Overview
Take your career to the next level
Gain the expertise to advance your professional career through an internationally recognised masters qualification in health service management.
Level
- Postgraduate, NZQF Level 9
Distance learning
- Available
Credits
- 180
Duration
- 1.5 year(s) full-time. Available part-time.
International
- Available for international students via distance learning
The Master of Health Service Management gives you the advanced skills to enable you to manage contemporary health issues.
If you work or plan to work in the health or disability sector, this qualification will give you an employment advantage.
Relevant learning
You will:
- Examine contemporary, relevant issues in health service management
- Learn to use the tools available to mitigate or deal with these issues
- Gain in-depth knowledge of areas such as health systems management, policy, economics, information management and informatics
- Gain skills in clearly and concisely communicating findings in oral and written form.
All your courses may contribute to educational requirements for continuing competence for medical and nursing health professional groups as required under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003.
Research-led and industry-focused
Your Massey lecturers and staff are actively researching and have a wide range of experience. Not only across disciplines - like medical, nursing, health informatics, management and policy development, but across community, primary and secondary care.
They will bring this new thinking and practical relevance to your study.
A professional practice applied research project is part of this programme. You may choose to focus on an area of relevance to you. You will gain excellent research skills that can be applied to any health environment.
Effective communication and teamwork
You will learn how to work independently and with teams. You'll improve your interactions with colleagues, clients and other professionals in the field.
An international perspective
Your new knowledge and skills will be relevant to the health sector globally.
This degree is an approved master’s degree for fellowship applications by the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators (RACMA) and the Australasian College of Health Informatics (ACHI). The latter depends on the proportion of health informatics taken as part of your master’s programme.
This degree is an approved master’s degree for fellowship applications by the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators (RACMA) and the Australasian Institute of Digital Health (AIDH). The latter depends on the proportion of health informatics/digital health taken as part of your master’s programme.
Insights
- The 2020 Student Experience Survey results for this programme found that 100% of students on this programme were satisfied with the teaching they have received, 100% believed that teaching staff seemed helpful and approachable, and 92% highlight that the programme has given them excellent “written communication skills”.
- Between 2020 and 2021 the average number of students enrolled in the programme was 43 (headcount) and across the whole programme 90% of courses were successfully completed during 2020.
Careers and further study
Careers
Join one of the largest and most rapidly expanding fields of employment anywhere in the world.
Sought after by employers
International trends are for employers to reward postgraduate study well, especially in larger enterprises. The skills you learn are increasingly recognised as setting you apart from other potential employees.
This qualification is relevant to you if you are working in, or aiming to work in, management or clinical leadership roles in any part of the health sector.
In the management area you may be working in general management, human resources, operations management and logistics, digital health or information technology. This is not an exhaustive list.
Clinical leads could be from medical, nursing, pharmacy or other allied health areas in District Health Boards (DHBs), Primary Health Organisations and non-government organisations (NGOs).
Earn more
A 2017 Ministry of Education publication The post-study earnings and destinations of young domestic graduates, found that in New Zealand:
- young master’s graduates earn more than one and a half times more than the national median (five years after study)
- earnings and employment rates increase with the level of qualification completed
- five years after completion, the median earnings of young master’s graduates are 15% higher than for those with a bachelor’s degree.
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 Service Management, you will have been awarded or qualified for:
- a relevant bachelor’s degree, having achieved a grade average of at least a B- in the highest level courses, or equivalent, or
- a Postgraduate Diploma in Health Service Management with a B- grade average, or equivalent.
You will need to 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 programmes that may help.
Courses and planning
Credit summary
180 credits
- Part One compulsory courses – 60 credits
- Part One subject courses – 60 credits
- Part Two professional practice or research report – 60 credits
Advanced entry: Those who have already completed specified qualifications in advance of the minimum entry requirements may be able to complete this degree in 120 credits.
This is a parts-based qualification. This means there are regulations around your completion of Part One before progressing to Part Two, etc.
Courses for this programme
Part One (120 credits)
Compulsory courses
| 60 credits | ||
|---|---|---|
| 152742 | Health Systems Management | 30 |
| 157701 | Health Information Management | 30 |
Subject courses
| 60 credits | ||
|---|---|---|
| 152707 | Leading and Changing Organisations | 30 |
| 152743 | Health Law and Policy | 30 |
| 152746 | Contemporary Issues in Health Service Management | 30 |
| 168711 | Health Research Design and Method | 30 |
| 178718 | Health Economics | 30 |
Any candidate intending to undertake the Research Report in Part Two must include 168711
Part Two
| 60 credits | ||
|---|---|---|
| 152894 | Professional Practice | 60 |
| 152896 | Research Report | 60 |
Planning your programme
Planning overview
If you study full-time, you’ll take 120 credits per year or 60 credits per semester.
Delivery
Delivery of all courses in the degree, including the Research Report, is by distance mode. Some courses may also be offered by block mode.
The Professional Practice course is intended to be delivered in an applied format if you are currently employed in a suitable organisation. If this is not the case, you will be presented with an appropriate case study to which they can apply the theories you have learned throughout the programme.
The Research Report course option is if you cannot take the Professional Practice course or who wish to progress to PhD study.
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.
Professional requirements
If you wish to meet the requirements for accreditation by the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators (RACMA) you must complete all of the following courses in Part One of the programme:
- 152.742
- 157.701
- 178.718
- 152.743.
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.
Already know which courses you're going to choose?
If you already know which courses you are going to take, you can use our fees calculator to get an estimate of your fees.
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 will find their National Student Number on their student homepage.
- Student loans (StudyLink)
- Fees Free
- Student homepage login
A good fit if you:
- Are a manager or clinical leader seeking career progression in this area
- Are interested in an applied qualification with a professional practice applied project
- Have significant management experience in a non-health sector
Accreditations and rankings
Massey Business School is rated in the top 5% of global business colleges by AACSB International.
The Master of Health Service Management is an approved master’s degree for fellowship applications by the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators (RACMA) and the Australasian College of Health Informatics (ACHI).
Massey University is ranked by QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) as one of the top 300 universities for business and management.
The Master of Health Service Management is an approved master’s degree for fellowship applications by the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators (RACMA) and the Australasian College of Health Informatics (ACHI).
Massey University is ranked #1 in New Zealand and in the top 150 universities globally for business administration and finance by ShanghaiRanking.
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.
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
- FUJIFILM Business Innovation Global Student Exchange Scholarship
- FUJIFILM Business Innovation Postgraduate Bursary
- FUJIFILM Business Innovation Scholarship for Women
There are a number of scholarships available for new and current students. They could relate to your situation, achievement or interest.