The aim of this programme is to provide entry level network technicians and administrators who have specialist knowledge and skills in the field of networking and cloud technology to meet the industry needs.
Graduates will be instrumental in future proofing organisations' IT systems.
Students may also elect to sit for related professional industry certifications.
The programme will equip students with skills in networking, professional practice and project management skills not only for employment but also prepare them for further study at a post-graduate level. The programme is designed to provide work-ready graduates who are able to apply their skills and contribute to successful outcomes for New Zealand or international organisations. They will be capable of operating within the applicable professional standards and practice independently or as part of a team.

The programme is targeted towards individuals who wish to build on their existing qualification or experience in the information technology sector. This could include:
Tertiary qualified people who wish to gain a qualification in the specialised field of Networking and Cloud technology;
Employees needing to upskill in a specific area of IT or wanting to credential their industry experience.
People who have a level 5 or 6 qualification in IT and ready to study at a higher level;
Employers and SME owners wishing to improve productivity and profitability of their business;
People wanting an IT qualification to enter the workforce;

On completion of the programme graduates will, be able to:
Analyse business opportunities and apply advanced knowledge to build, manage, evaluate, and maintain network and cloud systems whilst applying project management methodologies and practices
Enhance business performance by adapting and apply specialised knowledge informed by applied research to design, build and optimise functional wireless networks and IoT following industry best practice.
Critically assess a business network and cloud system's security and propose solutions to mitigate security risks
Adapt advanced design and implementation techniques to achieve a desired outcome for a business
Demonstrate advanced communication, cultural and teamwork skills in professional and applied contexts including acknowledging biculturalism, Te Ao Maori, tikanga and Matauranga Maori.

The qualification provides a pathway from Level 5 or 6 Networking or Technical Support qualifications. This may include:
New Zealand Diploma in Database Administration (Level 6) [Ref: 2602]
New Zealand Diploma in Networking (Level 6) [Ref: 2600] New Zealand Diploma in Systems Administration (Level 6) [Ref 2601]
New Zealand Diploma in Information Technology Technical Support (Level 5) [Ref 2597]
New Zealand Certificate in Information Technology (Level 5) [Ref: 2595]
Other pathways may include undergraduate degree qualifications.
This qualification may also equip learners to attempt optional industry certifications at the appropriate level and area of speciality.
This qualification provides an education pathway to postgraduate level study in Information Technology
NZSE currently has an MOU with Massey University which allows graduates of our current Diploma in Computing (Level 7) programme entry into their Masters' programme. Once the new programme has been approved NZSE will enter discussions with Massey around extending the existing MOU to cover the new programme.

Academic Entry Requirements:
Graduates of any Bachelor degree
or level 6 diploma in Information Technology or Business;
or level 5 diploma in Information Technology or Business plus 1 year of work experience in an Information Technology role which must be evidenced by a job description and CV that provides information about the nature of work undertaken by the applicant and level of responsibility and accountability. Acceptable work may include an IT help desk, network administration, PC installation, configuration and maintenance, application development or testing. The work should include a minimum of 1200 hours employment. Attestation by the employer will also be required to validate this. This will be a case-by-case evaluation for each applicant;
or special admission at the discretion of the Group Academic Director may be permitted where students have achieved a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 6 or higher in their Level 5 diploma in Information Technology or business, but have not completed one year of work experience in Information Technology

English Language Entry Requirements:
Students whose first language is not English must provide evidence of competency in English language equivalent to IELTS Academic score of 6, with no band score lower than 5.5; or equivalent score in NZSE's internal English Proficiency Assessment. This is subject to NZQA Rule 18, details of which can be found at: here

International students must hold a valid study visa to enrol in this programme.

9.2 Selection
Students will be selected in order of application.