Education preparing students for an extraordinary life 

Akoranga—we value the knowledge both students and staff bring to the university experience and recognise greater understanding grows out of shared learning.

Victoria University of Wellington is a place where learning flourishes and helps people transform society. We grow the capability, skills, and confidence of undergraduate, postgraduate, and lifelong learning students. We support them to be creative, informed, and innovative, and to pursue their passion and excel in their chosen area of study.

In partnership with Wellington, we provide an unrivalled student experience. Our students feel a sense of belonging to a vibrant and inclusive university and civic community. Our connection to the political and creative heart of the nation gives our students unique insights into the forces that shape our country and the world. We partner with students to support their understanding of civic responsibilities, and to enthuse them to contribute positively to society. Our distinctive approach builds on our commitment to a sustainable future for Aotearoa New Zealand and the importance we place on protecting our cultural identities.

We provide distinctive opportunities for our students to immerse themselves in intercultural and international experiences. We integrate academic learning with practical experiences relevant to their chosen career path and with civic experiences that enrich society as a whole. Our teaching programmes are research enriched, interdisciplinary, and created in partnership with our students and communities. We embrace and support undergraduate and postgraduate study and other forms of lifelong learning, reaching out to our communities and engaging them in ongoing education.

Our programmes are designed to ensure our graduates are globally minded, civically engaged citizens, with an understanding of international perspectives, and an ability to engage constructively with different communities.

By 2025, the quality of the learning and student experience will have resulted in:

  • retention rates from first to second year of 85 percent
  • 95 percent of teachers being assessed as good or very good by their students
  • 95 percent of students rating their overall satisfaction with services and facilities as good or very good
  • 97 percent of graduates being in employment, further study, or not seeking work within one year of graduation
  • sustained growth in student numbers, averaging in excess of 1.5 percent per annum over the Strategic Plan period and with the longer-term goal of reaching a minimum of 30,000 equivalent full-time students.
  • 26 percent of total students will be postgraduates, with 8 percent research-postgraduate students and 18 percent taught-postgraduate students.