Master of Professional Practice

The Master of Professional Practice takes approximately 18 months to complete, and is ideal for employees, volunteers, or the self-employed who have an undergraduate qualification and/or relevant and significant professional experience.

The Master of Professional Practice:

• is ideal for those in paid or unpaid work, or self-employed
• allows you to build a degree around your world. What skills do you need? What would help you to achieve your career or business aspirations? Do you need support in a particular area of your professional practice?
• helps you to explore cross-disciplinary boundaries and enjoy greater scope, flexibility and application than traditional pre-prescribed postgraduate programmes
• provides self-paced learning, occurs within the workplace and facilitators and academic/professional mentors will support you throughout the whole process

The Master of Professional Practice supports you to become an efficient self-directed learner. You will be capable of managing and critically evaluating your learning, and undertaking work-based projects that meet your needs and those of others. Upon successful completion, you will be able to:

• design and conduct research relating to an area of inquiry within the professional practice significant to you and your workplace
• engage in self-appraisal/reflection on practice which leads to significant insights likely to make a lasting impact upon personal and professional understanding
• undertake complex action-planning leading to effective and appropriate outcomes likely to impact upon the work of others
• evaluate information and ideas independently; critically evaluate/argue a position concerning alternative approaches; justify evaluations as constituting bases for improvement in practice
• use wide-ranging resources effectively; communicate successfully and persuasively in writing and orally; and work and learn independently or as part of a team spanning a range of contexts, often in a leadership role

• You must hold an undergraduate degree in a relevant field of study, and/or degree equivalent professional experience.
• International students will be individually assessed to ensure you meet the entry requirements.
• You will be required to undertake an interview. This will help determine your professional experience and ability to complete the programme. Learners will only be offered a place on the programme if they meet the entry criteria and have a confirmed professional practice context. Please note, the Head of School, Capable NZ makes the final decision on acceptance into the programme.
• If English is not your first language, you must provide:
  • New Zealand University Entrance OR
  • Overall Academic IELTS 6.5 with no individual band score lower than 6.0 (achieved in one test completed in the last two years), OR
  • Acceptable alternative evidence of the required IELTS (see here for NZQA proficiency table and here for list of recognised proficiency tests).

If you need to improve your English Language skills, we offer a wide range of English programmes.  

The work-based learning approach centres round the relationship between you, your employer/sponsor and Capable NZ. The programme is divided into three main phases. 

Learning and teaching activities within each course may include:

• mentoring and facilitation
• induction and review-of-progress workshops
• on-campus workshops and seminars
• online support and course resources through the Polytechnic’s Learning Management System platform (Moodle) and other learning technologies
• workshops delivered at organisation/in other cities/Otago Polytechnic campus sites
• online and video link assessment methodologies.

A blended learning approach, incorporating technology to facilitate access to learning activities and resources, means those who are working full-time or not based in Dunedin are fully supported

1. If you want to find out a little more about this programme, send us an enquiry and we'll be in touch! 

2. If you know that you just want to apply, click on the light blue APPLY button in the top right section of this page and complete our online application form. 

Domestic students may be eligible for student loans and course-related costs. Please contact Studylink for additional information. Phone 0800 88 99 00 or visit the Studylink website.