Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Management

Choose to study without a major or take specific courses to major in one of the following subject areas:

• Logistics and Supply Chain Management
• Business Analytics
• Healthcare Management
• Aquaculture Management, Nelson Campus only

Find out more about each major by clicking on the ‘Overview of majors’ below.

This programme aims to enable students to enhance their applied management skills and knowledge by focussing on more specific and in-depth aspects of management. The range of elective courses aim to provide options that will complement a range of particular professional experience and career aspirations.

• Complete this programme full-time in two semesters over 10 months.
• Study fully online, or face-to-face on our Nelson campus with blended learning  
• Choose from  different majors (subject to intake availability)  
• Use recognition of prior postgraduate study, or extensive work experience, to skip courses you already hold the necessary skills and knowledge in. (See 'Recognition of Academic Credit’ below) 

Academic requirements 

• A Bachelor’s degree

OR

• Relevant skills and knowledge acquired through appropriate work or professional experience.

Alternative requirements

Applicants who are unable to evidence that they meet Academic entry requirements, but who can demonstrate acquired skills for postgraduate tertiary study gained through study, work and/or life experience, may be approved for alternative entry by the Curriculum Manager (or delegate)

English language requirements

If English is not the applicant’s first language, applicants will need to provide a result from a test or qualification listed as an acceptable alternative by NZQA English Proficiency Outcomes(external link).

• IELTS 6.5 Academic (no lower than 6.0 in each band),

Note: Applicants who do not have evidence of English language skills and are a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident, may contact NMIT for an assessment

Interview

Applicants may be interviewed to assess their suitability for the programme.

You may choose to complete your Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Management qualification with or without a major.

Not studying towards a specific major is a great option if you prefer flexibility in your elective courses.

The below major options are available if you prefer to specialize in any of the subject areas.

*Please note to complete your qualification with a major, your research project needs to fulfil the requirements of the major.

Logistics and Supply Chain Management

Logistics and supply chain management is a dynamic industry -  responding capably, and with creativity and innovation, to emerging challenges faced by all New Zealanders. NMIT is one of the few institutes in the country to offer a postgraduate qualification in this fast-moving and strategic subject area. Logistics and supply chain management is well aligned in support of Nelson’s vibrant export markets, making this a great location from which to further your career.

Major courses:

You will complete two of the following courses.

• LSC801 Storage and Warehouse Techniques
• LSC802 Transportation, Distribution and Network Management
• LSC803 Strategic Procurement and Inventory Management
• LSC804 Performance Measurement and Process Outsourcing

Plus

• RES801 Applied Research Methods (Foundation for Research Project)
• MGT811 Special Topic (Research project)

Aquaculture Management

Aquaculture in New Zealand is riding a wave – with the NZ Government setting a goal of the industry generating over $3 billion revenue by 2035. This dynamic industry’s continued expansion relies on the development of qualified, passionate professionals. The major of aquaculture management will equip you with an understanding of this highly lucrative industry, and the principles and practices of operations strategy in this industry’s context.

• GSA801 Sustainable Aquaculture Practice 
• GSA802 Sustainable Aquaculture Management 

Business Analytics

Business analytics is a process of transforming data into insights to inform decision-making. Here, mathematics, information technology, and business domain knowledge are blended together.

This causes the emergence of new hybrid jobs and creates demand for a new kind of professionals, those who have both technical and non-technical skills and know-how to use them to solve diverse business problems.

This major is designed so that you can develop this skill set and be ready to practically apply it in the variety of emerging hybrid job roles.

In Analytical Models and Data Analysis Techniques learn and systematise your knowledge of the most commonly used quantitative analysis techniques.

Data Management and Information Chains will allow you to learn how to automate processes and connect people to business analytics.

Major courses:

• BAN801 Analytical Models and Data Analysis Techniques.

• BAN802 Data Management and Information Chains.

• RES801 Applied Research Methods (Foundation for Research Project)

• MGT811 Special Topic (Research project).

Pre-requisite for Business Analytics courses and/or major: To successfully complete these courses, a suitable background in Business Analytics or a related discipline is required’.

Healthcare Management

If you have experience or a qualification in a healthcare-related career, this major is designed to take you to the next level in management. Through this major, you will learn about global healthcare systems, trends and issues, with a particular focus on New Zealand. You will have the opportunity to appraise and critique the management and leadership approaches in the healthcare sector, equipping you with

the knowledge to make a positive impact in healthcare organizations in New Zealand or abroad.

Major courses:

• HCM801 Healthcare Systems Management

• HCM802 Contemporary Healthcare Leadership and Management

• MGT811 Special Topic 

• RES801 Applied Research Methods (Foundation for Research Project)

• MGT811 Special Topic (Research project).

Students can choose to enrol in the Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma and continue through to a Master.

Courses are run on our Nelson campus or online through our NMIT Moodle online learning platform.

• Postgraduate Certificate in Applied Management(external link): One semester – 5 months*
• Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Management(external link): Two semesters – 10 months*
• Master of Applied Management(external link):  Three semesters, 18-months for students starting February and July, or 15-months for students starting in October*

Students enrolled in the Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Management (with Major) and Master of Applied Management (with or without Major) will be undertaking research throughout all semesters of study. The recommended research journey and course sequence is: RES801 (Applied Research Methods), followed by MGT811 (Special Topic), and for those studying for a Master, RES904 (Research Thesis). RES801 provides the groundwork where the student develops the research topic, questions, and methodology, and creates the research proposal. In MGT811, a pilot study of the proposed research is conducted. In RES904, the student will complete the proposed research in its entirety.

*See Classes and Study hours for more information.

**International Learners – Programmes must be completed in person on the Nelson Campus.  

This programme is run on the NMIT Semester model, with semesters running for seventeen weeks. Four courses per semester are considered full-time study. 

When will I attend class? 

A face-to-face student can expect to attend one, two-hour classes each week per course on-campus. These sessions are timetabled between 8am and 7pm on weekdays.

Therefore, a full-time student taking four courses per semester can expect to attend four two-hour classes each week. 

How much time do I need to spend studying each semester? 

As a general indication, for all level 8 (15 credit) courses, you can expect 

• 30 hours of teaching in a classroom environment 
• Online teaching support 
• 120 self-directed learning (averaging 7 hours per week) working through course material and assignments in your own time

Thus, for each 15-credit course, each week, a student can expect 10 hours of study (comprised of 2 hours of classroom teaching and 8 hours of self-directed learning). For a full-time study with 4 courses in a semester, this means 8 hours of face-to-face classroom teaching and 32 hours of self-directed learning per week, for a total of 40 hours.

Choosing your electives

We pride ourselves in the applied nature of our business programmes, with teamwork and peer learning a key part of embedding the transferable skills you will learn with us.

To offer our students the best experience in their study, we occasionally need to consolidate some of our elective courses to ensure we have a suitable number of students in a class together. This may result in some of our elective courses being offered more sporadically, and students aiming to complete programmes in a short timeframe need to choose from a tighter range of elective courses and therefore majors. 

We encourage you to talk to us early about the electives you aim to take, so we can work with you to develop a learning plan.

You will need to have access to a computer and the internet.

Course material will be made available online through Moodle, our education online platform. Meetings, theory classes, and assignments may be carried out online via Microsoft Teams.

Graduates will find career opportunities in a wide variety of sectors including the public, private and not for profit sectors.  This includes managerial responsibilities and leadership roles in whether they are self-employed or working for a business entity or a public, private or not for profit organisation. Research-related roles including consultancy and advisory positions in a wide range of business and industry-specialised areas both domestically and internationally. Graduates will have industry specific knowledge and a variety of managerial strategies for complex business environments.

Potential roles after graduation include:

• Trainer
• Business Analyst
• Statistician
• Project Manager

See www.careers.govt.nz(external link) for more information about the variety in these roles.

Graduates who wish to continue with study will be qualified to enter our Master of Applied Management.  To be awarded the Master of Applied management, students must successfully completing a 5 month research thesis is required (Two 8 week blocks is almost 5 months (including the one or two 2 week break/s between)*

*International students require a new visa if they choose to add two terms to their study to graduate with a Master of Applied Management.

A graduate of the Postgraduate Diploma of Applied Management will be well prepared to contribute to the effectiveness of an organisation through the application of in depth advanced specialised knowledge, skills, problem-solving ability, critical awareness and research capability with particular focus on a chosen discipline from elective options.

Graduates of this qualification will be able to:

• Apply advanced knowledge of management issues and design solutions for a contemporary environment or a range of environments.
• Employ innovative management approaches and leadership in complex contexts.
• Apply advanced knowledge of management to problem solving in chosen field of enquiry or professional practice including Logistics and Supply Chain Management, International Business, Aquaculture Management, Healthcare Management, Business Analytics
• Engage in rigorous analysis and critical thinking about complex management issues in chosen field of enquiry or professional practice including Logistics and Supply Chain Management, International Business, Aquaculture Management, Healthcare Management, Business Analytics.

Evidence of previous study or extensive work experience can be used to apply for recognition of academic credit (RAC), also known as Recognition of prior Learning (RPL) or Cross credit (CC) potentially allowing you to skip courses which you can show you hold the required skills and knowledge for already.

If you think you may be eligible for Recognition of Academic Credit (RAC), contact us about making an appointment to discuss this with our Student Learning Advisor. It is useful to bring along documentation such as:

• Previous academic transcripts
• Course Descriptors or Syllabus including Learning Outcomes
• Curriculum vitae and work history

The Student Learning Advisor will help you assess your eligibility for Recognition of Academic Credit, and advise you on what further evidence you may need to provide and fees. It is recommended the RAC processes is started a minimum of eight weeks prior to the course start date to ensure time for assessment and processing.

Find out more about the NMIT Policies and Procedures(external link) around Recognition of Academic Credit.