It’s a big day ahead for a group of aspiring movers and changers in the Bay. A group of 17 part-time students with full-time jobs will be graduating with Postgraduate Diplomas in Management Studies at the University of Waikato’s Tauranga campus graduation ceremony next week [Friday April 9].

They come from a wide range of businesses and organisations, including the District Health Board, Carter Holt Harvey, Ports of Tauranga, Tauranga City Council, Environment Bay of Plenty, Newmont Waihi Gold, the New Zealand Avocado Industry Council and Tauranga Boys’ High. There’s even a husband-and-wife duo, and a doctor from Rotorua Hospital who makes regular trips to Tauranga to attend classes.

The two-year part-time PGDip gives entry to Waikato’s well-regarded MBA programme, and nine of the graduands have caught the study bug and enrolled for the next intake starting in May.

Diane Drummond is one of those. She signed up for the PGDip to fast track her career, and then found herself negotiating redundancy from Tourism Bay of Plenty. After working as an independent business consultant, she joined Mount Classic Tours, a Tauranga-based business developing and selling tours in ports around New Zealand and Australia, as general manager.

“My professional profile has been enhanced, and even in these difficult economic times I was scooped up pretty quickly by an employer,” says Drummond. “I’m now looking forward to starting the final MBA year in Hamilton, bring it on!”

The Waikato qualification appealed to Drummond particularly because the tutors are all current practitioners. “They have kudos in the wider global business community, they relate to the issues faced by New Zealand's unique business environment, and they also understand the global context in which we must be competitive,” she says. “Having this type of mentor take you through your training is invaluable.”

And it was the practical value of the course material that really made the difference. “It wasn’t unusual to hear a fellow student talk about changes that they had introduced to the workplace as a result of the previous week’s training. We had to sometimes be careful that we didn't overshadow our bosses!”

Drummond came into the programme with a NZ Diploma of Business, and initially she was a bit apprehensive about her ability to keep up with the demanding course work. But with the support of her family, tutors and fellow students, she not only made the grade but also won the 2009 Waikato Management School Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence.

“My advice to prospective students is just do it,” she says. “You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.”

Altogether 130 Waikato University students at the Tauranga-based campus will be graduating – the highest number ever. The graduands, who include two PhDs, will parade down Devonport Road to the Holy Trinity Event Centre, where they and their families will be addressed by local MP Simon Bridges.

The University’s Tauranga campus currently has 689 domestic students enrolled, up 10.2% on this time last year.