Excel in the growing health industry
Massey’s Bachelor of Health Science will prepare you to address the big health challenges facing the nation and the world in the 21st century.
Massey’s Bachelor of Health Science offers a wide range of health majors. Its multidisciplinary foundation will prepare you to make a creative and practical contribution to improving the health of individuals, communities and nations.
There is a growing need for people who understand personal, workplace and community health issues in today’s interconnected and complex world.
With an interdisciplinary approach, you’ll gain a good understanding of the biological and social bases of 21st century health issues. You’ll be able to apply your multidisciplinary skills to explore solutions and create interventions. You will gain the skills to assess current practices and policies and develop new ideas for bettering health.
The Bachelor of Health Science focuses on communication and critical-thinking skills. It will give you an understanding of research methods and the principles and practices of epidemiology. It will help you build your career in any of New Zealand’s major health sectors.
You’ll get an understanding of the many dimensions of personal and population health and healthcare in New Zealand. With a solid grounding in health science, you’ll be perfectly placed to contribute to improving the nation’s health from day one in the workplace.
It’s easy to build a degree around your special interests at Massey. Our Bachelor of Health Science offers a large and comprehensive suite of health majors. So you’ll have lots of choice. And with up to four elective courses, you can fine-tune these to your interests.
The Bachelor of Health Science is a great programme to find an exciting and rewarding career. Depending on your major, you could work in any of the following:
You may wish to consider further study once you have completed your degree. For example: a Postgraduate Diploma or Master of Health Science.
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.
If you need to do a course before you start your programme, there may be options for you in Summer School.
From the Schedule to the Degree including:
Compulsory courses
Course selection
Your major
Elective courses
Ensure you have:
Also attend field trips, studios, workshops, tutorials and laboratories as required.
See ‘Courses for this programme’ below for schedules of courses.
| 165 credits | ||
|---|---|---|
| 150112 | Hauora Tangata: Foundations of Māori Health | 15 |
| 150202 | Mauri ora: Māori Wellbeing and Vitality | 15 |
| 214101 | Human Bioscience: Normal Body Function | 15 |
| 214102 | Applied Sciences for Health Professionals | 15 |
| 214201 | Human Bioscience: Impaired Body Function | 15 |
| 231106 | Introduction to Public Health | 15 |
| 231107 | Social Determinants of Health | 15 |
| 250100 | Health Communication | 15 |
| 250205 | Principles and Practice of Epidemiology | 15 |
| 250303 | Systems Thinking and Design for Health | 15 |
| 250331 | Health of Communities | 15 |
| 214212 | Research Methods in the Health Sciences | 15 |
| 175203 | Introduction to Psychological Research | 15 |
| 30 credits | ||
|---|---|---|
| 147101 | Rehabilitation Studies | 15 |
| 147102 | Whakapiri: Engagement in Mental Health and Addiction Work | 15 |
| 175101 | Psychology as a Social Science | 15 |
| 175102 | Psychology as a Natural Science | 15 |
| 179155 | An Introduction to Helping Skills in Social and Community Work Practice | 15 |
| 214131 | Introduction to Food and Nutrition | 15 |
| 231108 | Health Intervention Management | 15 |
| 234121 | Functional Anatomy | 15 |
| 234141 | Introduction to Human Movement and Hauora | 15 |
| 145216 | Urban Environments | 15 |
| 147302 | Alcohol, Other Drugs and Addiction | 15 |
| 175303 | The Practice of Psychological Research | 15 |
| 175309 | Forensic Psychology | 15 |
| 175311 | Psychology of Women | 15 |
| 175318 | Experimental Psychology | 15 |
| 175345 | Organisational Psychology | 15 |
| 179320 | Community Development | 15 |
| 234331 | Sport in the Social Context | 15 |
| 250320 | Work Integrated Learning in Health Sciences | 15 |
Completing a major is compulsory. A Bachelor of Health Science major consists of 120 credits of compulsory courses.
If you study full-time you’ll take eight 15-credit courses each year.
For some majors, you will need to take specific 100-level core courses from Schedule A to ensure you have the necessary pre-requisites for 200-level major compulsory courses.
Check the regulations for your chosen major.
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.
“
I explored the educational experience of newly qualified male Registered Nurses in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Findings from my research aim to enhance the educational journey for male student nurses.
” Max Timothy Guy
Tutor, School of Nursing, Massey University
“
What I’ve enjoyed most about my studies is the way Massey embraces students and clearly makes an effort to give them the best experience possible. The lecturers and other staff are very supportive of their students.
” Omar Masoud Albalawi
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.