Type of qualification
Level of study
Once you’ve graduated with a bachelor’s degree – or have equal experience – you can study at the postgraduate level. Doctoral qualifications require additional entry requirements.
Our courses follow the New Zealand Qualification Framework (NZQF) levels.
Time to complete
Where you can study
International students
International students are not New Zealand citizens or residents.
Study a Master of Health Service Management – MHSM
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 qualification. 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 qualification.
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 qualification.
Insights
- The 2020 Student Experience Survey results for this qualification found that 100% of students on this qualification were satisfied with the teaching they have received, 100% believed that teaching staff seemed helpful and approachable, and 92% highlight that the qualification has given them excellent “written communication skills”.
- Between 2020 and 2021 the average number of students enrolled in the qualification was 43 (headcount) and across the whole qualification, 90% of courses were successfully completed during 2020.
A MHSM is 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
Entry requirements
Admission to Massey
All students must meet university entrance requirements to be admitted to the University.
Specific requirements
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.
If you have a Postgraduate Diploma in Health Service Management from Massey University as outlined above, you may apply for credit towards Part One of the qualification.
You will need to provide copies of all official academic transcripts for studies taken at all universities other than Massey University.
English language requirements
To study this qualification you must meet Massey University's English language standards.
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 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 Get advice button on this page if you have any questions.
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 Get advice button on this page.
English language skills
If you need help with your English language skills before you start university, see our English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses.
Meeting requirements for industry membership
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:
- 152742 Health Systems Management
- 157701 Health Information Management
- 178718 Health Economics
- 152743 Health Law and Policy
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 qualification if you wish to continue your studies.
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.
Structure of the Master of Health Service Management
If you study full-time, you’ll take 120 credits per year or 60 credits per semester.
For progression to Part Two of the Master of Health Service Management, you will need to achieve a B- grade average across the Part One courses.
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 qualification.
The Research Report course option is available if you cannot take the Professional Practice course or for those who wish to progress to PhD study. If you want to take the research report you will need to include 168711 Health Research Design and Method in your study plan.
Courses and specialisations
Key terms
- Courses
- Each qualification has its own specific set of courses. Some universities call these papers. You enrol in courses after you get accepted into Massey.
- Course code
- Each course is numbered using 6 digits. The fourth number shows the level of the course. For example, in course 219206, the fourth number is a 2, so it is a 200-level course (usually studied in the second year of full-time study).
- Credits
- Each course is worth a number of credits. You combine courses (credits) to meet the total number of credits needed for your qualification.
- Specialisations
- Some qualifications let you choose what subject you'd like to specialise in. Your major or endorsement is what you will take the majority of your courses in.
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 and have been granted credit for it, may be able to complete this degree in 60 - 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.
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.
Part One (Choose 120 credits from)
Compulsory courses (Choose 60 credits from)
Course code: 152742 Health Systems Management 30 credits
The health care systems of New Zealand and selected nations are compared and critically analysed from a management perspective.
View full course detailsCourse code: 157701 Health Information Management 30 credits
A study of the management of information and information systems relevant to the planning and delivery of high-quality healthcare.
View full course detailsSubject courses (Choose 60 credits from)
Course code: 152707 Leading and Changing Organisations 30 credits
A study of the practices, methods and frameworks for leading and changing organisations.
View full course detailsCourse code: 152743 Health Law and Policy 30 credits
The interrelationship between health law and health policy is examined with an emphasis on practical health care dilemmas.
View full course detailsCourse code: 152746 Contemporary Issues in Health Service Management 30 credits
Issues relevant to the efficient and effective delivery of health services are identified and examined.
View full course detailsCourse code: 168711 Health Research Design and Method 30 credits
Philosophical, ethical and methodological issues in relation to health research are examined. Selected quantitative and qualitative methods are explored in depth, in preparation for developing a research proposal for a thesis, or research project.
View full course detailsCourse code: 178718 Health Economics 30 credits
Subject areas to be covered include microeconomics for healthcare, the economics of politics and bureaus, demand for healthcare, the supply and organisation of healthcare, hospital behaviour, moral hazard, cost-benefit analysis in health, private versus public provision of healthcare and contemporary policy issues.
View full course detailsAny candidate intending to undertake the Research Report in Part Two must include 168711
Part Two (Choose 60 credits from)
Course code: 152894 Professional Practice 60 credits
Candidates will undertake a professional action investigation within the subject area in which the Master of Management is being completed. Investigations may be conducted either individually or in groups and assessment of the outcome of the investigation may be in a variety of ways including written and oral presentations.
View full course detailsCourse code: 152896 Research Report 60 credits
Candidates are required to conduct a piece of independent research under supervision and to produce a report of the research for examination.
View full course detailsFees 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
Find more 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
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 1.5 times more than the national median (5 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.
Accreditations and rankings
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
Massey Business School is rated in the top 5% of global business colleges by AACSB International.
Australasian College of Health Informatics (ACHI)
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).
QS Ranking - Business Management Studies
Massey University is ranked by QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) as one of the top 500 universities for business and management.
Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators (RACMA)
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).
ShanghaiRanking – Business Administration
Massey University is ranked #2 in New Zealand for business administration by ShanghaiRanking.
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Useful planning information
Key information for students
Compare qualifications and academic information across different New Zealand institutions. Learn more on careers.govt.nz