Application Anxiety? Read our field guide to joining MDS in 2026
Navigating NCEA can be challenging, so here at MDS, we want to make that process as painless as possible by helping you explore your entry options and breaking it down as simply as we can.
We’ve put together a handy guide to help you learn more about Discretionary Entrance for Year 12s and 13s. We hope this helps to simplify the process for our future students and we can’t wait to welcome you all into our creative community.
Certificate and Course Endorsements
- To receive a Certificate Endorsement, you will need 50 credits at Merit or Excellence level.
- Course Endorsements would require 14 credits at Achieved or Merit or Excellence level in a course, students will also need to achieve at least 3 credits from external assessment and 3 from internal assessment (where these requirements usually apply).
University Entrance
- To be awarded University Entrance you will need 14 credits in each of 3 UE Approved Subjects. You will still need to attain NCEA Level 3 and meet literacy and numeracy requirements.
Find out more about how a course endorsement can help you to expedite your application in the Discretionary Entrance section below.
What is Discretionary Entrance?
Discretionary entrance means meeting alternative entry criteria for one of our programmes. We take into consideration your existing credits and your academic performance at Level 2, as well as reviewing your portfolio. Successful applicants are guaranteed a spot in their chosen MDS Bachelor’s programme, without needing to rely on attaining University Entrance. For Year 13 students, this could mean securing your place even before you sit your external exams. For Year 12 students, this could mean heading straight into your Bachelor’s Degree as early as March next year.
What are the criteria?
To be eligible for discretionary entrance into an MDS Bachelor’s programme, students need to have, or be on track to have:
- An Excellence Endorsement in art/design subjects at Level 2, AND
- Literacy and Numeracy requirements, i.e.: 10 credits in Maths at Level 1 and 10 credits in English at Level 2 (5 reading/5 writing).
For Year 13 students
If you meet the above criteria, you may be eligible for early unconditional discretionary entrance. You will need to supply a portfolio and letter of intent as part of your application.
If you’re not awarded discretionary entrance for 2026, you’ll be considered based on whether or not you achieve University Entrance (UE) in Year 13. If you don’t meet UE requirements upon completion of your Level 3 studies, you’ll be offered a place in one of our Level 4 certificates as a pathway.
For Year 12 students - YOU CAN START YOUR TERTIARY STUDY EARLY
If you meet the above criteria, you may be eligible for early discretionary entrance. This offer will be conditional on completion of Level 2 and an excellence endorsement in Art/Design related subjects. You will need to supply a portfolio and letter of intent as part of your application. It is also highly recommended that students considering early entry into tertiary studies supply a letter of recommendation from a faculty member at your high school.
That means you could be doing your first year of your Bachelors in Year 13 instead! Consider taking advantage of a true head start by doing something you love and challenging your limits.
If you are not awarded discretionary entrance for Feb 2026, you’ll be offered a place in one of our Level 4 certificate's as a pathway to the Bachelor qualifications in the July 2026 intake.
