Massey University offers world-leading and unique programmes across our specialities. Our agriculture programme is no.1 in New Zealand according to global rankings and we offer the only veterinary programme in New Zealand ranked in the top 25 in the world.
Massey University demands excellence in our sciences-related research. The College of Sciences brings together experts from several disciplines to further knowledge and make a difference in New Zealand and the world.
Our programmes are ranked as some of the best in the world, and we are accredited by major industry bodies internationally. Below is a selection of accreditations for sciences at Massey.
Massey is ranked by QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) as one of the top 50 universities for agriculture. QS is an organisation that ranks universities worldwide in various topics.
The Bachelor of Engineering with Honours programme has provisional accreditation by Engineering NZ as a professional engineering degree under the Washington Accord. This allows our graduates to work internationally.
The Massey veterinary programme is ranked by QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) as 29th in the world. QS is an organisation that ranks universities worldwide in various topics.
Massey is ranked in the world's top 200 universities for built environment in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings.
The Bachelor of Food Technology with Honours programme is approved by the US-based Institute of Food Technologists (IFT).
Massey University is an accredited veterinary college by the American Veterinary Medical Association. Accreditation is achieved through a review process conducted by an external review panel of practitioners and academics that verifies that the program meets the Requirements of an Accredited College of Veterinary Medicine.
Professor Geor is an internationally-recognised veterinary and agricultural science specialist, with expertise in equine medicine, nutrition and sport science. After spending nearly 30 years teaching and researching in America, he returned to New Zealand to take up the position of Pro Vice-Chancellor College of Sciences in 2015.
Professor Hall is the Deputy Pro-Vice Chancellor (Academic) for the College of Sciences. His expertise is in chemistry. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry he was a founding principal investigator in the MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology.
Professor Brunton is the head of School of Natural and Computational Sciences
Her research expertise is in social behaviour and the evolution and ecology of animal communication with her main research interest in the evolution of song.
A professor of postharvest technology, Professor Heyes' research background is in cell physiology, with more recent research focusing on connecting science to growth of the horticulture sector based on novel, high-value niche products.
Professor Huxley joined Massey University in May 2018, from the University of Nottingham. His research expertise is in dairy cow health and endemic diseases of dairy cattle, particularly lameness and the impact of the housed environment on animal health and welfare.
Professor Kemp is head of the School of Agriculture and Environment, one of the largest departments in the College. His areas of expertise lie in evaluation of herb pastures and agroforestry.
Dr Plieger is currently the acting Head of the School for the School of Fundamental Sciences. He is a trained inorganic synthetic chemist specialising in ligand design, synthesis and functionality.
Professor Sutrisna has an extensive body of academic research as well as university leadership and practical experience as a leader in the construction industry in the UK, Australia and Indonesia.
Claire works to leverage the College’s capability, networks, facilities and knowledge platforms in order to create a better future for New Zealand and the world. Claire is your contact if you are an organisation that wishes to work with the College of Sciences.
Completing my studies in plant science has opened up a wealth of opportunities, both in New Zealand and abroad.
Rowan Dickson
Secondary School Teacher
Bachelor of Science (Plant Science and Genetics)
I loved my experience at Massey University, keeping busy with sport, study and Massey Young Farmer’s Club. My time at Massey University gave me friendships and skills that will last the rest of my life.
Courtney Hill
FutureMe Graduate Programme, ASB Bank
Bachelor of Agriscience (now Bachelor of Agricultural Science)
My Massey study experience was excellent. I loved the interaction with the lecturers - especially in the smaller classes. Good lecturers along with interactive classes, field-trips and applicable assignments made for a great learning environment.
Luke Posthuma
Trainee Technical Adviser with Farmlands Horticulture in Pukekohe
Bachelor of Agricultural Science
Returning from fishing near Whangarei one day, I spotted a large pod of dolphins and a mother-calf pair of whales. It was then I knew I wanted to dedicate my life to working with whales and dolphins.
Blair Outhwaite
Master's student at Massey
Bachelor of Science (Marine Ecology) (now Marine Biology)
The values and philosophies instilled at Massey remain with me today, and lay at the heart of New Zealand’s competitive advantage.
Andrew Reid
General Manager, Extension
Bachelor of Science (Agricultural Science) now (International Agriculture)
I already had an overview of the business but my study has meant I’ve gained a much deeper understanding of what we are doing and why we are doing it.
Dean Tangiora
Shift Co-ordinator - Te Kuiti Meats
Diploma of Meat Technology
I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Massey and feel it provided the necessary basis to enter the workforce in my chosen field.
Shanna Hickling
Deputy Laboratory Manager, Linnaeus Laboratory
Bachelor of Science (Microbiology) (Genetics)
In addition to the knowledge gained from the degree, a biochemistry major provides a large skill set, such as time management, verbal skills and laboratory techniques.
Georgia Richardson
Food Safety - Ministry for Primary Industries
Bachelor of Science
I love detail and complexity. I love pulling apart systems and the underlying logic to see what really makes them tick. I find it absolutely exciting to develop models which emulate real-world behaviours.
Jay Ta'ala
Grade Simulation Specialist - BHP Billiton
Bachelor of Science (Mathematics)
I have always been passionate about numbers so choosing to study a BSc that was numbers-related was an easy decision for me.
Emily Hendy
Insights Analyst - Lotto NZ
Bachelor of Science (Statistics)
I loved the course, and this passion enabled me to get good grades and create great relationships with my peers and teachers.
Brad Coley
Quantity Surveyor, Rider Levett Bucknall
Bachelor of Construction (Quantity Surveying)
Real world, job-preparedness is great at Massey as you work on projects and presentations right from the first year. There is a great student to faculty ratio allowing excellent support from academic staff who are leaders in their fields.
Jono Barnard
University of Cambridge doing a PhD in Chemical Engineering
Bachelor of Engineering with Honours
I thoroughly enjoyed the broad range of ecological papers at Massey, and the opportunities in the PGDip to narrow my field of interest.
Mithuna Sothieson
Biodiversity Ranger, Department of Conservation
Postgraduate Diploma in Science (Conservation Biology)
I chose to do the MSc in conservation biology as the papers appealed to me and I wanted to challenge myself by having a go at undertaking a long-term research project.
Karin Sievwright
Graduate ecological consultant, Boffa Miskell
Master of Science (Conservation Biology)
I really enjoyed my time at Massey. The lecturers were fantastic, the field trips were great fun and I've made lifelong friends.
Ngaire Larsen
Research Associate, Plant and Food Research
Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Ecology)
The academy, set up by Massey University with Te Puni Kōkiri and Our Land and Water National Science Challenge support, fosters young Maori school pupils from Year 11 on their journey through to university, and ultimately the workforce. The programme works to engage with teachers and whanau to support the students’ science study in the Manawatū and Bay of Plenty and to build a wider community of Pūhoro students who share their passion for science.
The 6th International Palaeoflood Conference is being held at Massey University in Palmerston North in January 2020.
The need for robust reconstructions of flood histories is ever more pressing in an era of rapid global change. Improved understanding of past river behaviour and flood series extension are required to properly inform and prepare river managers, and society as a whole.
Massey University's Fertilizer and Lime Research Centre hosts an annual workshop, focused on a topic of importance to the New Zealand land-based industries. The workshop is of relevance to scientists, researchers, fertiliser industry representatives, producer boards, agricultural and horticultural consultants, progressive farmers, Government policy analysts and local and regional authorities who are concerned with primary production in New Zealand.
Come and hear from some of the leading minds in science today. Massey University Auckland scientists take you into the fascinating world of scientific discoveries.
The School of Built Environment at Massey University Auckland (Albany) is hosting the 2020 New Zealand Built Environment Research Symposium. The theme for the 2020 symposium is “Transforming New Zealand construction industry through innovation and performance improvement”.
Open Days at Massey University are your chance to explore your future options. They give you an insight into study areas, accommodation, student life and more.
Open Days are typically held around August each year on each of our campuses.
The International Symposium of Integrative Zoology is an annual conference sponsored by the International Society of Zoological Sciences (ISZS) and the journal Integrative Zoology. In 2019 the conference is hosted by Massey in Auckland, New Zealand with the theme of 'Zoological studies for animal conservation'.
Some examples of the funding and recognition for College of Sciences staff and their work.
A Massey University engineering team won its category at a global competition in New York City for an air-quality project.
PhD students Baden Parr and Tyrel Glass, Bachelor of Engineering Honours graduates Madhav Kruthiventy and Darryn Wells.
Keysight Technologies (US)
A new model for studying cancer biology and regenerative medicine has been awarded a $150,000 Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC) Explorer Grant.
Dr Tracy Hale, Associate Professor Vyacheslav Filichev and Professor Geoff Jameson
Health Research Council
A project led by Dr Jennifer Tate received $929,000 for a project to determine if there are genomic "rules" to successful polyploid speciation.
Dr Jennifer Tate
Royal Society Te Apārangi
A project to undertake a nationwide case-control study of the disease leptospirosis was awarded $1,199,841 from the Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC) in 2018. Massey's Associate Professor Jackie Benschop is Principal Investigator on this multi-university project.
Associate Professor Jackie Benschop
Health Research Council of New Zealand
Associate Professor Georg Zellmer was awarded $832,000 from the Royal Society's Marsden Fund for the project 'Water in spinel: a robust hygrometer for the Earth and Planetary Sciences'.
Associate Professor Georg Zellmer
Royal Society Te Apārangi
Associate Professor Gert Lube received $948,000 for research using Massey University's pyroclastic flow eruption simulator facility to investigate pyroclastic density currents.
Associate Professor Gert Lube
Royal Society Te Apārangi
Associate Professor Karen Stockin was appointed to the role of strandings coordinator within the Strandings Initiative at the International Whaling Commission.
Dr Karen Stockin
International Whaling Commission
Associate Professor Marie Wong, a Massey University food technologist has been awarded the New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology’s most prestigious award, the JC Andrews Award. The award recognises members who have made a substantial contribution to science and technology and leadership in the food industry.
Associate Professor Marie Wong
New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology
Distinguished Professor Harjinder Singh was the the first New Zealander to receive the 2018 American Dairy Science Association Distinguished Service Award. The award recognises unusually outstanding and consistent contributions to the welfare of the dairy industry.
Distinguished Professor Harjinder Singh
American Dairy Science Association
Distinguished Professor Paul Moughan has been honoured with a Supreme Silver Medal from Wageningen University and Research Centre, one of the Netherlands' top universities.
Professor Moughan, a Fellow Laureate of the Riddet Institute, has a long and distinguished career in protein science both at Massey and at Wageningen, where he spends time working and teaching every year.
Distinguished Professor Paul Moughan
Wageningen University
Distinguished Professor Peter Schwerdtfeger and Dr Elke Pahl were awarded $910,000 from the Royal Society's of New Zealand's Marsden Fund to explore and extend the periodic table of elements towards the super-heavy region.
Distinguished Professor Peter Schwerdtfeger and Dr Elke Pahl
Royal Society Te Apārangi
Distinguished Professor Peter Schwerdtfeger has been awarded the Dan Walls medal by the New Zealand Institute of Physics. The award is presented annually to a physicist working in New Zealand for at least ten years who is deemed to have made the greatest impact both nationally and internationally in his or her field of research.
Peter Schwerdtfeger
New Zealand Institute of Physics
Dr Cami Sawyer's approach to learning, including her work with distance students and incorporating mātauranga Māori into teaching, has been rewarded with a national teaching award.
A senior mathematics tutor, Dr Sawyer was awarded one of 10 2019 tertiary teaching awards from Ako Aotearoa, the National Centre for Tertiary Teaching Excellence.
The awards recognise teachers who have demonstrated commitment and support for learners that go far beyond good teaching practice.
Dr Cami Sawyer
Ako Aotearoa, the National Centre for Tertiary Teaching Excellence
Dr Carl Mesarich was awarded $300,000 from the Royal Society's Marsden Fund for the research project 'Making the switch: cell surface modifications that enable plant-pathogenic fungi to differentiate and maintain infection-related cellular morphotypes during host colonization'
Dr Carl Mesarich
Royal Society Te Apārangi
Dr David Aguirre, Ngāti Kahungunu, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, will develop a novel unified framework for reef ecosystems, and examine the forces governing transitions in the dominant species found on temperate and tropical reefs.
His research focuses on understanding how rapid change in the global climate over the last century affects marine biodiversity and, in turn, human populations.
Dr David Aguirre
Royal Society Te Apārangi
The College of Sciences has developed close relationships with industry across our areas of expertise.
We work with our partners on industry-relevant research and professional development and match final year students in some areas with companies to work on real world projects. Talk to us to find out how you can work with the College.
Massey University’s Auckland campus is in Albany on the North Shore of Auckland. College of Sciences are based on the main campus in the Mathematical Sciences building, with food technology, engineering and much of natural sciences on the nearby Otehe Rohe campus.
Massey University’s Manawatū campus is in Palmerston North. The College of Sciences is based in the Science Towers off the central concourse, Aghort buildings, Riddet Complex and other buildings around campus.
