COVID-19 update: All of New Zealand is now at Red. More information.
Overview
Excel in the growing health industry
Level
- Postgraduate, NZQF Level 9
Credits
- 180
Duration
- 1.5 year(s) full-time. Available part-time.
Other
- Not all courses available in any one year/at all campuses.
Note: This programme is covered by the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Vaccinations) Amendment Order 2021. Students are required to provide details of their vaccination status on enrolment.
Through advanced studies in a specialised focus subject, the Master of Health Science offers you an opportunity to pursue research in health sciences.
If you have successfully completed an undergraduate degree with a health focus such as a Bachelor of Health Science, Bachelor of Nursing, Bachelor of Sport and Exercise, or any other health-related qualification, then you may wish to consider the Master of Health Science.
If you want to undertake postgraduate study in health science, you’ll need to obtain permission from the Programme Director of postgraduate health science. Enquire to find out more.
Specialisations
Majors, subjects or endorsements
Careers and further study
Careers
This is a great programme that will help you progress to an exciting and rewarding career. You could work in any of the following, depending on your subject area:
- athlete strength and conditioning
- careers in quality assurance
- clinical exercise prescription consultant
- consultancy and advisory positions
- corporate health and fitness
- exercise for elderly care homes
- fitness centres
- health promotion
- iwi authorities
- medical centres and hospitals
- prison service
- public health positions
- research
- sports teams and national sporting bodies
- track for further advanced study
- health and safety managers
- WorkSafe New Zealand and ACC employees
- occupational health and safety consultants
- occupational health nurses
- environmental health, air pollution and noise control specialists
- occupational hygienists
- human resource managers and advisors
- research assistant; research associate.
International students
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.
Entry requirements
University admission
All students must meet university entrance requirements to be admitted to the University.
Programme admission
Required
To enter the Master of Health Science programme you will have been awarded or qualified for:
- a relevant health-related bachelor’s degree with a minimum B- grade average over the 200/300 level courses, or
- a relevant health-related bachelor’s degree and extensive professional experience, or
- a Postgraduate Diploma in a relevant health-related discipline, or
- a Bachelor of Health Science (Honours) degree.
If you have a postgraduate diploma in a relevant health-related discipline or a Bachelor of Health Science (Honours) degree as outlined above, you may apply for credit towards Part One of the qualification in accordance with the limits specified in the Recognition of Prior Learning regulations.
Specific subject requirements for nursing, psychology and medical laboratory science subjects
- To enter the Master of Health Science (Nursing) programme you will be a registered nurse with a practising certificate from the Nursing Council of New Zealand.
- To enter the Master of Health Science (Psychology) subject you will have been awarded or qualified for:
- a relevant health related Bachelor's degree having achieved at least at least a B grade average in the 300-level level courses, or equivalent; or
- a relevant health related Bachelor's degree and have extensive relevant professional experience; or
- a Postgraduate Diploma in a relevant health related discipline or the Bachelor of Health Science with Honours, having achieved at least a B grade average, or equivalent.
- To enter the Master of Health Science (Medical Laboratory Science) you will hold a current Annual Practicing Certificate (APC) for employment in the Scope of Practice of "Medical Laboratory Scientist" and have been practicing as a Medical Laboratory Scientist in an ISO15189 accredited NZ Diagnostic Medical Laboratory for at least one year.
You must provide verified copies of all academic transcripts for studies taken at all universities other than Massey University.
English language requirements
To study this programme you must meet Massey University's English language standards.
Prior learning, credit and exemptions
For information on prior learning, exemptions and transfer of credit or other questions:
- review the Recognition of Prior Learning regulations
- contact us through the Enquire button on this page.
If you do not have the entry requirements
English language and foundation courses
If you need help with your English language skills before you start university, we have courses and qualifications that may help.
Summer School
If you need to do a course before you start your programme, there may be options for you in Summer School.
Courses and planning
Credit summary
180 credits
Professional Pathway
- Part One compulsory course – 30 credits
- Part One subject courses – 90 credits
- Part Two research – 60 credits
Research Pathway
- Part One compulsory course – 30 credits
- Part One subject courses – 30-60 credits
- Part Two research courses – 90-120 credits
A specialisation (subject) is compulsory.
Advanced entry: Those who have already completed specified qualifications in advance of the minimum entry requirements and have been granted credit for it, may be able to complete this degree in 60 - 120 credits.
Courses for this programme
Part One
Core courses: Professional Pathway
| 168713 | Evidence-Based Practice | 30 |
or (Psychology specialisation only)
| 175738 | Psychological Research: Principles of Design | 15 |
Core courses: Research Pathway
| 168711 | Health Research Design and Method | 30 |
| 179702 | Advanced Research Methods | 30 |
or (Māori Health specialisation only)
| 150714 | Ta Te Māori Rangahau Korero: Māori Research Methodologies | 30 |
or (Psychology specialisation only)
| 175738 | Psychological Research: Principles of Design | 15 |
Subjects
Please refer to individual specialisation page for a list of courses for your specialisation.Majors and minors
About specialisations
A subject is compulsory. Subjects require 150 credits, except for Psychology which requires 165 credits.
Planning your programme
Planning overview
If you study full-time, you’ll take 120 credits per year or 60 credits per semester.
Depending on the subject undertaken, courses may be offered in a combination of internal offerings (on-campus), distance offerings, block courses and blended learning.
The Master of Health Science is a parts-based qualification. That means you must complete the first part, before moving to the second. You can choose a research pathway or a professional pathway (most subjects).
Professional pathway: For the professional pathway progression from Part One to Part Two, you must have achieved a minimum B- grade in the Part One Core course 168.713.
Research pathway: For the research pathway progression from Part One to Part Two, you must have achieved a minimum B grade in the Part One Core course, one of 168.711, 179.702, 150.714, 175.738.
Part One of the 180 credit programme consists of a compulsory 30 credit core course or a research methodology course specific to your subject area.
Maximum time limits for completion
There are maximum time limits to complete postgraduate qualifications. If you do not complete within the maximum time, you may be required to re-apply for the programme if you wish to continue your studies.
Time limits for Honours, Distinction and Merit
Where your qualification is completed within the stated time limit and to a high standard, you may be able to graduate with a class of Honours, Distinction or Merit.
- Look for information under ‘Student Progression’ in the General Regulations for Postgraduate Degrees, Postgraduate Diplomas and Postgraduate Certificates.
- Contact us through the Enquire button on this page if you have any questions.
Fees and scholarships
Fees and finance
Fees, student loans and free fees scheme
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.
- Get an estimate of the tuition fees for your qualification
- View a list of non-tuition fees that may be payable
Already know which courses you're going to choose?
You can view fees for the courses that make up your qualification on the course details pages.
Student loans (StudyLink) and Fees Free scheme
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 can find their National Student Number in the student portal.
- Student loans (StudyLink)
- Fees Free
- Student portal
A good fit if you:
- are passionate about health sciences and building on your knowledge at a higher level
- strive to make a major contribution to peoples health and wellbeing
- have a bachelor’s degree in a relevant health-related area.
Meet our students
“
Studying extramurally at Massey University enabled me to pace my study within other commitments and gave me access to experienced supervisors. I could largely independently pace my work providing I stayed within our set timelines. The knowledge I gained has contributed largely to my governance and director roles.
” Grant Plumbley
Key information for students
Compare qualifications and academic information across different New Zealand institutions.
Regulations
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.
Undergraduate programmes
Postgraduate regulations
General Regulations for Postgraduate Degrees, Postgraduate Diplomas and Postgraduate Certificates.
Applying and enrolling
Applying for the programme
Check you are ready
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.
Choose your programme and click on Apply now
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.
Receive and accept an Admission Offer of Place
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.
Enrolling in courses
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:
- prerequisites (courses you have to do before the one you are enrolling in)
- corequisites (courses you have to do at the same time as the one you are enrolling in)
- restrictions (courses that you cannot enrol in if you are completing or have completed another identified similar course)
- location – for instance some distance-based courses still have an on-campus element, so double check that the way the course is taught is suitable for your situation.
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.
What are courses and credits?
What are courses and credits?
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.
- See the ‘Courses for this programme’ section for the list of courses.
- Courses search
Understanding course numbers
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:
- sub-degree courses are '0' (i.e. xxx.0xx)
- undergraduate study begins at 100-level, (i.e. xxx.1xx)
- as you progress through 200- and 300-level courses this number changes to 2 and 3 respectively. The higher the number that starts the second three digits, the higher the level of study
| 1 | 6 | 2 | . | 3 | 0 | 1 | |
| Subject area | Level | Course ID number | |||||
Workload and time management
Use this tool to help determine how much time you will need each week to complete your studies.
Returning students
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.
Scholarships and awards
Scholarships related to this programme
There are a number of scholarships available for new and current students. They could relate to your situation, achievement or interest.