Our School of Psychology offers postgraduate students specialist study in three applied areas:
- health psychology
- clinical psychology
- industrial/organisational psychology.
You can also focus on critical psychology and experimental psychology.
Specialisation is optional. You can choose courses from the full range of 700-level courses within our honours and masters qualifications.
Health psychology
Our postgraduate courses give an overview of health psychology, emphasising:
- community
- public health
- critical health psychology.
Qualifications have research and practical applications.
You'll get skills and knowledge to make you a critical and reflective health psychology expert in your research or working life.
What health psychology is
Health psychology is the application of psychological knowledge to all aspects of physical health, illness and disease. It includes different perspectives.
Basic health psychology
Psychological factors involved in the onset of illness, coping with illness and adherence to health regimes.
Occupational health psychology
Health in the workplace, stress and work, environmental influences on health.
Clinical health psychology
People in hospitals, people with illness and disease and systems of care.
Community health psychology
Social and community factors involved in health and illness, health promotion, and public health.
Critical health psychology
How power and structural issues influence health and illness at cultural and individual levels.
Study health psychology
There are two postgraduate pathways to studying health psychology at Massey.
Practical pathway
Massey is the only university in New Zealand to offer a practicum course as part of a master's degree in psychology.
Psychology - Health Psychology – Master of Science
Understand the application of psychology to health issues with the MSc (Psychology - Health Psychology). Explore health promotion and policies, the meaning of health and illness, and how to analyse treatment structures.
You get supervised practical experience in a health-related organisation while learning critical and transferable skills. We have links with workplaces throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. You’ll also gain research experience to get you ready for the workplace.
Health Psychology Practicum – 175749
Research pathway
Psychology – Bachelor of Arts
Massey’s BA (Psychology) will help you explore how the brain works, and understand how we think, behave and make decisions.
Psychology – Bachelor of Science
Join Massey’s market-leading Bachelor of Science (Psychology) and learn how people perceive, learn, think, develop, behave, and relate to one another.
Doctor of Philosophy – PhD
A prestigious research qualification that demonstrates your ability to carry out independent and original research in your chosen field.
International connections
We have a strong international orientation. Our staff have presented seminars and contributed to teaching programmes in health psychology in the United Kingdom and Europe.
We also have strong ties with the European Health Psychology Society and the International Society of Critical Health Psychology.
European Health Psychology Society
International Society of Critical Health Psychology
Get advice
Get academic advice about health psychology at Massey.
Professor Tracy Morison
Clinical psychology
Clinical psychology uses psychological techniques to help solve a wide variety of mental, physical, behavioural and relationship problems.
Clinical psychology training at Massey
We train students to become registered clinical psychologists through our professional clinical psychology training.
Students enrolled in these qualifications can apply for 700-level courses in clinical psychology:
- Postgraduate Diploma
- Bachelor of Arts (Honours)
- Bachelor of Science (Honours)
- Master of Arts
- Master of Science
Priority is given to students chosen for clinical psychology training.
We advise students who intend to apply for clinical psychology training later to choose courses from this specialisation at 700-level. Approval into these courses is not guaranteed.
Manual for clinical psychology
The Clinical Programme Manual gives you an overview of the qualifications and order of study for studying clinical psychology.
Qualify in clinical psychology
We offer two pathways to qualification in clinical psychology. Both let you apply for registration under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act (2003) (HPCA). You can also apply for jobs and practise as a registered clinical psychologist.
Doctor of Clinical Psychology – DClinPsych
The Doctor of Clinical Psychology is a competitive-entry professional qualification that will train you to become a registered clinical psychologist.
Master of Clinical Psychology – MClinPsych
The Master of Clinical Psychology is a competitive-entry professional qualification that will train you to become a registered clinical psychologist.
Clinical psychology courses
Understanding Mental Distress – 175781
Clinical Psychology Assessment – 175782
Clinical Psychology Interventions – 175783
Compulsory course
Psychological Research: Principles of Design – 175738
The clinical courses have restricted numbers, and students selected for clinical psychology training will have places reserved in these courses.
If you're unsuccessful in getting a place in the clinical courses, you'll be given a timeframe in which you'll have to enrol for replacement postgraduate psychology courses.
How to apply
Follow the application advice through either of the qualifications mentioned above.
Get advice
Industrial/organisational or work psychology
Industrial/organisational (I/O) psychology at Massey considers business and community issues.
I/O psychologists can serve in a variety of roles. Many see themselves as serving the employee as much as the organisation, which is where the title of 'work psychology' comes from.
It's a vibrant, dynamic field of psychological practice with good job opportunities worldwide.
Study industrial/organisational psychology
We offer a full range of 700-level industrial/organisational psychology courses within the honours or master's degree. You can also do a research thesis in this area.
If you wish to pursue a professional career in organisational psychology, normally you will be expected to complete the following courses:
Professional Practice in Psychology – 175730
Psychological Well-being in Organisations – 175732
Sustainable Livelihood – 175733
Occupational Psychology – 175737
Occupational Health Psychology – 175740
Psychological Assessment in Organisations – 175741
Psychological Research: Quantitative Data Analysis – 175746
The Psychology of Organisational Change – 175748
Plus the compulsory course:
Psychological Research: Principles of Design – 175738
These courses aren't offered every year.
Other psychology courses that might be relevant are below.
Health Psychology: The Social Context – 175743
Psychology and Culture – 175729
Psychology students are able to include up to 30 credits of courses from outside psychology in their degree. If you are interested in industrial/organisational psychology, you might like to consider the following courses:
Human Resource Management and Workplace Relations – 114702
Managing the Employment Relationship – 114709
International Human Resource Management – 114761
Get advice
Get academic advice about industrial/organisational psychology at Massey.
Industrial/Organisational Psychology Programme Coordinator
Courses in psychology
Find postgraduate courses in psychology by exploring our different qualifications. You can also search courses at postgraduate level using our search tool.
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