Master of Management in New Zealand
Postgraduate management qualification for leadership roles.
What you study
A Master of Management is a general postgraduate business qualification for people moving into leadership. You study organisational behaviour, strategy, finance for managers, operations and people management, usually through case work rather than examinations. Many programmes are designed for graduates without a business background, so an engineering or science degree is often accepted for entry. Some include a consultancy project with a host organisation.
The Master of Management is a Level 9 Business qualification we help international students apply for at accredited New Zealand institutions.
Does the Master of Management lead to residence in New Zealand?
Working here after you graduate
This is a degree at Level 9, so graduates can apply for a post-study work visa of up to three years and work in any job, anywhere in New Zealand. Immigration New Zealand only restricts what you may work in for non-degree qualifications at Level 7 and below, which does not apply here.
Points towards residence
The Skilled Migrant Category is a threshold of six points, not a score to maximise: once you reach six, more points earn nothing. A New Zealand master's degree is worth 6 points, the whole threshold on its own, but only where it involved at least 30 weeks of full-time study here and you already hold a bachelor's degree. Without both of those it is worth 5, and one year of skilled work in New Zealand makes up the sixth.
A qualification earned in New Zealand is worth more than the same level earned overseas, which is one of the few concrete advantages of studying here rather than at home.
The Green List
Management occupations do not appear on the Green List in either tier, so there is no straight to residence route out of this qualification. The Skilled Migrant Category is the route instead, where a New Zealand master's degree can meet the points threshold on its own.
Our study to residence pathways page sets out how the post-study work visa, the Green List and the Skilled Migrant Category fit together.
Who can advise you on this. Student NZ is an education advisory service. Joy helps you choose the course and the institution, and helps you prepare a student visa application. Advice about your own residence prospects has to come from a licensed immigration adviser, so we connect you to ProVisas' IAA-licensed advisers (Licence 201301110) for that part.
Green List roles are from Immigration New Zealand's list effective 23 March 2026; points are from its Skilled Migrant Category rules. Checked 17 September 2026. Immigration rules change, so confirm against the Green List and the Skilled Migrant Category before making a decision.
Where graduates work
Graduates go into operations, project, programme and general management roles across most sectors in New Zealand. None of those occupations appear on the Green List, so the residence route here is the Skilled Migrant Category. That is slower than the Green List and it is not closed: the qualification carries 6 points where you already hold a bachelor's degree and studied at least 30 weeks full time, and skilled employment is assessed separately.
Questions about the Master of Management
Is a Master of Management the same as an MBA?
No. An MBA normally requires several years of management experience and is aimed at people already doing the job. A Master of Management is open to recent graduates and teaches the same ground from the start. Both sit at Level 9, so Immigration New Zealand scores them identically.
Do I need a business degree to enrol?
Usually not. Most New Zealand providers designed this qualification for graduates converting into management from another field, and accept a bachelor's degree in any subject. Entry requirements vary, so confirm with the specific programme.
Is a Master of Management worth more than a bachelor's for residence?
For the qualification points, usually yes: a New Zealand master's is 6 points against a bachelor's 5, provided it involved at least 30 weeks of full-time study and you already hold a bachelor's degree. Because 6 is the threshold and extra points earn nothing, that difference decides whether you meet it on the qualification alone or need a year of skilled work as well.
Other qualifications to compare
The level a qualification sits at decides what you can apply for once you finish, so it is worth comparing a few before you enrol.
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