Massey's Bachelor of Aviation (Air Transport Pilot) will not just train you to be a competent pilot, but to become a ‘flight deck manager’ with a university education, and an in-depth understanding of the aviation industry. 

During your training you will train in our state-of-the-art training fleet of Diamond DA 40single-engine and DA 42 twin-engine aircraft, fitted with Garmin 1000 cockpit displays incorporating digital moving map displays, terrain awareness warning systems, and traffic avoidance systems.

Massey University is the only place in New Zealand where you can turn your passion for aviation into a university qualification. We are an internationally-recognised pilot training facility, but we also give you a broad knowledge of the global aviation industry. We will introduce you to the critical ‘soft’ skills required of a professional aviator such as:

• Decision-making
• Communication
• Workload management
• Conflict resolution

The course structure is below. Please note all courses in Year 1 and 2 (Parts 1-4) are all compulsory. There are three options for consideration in Year 3.

Year 1 (Part 1 90 credits and Part 2 90 credits) January

Part 1

190.104 Principles of Navigation I
190.107 Improving Human Performance
190.110 Introduction to Flying 
190.112 Introduction to Flying II
190.118 Aeroscience I

Part 2

190.119 Aeroscience II
190.120 Aeronautical Legislation
190.121 Aeronautical Meteorology 
190.123 Aircraft Systems
190.124 Aircraft Performance 
190.154 Principles of Navigation II

Year 2 (Part 3 and Part 4: 180 credits)

Part 3

190.201 Aircraft Systems 11(Part 1)
190.203 Air Traffic Control / Aviation law
190.204 Flight Planning and Advanced Navigation (Part 1) 
190.205 Crew Resource Management
190.206 Aerodynamics
190.221 Advanced Support Studies

Part 4

190.237 Air Transport Cockpit Systems
190.251 Aircraft Systems (Part 11)
190.254 Flight Planning & Advanced Navigation (Part 2)
190.256 Aerodynamics (Part 2)
190.288 Advanced Aircraft Handling

Year 3 (Part 5 120 credits )

EITHER

Option one: Flight Instruction (Aeroplane) (by selection only)

190.301 Flight Instruction Human Factors 
190.315 Flight Instruction Fundamentals 
190.317 Evaluation Methods in Aviation
190.335 Flight Instruction 
and either 
190.297 Aerobatic Aircraft Handling for Flight Instructors 
or 
190.298 Advanced Turbo-Prop and Jet Handling

To bring your total for Option One to 120 credits a further 15 credits at the 200 or 300 level from the 190 Prefix (Aviation) must be selected.

OR

Option Two: Aviation Human Factors

190.313 Advanced Aviation Human Factors (compulsory)
plus courses to the value of 105 credits selected from the following series of courses. At least 60 credits must be at the 300 level.
190.xxx Aviation 
175.xxx Psychology

OR

Option Three: Aviation Business Management

120 credits of elective courses with the approval of the Chief Executive Officer. Up to 60 credits must be selected from the 190 prefix (Aviation) and up to 60 credits may be selected from the following prefixes:

190.xxx Aviation
110.xxx Accountancy
114.xxx Human Resource Management
115.xxx Business
125.xxx Finance
152.xxx Management
153.xxx Dispute Resolution
155.xxx Business Law
156.xxx Marketing
157.xxx Information Systems
178.xxx Economics
219.xxx Business Communication

At least 75 credits must be at the 300-level, of which 15 credits is to be from the 190 prefix (Aviation)

As a Flight Training Partner with the Air NZ Aviation Institute, it is now a requirement that all prospective students complete the ADAPT pilot pre-screening tool in the first instance.

To ensure students can have a reasonable expectation of satisfactorily completing this degree, they must meet further selection requirements including:

• Pilot Aptitude tests including a flight simulator aptitude test and Physics test
• A selection interview
• Writing tasks: including an English language competency test and Math assessment

Selection boards for candidates applying to commence in January are held in early December immediately after NCEA examinations. Selection boards for candidates applying to commence in July are held in early June. Prospective students will be advised of the dates.

Students invited to appear for Stage Two of the selection process must appear in person at the Massey University campus in Palmerston North, New Zealand.

Candidates who do not already hold a NZCAA Class One Medical Certificate must have booked their medical appointments (with both an approved medical examiner and optometrist) for their Class One Medical Certificate for no later than one week after selection. See below for further details about Medical Certificates. Confirmation of medical appointment booking must be provided before a selection appointment will be confirmed.

Want to improve your English level for admission?

Prepare for the program requirements with English Online by the British Council.

• ✔️ Flexible study schedule
• ✔️ Experienced teachers
• ✔️ Certificate upon completion

📘 Recommended for students with an IELTS level of 6.0 or below.

Enroll in the course

The Massey University High Achiever scholarships were established to support new students enrolling at Massey University with a previous record of high achievement in the areas of: Academic, Arts, Sport. Thre are also other undergraduate scholarships available.

High achiever scholarships

Massey University Vice Chancellor's High Achiever Scholarship (Academic)

The Massey University Vice Chancellor's High Achiever Scholarship (Academic) was established to support new students enrolling at Massey University with a previous record of excellence in one or more subject areas and/or a record of merit in several subject areas.

Massey University Academy of Sport Scholarship

The Massey University Academy of Sport Scholarship was established to support new student athletes enrolling at Massey University with a previous record of high achievement in sport and who show future potential in their chosen sport.

Massey University Vice Chancellor's High Achiever Scholarship (Academic)

The Massey University Vice Chancellor's High Achiever Scholarship (Academic) was established to support new students enrolling at Massey University with a previous record of excellence in one or more subject areas and/or a record of merit in several subject areas.

Massey University Vice Chancellor's High Achiever Scholarship (Art)

The Massey University Vice Chancellor's High Achiever Scholarship (Arts) was established to support new students enrolling at Massey University with a previous record of excellence in one or more of the arts fields both inside and outside of the school context.

Massey University Academy of Sport Scholarship

The Massey University Academy of Sport Scholarship was established to support new student athletes enrolling at Massey University with a previous record of high achievement in sport and who show future potential in their chosen sport.

Massey University Albany Vice Chancellor's Natural Sciences Excellence Award

The Massey University Albany Vice Chancellor's Natural Sciences Excellence Award was established to support new students enrolling at the Albany campus, Massey University with a previous record of  academic excellence in the natural sciences. Recipients are expected to be committed to studying and completing the Bachelor of Natural Sciences degree.

Massey University Albany Vice-Chancellor’s Innovation and Academic Excellence Scholarship

The Massey University Albany Vice Chancellor's Innovation and Academic Excellence Scholarship was established to support new students enrolling fulltime at the Albany campus, Massey University who  are currently attending a North Shore or West Auckland secondary school who have a minimum of 20 NCEA L2 credits (or equivalent in CIE or IB) with a record of excellence or merit.

Massey Business School Future Leaders Scholarship

The Massey Business School Future Leaders Scholarship was established to recognise and support future leaders enrolling in full-time business programmes at Massey University who have a previous record of leadership and high academic achievement. 

Encouraging Kiwis into Engineering Massey University Full-Fees Scholarship

The Encouraging Kiwis into Engineering Massey University Full-Fees Scholarship was established to encourage more students into engineering, particularly those currently studying maths, physics, and/or chemistry. Applicants are expected to be studying NCEA Level 3 or equivalent in Mathematics with Calculus, Physics and perhaps also Chemistry; have involvement in extracurricular Science, Engineering or Technology and show leadership and creative skills.