Description
Centrally located on New Zealand’s North Island in Hamilton, the University of Waikato makes it easy to take advantage of all New Zealand has to offer. The welcoming, medium-sized university’s small class sizes allow you to work closely with your professors, focusing on both theoretical and practical components in a variety of fields.
Quick Facts
Partner Program Type – The Education Abroad Network (TEAN)
TEAN (The Education Abroad Network) by WorldStrides is an international educational organization that UCSC has partnered with to provide you with a life-changing educational adventure. TEAN specializes in immersive study abroad programs throughout Asia and the Pacific that not only meet high academic standards, but are culturally engaging, tailored to individual students’ interests, and provide unforgettable experiences and unbeatable value. With more than 25 years of experience in facilitating outstanding international experiences and dedicated on-the-ground staff, they are experts in the region and will expertly manage your experience abroad from beginning to end.
Minimum GPA – 2.85
Eligibility – Good academic and disciplinary standing, Min Age: 18, Open to All Majors, Sophomore, Junior, or Senior Standing by the time of departure
Term Options
Fall Semester: late June – early November
Spring Semester: early February – late June
- students must miss both winter and spring quarters at UCSC to participate in this session
Cost
Location
City & University
Enjoy living in Hamilton, the perfect base for exploring New Zealand’s North Island offering a mix of urban and rural life. Just 90 minutes from Auckland, here you have access to everything the North Island has to offer but without the big city cost.
Academic Departments and Schools at the University of Waikato are divided into seven academic divisions: Arts, Social Sciences and Law, Computing and Mathematical Sciences, Health, Sport and Human Performance, Education, Māori and Indigenous Studies, Science and Engineering, and Management.
Accommodations
Choose from two university housing options: a private, dorm-style room in a residence hall or a private bedroom in a shared flat. In the residence hall, which includes shared bathrooms, lounge spaces, and a full board meal plan for the hall’s dining room, you’ll live with primarily first-year local and other international students. The self-catered, apartment-style accommodation comes with a bathroom, kitchen, and lounge area designed for five flatmates. While you will have choices for housing, it is organized for you by TEAN. You will receive more information about this after you are accepted into the program.
Excursions
Included excursions for this program are:
- Visit to Hobbiton and an introduction to Maori culture as part of the New Zealand Orientation Excursion
If you would like more detailed information about the excursions, please reach out to globallearning@ucsc.edu or nyamal.gatluak@worldstrides.
Student Support
The TEAN team will work with you from start to finish through the study abroad process. After you have been nominated by UCSC, TEAN’s expert staff will help guide you through the final phases of the application process and will meet you at the airport upon arrival in New Zealand. From there, they will whisk you away for your TEAN Orientation program, and these are no ordinary study abroad orientation programs. You’ll get all the necessary information about your new locale, but you’ll also begin creating lifetime memories and developing new friendships with other students going abroad on the same program as you!
During the Orientation, our team will help you get your phones set up if you’re using a local SIM card, and make sure we have a reliable method of contacting you after the orientation program whether it be via a local phone number, WhatsApp, etc.
After the orientation, we will get you settled into your housing, and ensure that you have all you need to be successful for the semester to come. Throughout your program in Hamilton, there will be regular check-ins and fun cultural events, but you do not need to wait to speak with your TEAN contacts. TEAN staff is readily available and able to assist you with any academic, social, or cultural questions or issues that you may face during your time abroad, and if there is an emergency situation, TEAN’s resident staff are available 24/7 and will react quickly.
Students with Disabilities
If you need support services abroad, notify your UCSC Disability Resource Center (DRC) Coordinator.
Students can work with their TEAN program manager or directly contact accessibilityteam@worldstrides.org once they have narrowed down where they’d like to go.
Identities Abroad and Away
UC Santa Cruz Global Learning is committed to inclusion and equity in our various program options as well as striving to make everyone’s experiences abroad enriching, positive, and safe.
Learn more on our Identities Abroad and Away webpage.
Academics
Host University Courses
As a University of Waikato exchange student, enroll full-time in courses alongside other local and international students.
- You will enroll in 3 – 4 courses.
- Each course is called a “paper” in New Zealand. Semester 1 or A refers to our Spring in California, and Semester 2 or B refers to our Fall in California.
- Study abroad students can take 100, 200, and 300 level courses at Waikato.
Course Search
- Go to the University of Waikato’s online course catalog
- Type in a keyword into the Paper Title Search box and click Title Search
- The results will then display, and you can select a class to view more detail including a brief description
- Confirm the course is offered during the correct semester by looking under the Trimesters and Locations section. There will be an “Occurrence Code” indicating which year and term the course is offered. The two numbers are the year it’s offered and the letter indicates which semester the course is offered during that year.
- A = US Spring semester
- B = US Fall semester
- For example, if a course lists 22B, it means it’s offered in 2022 during the US Fall semester
- Pay attention to where the course is taught. Hamilton is the main Waikato campus while Tauranga is a smaller campus about 90 minutes away. You cannot split your enrollment between the two campuses – you must either take all your courses at Hamilton or all your courses at Tauranga.
- You can also search the courses by subject by clicking the Browse by Subject button. You will then see a list of subjects in alphabetical order listed.
- If you have any questions or need to request syllabi please contact TEAN at 312-239-3710 or via email at nyamal.gatluak@worldstrides.
com
Satisfying Requirements
It may be possible to satisfy major, minor, GE, and/or electives on this program.
Learn more about:
- How to request major or minor credit
- How to request GE credit
Course Load Requirements
You are required to enroll in a full-time course load while abroad as defined by your host institution:
- You will enroll in 3 – 4 courses and earn the equivalent of 18 – 24 quarter credits.
As a UCSC student, you must also continue to meet UCSC Satisfactory Academic Progress, which requires students to enroll in a minimum of 12 UCSC quarter credits per quarter. At Waikato, you are required to ensure you meet this requirement by enrolling in the equivalent of at least 12 UCSC quarter credits in fall semester and at least 24 UCSC quarter credits in spring semester after conversion (see below).
If you are not enrolled in the minimum number of quarter credits required, then you will fall out of Satisfactory Academic Progress. This could lead to financial aid and academic repercussions.
If you are unable to enroll in the minimum number of quarter credits through courses at your host university, you may be able to fill in the gap by enrolling in one remote course through UCSC or UC online.
Credit Conversion
Waikato uses local semester credits. These will be converted to UCSC quarter credits when added to your UC transcript.
- 15 semester credits = 6 UCSC quarter credits
- 30 semester credits = 12 UCSC quarter credits
Academic Restrictions
Note that some courses may require prerequisites. In rare cases, some courses abroad may have enrollment limitations and/or restrictions, and there may also be courses that are not available for study abroad students. Your TEAN program advisor will be able to help you determine whether any such restrictions apply.
If you are unsure about your eligibility to enroll, please contact UCSC Global Learning at globallearning@ucsc.edu before applying to this program.
Academic Calendar
We recommend comparing the host university academic calendar to the UCSC academic calendar to see how the academic calendars, holidays, and breaks differ.