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Online programme approval application

This user guide is intended to support online users during the application process for programmes of study or programmes of industry training approval, and training scheme approval.

About the application

The online application form provides detail to enable you to populate the NZQA database.

A full application includes documentation that demonstrates how your application meets the requirements set out in the Guidelines for programme approval and provider accreditation at levels 1-6 on the NZQF.

There are six sections in the application form. You must complete each section in order before progressing to the next, even if zero is inserted. Each section must be fully completed before submitting the application to NZQA for analysis.

Section 1: Contact details
Section 2: Programme overview
Section 3: Assessment standards
Section 4: Qualifications
Section 5: Programme documents
Section 6: Comments

At any time, you can delete the application or return to TEO applications. If you return to TEO applications, any sections you have completed will not be lost. You can resume filling out the application later.

The application process

When you submit this application, you will receive an auto-generated email quoting an NZQA reference number. Use this number if you need to email or speak to a member of staff about the application.

You will be notified when your application has been assigned to an evaluator. You should expect this to happen within 10 working days. For further information see Applications for programme approval and provider accreditation.

You will be invoiced for work on your application at NZQA’s current hourly rate.

Please direct any queries about this application to our Client Services team. Remember to include the NZQA reference number on all correspondence.

Before you get started

Before you begin this application, check you have:

finished the development of the programme; and
the necessary consent to assess for any assessment standards that may be included in the programme, and
made an application for any assessment standards you don’t have consent to assess for.

References

Guidelines for programme approval and provider accreditation at levels 1-6 on the NZQF. (referred to as Guidelines throughout this guide)
New Zealand Qualifications Framework (PDF, 606KB)

Navigation hints

Click the Return to application overview link to leave the section you are in and return to the application summary screen.

Click the Return to TEO applications link to leave the application and return to your TEO applications summary page. Any sections you may have completed will be saved and you can resume filling out the application later.

Complete all fields marked with an asterisk (*), as these fields are mandatory.

Filling out the form

Section 1:

Contact details

Enter the name of the key contact person for this application.

If NZQA requires more information, this is the person they will contact. An email address is required because auto-generated communications will be sent there.

Section 2:

Programme overview

Enter the details of the programme being applied for. These details may be amended throughout the online application process and will provide a record of the approved programme.

Title: The title of the programme should clearly and accurately reflect the subject area of the programme and the qualification to which it leads.

Level: This is the level of the qualification(s) to which the programme leads.

Credits: Populate the Directory of Assessment Standards (DAS) credits and Total credits fields. DAS credits relate to the number of credits related to any assessment standards. If there is no assessment against assessment standards populate the field with ‘zero’. Total credits relate to the total number of credits for the programme. This should equal the credit value of the qualification(s) to which the programme leads (including any strands).

Aim: An aim statement should inform learners and other stakeholders of the programme’s purpose and the qualification to which it leads. The aim statement should reflect the programme’s unique aspects, the specific identified needs of learners and/or target learner group.

Content: In this section, you should describe the components of learning that make up the programme. They include courses, modules, papers, projects and work integrated learning.

Outcome: The programme outcome should summarise the learning of the programme: the skills, knowledge, abilities or attributes a graduate of the programme will have achieved. See Approval criterion2 in the Guidelines for more information.

Entry requirements: Entry requirements should not pose any unreasonable barriers to entry and must be appropriate to the type and level of study.

English language requirements for international students are set out in the Rule 18 of the Programme approval and accreditation Rules 2021. See approval criterion 5 in the Guidelines for more information.

At the end of this section there is a choice of three boxes that can be checked. These are optional and should only be checked if the proposed programme leads to one of the registration types.

Section 3:

Assessment standards

In this section, the information required relates to assessment standards only. If assessment standards will be used in the programme list all the assessment standards.Section 4:

Section 4:

Qualifications

This section asks you to identify the qualification(s) the proposed programme leads to.

All you need to do is search for the appropriate qualification(s).

Section 5:

Programme documents

Upload the documents that support the application. This must include programme documentation such as a programme document, outcomes matrix and component descriptors. You must also supply supporting documents such as evidence of consultation and the self-assessment report if required. The Guidelines offer suggestions for each criterion. There are also sample templates in the appendices to the Guidelines.

Section 6:

Comments

Please add any comments about the programme or process here.
Note: If a recent application in the same subject area included the same supporting documents they do not need to be supplied again. Refer to the case number of that application, and the evaluator will locate them.

Submitting your application

Before submitting your application you will be asked to review the full application form. Please note that all sections of the application form will appear even if they are not applicable to the application to be submitted.

You are now ready to submit your application. Before you do, check:

- the two types of documents requested in Section 5 have been attached to your application; and

- you have consent to assess for any assessment standards that are included in the programme.

Finished!

When you click Submit Application, your application will appear in the TEO applications table. You can View your completed application, or Withdraw your completed application.
Note: After the application has been allocated to an Evaluator, please contact them if you need to make changes or withdraw the application.