qualifications.
If your transfer of credit application is successful, it will reduce the total number of courses you need to complete your qualification.
Eligibility
You can apply to transfer credits for courses that you’ve previously completed at diploma or degree level (Level 5 or above on the NZQA framework) in New Zealand or overseas.
Timeline
We can assess most applications to transfer credits within two weeks if all the required documentation has been submitted. We may need four to six weeks to assess more complex applications, so you need to apply at least six weeks before the start of the trimester.
You can apply to transfer credits for courses that you’re still studying at another tertiary institution—you don’t need to wait to get your final results. You should make your application as early as possible with the documentation that you already have. We will work with you to complete the process.
If you studied at an overseas university or other overseas higher education institution, it will take us a bit longer to assess your application than if you had studied in New Zealand.
How to apply
You can apply to transfer credits for courses either as part of your application to study or after you’ve been accepted as a student.
During your application to study
When you apply to study through our Pūaha portal you can also apply to transfer credits for courses completed elsewhere:
- Make sure you include the details of your previous tertiary education on your admission application.
- Answer ‘yes’ to the question ‘Do you wish to credit courses completed at another tertiary institution towards your qualification at Victoria University of Wellington?’
After you’ve been accepted
If you’ve already been accepted into your chosen qualification, you can apply through the Pūaha portal to transfer credit for courses completed elsewhere:
- Select ‘Ngā ratonga | Services’ at the top of the Pūaha home screen.
- Select ‘Manage your studies’ in the ‘Filter by category’ options
- Scroll through the results, find and click on the ‘Transfer of credit’ tile
- Follow the instructions to complete the form.
Required documentation
If you supply all the required supporting documents, it will help us to assess your application promptly.
New Zealand tertiary education provider
If you’re applying to transfer credits for courses that you studied at a New Zealand tertiary institution, you need to provide:
- Your official transcript as either a certified copy or via myeQuals
- A course outline for each course that you want to get credit for. Each course outline should describe in detail what you studied and include the course’s learning objectives.
- If you haven’t completed any of the courses that you’re applying to transfer or are awaiting your grades, you need to supply proof of enrolment.
Overseas tertiary education provider
If you’re applying to transfer credits for courses completed at tertiary education institution outside New Zealand, you need to provide:
- Your official transcript as either a certified copy or via myeQuals
- A course outline for each course that you want to get credit for. Each course outline should describe in detail what you studied and include the course’s learning objectives.
- Grading scale—a guide that explains the grades awarded by the tertiary institution.
- If your documents are not in English, you will need to supply a certified English translation.
Assessing your application
We’ll assess your application for a transfer of credit based on the University’s Credit Transfer and Recognition of Prior Learning Regulations (PDF) and General Programmes of Study Regulations (PDF), specifically the section on ‘Crediting courses to qualifications, majors, subjects and minors’.
When you have been notified of the outcome of your Transfer of Credit application, you can complete your course enrolment. Course enrolment typically opens in late September for the following academic year. Look at the webpage for your chosen degree to find out which courses you'll need to complete. For more information about selecting your courses, please refer to our How to apply and enrol webpage.
International students
Additional information for international students can be found on the Credit transfer and exemptions page at Wellington University International.