Skip to Content

Global Student Athlete Program

Student athletes who are interested in studying abroad but need to maintain a serious training/fitness regimen can take advantage of Massey University’s Global Student-Athlete (GSA) program. This program is only available at the Palmerston North Manawatū campus. GSA provides training and conditioning to complement a semester at Massey and is structured outside of normal classroom hours. Students will train with the elite sportspeople of the Manawatū region and have opportunities to engage with both professional athletes and New Zealand representatives. Students can choose from one of four tracks:

  • Strength and conditioning: Provides athletes from any sport with structured personal training sessions to improve their stamina and fitness. This track combines training, performance tracking, access to a specialized gym, and athlete-oriented workshops. Available Semesters One and Two.
  • Rugby: An opportunity for overseas rugby players to train alongside professional coaches and athletes in New Zealand. You’ll be able to join a regional team and play in weekly competitions throughout the semester. Only available during Semester One.
  • Golf: Offers weekly and private lessons, matches with a golf pro, a course, driving range, practice fairway membership, and reciprocal rights at other courses. You’ll need to bring your own clubs, but storage space is provided for you. Available Semesters One and Two.
  • Cricket: Includes coaching by professional players, weekly training sessions, placement into a local cricket team, training kit, and a sport center membership. Available Semesters One and Two.

There is a supplemental fee for the GSA program, ranging from NZD $999-NZD $3,000, depending on the track you choose to pursue. In addition, scholarships of up to NZD $750 are available for students who participate in any of the GSA tracks. No additional forms are required to apply for one of the Accelerator Scholarships. Everyone who enrolls in GSA is automatically considered for one of the scholarships.

USAC's program advisors are available to answer your questions and provide additional information. Contact us at studyabroad@usac.edu

Apply