Think critically. Solve problems. Find work. Change the world.
With a Massey BA, you can study subjects that you enjoy, while learning to be a creative, critical and independent thinker. You’ll also get the transferable skills that today’s employers are looking for in a rapidly changing world.
A Massey Bachelor of Arts is your passport to discovering, questioning and understanding the big issues and big ideas. Discover new ways of making sense of life in the 21st century. You’ll explore humanity’s richness and diversity, its conflicts and cataclysms, its triumphs of art and knowledge.
With 26 majors to choose from, there’s something for everyone. You can also select your major in your second year, so there’s plenty of time to make a choice.
You’ll be introduced to new ways of making sense of the world. Your assumptions and ideas will be challenged. Your ability to make informed choices, evaluate evidence and construct reasoned arguments will be strengthened. And you will use your intellect and imagination to generate imaginative solutions to complex local and global challenges.
If studying on campus is not an option for you, study via distance. Your study will fit with your lifestyle and your commitments. Whatever your circumstances, we’ve got you covered.
Business Psychology
Chinese
Classical Studies
Creative Writing
Defence Studies
Economics
Education
Educational Psychology
English
Environmental Studies
Geography
History
Japanese
Linguistics
Māori Knowledge
Mathematics
Media Studies
Philosophy
Politics and International Relations
Psychology
Security Studies
Social Anthropology
Social Policy
Sociology
Spanish
Statistics
For more information on minors see the Courses and planning tab.
Chinese
Classical Studies
Creative Writing
Defence Studies
Development Studies
Economics
Education
Educational Psychology
Emergency Management
English
Environmental Studies
French
Geography
History
Indigenous Psychologies
Japanese
Linguistics
Māori Knowledge
Mathematics
Media Studies
Philosophy
Planning Studies
Politics and International Relations
Portuguese
Psychology
Rehabilitation Studies
Security Studies
Social Anthropology
Social Policy
Sociology
Spanish
Statistics
Te Reo Māori
Theatre Studies
The nature of work is rapidly changing, and our research with employers tells us that the BA is highly relevant to today’s business environment. Transferable skills such as problem solving, critical thinking and communication, which are at the core of the BA, will enable you to thrive in today’s job market.
Studying a BA at Massey will ensure you develop these skills and make you ready for the jobs of the future.
Our research tells us that our BA graduates work right across the public and private sectors. We have graduates working in:
“The BA prepares people for the future and the future labour market.”
“A BA provides graduates who have the skills in information analysis, writing and thinking that are vital to business in the modern age.”
“A BA teaches broad thinking and research abilities. It leads to articulate workers who are able to think for themselves.”
“Knowledge is moving and changing so quickly, and we need people who are critical thinkers and multi-taskers. I see these attributes more readily in a BA graduate as opposed to a more specialist degree.”
Once you have completed your BA you can move on to further study: join us for a postgraduate diploma, an honours year, a master’s degree or a PhD in your chosen subject.
New Zealand is a great place to study. Massey University’s reputation is supported by our international rankings, accreditations and associations. We are rated five star plus by the QS World University Rankings.
Massey University has small class sizes, and our lecturers and staff are friendly and approachable.
As an international student, there are entry requirements that will apply to you. We recommend that you apply at least three months before your anticipated start date so your application can be processed in time. There are additional steps you will need to take. These include obtaining a visa and travel bookings if your study is to be in New Zealand.
All students must meet university entrance requirements to be admitted to the University.
There are no specific entry requirements for this programme, outside of university admission regulations.
To study this programme you must meet Massey University's English language standards.
For information on prior learning, exemptions and transfer of credit or other questions:
If you need help with your English language skills before you start university, we have courses and programmes that may help.
From the Schedule to the Degree including:
Core courses
Major courses
Elective courses
Ensure across all your courses you also have:
Attend field trips, studios, workshops, tutorials and laboratories as required.
See ‘Courses for this programme’ below for schedules of courses.
| 230110 | Tūrangawaewae: Identity & Belonging in Aotearoa NZ | 15 |
| 230111 | Tū Kupu: Writing and Inquiry | 15 |
| 230112 | Tū Arohae: Critical Thinking | 15 |
| 230210 | Tū Rangaranga: Global Encounters | 15 |
| 230310 | Tū Tira Mai: Practising Engagement | 15 |
| 130301 | Incident Command Systems | 15 |
| 192101 | English for Academic Purposes for Speakers of Other Languages | 15 |
| 192102 | Academic Writing in English for Speakers of Other Languages | 15 |
| 150103 | Nau mai e noho: Engaging with Māori | 15 |
| 169101 | Introduction to Asian Thought | 15 |
| 230102 | Pacific Peoples in New Zealand | 15 |
| 294382 | Advanced Biosecurity | 15 |
Completing a major is compulsory. A major requires 135 credits. The Business Psychology major requires 195 credits.
Business Psychology
Chinese
Classical Studies
Creative Writing
Defence Studies
Economics
Education
Educational Psychology
English
Environmental Studies
Geography
History
Japanese
Linguistics
Māori Knowledge
Mathematics
Media Studies
Philosophy
Politics and International Relations
Psychology
Security Studies
Social Anthropology
Social Policy
Sociology
Spanish
Statistics
Completing a minor is optional. Minors increase the breadth of your degree and give you extra knowledge, attributes and capabilities. A minor must be in a different subject from your major.
You may choose a minor from any University undergraduate degree that has recognised minors. If the minor is from another degree the regulations of that programme will apply.
All BA majors are available as minors. The following are also available as minor-only topics. See the BA regulations for requirements.
Examine the processes that are transforming people's lives throughout the world.
Get useful career skills in disaster prevention and management that can be applied in a range of fields.
Gain knowledge of French language and culture in an ever-growing multilingual global economy.
Indigenous psychologies is a movement, perspective and approach that examines how the worldviews specific to particular communities influence the thoughts and behaviours of group members.
Contribute to the design of better communities and sustainable use of resources.
Gain knowledge of the Portuguese language and culture.
Get the practical, discipline-focused writing skills you need to succeed in a variety of working environments.
Get a broad general knowledge of the purpose, practice and philosophy of rehabilitation.
Participate in a Māori language community in ways that reinforce the everyday use of te reo.
This exciting applied theatre and performing arts course combines theatre for social change with real-world communication techniques.
Chinese
Classical Studies
Creative Writing
Defence Studies
Development Studies
Economics
Education
Educational Psychology
Emergency Management
English
Environmental Studies
French
Geography
History
Indigenous Psychologies
Japanese
Linguistics
Māori Knowledge
Mathematics
Media Studies
Philosophy
Planning Studies
Politics and International Relations
Portuguese
Psychology
Rehabilitation Studies
Security Studies
Social Anthropology
Social Policy
Sociology
Spanish
Statistics
Te Reo Māori
Theatre Studies
If you study full-time, you’ll take 120 credits per year or 60 credits per semester.
If you study part-time you will usually take at least three courses (45 credits) each year. This can be spread across Semester One, Semester Two and Summer School.
Core courses 230.110, 230.111 and 230.112 must be completed within the first 120 credits, and 230.210 within the first 240 credits of study towards the degree.
Not all courses are available in each semester.
Core courses These courses are a compulsory part of your qualification.
Major courses Choose from a selection of courses appropriate for your specialisation.
Minor courses You may choose to pursue study in a second subject area from any Massey bachelor's degree that offers minors.
Elective courses Follow your interests. Your qualification may have selection guidelines for elective courses.
| Year one |
|---|
| 230.110 Tūrangawaewae: Identity and Belonging |
| 230.111 Tū Kupu: Writing and Inquiry |
| 230.112 Tū Arohae: Critical Thinking |
| 100-level major |
| 100-level major |
| 100-level minor |
| Minor |
| Elective |
| Year two |
|---|
| 230.210 Tū Rangaranga: Global Encounters |
| 200-level major |
| 200-level major |
| 200-level major |
| 200-level minor |
| 200-level minor |
| Elective |
| Elective |
| Year three |
|---|
| 230.310 Tū Tira Mai: Practising Engagement |
| 300-level major |
| 300-level major |
| 300-level major |
| 300-level major |
| 300-level minor |
| Elective |
| Elective |
Courses are each worth 15 credits
Your tuition fees may be different depending on the courses you choose. Your exact fees will show once you have chosen your courses.
There will also be some compulsory non-tuition fees and for some courses, there may also be charges for things such as study resources, software, trips and contact workshops.
If you already know which courses you are going to take, you can use our fees calculator to get an estimate of your fees.
You may be eligible for a student loan to help towards paying your fees.
The New Zealand Government offers fees-free tertiary study for eligible domestic students. Find out more about the scheme and your eligibility on the Fees Free website. To use the site's eligibility checking tool, you will need your National Student Number.
Current and returning Massey students will find their National Student Number on their student homepage.
“
What I took away from the te reo course component was a stronger foundation of tikanga (protocols and custom), cultural identity and personal value as a Māori.
” Talisa Kupenga
Compare qualifications and academic information across different New Zealand institutions.
Review this important information before you apply for this programme. This gives you full details of the rules and regulations about what you need to study and what you must achieve in order to graduate with this qualification. That includes structure, courses and requirements. These regulations should be read in conjunction with all other Statutes and Regulations of the University including the below.
If you are ready to apply, have a look at our application checklist. It will help you get prepared with what you need. Please also check the entry requirements carefully before you apply.
You will apply for the programme using the Apply now button on this page. You’ll also choose your specialisation (major, subject or endorsement) if applicable.
Some programmes have additional requirements such as the submission of a portfolio or CV. Click on Apply now and you will be able to submit those documents as part of the application process.
You will receive an Admission Offer of Place when you have been accepted into the programme. You need to accept this before you can enrol in your courses. International students also need to pay their fees at this point.
You’ll then get access to your own student homepage (also known as the student portal). This is where you can enrol in courses. Any updates on your application or enrolments will also be on your student homepage. Make sure you check this regularly.
When you choose courses, ensure you check for any requirements that apply including:
Each of our courses has its own webpage where you can find this information. You can use our course search to find course pages.
More information on courses is in the ‘Courses for this programme’ section on this page.
You can find information on application due dates and semester dates on the key dates page.
We look forward to welcoming you to Massey!
If you have any questions, contact us through the Enquire button on this page.
Each Massey programme is made up of courses (in some tertiary institutions they are called ‘papers’).
You will have some compulsory courses and some you can choose from.
Each course is worth a certain amount of credits (often 15 credits, but this does vary). You must gain a set number of credits to be able to graduate from this programme.
There may also be some rules about which courses you need to pass to progress to the next year, or stage, of your study (known as progression). There are also courses you must pass to graduate with a specialisation.
The first three digits of our course numbers show you which subject the course is about.
The second three digits show you the level and course ID number. For instance:
| 1 | 6 | 2 | . | 3 | 0 | 1 | |
| Subject area | Level | Course ID number | |||||
Electives are courses that are not compulsory. Certain guidelines are usually provided on courses you may take. Elective courses contribute to the programme, but not to your major or specialisation.
Use this tool to help determine how much time you will need each week to complete your studies.
For returning students, there may be changes to the majors and minors available and the courses you need to take. Go to the section called ‘Transitional Provisions’ in the Regulations to find out more.
In some cases the programme or specialisation you enrolled in may no longer be taking new enrolments, so may not appear on these web pages. To find information on the regulations for these programmes go to the Massey University Calendar.
Please contact us through the Enquire button on this page if you have any questions.
There are a number of scholarships available for new and current students. They could relate to your situation, achievement or interest.