Under the Lisbon Recognition Convention, New Zealand is required to encourage tertiary education providers to give their students a Diploma Supplement or equivalent.
The Tertiary Education Qualification Statement (TEQS) is New Zealand’s Diploma Supplement-equivalent. Tertiary education providers can choose to issue this document to a student on completion of a tertiary education qualification.
What a TEQS does
The TEQS is essentially an expanded transcript. It provides a description of the nature, level, context, content and status of the studies that were successfully completed by an individual.
The aim of the document is to provide tailored information to international audiences, improving their ability to understand and recognise New Zealand qualifications.
Guidelines on how to implement a TEQS
NZQA has developed guidelines for implementing a TEQS, based on feedback from sector-wide consultation.
These guidelines identify what should be recorded in a TEQS, provide guidance on how to record this information, and suggest implementation options to suit a provider's information management systems.
Implementing a TEQS is not compulsory. Each provider decides for themselves whether or not to implement.
Description of the New Zealand Tertiary Education System
International guidelines require Diploma Supplements or equivalents to have a description of the higher education system of the country in which the qualification was awarded. This description forms Section 8 of the TEQS.
After consultation, it was agreed that the section would be a uniform statement, updated annually (if necessary), and available online.
When you provide a TEQS, ensure it links to the wording relevant to the year in which the qualification was completed.
- Description of the New Zealand Tertiary Education System 2018 (PDF, 72KB) (opens in a new window)
- Description of the New Zealand Tertiary Education System 2014 (PDF, 162KB) (opens in a new window)
- Description of the New Zealand Tertiary Education System 2011 (PDF, 123KB) (opens in a new window)
- Description of the New Zealand Tertiary Education System 2016 (PDF, 242KB) (opens in a new window)
- Description of the New Zealand Tertiary Education System 2013 (PDF, 152KB) (opens in a new window)
- Description of the New Zealand Tertiary Education System 2010 (PDF, 23KB) (opens in a new window)
- Description of the New Zealand Tertiary Education System 2015 (PDF, 171KB) (opens in a new window)
- Description of the New Zealand Tertiary Education System 2012 (PDF, 136KB) (opens in a new window)