Horticultural Science – Master of Science

Massey University

New Zealand, Palmerston North

University RankQS Ranking

240

Apply Now!

Go to Official Website

Home/New Zealand/Palmerston North /Massey University/Horticultural Science – Master of Science

Massey University

New Zealand , Palmerston North

Key Facts

Program Level

Master by Course Work

Study Type

Full Time

Delivery

On Campus

Campuses

Manawatū campus (Palmerston North)

Program Language

English

Start & Deadlines

Next Intake DeadlinesMay-2026

Apply to this program

Go to the official application for the university

Duration 2 year(s)

Tuition Fee

NZD 43,490 / year

Next Intake May-2026

Horticultural Science – Master of Science

About

Specialise in Horticultural Science for your Master of Science at Massey

With Massey’s Master of Science (Horticultural Science), you can create your own innovative research project. Massey University’s horticultural science qualification is the most research-focused in New Zealand.

Take advantage of our globally-renowned expertise

Let our experts help you develop your own expertise. You will learn from, and research with, highly skilled, internationally recognised and active researchers in horticulture. Our current specific areas of horticulture research expertise include:

fruit and vegetable innovation
high value plant products and services
applied plant and horticultural science
seed science and technology.

Use world-leading equipment and facilities

As a horticulture student, you will have access to our world-leading equipment and facilities such as our controlled environment plant growth facilities, the unique and extensive university orchards and state-of-the-art plant physiology and biology equipment.

Be surrounded by the best

Massey University is a partner in the Joint Graduate School for Horticulture and Food Enterprise (with Plant & Food Research). Massey University is also home to ‘foodHQ’, New Zealand’s international centre for collaborative food research. FoodHQ is a collaboration between organisations including Massey University, AgResearch, AsureQuality, the Cawthorn Institute, SR, Fonterra, Plant & Food Research and the Riddet Institute. There is a breadth of horticultural research activities at Massey, including:

the work to understand the effects of light in improving crop production and quality

research on fruit crops such as kiwifruit and apples
Māori vegetable crop science

plant disease.

Requirements

Entry Requirements

Admission to Massey

All students must meet university entrance requirements to be admitted to the University.

Massey University entry requirements

Specific requirements

To enter the Master of Science (Horticultural Science) you will have been awarded or qualified for:

the Bachelor of Science degree with a major in the intended postgraduate subject, or equivalent, with a minimum B average in the majoring 300-level courses, or
the Bachelor of Science with Honours, in the intended MSc subject, having achieved a B grade average over the contributing courses and a B grade in an approved research methods course, or
the Postgraduate Diploma in Science and Technology in the intended MSc subject, having achieved a B grade average over the contributing courses and a B grade in an approved research methods course, or
the Postgraduate Certificate in Science and Technology in the intended MSc subject, having achieved a B grade average over the contributing courses and a B grade in an approved research methods course.

If you have a Bachelor of Science (Honours), Postgraduate Diploma in Science and Technology, or Postgraduate Certificate in Science and Technology from Massey University as outlined above, you may apply for credit towards Part One of the qualification.

You must submit an approved research supervision plan with your application. This means you need to secure the agreement of a suitable supervisor for your agreed research topic.

You will need to provide copies of all official academic transcripts for studies taken at all universities other than Massey University.

English language requirements

To study this qualification you must meet Massey University's English language standards.

Massey University English language requirements

English language skills

If you need help with your English language skills before you start university, see our English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses.

English Program Requirements

English Evidence Academic IELTS^: 6.5 overall and minimum 6.0 in each band

English Evidence TOEFL iBT: Overall score 90, minimum 20 in Writing

English Evidence Pearson Test of English (PTE): 58 overall and minimum 50 in each communicative skills

Career

The Master of Science (Horticultural Science) is most suitable if you’d like to move into further research such as a PhD, or work for an organisation such as a crown entity in a research capacity.

Earn more

A 2017 Ministry of Education publication, "The post-study earnings and destinations of young domestic graduates", found that in New Zealand:

young master’s graduates earn more than 1.5 times more than the national median (5 years after study)
earnings and employment rates increase with the level of qualification completed
five years after completion, the median earnings of young master’s graduates are 15% higher than for those with a bachelor’s degree.