College of Creative Arts affirmed among Best of the Best

Wellington’s College of Creative Arts affirmed as being up there with the Best of the Best

Massey University’s College of Creative Arts Toi Rauwhārangi has been granted renewal of substantial equivalency from the United States accreditation body, the National

Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).

Professor Claire Robinson, Pro Vice Chancellor of the College, says we are delighted to have our standing confirmed once more. ‘Substantial equivalency’ is a long-winded way of saying that on the international stage, our art and design degrees level-peg with some of the best in the world. We are one of only a small number to achieve this status and the only Art and Design School in New Zealand to do so. This year we are excited by the inclusion of a large number of our new programmes.

“While it is not possible to gain ‘accreditation’ outside of the United States, gaining ‘substantial equivalency’ means our art and design degrees are certified as on a par with qualifications from some of the world’s most prestigious institutions, including Rhode Island School of Design and CalArts,” Prof. Robinson said.

The College of Creative Arts Toi Rauwhārangi comprises New Zealand’s oldest and largest School of Design Nga Pae Mahutonga, the School of Art Whiti o Rehua, and the School of Music and Creative Media Production Te Rewa o Puanga.

In NASAD’S assessment of our programmes, it included in its commendation the following:

“The Commission commends the institution for its deliberate, thoughtful, and compelling considerations of curricular programs and the support they provide to students. The well-prepared materials outlined clearly the “stair-cased” competencies and included a discussion of the analysis of time to degree, resources, size and scope, community engagement, business partnerships, and preparation for professional practices.

“The Commission commends the institution for its discussions “of the potential impact of creative work on audiences” and its effort to intertwine this issue with its community’s “creative, cultural, and socio-political” histories.”

Internationally the College continues to get accolades from other quarters. “For the 4th year in a row the College was reaffirmed as number 1 in New Zealand for art and design (QS rankings), and in the top 50-100 worldwide by World University QS subject areas – the only art and design school to be in that bracket in New Zealand.

“Back on the national design stage, in 2020 we demonstrated why we have great international rankings, with 48 projects by Toi Rauwharangi students, staff and graduates being finalists in the Designers Institute of New Zealand Best Design Awards. Since the awards inception which is seriously contested both nationally and internationally across the industry, Massey Students have made up nearly a third of all student finalists and have had a staggering 255 award winners as of last year. We have high hopes for this year’s awards.

“To ensure a 21st century curriculum with the student experience and learning at its core, our programmes acknowledge the increasingly permeable nature of the creative industries today and an external environment in which employment outcomes are no longer pre-determined.

“A key part of our success is the cross-disciplinary approach that provides opportunities for students to self-select from a broad range of technical learning not confined to their own major. We also encourage students to learn from each other through collaboration, and in the provision of as much real-life experience as possible before they leave,” Prof. Robinson said.

The full list of programmes to reach ‘Substantial Equivalency’ are:

Renewal has been granted for:

Graduate Diploma in Design

Postgraduate Diploma in Design

Postgraduate Diploma in Fine Arts

Bachelor of Design with Honours and Bachelor of Design

Bachelor of Fine Arts with Honours and Bachelor of Fine Arts

Master of Design

Master of Fine Arts

Doctor of Philosophy

Newly granted substantial equivalency:

Certificate in Visual Arts

Diploma in Visual Arts

Diploma in Fine Arts

Diploma in Design

Graduate Diploma in Fine Arts

Postgraduate Certificate in Creative Arts

Postgraduate Diploma in Māori Visual Arts

Bachelor of Māori Visual Arts

Bachelor of Creative Media Production with Honours (three-year degree, plus honours year)

Master of Creative Enterprise

Master of Māori Visual Arts

Programmes which will be granted substantial equivalency once they have graduating students:

Bachelor of Design (Hons) and Bachelor of Design - Concept Design

Bachelor of Design (Hons) and Bachelor of Design - Integrated Design

College of Creative Arts

PO Box 756, Wellington 6140, New Zealand T 04 801 5799 E creative@massey.ac.nz http://creative.massey.ac.nz

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