Prime Minister's Scholarship Individual Programmes

The Prime Minister's Scholarships for Asia (PMSA) and Latin America (PMSLA) are funded by the New Zealand Government and administered by Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao.  

The aim of the Scholarship is to: 

• Strengthen New Zealand’s ability to engage with key Asian and Latin American trading partners;
• Improve the international skills of the New Zealand workforce;​
• Improve the internationalization of New Zealand tertiary institutions;  ​
• Increase international understanding of the strength and quality of New Zealand’s education system and raise awareness of New Zealand as a preferred education destination;
• Establish connections between New Zealand and other countries through participants building lifelong friendships and networks;  ​
• Strengthen New Zealanders’ understanding of other cultures and business practices; 
• Strengthen New Zealand institutions' connections with counterparts in key Asian and Latin American countries. 

Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao runs two application rounds each year, one for educational providers like the University of Auckland to apply for funded Group Programmes, and a second for individual New Zealanders to apply for Individual Awards towards the education experience of their choice. 

Applying for an individual award allow applicants to identify an opportunity of particular interest to them personally, which may include a University-exchange opportunity, research abroad, internships, postgraduate programmes, or other study abroad experiences.  

The scholarship covers programme fees and/or tuition fees for offshore institutions (not NZ fees for exchanges), return international flights between New Zealand and the programme destination, comprehensive travel insurance, and a contribution towards living costs and visa/vaccine expenses for successful individual applicants.  

Successful applicants may hold a maximum of one group award and one individual award under the Prime Minister’s Scholarship during their lifetime.  

The 2024 Individual Awards round has now closed. We recommend you visit the official Prime Minister's Scholarship Programme website and join their mailing list for updates on the 2025 application round.

Education New Zealand welcomes any New Zealand citizen or permanent resident who meets the eligibility requirements to apply for a Prime Minister’s Scholarship.

Individual PMSA/PMSLA applicants are responsible for applying to the relevant programme (through 360 International and/or the host institution) in conjunction with submitting an application for funding through the Prime Minister's Scholarships application process, which is administered by Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao.

The Individual Awards application is not meant to support entry to a University-administered Group Programme. If you are interested in applying for a Group Programme on offer this year, please apply through the 360 International application portal.

To learn more about the Scholarship, eligibility criteria, qualities that Education New Zealand is looking for in applicants, and the application process, please visit the Prime Minister's Scholarship website.

Relevant programmes that you may consider applying to with the support of the Prime Minister's Scholarship for Asia (PMSA) or Latin America (PMSLA) include: 

360 International Semester Exchange  

Spend one or two semesters of your University of Auckland degree overseas studying with one of our approved partner universities while earning credits towards your degree.  

Please note, nomination spaces for some partner universities may be competitive, with limited places available. If you are planning to apply for a Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Asia or Latin America to support an exchange, we encourage you to discuss your options with the 360 International team in advance for insight into chances of placement with different partner institutions. The Prime Minister’s Scholarship offers limited flexibility to change destination if we are unable to offer you a place at your preferred host institution, although shifts within the same country may be possible.   

Language Study Abroad 

Students enrolled in a language programme at the University of Auckland may apply for a Prime Minister’s Scholarship to support their enrolment in one of the Faculty of Arts’ approved Language Study Abroad programmes in Asia or Latin America.  

Students not enrolled in a language programme at the University of Auckland may apply directly to the overseas language institute or host university of their choice, provided they meet the host institution’s eligibility requirements. If you would like more information on language & culture programmes on offer through the University of Auckland's partner universities, please contact 360 International.   

Global Internships

Your future in the workplace could include interactions with people from other countries, so employers may be looking for experience abroad. By seeking out experiences that build your cultural awareness, confidence, and creativity, you’ll set yourself up to thrive and become a more well-rounded, flexible and independent person in the process.  

The following international internship providers have been vetted by the University of Auckland and offer work-integrated learning experiences across Asia and/or Latin America.

• CRCC Asia 
• Global Career Center 
• Pagoda Projects 
• Next Step Connections 
• The Intern Group  

Note, most international internships will be unpaid, and the programme fee supports host company placement, pre-departure support, social and cultural activities and programming while in country, pastoral care, as well as accommodation (may be optional at some sites).  

If applying for a Prime Minister’s Scholarship to support an international internship experience, we strongly recommend that you consult with prospective internship providers in advance to ensure that you have chosen a provider and location that is a good match for you and your preferred industry of choice, before finalizing your Prime Minister’s Scholarship application. Let the provider know if your participation is subject to a successful award application as well, so they can guide you through the planning process accordingly.  

Visit the University Events Calendar and filter by 360 International as the organizer for information on upcoming info sessions with some of the above internship providers.   

Short Courses  

Individual award applicants may apply to short courses, of at least 4 weeks in duration for programmes in Latin America and at least 6 weeks in duration for Asia. Please note, you may need to submit an application prior to receiving an outcome for your Prime Minister’s Scholarship application and you should let the host institution know that your participation is subject to funding.  

We encourage you to consider the following opportunities as a Prime Minister’s Scholarship applicant, some of which have previously been offered as group programmes, but are also open for direct enrolment through the host university:  

• Social Realties in Latin American with Universidad Iberoamericana (IBERO), Mexico City, Mexico 
  An academic program meant to sharpen the students' awareness of the main development concerns and social challenges in the region. The key factors of the program are an appealing balance of academic and social activities, full cultural immersion, and direct contact with experts, NGOs and the local population.
  
  For more information contact: Natalia Briones, Special Programmes Coordinator at natalia.briones@ibero.mx. 
  
  
• Intercultural Approaches to Public Health with Pontificia Universidad de Catolica de Chile (UC Chile), Santiago, Chile 
  A four-week international experiential learning course that offers conceptual and empirical elements of social sciences to place health-disease processes in a complex sociocultural environment. 
  
  For more information contact: Cristian Bonilla, Special Programmes Coordinator at cbonillam@uc.cl. 
  
  
• Apacheta Programme at Pontificia Universidad de Catolica de Chile (UC Chile), Santiago, Chile
  Apacheta is a four-week Spanish language and cultural immersion experience that integrates Spanish courses with 10 seminars about doing business in Latin America and its cultural perspective.
  
  For more information contact: Cristian Bonilla, Special Programmes Coordinator at cbonillam@uc.cl.
  
  
• Global Business in Mexico with Tec de Monterrey’s iWinterMX programme
  Tec de Monterrey will teach you to identify business opportunities in international markets and develop proposals to aid enterprises to thrive in a specific international context. You will be able to experience a part of Mexico's business ecosystem by visiting Mexico City, Puebla, Monterrey, and Queretaro.
  
  For more information about how to enrol into this programme as an exchange student, contact 360international@auckland.ac.nz. 
  
  
• Mexican Cultural Heritage and Social Challenges with Tec de Monterrey’s iWinterMX programme 
  This program will help you to understand, identify and analyze aspects of Mexico's culture so that you integrate them into your cultural knowledge. You will be able to experience a part of Mexico's heritage by visiting Mexico City, Puebla, Guadalajara, and Queretaro.
  
  For more information about how to enrol into this programme as an exchange student, contact 360international@auckland.ac.nz. 

Other Individual Opportunities 

The Prime Minister’s Scholarship programme can also support successful applicants to take up:

• Overseas Medical Electives or Selectives
• Research placements 
• Postgraduate study
• Independent study abroad for a short course, semester, or full year with institutions outside the University of Auckland partner network 
• Any combination of the above (e.g. a language study abroad + semester exchange) 

For these types of opportunities, a little bit more research will be required on your part to identify a suitable opportunity and coordinate with the relevant host institution.

The Prime Minister’s Scholarship Programme has become increasingly competitive, as it’s become more well known, so it’s important to spend time carefully considering your options and preparing a well thought out application.

• Take time to consider how this programme will help you develop as a global citizen, and also what value the experience will add to you personally (in your career, professional development, etc) as well as to your community, your current or future employer, and the future of New Zealand.  
• Start your application for the Scholarship early and familiarize yourself with all of the questions that will be required.
• Get a trusted friend, family member, colleague, mentor, or lecturer to read over your responses to give you feedback before you make your final submission.
• Contact the 360 International team for further information and advice!