Humanities and Social Sciences

College of Humanities and Social Sciences , Te Kura Pūkenga Tangata

Creative thinking for a changing world. It's at the heart of everything we do at the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Overview

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences – Te Kura Pūkenga Tangata offers teaching and research in a wide range of disciplines. We foster deep connections across Massey and beyond to forge innovative, relevant and valued ideas, research and teaching.

Te Tiriti o Waitangi at Massey

We are deeply committed to being a Tiriti-led college, demonstrating authentic leadership in contemporary Aotearoa New Zealand as we uphold te Tiriti o Waitangi, the founding document of our nation, and its principles through our practice. We embrace this not just as an obligation but as a real opportunity for the nation and its people.

Te Tiriti o Waitangi ki Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – The Treaty of Waitangi at Massey

Three young people talking around a table

Study with us

Learn from experts in your chosen subject and build a great career. Our study options include anthropology, creative writing, geography, planning, psychology, sociology, te reo Māori, teacher education, speech and language therapy and more.

Our research

Our researchers are contributing to people's lives and tackling the major challenges of our time with their work. Discover research activities in each of our disciplines.

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Partner with us

We partner with diverse communities and organisations that make a difference in the world. Partner with us to get involved.

Who we are

Our people make us who we are. Meet senior leaders in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Professor Bill Fish

Professor Bill Fish

Research Director

Bill Fish focuses on the philosophy of mind and perception. He is particularly interested in naïve realism and exploring if this view can be extended to theories of consciousness more generally.

Associate Professor Alison Kearney

Associate Professor Alison Kearney

Head of Institute of Education

Alison Kearney is a registered teacher with a PhD in Education. At Massey, Alison has taught in the Initial Teacher Education, Masters and Doctoral programmes and more recently, the Specialist Teaching Programme. Her research and teaching interests focus on educational equity, learning and motivation.

Professor Kerry Taylor

Professor Kerry Taylor

Head of School of Humanities, Media and Creative Communication

Kerry Taylor works in New Zealand history, focusing on the history of dissent and protest politics. He has published widely on the history of communism in New Zealand, and on visual and material culture. Notable roles include:

  • Board of Australasian Consortium of Humanities Research Centres
  • Trustee of the Alexander Turnbull Library Endowment Trust.
Professor Hēmi Whaanga

Professor Hēmi Whaanga

Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Mamoe, Waitaha
Head of School Te Pūtahi-a-Toi

Hēmi Whaanga specialises in mātauranga, indigenous methodologies, linguistics and te reo Māori, ethics and technology.  His background includes research, leadership and teaching, and he has contributed at disciplinary, institutional, national and international levels.  

Professor Bethan Greener

Professor Bethan Greener

Head of School of People, Environment and Planning

Beth focuses on how states and others seek to provide security and what this means for world order. Her research interests also include the relationship between liberalism and the use of force, how states seek to use their agencies for security provision, international policing through the UN, South Pacific security, gender and security, and the relationship between public and private security.

Associate Professor Kirsty Ross

Associate Professor Kirsty Ross

Head of School of Psychology (acting)

Kirsty Ross is a registered senior clinical psychologist with a PhD in Psychology. She coordinates and teaches within the clinical psychology training programme at Massey. Her research and teaching centres on child and family clinical psychology, clinical health psychology, trauma (particularly the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences) and developmental and systemic psychology.

Professor Jenny Poskitt

Professor Jenny Poskitt

Director of College Projects

Jenny has experience as a primary school teacher, teaching undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral levels. Her research includes educational assessment, student and professional learning, which has contributed to policy, research, and professional practice locally, nationally and internationally. Jenny is involved in service, management, and leadership roles throughout the university.

Associate Professor Peter Rawlins

Associate Professor Peter Rawlins

Director of Academic Quality

Peter has been a registered teacher since 1985. He has won several teaching excellence and innovation awards. Peter’s research focus is in Assessment and Mixed Methods Research. He is on the executive committee for the New Zealand Assessment Institute, and the Global governance board for the Mixed Methods International Research Association.

Dr Tony Fisher

Dr Tony Fisher

Director of Teaching and Learning

Tony Fisher is a linguist by training, and has over twenty years of experience teaching in a range of contexts. His research interests include political communication, with a specific focus on televised political debates. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Linguistic Society of New Zealand.

Schools

Our college is home to five schools:

Institute of Education

Teacher education, specialist programmes for other education careers, speech and language therapy, and research focused on equality in education.

School of Humanities, Media & Creative Communication

Explore cultures, society, theories and ideas – and the arts – with a rich variety of specialisations.

Te Pūtahi-a-Toi

Te Pūtahi-a-Toi produces graduates and research inspired by te ao Māori (the Māori world).

School of People, Environment & Planning

New Zealand’s largest multi-disciplinary university social science unit – Massey's School of People, Environment and Planning.

School of Psychology

Meet the real world head on. We examine today's challenges and contribute to people's wellbeing and resilience.

Clinics

Massey clinics offer services for the public, as well as research or training for staff, students and professionals.

Our psychology clinics

Massey's three on-campus clinics provide psychology services to the public, as well as professional development for psychologists, interns and students.

Location: Auckland, Manawatū and Wellington campuses

Mother and child

Speech-language Therapy Clinic

A teaching clinic offering therapy for children and adults who experience communication and eating difficulties. Supervised by specialist staff, students provide assessment and intervention support at the clinic and in the community.

Location: Auckland campus

Donate to the College of Humanities and Social Sciences

We welcome your support in raising money to enable excellence in scholarship, teaching and research in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Humanities and social sciences news

Discover news from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Brazilian Government honours Massey Professor

Friday 1 March 2024

Professor Leonel Alvarado from the School of Humanities, Media and Creative Communication has been made an Officer of the Order of Rio Branco for his services to the Portuguese language and Brazilian culture in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Interactive exhibition harnesses history for a safer future

Tuesday 27 February 2024

An interactive tsunami exhibition is drawing from past tragedy to provide residents of Rēkohu Wharekauri/Chatham Islands with lessons on how to be better prepared for future events.

International development degree leads to dream role

Thursday 1 February 2024

Master of International Development student Isabella Patrick has found her dream role helping Samoa’s tourism industry prepare for the impact of climate change.

Opinion: The New Zealand Defence Force in 2024: The end of the peace dividend?

Friday 26 January 2024

By Associate Professor William Hoverd.

Contact the College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Student enquiries: please contact the Massey Contact Centre

Enquiries

Pro Vice-Chancellor’s Office Karen O'Hagan

Directors’ Offices

Academic Programmes Fiona Paewai

Teaching and Learning (TBC)

International Manager Kerry Taylor, Ann Wu-Ross

Regional Directors’ Offices

Auckland (TBC)

Wellington  Megan Burnett

College of Humanities and Social Sciences – Auckland campus

Location

Physical address
Level 2
Atrium Building
Auckland

Postal address
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Massey University
Private Bag 102 904
North Shore MSC
Auckland

Use our Auckland campus maps or find us on Google Maps.

College of Humanities and Social Sciences – Manawatū campus

Location

Physical address
Level 3 Sir Geoffrey Peren Building
Manawatū campus
Palmerston North

Postal address
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Massey University
Private Bag 11-222
Palmerston North 4442

Use our Manawatū campus maps or find us on Google Maps.

College of Humanities and Social Sciences – Wellington campus

Location

Physical address
Level C (ground floor)
Block 7
Wellington campus
Tasman Street
Wellington 6021

Postal address
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Massey University
Private Box 756
Wellington

Use our Wellington campus maps or find us on Google Maps.

Social media

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Looking for a staff member? Visit our staff directory or use Expertise search.