← Development of Key Competencies Policy | Home Page | Strengthen Research Knowledge Creation and Uptake for Our Knowledge Society →

The TES includes an emphasis on developing high-level specialist skills through engagement in postgraduate study. Specialist skills include technical, research, entrepreneurial and managerial skills. It is expected that postgraduate students will engage across a wide range of fields of study, including the areas government has identified as critical to continued economic development, such as biotechnology, ICT and the creative disciplines.

Increased postgraduate qualification completions

In the period from 1997 to 2002, there has been an overall increase in the number of postgraduate qualifications completed each year. Over this period, the number of PhDs completed annually rose by 42 percent and the number of other postgraduate degrees completed (masters and postgraduate diplomas and certificates) rose by 32 percent.

Figure 41: Completion of postgraduate qualifications, 1997–2002

Most completions are in society and culture and management and commerce

The largest field of study for postgraduate completions is society and culture, followed closely by management and commerce. Both of these areas had over 2,000 postgraduate completions in 2002. Health and the sciences had between 1,000 and 1,500 graduates in 2002. Other fields had under 1,000 graduates in 2002 at postgraduate level.

Figure 42: Completion of postgraduate qualifications by field of study

Note: Qualifications coded as ‘mixed-field’ have been recoded, where possible, to a subject field, using the main subject codes.

The government has identified three sectors that have high growth potential and can enable growth in other sectors of the economy, namely information and communications technology, biotechnology and the creative industries. The number of postgraduate qualifications completed in these areas in 2002 made up five percent of total postgraduate qualification completions.

Table 4: Postgraduate qualification completions in priority areas, 2002

← Development of Key Competencies Policy | Home Page | Strengthen Research Knowledge Creation and Uptake for Our Knowledge Society →

• Table of Contents

• The Baseline Picture

• Cross Strategy Indicators

• Raise foundation skills

• Skills for our knowledge society

• Strengthen research and knowledge creation

• Te rautaki mātauranga Māori

• Pacific people’s development and success

• Capability and quality

• Technical and Data Definitions