Auckland University of Technology
The Auckland Technical School opened its doors in 1895 as an evening school for local students. Robert Stout, the Minister of Education in 1885, had tried to compel universities and secondary schools to establish technical education before this opening. The institution became Seddon Memorial Technical College in 1913 after being named for Richard Seddon, the longest-serving New Zealand premier. Educational reforms in the early 1960s separated secondary and tertiary teaching into two distinct establishments. The tertiary body adopted the name Auckland Technical Institute (ATI) in 1963 while the secondary school moved to Western Springs. In 1989, ATI became Auckland Institute of Technology (AIT). Official university status arrived on the 1st of January 2000 when the Auckland Institute of Technology was incorporated by Order in Council under the Education Act 1989.
City Campus spreads over several sites in the heart of central Auckland with Wellesley Street East hosting most academic units. The largest site houses the Vice-Chancellor's Office and research centres alongside Faculties of Business, Economics and Law, Design and Creative Technologies, Culture and Society and Te Ara Poutama. A new WZ building designed to house engineering, computer science and mathematics students opened its first eight levels in July 2018. This twelve-storey structure cost $120 million and featured visible structural components and exposed ceilings as a teaching tool. Sustainability goals included rainwater collection for labs and solar fins to regulate heat from the sun. Another recent completion is the $98 million WG precinct named after former Chancellor Sir Paul Reeves which officially opened on the 22nd of March 2013. Prime Minister John Key cut the ribbon at this twelve-storey building that provides about 20,000 square metres of learning space including convention spaces and television studios. South Campus opened in 2010 creating the first university campus based in the region. The Mana Hauora Building construction completed in December 2016 was officially opened by Prime Minister Bill English in March 2017.
AUT has five faculties covering Culture and Society, Business, Economics and Law, Design and Creative Technologies, Health and Environmental Sciences and Te Ara Poutama. Sixteen schools sit within these faculties including Art and Design, Clinical Sciences, Communication Studies and Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences. The institution offers undergraduate and postgraduate degrees alongside sub-degree qualifications such as diplomas and certificates. Programmes span applied sciences, art and design, business information systems, communication studies and computer and information sciences. Additional fields include education, engineering, health care practice, hospitality and tourism, languages, law, mathematical science, midwifery, nursing and occupational therapy. The AUT Business School received recognition from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International as one of the top business schools in the world. Universities New Zealand reported a student headcount of 25,270 in 2024 with 18,565 equivalent full-time students.
The university opened new research centres and institutes in 2016 bringing the total number to more than 60 across a wide range of disciplines. In 2016 quality-assured research outputs increased by 9% to more than 2000 outputs including publication in leading international journals. The Pacific Media Centre founded in 2007 develops media and journalism research particularly involving Māori, Pacific Islands and ethnic topics. Founding director David Robie won a Vice Chancellor's Award in 2011 for excellence in university teaching. Pacific Media Watch launched its daily independent Asia-Pacific media monitoring service in Sydney in October 1996 before moving to AUT in 2007. The journal Pacific Journalism Review has been published since 2002 and was awarded the Creative Stimulus Award in Beijing China in October 2010. The New Zealand Tourism Research Institute established in 1999 by Professor Simon Milne brought together 19 researchers and 15 PhD students by 2010. This institute conducts research projects around the world with links to Huế University in Vietnam and Wageningen University in the Netherlands.
In the 2026 Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings published in 2025 the university attained a tied position of #410 nationally eighth place. Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026 placed the institution at position #401, 500 tied fifth to seventh nationally. The 2025 Academic Ranking of World Universities positioned the school at #901-1000 seventh nationally. U.S. News & World Report Best Global Universities ranked it at a tied position of #572 fifth nationally. CWTS Leiden Ranking 2024 listed the university at position #974 seventh nationally. As a relatively new university AUT came in eighth place in the 2006 Performance-Based Research Fund round but showed the greatest improvement in PBRF rating among New Zealand's eight universities. Sir Paul Reeves served as university chancellor from 2005 until his death in 2011.
AUTSA (AUT Students' Association) is the students' association where every student attending an AUT course becomes a member automatically. The primary function promotes and maintains rights and welfare through advocacy, assignment binding and food vouchers. A fortnightly student magazine called Debate features news, views, cartoons and feature articles produced by a full-time editor and student contributors. Debate won Best Small Publication in 2005 under editor Rebecca Williams and Best Humourist in 2009 under Ryan Boyd. Vesbar operates throughout the year as a campus venue owned and operated by AUTSA for its students. The association supports more than 40 affiliated clubs and organises concerts, comedy shows and live DJs. An annual Orientation Festival brings together the community while the AUT Titans won gold in netball and touch rugby at the Australian University Games in 2009. The AUTSA lodge based in Tongariro National Park accommodates up to 12 people for $160 per night.
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Common questions
When did Auckland University of Technology open its doors as an evening school?
The Auckland Technical School opened its doors in 1895 as an evening school for local students. Robert Stout, the Minister of Education in 1885, had tried to compel universities and secondary schools to establish technical education before this opening.
What date did Auckland University of Technology receive official university status?
Official university status arrived on the 1st of January 2000 when the Auckland Institute of Technology was incorporated by Order in Council under the Education Act 1989. The institution became Seddon Memorial Technical College in 1913 after being named for Richard Seddon, the longest-serving New Zealand premier.
Where is the City Campus of Auckland University of Technology located?
City Campus spreads over several sites in the heart of central Auckland with Wellesley Street East hosting most academic units. The largest site houses the Vice-Chancellor's Office and research centres alongside Faculties of Business, Economics and Law, Design and Creative Technologies, Culture and Society and Te Ara Poutama.
How many faculties does Auckland University of Technology have and what are they called?
AUT has five faculties covering Culture and Society, Business, Economics and Law, Design and Creative Technologies, Health and Environmental Sciences and Te Ara Poutama. Sixteen schools sit within these faculties including Art and Design, Clinical Sciences, Communication Studies and Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences.
When did the WZ building at Auckland University of Technology open its first eight levels?
A new WZ building designed to house engineering, computer science and mathematics students opened its first eight levels in July 2018. This twelve-storey structure cost $120 million and featured visible structural components and exposed ceilings as a teaching tool.
What student headcount did Universities New Zealand report for Auckland University of Technology in 2024?
Universities New Zealand reported a student headcount of 25,270 in 2024 with 18,565 equivalent full-time students. The institution offers undergraduate and postgraduate degrees alongside sub-degree qualifications such as diplomas and certificates.