A student using virtual reality (VR) equipment
Areas of interest

Study humanities and social sciences , Ākona te tikanga tangata me te mātauranga pāpori

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.

Need help or know what you want to study?

Push the boundaries

Study with us to think outside the box. Embrace innovative ideas and new technologies.

Striving to be Tiriti-led

We work to uphold the principles of te Tiriti o Waitangi – and to empower all New Zealanders, especially Māori.

Spoilt for choice

Massey has 35+ bachelor's degrees to choose from.

Uni of choice

Massey is New Zealand's university of choice for almost 30,000 students every year.

Overview

Humanities and social sciences get to the heart of what it means to be human, and the ways we create and communicate meaning. It's all about creative thinking for a changing world.

Choose from qualifications and courses that ask fundamental questions about society and culture. Address big educational issues. Sustain Aotearoa New Zealand's heritage. Delve into defence and security. Learn about why we think and act the way we do.

Graduate ready to participate in an increasingly interconnected world. Learn from expert lecturers and researchers from areas such as:

Join award-winning staff from our College of Humanities and Social Sciences – Te Kura Pūkenga Tangata to study the past, present and future of the world we live in — and your place within it.

What you could study

Here's a small sample of the qualifications and courses you could study as a Massey student of humanities and social sciences.

Undergraduate qualifications

An undergraduate qualification is generally the first thing you’ll study when you start at university.

Postgraduate qualifications

Once you’ve graduated with a bachelor’s degree — or have equivalent experience — you’ll be ready to take on postgraduate study.

Minor subjects

Follow your interests. Broaden your knowledge. As well as a specialisation (also called a major), you can add a minor to bachelor's degrees.

All Bachelor of Arts majors are available as minors, plus minor-only subjects such as:

  • French
  • indigenous psychologies
  • Portuguese
  • theatre studies.

Professional development

Improve your skills with professional development courses from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (Te Kura Hauora Tangata). Learn from our experts in areas such as emergency management, research and publishing, security, and teaching and education.

Search courses or qualifications

What our students say

“My research has enriched my understanding and knowledge of fast-changing security issues in the policing context.”
Toni Jordan

Master of International Security

“Be a creative thinker; challenge the status quo; and if you’re feeling bold, aim to become a change-maker. That’s what the BA did for me.”
Whaiora Patrick

Bachelor of Arts (Media Studies)

“A degree in planning equipped me with the skills and knowledge to facilitate sustainable development as cities continue to grow.”
John Yin

Bachelor of Resource and Environmental Planning

Our facilities

You'll have access to a wide range of first-class facilities when you study health with us. Here's a snapshot of what's on offer.

Te Pūtahi-a-Toi

Te Pūtahi-a-Toi - School of Māori Knowledge has a rūnanga room and a wharekai – Toi Te Ora – where we can manaaki visitors, students and staff.

Location: Manawatū campus

Te Pūtahi-a-Toi

Marae and Māori spaces

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

Theatre for the real world

Explore the change you want to see in the world, with Massey's unique focus on theatre and social justice.

Perform in theatre spaces with:

  • lighting rigs
  • projection capability
  • video recording.

Location: Auckland, Manawatū and Wellington campuses

Centre for Indigenous Psychologies

The centre is an inclusive physical and intellectual space.

Through our teaching and research, indigenous psychologies are embraced, experienced, understood and developed – in ways to benefit all communities.

Location: Manawatū campus

International Media Psychology Laboratory

This laboratory researches how humans interact with new and emerging VR technologies. It houses a state-of-the-art, fully ambulatory, room-scale virtual reality (VR) system.

Location: Manawatū (Palmerston North) campus

Audio

Our world-class equipment and facilities include:

  • audio booths for interviews or podcasting
  • dubbing theatre
  • live-rooms controlled by two of the world’s most sought-after desks – 72ch Neve and 48ch SSL Duality analogue console
  • studio equipped with the latest Avid hardware.

Meet our graduates

“Young people are contributing to the future of the language and making it relevant to their lives. If any generation is likely to show the future of te reo Māori it’ll be those who can speak Māori, and it’ll be the younger generation who’ve been raised through Māori medium education.”
Hinurewa Poutū

Ngāti Rangi, Te Āti Haunui a Pāpārangi, Ngāti Maniapoto

Doctor of Philosophy

“Studying at Massey was an amazing experience for me… I was offered a full-time role upon completion of my master’s.”
Holly Coulter

Cervical Screening Systems Adviser in Kiribati

MSc (Psychology) with endorsement in health psychology

Get an information guide

Download our guides to find out more about studying arts, teaching and social sciences at Massey.