Where you can study
International students
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Specialise in Sociology for your Bachelor of Arts (Honours) at Massey
Sociology is about understanding and describing our local society and its global setting. Sociologists are interested in almost all aspects of the social world and in your BA (Honours) (Sociology) you’ll consider questions such as:
- How is society structured?
- How is society changing?
- What divides or unites social groups?
- What causes the inequalities we see in society?
- How does power operate?
With a Massey BA (Honours) (Sociology) you’ll ask challenging questions about how power structures function in the social world.
You’ll study culture, ethnicity, class, inequality, gender, mass media, politics, environment, social change and individual and group interactions.
Follow your research interests
Your honours research will give you the opportunity to conduct an in-depth investigation of a topic that captured your interest during your undergraduate degree.
A Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Sociology is a good fit if you:
- want to stand out in a crowded marketplace
- are keen to follow your intellectual curiosity and develop your research skills
- would like to investigate an issue in sociology through independent, supervised research.
Planning information
Completing a subject is compulsory. A Bachelor of Arts (Honours) (Sociology) requires 120 credits.
If you study full-time, you’ll take 120 credits per year or 60 credits per semester.
Not all courses are available in each semester.
Official regulations
To understand what you need to study and must complete to graduate read the official rules and regulations for this qualification.
You should read these together with all other relevant Statutes and Regulations of the University including the General Regulations for Postgraduate Degrees, Postgraduate Diplomas, and Postgraduate Certificates.
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 qualification 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 qualifications go to the Massey University Calendar.
Please contact us through the Get advice button on this page if you have any questions.
Courses you can enrol in
Course planning key
- Prerequisites
- Courses that need to be completed before moving onto a course at the next level. For example, a lot of 200-level courses have 100-level prerequisite courses.
- Corequisites
- Courses that must be completed at the same time as another course are known as corequisite courses.
- Restrictions
- Some courses are restricted against each other because their content is similar. This means you can only choose one of the offered courses to study and credit to your qualification.
Compulsory courses
Course code: 176701 Current Issues and Theories 30 credits
An examination of key concepts, theories and debates in contemporary social theory.
View full course detailsCourse code: 176702 Advanced Social Inquiry 30 credits
An advanced study of methodological issues pertinent to social research. The course is designed to assist the planning of postgraduate theses and reports.
View full course detailsCourse code: 176799 Research Report (30) 30 credits
Subject courses
Course code: 176718 Environmental Sociology 30 credits
An exploration of the interrelations between society and the environment, with an examination of major contemporary environmental issues from a sociological point of view. Among the major issues covered are consumerism, population growth, resource limits, development, political conflicts, environmental groups and environmental values.
View full course detailsEntry requirements
Admission to Massey
All students must meet university entrance requirements to be admitted to the University.
Specific requirements
To enter the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) (Sociology) you will have been awarded or qualified for a:
- Bachelor of Arts degree or equivalent qualification with a major in the intended postgraduate subject or close equivalent, or
- Bachelor of Arts degree with a minor in the intended postgraduate subject, followed by a Graduate Certificate in Arts endorsed in the intended postgraduate subject or close equivalent, or
- Bachelor of Arts degree followed by a Graduate Diploma of Arts in the intended postgraduate subject or close equivalent.
You must have achieved at least a B grade average over the 200 and 300-level courses.
You will need to provide copies of all official academic transcripts for studies taken at all universities other than Massey University.
English language requirements
If English is not your first language and your qualifying degree was not completed at a University where English is the medium of instruction, to enter this qualification you must have achieved an IELTS of 7.0 with no band less than 6.5.
English language skills
If you need help with your English language skills before you start university, see our English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses.
Fees and scholarships
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, including how much could be covered and your eligibility on the Fees Free website.
Scholarship and award opportunities
Search our scholarships and awardsFees disclaimer
This information is for estimation purposes only. Actual fees payable will be finalised on confirmation of enrolment. Unless otherwise stated, all fees shown are quoted in New Zealand dollars and include Goods and Services Tax, if any. Before relying on any information on these pages you should also read the University's Disclaimer Notice.
Careers and job opportunities
Your BA (Honours) (Sociology) will give you the knowledge and competencies you need to start your career as a policy analyst, researcher or community development organiser. You‘ll learn a range of intellectual and practical skills that will stand you in good stead in the job market.
Loads of career options
This qualification opens up a world of opportunities to be involved in influencing a broad number of social issue outcomes such as healthy housing, youth development, Māori wellbeing, health promotion, or gender analysis of policy. You’ll approach this not only from the perspective of government and local-body policy, but also from the perspectives of local communities and community organisations.
You’ll learn to apply your critical sociology analysis skills to a number of decision-making scenarios, for better social outcomes. This could take many forms including policy development, project planning, legal submissions or strategic organisational management.
You could work in areas such as:
- research
- communications
- project management
- governance
- charitable trusts
- social marketing
- journalism
- advocacy
- teaching and lecturing
- policy analysis - public, private and the not-for-profit sector (public-private partnerships, not-for-profit, voluntary and charity organisations)
- youth development
- community development
- politics
- government agencies - local, regional and central
- non-governmental organisations (NGOs) - housing, Māori land trusts, health service providers, disability advocacy and support and youth development.
Accreditations and rankings
QS Ranking - Sociology
Massey is ranked in the world's top 350 universities for sociology by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS).
Related study options
Sociology – Graduate Certificate in Arts
Use your social knowledge for a meaningful career. With Massey’s Graduate Certificate in Arts (Sociology), you can study sociology without completing a second bachelor’s degree.
Sociology – Bachelor of Arts
Massey's Bachelor of Arts (Sociology) will build your understanding of some of the biggest issues facing the world today.
Sociology – Diploma in Arts
Sociologists ask the questions that are crucial to understanding some of the biggest issues facing the world today. Study Massey’s Diploma in Arts (Sociology) to better understand how society works.
Sociology – Postgraduate Diploma in Arts
Take your study of sociology to the next level with Massey’s Postgraduate Diploma in Arts (Sociology). Get the knowledge and competencies you need to start your career.
Sociology – Master of Arts
Take your study of sociology to the next level. With Massey’s Master of Arts (Sociology) you can build on your undergraduate study and complete advanced research of an aspect of sociology that interests you.
Sociology – Graduate Diploma in Arts
Use your social knowledge for a meaningful career. The Graduate Diploma in Arts (Sociology) will give you the equivalent of an undergraduate major in sociology without completing a second bachelor’s degree.
Useful planning information
Key information for students
Compare qualifications and academic information across different New Zealand institutions. Learn more on careers.govt.nz