Why Study / Key Benefits

• Provides a structured way for graduates from another discipline to gain substantial Philosophy study without undertaking another full bachelor’s degree.
• Develops critical thinking and the ability to assess whether arguments are rationally compelling and communicate arguments clearly.
• Helps students analyse information, evaluate different viewpoints and understand the reasoning behind their own views.
• Philosophy study can strengthen transferable skills such as analytical reasoning, communication, adaptability, discussion and debate.
• The programme can provide a pathway towards further study, including a Postgraduate Diploma in Arts or Master of Arts, subject to meeting the relevant entry requirements.

Programme Structure and Subjects / Topics

The Philosophy Graduate Diploma is structured around Philosophy courses at 200 and 300 level.

The current Philosophy page lists courses including:

200-level Philosophy options:

• 134201 – Philosophy of Mind, Consciousness and Cognition: philosophical questions concerning minds, consciousness and language.
• 134203 – Ethics: ethical theories and the nature of ethical thinking.
• 134204 – Philosophy of Art and Music: philosophical questions arising in aesthetics and the philosophy of art.
• 134205 – Logic: modern formal logic, including propositional and first-order predicate logic.
• 134213 – Resistance, Rebellion and Revolution: philosophical questions concerning disagreement with and opposition to governmental authority.
• 134214 – Knowledge as a Social Phenomenon: how the social environment influences knowledge.
• 134216 – Modern Philosophy: metaphysical and epistemological ideas from the 17th and 18th centuries, including Descartes, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley and Hume.
• 134218 – Environmental Philosophy: philosophical approaches to environmental issues, sustainability and the rights of nature.
• 134220 – Business and Professional Ethics: ethical reasoning applied to business and professional issues.

300-level Philosophy options include:

• 134305 – Advanced Ethics: moral psychology, practical reason, moral language and moral ontology.
• 134307 – Ethics and Emerging Technologies: ethical issues associated with AI, robotics, genetic engineering and other emerging technologies.
• 134308 – Philosophy of Science: fact and theory, explanation, discovery and philosophical approaches to science.
• 134317 – Philosophical Investigations: influential philosophers from Kant to the present.

Under the current Graduate Diploma regulations:

• At least 120 credits must be completed at 200 or 300 level.
• At least 75 credits must be at 300 level.
• Individual courses normally carry 15 credits.
• Some courses have restrictions or prerequisites.
• Students entering the Philosophy specialisation do not have to complete 100-level Philosophy prerequisite courses.
• Students whose previous study was not at Massey may need to use the Special Request process to enrol in certain 200-level courses.
• If electives are selected from areas such as Languages, Economics, Mathematics or Statistics, those subjects may have their own 100-level prerequisite requirements.

Disciplines / Specialisations

The programme-specific specialisation is:

• Philosophy

Key areas represented in the current course selection include:

• Ethics
• Applied and professional ethics
• Philosophy of mind
• Consciousness and cognition
• Logic
• Political philosophy
• Knowledge and epistemology
• Modern philosophy
• Environmental philosophy
• Philosophy of science
• Philosophy of art and music
• Technology ethics

Programme Highlights

• One-year full-time qualification.
• 120 credits.
• NZQF Level 7.
• Designed specifically for graduates wanting to change or broaden their academic field.
• Provides the equivalent of an undergraduate Philosophy major without completing another bachelor’s degree.
• Flexible distance/online study is available.
• International students may study online from outside New Zealand or on campus in New Zealand.
• Strong emphasis on critical reasoning, argument analysis and clear communication.
• Provides a potential academic bridge into further Philosophy/Arts study, including the Postgraduate Diploma in Arts and Master of Arts, subject to the relevant entry requirements.

Career Outcomes

Massey identifies Philosophy graduates as developing skills in:

• critical and analytical thinking
• handling difficult or unfamiliar ideas
• clear communication
• evaluating arguments
• adaptability
• understanding and explaining different viewpoints.

The university lists potential career areas including:

• advertising
• business
• computing
• journalism
• management
• policy analysis
• publishing
• research
• teaching
• public-sector roles, including The Treasury.

Latest Updates / Special Requirements

• The current Massey page confirms that the qualification is open to international students studying on campus in New Zealand or online from outside New Zealand.
• Not all Philosophy courses are available every year or in every delivery mode.
• Students entering from another university may need special permission to enrol in certain 200-level courses.
• Some individual courses have restrictions or prerequisites.
• The current Graduate Diploma regulations require at least 75 credits at 300 level.
• Applicants should provide official transcripts from universities other than Massey.
• For a 2027 international application, the standard application deadlines are 31 October 2026 for Semester One/Double Semester and 1 May 2027 for Semester Two.
• 2027 tuition for this specific programme has not yet been published on the current official Philosophy page.

International Student Visa Requirements

There are two different situations for international students:

1. Online study from outside New Zealand

The Philosophy Graduate Diploma is explicitly open to international students studying online outside New Zealand. If the student remains outside New Zealand and studies entirely online, a New Zealand Fee Paying Student Visa is generally not required for the online study itself.

2. Studying on campus in New Zealand

An international student who comes to New Zealand to undertake the programme on campus would generally need an appropriate New Zealand student visa. The relevant visa is the Fee Paying Student Visa, subject to the student's individual circumstances and visa conditions.

Immigration New Zealand currently states that the Fee Paying Student Visa:

• can allow study in New Zealand for up to 4 years;
• costs from NZD $850;
• has an indicative processing time of 80% within 8 weeks;
• requires an offer of place from an approved education provider;
• requires evidence of tuition-fee funding or a scholarship;
• requires evidence of sufficient living funds or an acceptable sponsor;
• requires acceptable medical/travel insurance;
• requires evidence that the applicant can leave New Zealand at the end of their stay;
• requires the applicant to meet health, character and genuine-intention requirements.