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International programs & student supports

Victoria University of Wellington

Location: Wellington, New Zealand
Instagram: @vicuniwgtn
Website: Info for exchange students
Language of instruction: English
GPA Requirement: 2.7/4.0 GPA (4.0/9.0 UVic GPA)
Terms: Fall semester (aka 'Trimester 2' July – November) // Spring semester (aka 'Trimester 1' February - June)

Highlights

Two students walk in front of Victoria University Wellington Pipitea campus law school surrounded by trees
  • Victoria University of Wellington has over 21,000 students, including over 3,400 international students from more than 100 countries
  • Wellington, New Zealand’s capital city, is a beautiful, compact city situated at the southern tip of the North Island.  Wellington has a thriving art, culture and café scene with more cafes, bars and restaurants per capita than New
  • Wellington is the gateway to the rest of New Zealand, with the busiest airport in the country and only a ferry ride away from the South Island.

Accessibility

  • Information about accessibility supports at VUW
  • It is recommended students reach out directly to the Disability Services team if they have any questions about accommodations disability@vuw.ac.nz 
  • It is helpful to notify the VUW Exchange team so they can make sure the International Student Support team is aware.

Area of study

  • Architecture and Design
  • Commerce and Administration
  • Education
  • Humanities
  • Social Sciences
  • Law
  • Science
  • Engineering

Course catalogue

  • Information about how to select courses and course levels can be found on the VUW Exchange page
  • To search courses offered each year, check out the Course finder
  • Examples of popular courses for exchange students

Credits

Credits at VUW:

  • Full-time option (7.5 UVic units): 60 credit points per term at VUW 

Course Evaluations at UVic: 

  • Before departure, UVic students will be able to submit exchange courses to UVic for evaluation. The results will indicate how many UVic units each exchange course is worth, as well as the course equivalency.
  • Students must use the evaluation results to ensure their exchange courses credits add up to the equivalent UVic units. The total number of units for each exchange term should be 4.5 UVic units for part-time exchange or 7.5 UVic units for full-time exchange.
  • This course evaluation process will be made available and explained in detail during the pre-departure session in early October for Spring exchange terms and in late March for Fall exchange terms. Evaluations take 2-6 weeks to complete and will be emailed to students. 
  • Course evaluations results are tentative until the end of the exchange term, when a second, final evaluation is conducted by OREM using the students’ exchange transcript, and the results are applied to their UVic record. 

Exchange credit history

  • Click here to check out the exchange credit history of courses that have been previously evaluated by UVic for this host university.
  • Students are not limited to this list when selecting courses for their upcoming exchange and should consult the host university’s course catalogue for a full list of offerings.
  • Important note: this document is a guide only and previously evaluated courses are not guaranteed to be evaluated in the same way in the future.
  • After being accepted into the ICS Exchange Program, students will have the chance to submit exchange courses to UVic for evaluation. The results will provide updated unit and credit equivalency information. 

Housing

On-campus housing: Available

  • Halls of residence are limited. 
  • Students should submit their accommodation application to VUW by the deadline in order to be considered in the first selection round and have the best chance receiving a place in university accommodation.
  • VUW Accommodation Guide

Off-campus housing: Available

  • More information on off-campus rentals, called 'flatting' can be found here 

Medical insurance, immigration & arrival

Medical insurance: Mandatory

  • All international students are automatically signed up to the Studentsafe Inbound University insurance and pay for this upon enrolment at Victoria University of Wellington.
  • This policy provides comprehensive cover throughout the course of study and also covers the insured student’s travel to New Zealand and time spent in New Zealand up to 31 days before the start of their courses.
  • Refer to VUW's Insurance information and Studentsafe Inbound University policy for more information.

Immigration:

Orientation: Mandatory

  • International Orientation is held the week before classes commence. Orientation schedules are released a few weeks before orientation.
  • Latest orientation dates available here

How to apply

Learn how to apply or sign up to receive emails about studying on exchange at a partner university. We will send you information about events, application deadlines, funding opportunities, and more!