Why Study / Key Benefits

• The Graduate Diploma in Arts (Spanish) is designed as a bridging qualification for graduates who already hold a degree in another subject and want to gain the equivalent of an undergraduate major in Spanish without completing a second bachelor's degree.
• Spanish is one of the world's most widely spoken languages, with speakers across Spain, more than 20 Latin American countries, parts of Africa and many regions of the United States.
• Students develop Spanish language skills alongside knowledge of Hispanic and Latin American culture, literature, history, society and politics.
• Learning is highly interactive, with digital learning materials incorporating exercises, audio, video and presentations, together with live online tutorials/lectures that provide opportunities to practise spoken Spanish.
• The qualification can provide a pathway into further postgraduate study in Spanish after completion.
• It is particularly relevant for graduates who want to add a language and intercultural capability to an existing degree in business, tourism, communications, international relations or another field.

Programme Structure and Subjects / Topics

The Spanish endorsement contains 90 credits of Spanish study. The current regulations divide the Spanish courses into intermediate and advanced study.

200-level options:

• 245201 Intermediate Spanish Language I – intermediate written and oral comprehension and communication, providing a linguistic base for Spanish and Latin American culture, literature and civilisation.
• 245202 Intermediate Spanish Language II – reading, free composition, listening comprehension and oral communication, with contemporary Spanish and Latin American culture and society.
• 245203 The Sound of Spanish: Diction, Dialects and Diversity – Spanish phonetics and phonology, dialect variation, bilingualism and sociolinguistic aspects of Spanish.
• 245204 Latin American Voices – 20th-century Latin American literature and its historical and political contexts through short literary works in Spanish.

The qualification schedule allows no more than 30 credits from the 200-level subject-course group.

300-level options:

• 245301 Advanced Spanish Language – advanced reading, composition, listening comprehension and oral communication in Spanish, incorporating contemporary Spanish and Latin American culture and society.
• 245302 Theory and Practice of Spanish Translation – theory and practice of translation into and from Spanish and the role and responsibilities of the translator.
• 245303 Latin American Rhythms and Politics: From Tango to Rock – twentieth-century Latin American music styles and their relationship to important social and political events; taught in Spanish.
• 245304 Travellers' Tales: the Invention of Latin America – representations of Latin American people, landscapes and cultures through travel writing; taught in Spanish.
• 245305 Spanish Conversation on Film – contemporary Latin American cinema studied in the context of current socio-political debates.

Disciplines / Specialisations

The relevant specialisation is:

• Spanish – Graduate Diploma in Arts.

Spanish is one of the formal endorsements available within Massey's Graduate Diploma in Arts. Other GradDipArts endorsements include Chinese, Japanese, Linguistics, M?ori Studies, Mathematics, Media Studies, Politics and International Relations, Psychology, Security Studies, Social Anthropology, Sociology, Statistics and others.

Programme Highlights

• Designed specifically for graduates who want to add Spanish to an existing bachelor's degree.
• Provides the equivalent of an undergraduate Spanish major without requiring a second bachelor's degree.
• 120-credit, one-year full-time qualification.
• Distance and online delivery.
• Interactive digital learning materials with audio, video and presentations.
• Live online tutorials/lectures provide opportunities for spoken-language practice.
• Strong combination of language and cultural studies.
• Advanced courses cover translation, Latin American music and politics, travel writing and cinema.
• Can provide a pathway toward further postgraduate study in Spanish.

Career Outcomes

Massey identifies the following career areas for graduates of the Spanish Graduate Diploma:

• Banking
• Journalism
• Management
• Marketing
• Teaching
• Trade and export
• Travel and tourism. 

Latest Updates / Special Requirements

• The current programme is listed as distance and online.
• The latest 2026 International Prospectus lists February, July and November starts for Spanish.
• The programme remains a 120-credit, one-year full-time Graduate Diploma in Arts.
• The Spanish endorsement requires 90 credits of Spanish study, including at least 60 credits at 300 level under the current regulations.
• No 100-level credits can be counted toward the qualification.
• Students needing 100-level Spanish prerequisites must complete them separately through the Certificate of Proficiency Undergraduate.
• Spanish speakers should contact the qualification coordinator before enrolling in language courses.
• Course prerequisites and restrictions must be checked carefully when planning the qualification.
• The qualification can be used as a bridge toward postgraduate Spanish study.
• Massey states that returning students may encounter changes to majors, minors or course requirements and should consult the transitional provisions in the regulations where applicable

International Student Visa Requirements

For international students studying the Spanish Graduate Diploma online from outside New Zealand, a New Zealand student visa is not required merely because the student is enrolled in an online Massey programme outside New Zealand.

For a student who intends to come to New Zealand to study under an approved onshore study arrangement, the applicable immigration requirements need to be met. Immigration New Zealand's current Fee Paying Student Visa requires, among other things:

• An offer of place from an approved education provider.
• Evidence of sufficient funds to pay tuition, or an accepted scholarship/other arrangement.
• Evidence of sufficient living funds or an acceptable sponsor.
• Acceptable insurance for the required period.
• Evidence of genuine intention to study.
• Health and character evidence where required.
• Evidence of plans or funds to leave New Zealand at the end of the stay.