Admission Application and Offer of Place

Admission and course enrolment is a two-step process. You only need to apply for admission when you are starting a new qualification.

If you are a returning student and you are continuing your current programme of study at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, you do not need to complete an admission application. You just need to enrol for your courses.

After your admission is assessed, we will send you an Offer of Place. You need to accept your Offer of Place, before you can enrol for your courses.

Apply for admission

You can apply for admission as soon as you know the qualification you would like to study. You can apply for admission up to two years in advance of the year you plan to start.

Check you meet the entry requirements of your chosen programme. For advice on programmes and courses, get in touch with our Future Students team.

Sign up for the Pūaha portal and complete the admission application form.

Submit your documentation

You might need to supply us with certified copies of certain documents. It is important you submit these as soon as you complete your admission application. You can send us documentation through your Pūaha account.

Your place can't be confirmed without your documentation

If we haven't received your proof of residency or ID documents when your school results are released, we will be unable to access your results. There will be a delay in confirming your place.

Offer of Place

Once your application has been assessed, you will receive notification of your Offer of Place via email and will be able to view it in your application portal, Pūaha. Your Offer of Place contains important information, so please read it carefully.

We will provide you with a Conditional or Unconditional Offer of Place. This will include the details of the programme of study you have indicated. You need to accept your Offer of Place before you can enrol for your courses.

Conditional Offer of Place

A Conditional Offer will tell you what conditions you need to meet to have your admission approved. Once you have met the conditions outlined in the Conditional Offer of Place, your admission to the University and to your chosen qualification will be approved.

For example, if you are awaiting academic results or other documentation requirements related to your admission application (this includes NCEA results) you may receive a Conditional Offer of Place.

NCEA results

If you achieve University Entrance, you will automatically be accepted into your programme when NCEA results are released in New Zealand.

Unconditional Offer of Place

An Unconditional Offer of Place means that you are being offered a place at the University in your chosen programme. Once you have accepted your Unconditional Offer of Place, your admission to the University and your programme of study has been confirmed.

Waiting on an Offer of Place

Please check your Pūaha portal for your Offer of Place. If you have only applied for open-entry programmes and your Offer of Place hasn’t arrived after four weeks, email info@vuw.ac.nz or call 0800 04 04 04.

Completing your Admission

Once you have accepted your Offer of Place, you will be able to progress to the course enrolment stage.

You will also have the opportunity to change, decline or defer your Offer of Place. You can do this online in the Pūaha portal or by emailing info@vuw.ac.nz.

  • Change an Offer of Place, if you want to change your qualification.
  • Defer an Offer of Place, if you want to start your study at a later date.
  • Decline an Offer of Place, if you decide not to study at the University.

Declined admission

If you’ve applied to study and have been declined admission to the University or you've been waitlisted—find out what your options are.