Useful information

Pōwhiri framework

The Design and Fine Arts programmes are structured around the themes of a pōwhiri (Māori welcome). This is designed to foster collaboration across subjects, and be supported on your journey through four years of study.

Office hours

As a CoCA student, you can consult any CoCA tutor or lecturer about your studies—not just the ones who teach your classes.

Staff will let you know when and where the office hours will take place, so make sure you use these opportunities when you need them.

College of Creative Arts clinics

These workshops teach essential skills, e.g. InDesign or Photoshop, or introduce you to the toolboxes, e.g. 3D workshop. 

As a College of Creative Arts student, you are entitled to use almost any workshop or media facility in the college, provided you attend the clinic first.

A full list of clinics will be available on Stream and your tutors will let you know when these take place, so keep your ears open.

Your studio, your space

Once your studio class is finished, you are welcome to stay and work there. Please keep the studio tidy, and look after each other if you’re going home late.

Studios on campus are available for students from 6am–12 midnight during term time (time may be extended during hand in, on request).

Campus security 24/7 helpdesk

Telephone: (04) 801 5799 ext 83333
Freephone: 0800 MASS 50 / 0800 6277 50
Mobile: 027 496 3681

Understanding uni-speak

Universities are full of acronyms and jargon, and Massey is no different. Here are a few we use at the College of Creative Arts.

CoCA — College of Creative Arts

BDes — Bachelor of Design

BFA — Bachelor of Fine Arts

BSA — Bachelor of Screen Arts

BCommMus — Bachelor of Commercial Music

BMVA — Bachelor of Maori Visual Arts

Block Course — A condensed, intensive period of learning in a course. First Year art and design studios, and most CoCA Summer School courses, are delivered in blocks.

CTL — Centre for Teaching and Learning

Course — A structured programme of work in a particular discipline that is identified by means of a unique code number and delivered through studio classes, clinics, tutorials, workshops, lectures, online and other learning experiences.

Core Course — A compulsory course that must be passed as part of a particular qualification.

Course Code — Each Massey University course has a six-figure code to distinguish its discipline, level and identity. First three digits always tell you what subject it is:

133.xxx = Music
197.xxx = Art and Design
198.xxx = Industrial Design
212.xxx = Fashion Design
213.xxx = Fine Arts
221.xxx = Photography
222.xxx = Visual Communication Design
223.xxx = Textile Design
224.xxx = Spatial Design
237.xxx = Visual and Material Culture
289.xxx = Creative Media Production

The last three digits start with the level of the course. For example: 213.150 Painting, is a Fine Arts course (213) at 100-level (1). 222.215 Brand Communication, is a Visual Communication Design course (222) at 200-level (2).

Brief — Also called an Assignment Brief. This tells you what you have to do for an assessment task.

Getting around campus

Knowing where to go when someone refers to the Block numbers

Block 10
The Museum Building (Fashion, Textiles, Spatial and Postgraduate)

Block 11
James Coe Building (Industrial Design)

Block 11
James Coe Building (Industrial Design and Spatial)

Block 12
Te Ara Hihiko (Visual Communication Design)

K Block
Across the road off Tasman Street, also known as K Town (Screen Arts and Music)

Block 1
Te Whare Pukaka – Staff space

Te Ara Toroa — Rere Ki Uta, Rere Ki Tai
The flight of the albatross — Venturing into the unknown
Design by Ngataiharuru Taepa, Kaihautu Toi Māori—Director of Māori Arts

Toi Rauwhārangi
College of Creative Arts
Wellington, Aotearoa

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