AcademyEX
academyEX is a New Zealand private postgraduate higher-education institute focused on working professionals, career development and applied learning. The institution describes itself as New Zealand’s only private postgraduate institute and focuses on learning that can be applied directly to real workplace and organisational challenges.
academyEX was established around the idea that postgraduate education should fit alongside professional and personal commitments rather than require students to step away from their careers. Its programmes use small cohorts, industry experts, practical projects and professional networks.
The institution’s main academic focus areas are:
- Contemporary education
- Technology and innovation
- Sustainability
- Change leadership
Types of Courses / Study Levels
academyEX primarily focuses on postgraduate and professional education rather than undergraduate degrees.
1. Master's programmes
Master's programmes are NZQA-accredited Level 9 qualifications and are designed around practical, workplace-oriented learning.
Current master's offerings include:
- Master of Technological Futures
- Master of Contemporary Education
- Master of Change and Organisational Resilience
2. Postgraduate Certificates
Postgraduate Certificates provide a shorter postgraduate pathway and can be used as building blocks towards a master's degree.
Current offerings include areas such as:
- Digital & Collaborative Learning
- Leading Change for Good
- Other specialised professional-development areas
3. Micro-credentials
Micro-credentials are short, focused NZQA-accredited courses designed for professionals who want to develop a specific skill without immediately committing to a full master's degree.
They are generally:
- Part-time
- Online
- Approximately 7–15 weeks
- Focused on specific professional skills
- Stackable towards master's study where applicable
Examples currently listed include:
- Leading Beyond Sustainability
- Innovation for Impact
- Disruptive Technologies: The AI One
- AI Skills for the Future
- Digital Skills for the Workplace
- Understanding Software Development Processes and Tools
4. Short / professional courses
academyEX also provides shorter non-credentialled and professional learning opportunities, including digital, AI, leadership and organisational capability courses.
Mode of Learning
academyEX is particularly suited to students who want to combine study with professional work.
Hybrid / blended learning
The master's programmes are primarily delivered through flexible hybrid or blended models.
This can include:
- Live online learning
- Online collaborative sessions
- In-person workshops
- Cohort-based learning
- Applied workplace projects
- Industry advisers
- Practical research and capstone work
Number of Programmes Offered
academyEX does not currently present one simple total number of all active programmes on its main website.
However, it states that it has 14 NZQA qualifications across micro-credentials, postgraduate certificates and master's programmes.
Its current course catalogue contains programmes across:
- Master's programmes
- Postgraduate Certificates
- Micro-credentials
- Short/professional courses
Highlights
1. Specialist postgraduate focus
Unlike a traditional university offering undergraduate through doctoral education, academyEX concentrates on postgraduate and professional learning for people already working or with substantial professional experience.
2. Strong industry orientation
Programmes are designed around real workplace challenges rather than purely theoretical academic study. Students can use their own professional context as part of their learning and projects.
3. Flexible study for working professionals
Hybrid and online delivery enables students to continue working while studying.
4. Stackable qualifications
Students can begin with a micro-credential, progress to a postgraduate certificate and potentially build towards a master's qualification.
5. Industry experts as educators
academyEX emphasises teaching by industry practitioners, specialists, academics, innovators and leaders rather than relying exclusively on conventional lecture-based teaching.
6. Practical Master's projects
International students can work on real-world challenges and develop outcomes that can demonstrate their capabilities to employers.
7. Dedicated international support
academyEX has an international team and provides support covering applications, admissions, programme requirements, visas, costs and post-graduation support.
8. Auckland location
The Grafton campus places students in central Auckland, giving them access to a major New Zealand business, technology and professional environment.
9. AI and future-focused curriculum
AI, emerging technology, digital transformation, sustainability and organisational change are prominent themes across the current programme portfolio.
Latest Updates – 2026–2027
New 2027 Master's intakes
academyEX is currently advertising the Master of Technological Futures and Master of Change and Organisational Resilience with starts on 25 February 2027.
Master of Contemporary Education – 2027
The Master of Contemporary Education has a Part 2 start of 18 January 2027 and Part 1 start of 22 March 2027. The programme is designed around education, technology, leadership and AI-era learning.
New AI-focused learning
The current course catalogue includes several AI-related learning opportunities, including:
- Disruptive Technologies: The AI One – October 2026
- AI Skills for the Future – October 2026
- Digital Skills for the Workplace
- Technology-focused postgraduate study
2027 international scholarship opportunities
International Student Excellence Scholarships are currently being promoted for 2027, with support of up to NZ$11,000 towards tuition for selected international Master's students.
NZQA quality-assurance transition
A significant institutional update is that NZQA's former EER Category 1 system was discontinued in 2026. academyEX now operates under NZQA's integrated Quality Assurance Framework rather than being described through the former Category 1 rating system.
13 years of academyEX
The institution is currently highlighting 13 years of learning and development, reinforcing its positioning as an established specialist provider for professionals rather than a newly established education organisation.
Scholarship
1. International Student Excellence Scholarship
Scholarship value
The scholarship provides up to NZ$11,000 toward tuition fees.
The current international-student page states that two international students will receive up to NZ$11,000 each to study an academyEX Master’s programme onshore in New Zealand.
The broader academyEX scholarship page describes the international award as 25% of international tuition fees.
There is therefore a slight difference in how the award is presented:
- Scholarship page: up to 25% of international tuition fees.
- Current international-student page: up to NZ$11,000.
- The specific scholarship regulations set the maximum monetary award at NZ$11,000.
Who is eligible?
The scholarship is specifically intended for new international students who demonstrate:
- Strong academic achievement from previous study.
- A commitment to academic success in their further studies.
- Potential to create positive impact through their organisation, community or industry.
- A genuine intention to study an academyEX Master’s programme in New Zealand.
Academic requirements
Academic excellence is a central selection criterion.
academyEX assesses academic merit using:
- Admissions GPA/GPE or equivalent academic achievement.
- IELTS result or equivalent English-language evidence.
- Previous academic qualifications and supporting documentation.
The scholarship application specifically asks applicants to provide evidence such as:
- Academic transcripts.
- English proficiency test results, where available.
- Awards, prizes or other evidence demonstrating achievements.
Which programmes are covered?
The International Student Excellence Scholarship is for academyEX Master's programmes.
The current 2027 international information highlights three Master's programmes:
Master of Change and Organisational Resilience
- 2027 start: 25 February 2027.
- Designed for professionals and leaders working with organisational change, disruption and resilience.
Master of Contemporary Education
- 2027 intakes include Part 2 and Part 1 options.
- Designed for educators, leaders and learning designers.
Master of Technological Futures
- 2027 start: 25 February 2027.
- Focuses on technology, leadership and decision-making in a rapidly changing environment.
Documents required
The scholarship application requires supporting evidence.
Applicants should prepare:
-
Academic transcripts
- English translations should be provided where the original documents are not in English.
-
English-language test result
- Where available.
-
Awards, prizes or other evidence of achievement
- Academic awards
- Professional achievements
- Recognition received in employment/community/industry.
-
Scholarship application responses
- The application asks applicants to explain their achievements, aspirations and suitability.
-
Referee endorsement
- The regulations specifically identify endorsement by the applicant's referee as part of the selection process.
