Youthful person standing next to a small plane
Areas of interest

Study aviation , Ākona te whakahere rererangi

Study aviation at Massey to learn how to operate aircraft while getting in-depth knowledge of the airline industry.

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Diverse and multicultural

Be welcomed into a global community of over 5,000 international students, who come to Massey from more than 100 countries.

Top-rated

Massey's Business School is ranked in the top 5% of business colleges worldwide by AACSB International.

Preferred flight trainer

Air New Zealand lists Massey as a preferred training organisation.

Fly above the rest

Train to be a pilot at our $5m aviation centre. From our fleet of aircraft to cutting-edge flight simulators, Massey's got it all.

Overview

Learn to fly at New Zealand's only university with an aviation school. We're an Air New Zealand preferred flight training organisation — the only one to include a degree.

Fly single-engine and twin-engine aircraft at our dedicated airfield. Virtually fly bigger aircraft in our state-of-the-art flight simulator. Master problem solving with scenario-based flight training. Gain industry experience with internship options.

Business internships via Massey

Aviation is a good fit if you:

  • enjoy school subjects such as maths and physics
  • want a degree as well as a flying licence
  • like setting up robust plans and following procedures.

Aviation courses may cover:

  • aircraft maintenance
  • airport and airline performance
  • aviation management
  • legal and security issues
  • pilot training, in the air and in simulators
  • UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles).

How to study aviation

Discover what we offer if you’re interested in aviation – whether you’re coming to university for the first time, changing direction or returning to advance your study or career.

Undergraduate study

An undergraduate qualification is generally the first thing you’ll study at university.

Bachelor's degrees

Degrees are the standard qualifications you do at university – the most common is called a bachelor’s. Degrees give you enough time to explore your interests, and also focus on specific subjects.

Graduate diplomas

Graduate diplomas can help you advance to postgraduate study or research in a subject you haven’t majored in for your undergraduate study.

Relevant undergraduate subjects to major or specialise in

When you apply to study at Massey, for some undergraduate qualifications you can choose what subject you'd like to specialise in. You can usually change your mind after you get to university, depending on the courses you enrol in.

Postgraduate study

Once you’ve graduated with a bachelor’s degree – or have equivalent experience – you’ll be ready to take on postgraduate study.

Master's degrees

A master's degree normally builds on a main subject of study from your undergraduate degree.

Postgraduate diplomas

Postgraduate diplomas are postgraduate-level qualifications that are longer than a postgraduate certificate. If you’re successful, you might be able to use the credits towards the longer master’s degree.

PhD and other doctoral degrees

Doctoral degrees, including PhDs, are the highest degrees we award. They’re very demanding and their entry criteria reflect this.

Relevant research areas at Massey

Discover research expertise, projects and initiatives relating to aviation at Massey.

School of Aviation

What our students say

“Massey is the only provider of the Bachelor of Aviation Management in New Zealand. It has a more approachable vibe than other unis and as the classes I took were smaller, I was able to get a great deal of interaction with the lecturers.”
Woody Andrew

Bachelor of Aviation Management

“The support network and resources for postgrads is really very good. I had two children along the way and the support I got during those times was excellent.”
Tahlia Fisher

Senior Safety Specialist, Air New Zealand

PhD (Aviation)

Our facilities

You'll have access to a wide range of first-class facilities when you study with us.

Aviation Centre

One of a kind in New Zealand. It includes:

  • Diamond DA40 and DA42 aircraft
  • flight simulators
  • maintenance hangers
  • operations area
  • classrooms and briefing rooms overlooking runways.

Location: Palmerston North Airport

Diamond DA40 Single-Engine Trainer

Massey owns 12 single-engine trainer aircraft. They have a cruising speed of 110 knots and a range of 720 nautical miles. The trainers are fitted with Garmin 1000 cockpit displays incorporating digital moving map displays, terrain awareness warning and traffic avoidance systems.

Diamond DA42 Twin-Engine Trainer

Massey owns two Diamond DA42 twin-engine trainer aircraft for the air transport pilot qualification. These aircraft have a cruising speed of 140 knots and feature Garmin 1000 cockpit displays incorporating digital moving map displays and terrain awareness warning systems.

Diamond DA-42 flight simulator

Massey's state-of-the-art flight simulator has a 220-degree wraparound screen and can be set to any airport in the world. Massey University's School of Aviation was the first pilot training facility in New Zealand to install this new-generation simulator.

Flight systems and airstrip

Bachelor of Aviation students work alongside the busy Palmerston North airfield with full Air Traffic Control services. Aviation Management students’ classes are also mostly taught at the Aviation Centre so they experience flight operations and airport operations at close hand.

Jobs in aviation

In the air and on the ground, aviation takes you places. It's a career that can involve international travel from the cockpit of a jet, or working in remote locations.

Pilots work for airlines large and small. For emergency services. In tourism and agriculture. For every aircraft in the air, many people work hard on the ground to keep everything running smoothly.

Aviation careers include:

  • pilots
  • air traffic controllers, who direct aircraft during take-off, landing, and flying
  • air accident investigators
  • airline or airport managers
  • cargo or passenger planners, who make sure people, luggage and goods get from A to B
  • flying instructors
  • sales or marketing roles.

Annual salary ranges for jobs

Pilot training

Airlines increasingly look for tertiary-trained pilots. So Massey is a smart choice, whether you're keen to become a commercial pilot or already work in aviation. We're an Air New Zealand preferred flight training organisation.

Our Bachelor of Aviation (Air Transport Pilot) qualifies you as a professional pilot. If you already work in aviation, our degrees pave the way for more senior roles in the industry.

Salary ranges disclaimer

Indicative pay rates are:

Which aviation qualification?

Examples of where our qualifications may take you.

Table showing jobs and what you could study to enter them.
Jobs Examples of what you could study
Air traffic controller Bachelor of Aviation Management, then apply to enrol in Airways NZ's Diploma in Air Traffic Control (selection process applies)
Airport or airline logistics / operations Bachelor of Aviation Management
Commercial pilot Bachelor of Aviation (Air Transport Pilot)
Flight instructor Graduate Diploma in Aviation (Flight Instruction)
Strategic or leadership roles Bachelor of Aviation Management

Accreditations and rankings

New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)

The Bachelor of Aviation has equivalence approval from the New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority.

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Preferred Flight Training Organisation

The School of Aviation is an Air NZ Preferred Flight Training Organisation, and the only PFTO provider offering an integrated aviation degree.

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Royal Aeronautical Society accreditation

The Royal Aeronautical Society accredits all aviation qualifications at Massey University, certifying that they meet the RAeS's international professional standards.

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Singapore Aviation Academy

Massey's School of Aviation offers the Bachelor of Aviation Management and Master of Aviation via distance learning to international students through a partnership with Singapore Aviation Academy. The academy is an ICAO TRAINAIR PLUS Full Member, ICAO endorsed Government Safety Inspector Training Centre and ICAO Aviation Security Training Centre.

Get an information guide

Download our guide to find out more about studying aviation at Massey.

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