How to re-enrol

Use this step-by-step guide to re-enrolling for the next academic year—plan your studies, select your courses, and pay your fees.

All students who are continuing with the same programme of study need to re-enrol before the start of each academic year if you’re studying towards a degree or other multi-year qualification.

Be aware that you might not be able to enrol in every course that you select. This might be because:

The course has prerequisite courses—courses that are required to prepare you for success in this course—which you haven’t yet completed.
The course is a limited entry course, and your application wasn’t successful.

Steps to successfully re-enrol

There are a few things you need to do and know to ensure you are set up for success as you move through your chosen programme of study.

1. Plan your programme

The first step in planning your degree is to check your progress against the requirements of your degree, and find out what courses you still need to do. Use the myDegree tool, which you can access via the Pūaha self-service portal, or talk to your Student Success Adviser.

If you’ve had significant difficulties or not completed previous courses, there might be an ‘academic hold’ or restriction on your record. Talk to your Student Success Adviser about planning your programme for the new academic year.

2. Explore your course options

Use the 'browse by subject' or direct search options in the Course Finder tool to see what's on offer. Click through to explore course outlines.

Use the 'years available' filter to see just those courses that are offered in the relevant academic year.
Filter by 'course level' to narrow down your options to just 200-level courses, for example.
Make a note of the course codes (ACCY130, for example) to speed things up when you come to select your courses in the online enrolment system.

3. Plan your timetable

You can find out the days and times of a course's lectures on its course outline page. Sketch out your timetable, and make sure that your chosen courses don't have lecture times that clash.

If you need to find a course to fit into a constrained timetable, you can use the 'taught on' (day of the week), 'time of day', and 'campus' filters in the Course Finder tool to narrow your search.

4. Estimate your fees

We will calculate the final amount for your fees when you register for your selected courses, but you can estimate the cost of your studies yourself, whether you're a domestic or international student.

5. Arrange fee payment

Your Enrolment Agreement includes a fee assessment of your courses. Review our fee payment information page and make sure you have a plan to pay your fees before your courses start. If paying by student loan, it's your responsibility to ensure your loan is approved for StudyLink to pay your fees on-time. Start your student loan application as soon as possible and return paperwork promptly to avoid delays.

6. Renew your student visa and insurance (international students)

If you’re an international student, you must hold a valid student visa to be fully enrolled.

Your visa must remain valid for the duration of your studies.

Before you submit a visa application, your tuition fees must be paid. Immigration New Zealand will require proof that your fees have been paid when processing your application.

If you think you may have difficulty paying your tuition fees on time, email the Student Fees Advisers as soon as possible.

If you are concerned about meeting visa requirements, contact the International Student Experience team immediately.

You’ll need to be able to prove to Immigration New Zealand that you have paid your tuition fees before the next trimester begins. If you think you will find it difficult to pay your tuition fees on time, email the Student Fees Advisers as soon as possible.

If you are concerned about meeting the requirements for your visa, you should contact the International Student Experience team as soon as possible.

7. Check your student ID card

When your student ID card is first issued, it is valid for the full duration of your programme of study at the time. If the expiry date printed on your card has passed, please email student-cards@vuw.ac.nz to request a replacement.

Choosing a different study path

Support is available to help you explore different programmes during your time at Te Herenga Waka.

Changing courses after enrolment

You can add or drop courses at the beginning of each trimester, but we recommend you are aware of the deadlines and impacts to avoid falling behind.

Changing your programme

If you want to change your undergraduate degree and/or your major subject before you re-enrol, start by talking to your Student Success Adviser.

If you're a postgraduate student, you'll need to apply via Pūaha for a place in the new programme.

If you’re an international student, you’ll need to apply for acceptance to the new programme through the International Office.

Returning to do an Honours or Master's degree

If you've completed your degree and are returning to do an Honours year or a Master's degree (or any other certificate, diploma, or degree), you'll need to apply for the new qualification.

Apply to study on Pūaha. Once you've been offered a place, you can select your courses.

If you’re an international student wanting to start a postgraduate research degree—a PhD or a Master’s by thesis degree—you’ll need to apply via the Faculty of Graduate Research. Alternatively, if you want to do a Master’s degree or another postgraduate qualification that mostly involves coursework, you need to apply through the International Office.

Re-enrolling after a period away

If you haven’t studied with us in either of the two previous academic years, you'll need to start by applying for a place in your programme of study. This requirement applies whether you’re continuing with the same qualification or starting a new one.

Create a new account in Pūaha using a personal email address. We'll match this account to your existing student record when we review your admission application.