University of Waikato

University of Waikato

The University of Waikato dates back to 1960 when the Hamilton Teachers’ College was established and the university itself was founded in 1964. It merged with the Teachers’ College in 1990. The university’s main campus is in Hamilton with an additional campus in Tauranga. There are currently just over 13,000 students including more than 1,700 international students from around the world. Waikato is ranked 331st in the QS World University Rankings 2023 and is in the top 300 by subject for 9 different subjects. These include Accounting & Finance, Education, English Language & Literature, Geography, Law, Philosophy and Sociology. It has also been given an overall rating of 5 QS Stars for its research quality and commitment to making a positive contribution. What is the University of Waikato acceptance rate for International Students? The University of Waikato acceptance rate is 60-70%. The University of Waikato's academic departments are grouped into divisions, faculties and schools and it has over 100 lecture and seminar rooms. The Library: Te Whare Pukapuka, contains large volumes of print and digital resources, bookable study spaces and educational support to enhance student learning. The Student Centre provides academic advice and career guidance. The Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts is a state-of-the-art facility that hosts various cultural and artistic events. The campus also features world-class sporting facilities, including a gymnasium, sports fields, and recreational spaces. The University of Waikato is committed to creating an enriching environment to ensure students have access to the resources and opportunities necessary for a well-rounded academic experience. Student Life The Hamilton campus is situated in a multicultural area celebrated for its diversity. The Tauranga campus is close to the golden beaches of Mount Maunganui and PÄ_x0081_pÄ_x0081_moa. A range of Health and wellbeing services are proudly offered to students, from the student health centre to the chaplaincy service for those who practice religion. UniRec is the name of the gym on campus that offers exercise classes for the athletically inclined. Active students can pursue sporting activities, including basketball, football, cricket, hockey and others.

New Zealand
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Our Campuses

Hamilton Campus

Hamilton City, New Zealand

Tauranga Campus

Tauranga, New Zealand

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Programs at University of Waikato

Explore academic programs available at University of Waikato

Master's

Master of Engineering Practice

University of Waikato
General Practice
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Master of Data Science

University of Waikato
Data Sciences And Big Data
1 year 6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma of Professional Practice in Social and Community Services

University of Waikato

Community practice focuses on working with groups and neighbourhoods rather than individuals alone: assessing local needs, organising residents, designing and running programmes, and building partnerships between services and the people they serve. Graduates commonly work in community development, non-profit and voluntary organisations, local services, housing, youth work and advocacy.

Community Practice
8 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in Tourism and Hospitality Management

University of Waikato

Tourism management studies how destinations, hotels, tour operators and attractions are planned, marketed and run, and how visitor flows affect local economies, cultures and environments. Service operations sit alongside marketing, sustainability and destination planning. Graduates often work in hospitality groups, travel companies, tourism boards and event operations.

Tourism Management
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in the Practice of Psychology

University of Waikato

Psychology studies mind and behaviour: perception, memory, development, personality, mental health and how people act within groups. It is an empirical discipline, so designing research and interpreting evidence sit at its centre. Graduates often work in mental health services, research, education, human resources, user research and social services.

Psychology
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching in Teaching (Secondary)

University of Waikato

Education explores how people learn, and how teaching, curriculum, assessment and school systems shape that learning. The subject draws on psychology and sociology while staying close to what happens in classrooms and institutions. Graduates often work in teaching and training, curriculum development, educational research, policy and administration.

Education
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching in Teaching (Primary)

University of Waikato

Education explores how people learn, and how teaching, curriculum, assessment and school systems shape that learning. The subject draws on psychology and sociology while staying close to what happens in classrooms and institutions. Graduates often work in teaching and training, curriculum development, educational research, policy and administration.

Education
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching in Teaching (Early Childhood)

University of Waikato

Childhood studies looks at how children develop and how societies think about, care for and educate them. It brings together psychology, sociology, education and policy, with attention to rights, family life and inequality. Graduates often work in early years settings, education, child welfare, family support, and policy or research roles.

Childhood Studies
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching

University of Waikato

Education explores how people learn, and how teaching, curriculum, assessment and school systems shape that learning. The subject draws on psychology and sociology while staying close to what happens in classrooms and institutions. Graduates often work in teaching and training, curriculum development, educational research, policy and administration.

Education
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in Strategic Management

University of Waikato

Strategic studies examines how states and other actors pursue security: the causes of armed conflict, deterrence, alliances, military power and the relationship between force and policy. Students analyse historical cases alongside current crises and debate competing theories. Graduates often work in defence and security analysis, diplomacy, risk consulting, research institutes and journalism.

Strategic Studies
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in Sociology

University of Waikato

Sociology examines how societies are organised, and how class, gender, ethnicity, institutions and culture shape people's lives and choices. Students learn to gather and interpret evidence about social patterns, and to question explanations that seem obvious. Graduates often work in research, policy, social services, human resources, media and the non-profit sector.

Sociology
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in Social Policy

University of Waikato

Social policy examines how societies respond to need through welfare, health, housing, education, pensions and employment support, and who gains or loses from the choices made. Students learn to read evidence, compare systems and evaluate what policies actually achieve. Graduates work in government, charities, research institutes, consultancy and advocacy.

Social Policy
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in Screen and Media Studies

University of Waikato

Media studies and communication analyse how messages are produced, circulated and understood across journalism, broadcasting, advertising, film and digital platforms. Students examine audiences, institutions and the making of meaning, alongside practical production skills. Graduates frequently work in content creation, public relations, marketing communication, media planning, research and cultural organisations.

Media Studies And Communication
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in Public Relations

University of Waikato

Media studies and communication analyse how messages are produced, circulated and understood across journalism, broadcasting, advertising, film and digital platforms. Students examine audiences, institutions and the making of meaning, alongside practical production skills. Graduates frequently work in content creation, public relations, marketing communication, media planning, research and cultural organisations.

Media Studies And Communication
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in Public Policy

University of Waikato

Public policy is the study of how problems reach the agenda, how options are designed and chosen, and how programmes are implemented and evaluated. Students learn economics, statistics, politics and ethics, and practise writing analysis for decision-makers. Graduates often work in government, think tanks, international organisations, consultancy and advocacy.

Public Policy
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology

University of Waikato

Psychology studies mind and behaviour: perception, memory, development, personality, mental health and how people act within groups. It is an empirical discipline, so designing research and interpreting evidence sit at its centre. Graduates often work in mental health services, research, education, human resources, user research and social services.

Psychology
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in Political Science

University of Waikato

Political science analyses power: how governments work, how policy is made, why people vote as they do, and how institutions and ideologies shape collective decisions. Methods range from political theory to statistical analysis of behaviour. Graduates often work in public administration, policy research, campaigning, journalism, international organisations and consultancy.

Political Science
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in Physics

University of Waikato

Physics seeks the rules behind how matter, energy, space and time behave, from particles and atoms to materials, stars and the universe as a whole. Mathematical theory is paired with experiment and measurement. Graduates often move into research, engineering, data and modelling, energy, medical physics, computing and teaching.

Physics
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in Philosophy

University of Waikato

Philosophy takes up questions that resist easy answers: what we can know, what makes an action right, what exists, and how language and reasoning work. The training lies in constructing arguments and finding the weaknesses in them. Graduates often work in law, policy, education, publishing, technology ethics, research and management.

Philosophy
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in Music

University of Waikato

Music combines performance, composition, and the study of how music is made, heard and understood across traditions. Technical craft, listening, theory and history support each other, with recording and sound technology never far away. Graduates often work as performers, composers, teachers and producers, and in arts organisations, media and the creative industries.

Music
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in Mathematics

University of Waikato

Applied mathematics uses mathematical tools to describe and solve problems drawn from the physical, biological, economic and engineering worlds. Differential equations, modelling, numerical methods and computation are the everyday materials. Graduates often work in modelling and simulation, data analysis, finance, engineering, software and research.

Applied Mathematics
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in Materials and Processing

University of Waikato

Materials engineering focuses on turning materials into working parts — choosing the right metal, polymer, ceramic or composite, processing it, and understanding why components fail. Testing, characterisation and manufacturing processes are central. Graduates often work in manufacturing, automotive and aerospace industries, energy, quality assurance and failure analysis.

Materials Engineering
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing

University of Waikato

Marketing studies how organisations understand customers and bring products and services to them, spanning research, branding, pricing, distribution, advertising and digital channels. The work blends creative thinking with data about behaviour. Graduates often work in brand and product management, digital marketing, market research, advertising, and sales or communications.

Marketing
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in Management Communication

University of Waikato

Media studies and communication analyse how messages are produced, circulated and understood across journalism, broadcasting, advertising, film and digital platforms. Students examine audiences, institutions and the making of meaning, alongside practical production skills. Graduates frequently work in content creation, public relations, marketing communication, media planning, research and cultural organisations.

Media Studies And Communication
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in Law

University of Waikato

Law examines the rules that govern people, organisations and states, and the reasoning used to interpret and apply them. Much of the work is close reading, building arguments and weighing competing principles. Graduates often pursue legal practice, and also compliance, policy, human rights work, business and public administration.

Law
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in International Management

University of Waikato

Business administration concentrates on running an organisation as a whole: coordinating people, budgets, operations and strategy so that separate departments work in step. Attention falls on decisions that cut across functions rather than on a narrow specialism. Graduates often move into general management, operations, consulting, and planning or administrative roles across sectors.

Business Administration
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Management

University of Waikato

Human resources focuses on how organisations recruit, develop, reward and retain people, and how workplace culture, employment law and wellbeing affect performance. The subject draws on psychology, employment relations and management practice. Graduates often work in recruitment, learning and development, employee relations, compensation and benefits, and wider people or operations roles.

Human Resources
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in Human Development

University of Waikato

Frameworks for explaining how people grow and change across a lifetime sit at the core here, together with the question of what conditions allow them to flourish. Psychological, social and economic accounts are compared and tested against evidence. Graduates often work in education, social services, policy, research and programme design.

Human Development Theory
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in History

University of Waikato

Human history traces how societies have lived, ruled, traded, believed and changed over long stretches of time. Rather than memorising events, the discipline trains people to work with sources, question who wrote them and why, and build arguments about causes. Graduates often move into research, teaching, heritage, journalism, law and public policy.

Human History
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in Health, Sport and Human Performance

University of Waikato

Health care is concerned with how health services are organised, delivered and improved, taking in patient needs, clinical practice, ethics, quality and the systems holding it together. Health sciences sit alongside management and social science. Graduates often work in clinical support, health administration, public health bodies and service improvement.

Health Care
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in Geography

University of Waikato

Geography brings together physical systems such as climate, rivers and landforms with human patterns of cities, migration, development and resource use, asking how place shapes both. Mapping, fieldwork and spatial data analysis are central skills. Graduates often work in planning, environmental management, geographic information systems, development, research and logistics.

Geography
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in Finance

University of Waikato

Finance concerns how money is raised, invested and managed, and how risk and return are priced over time. Topics run from corporate funding decisions and valuation through to markets, portfolios and financial instruments. Graduates often work in corporate finance, banking, investment and asset management, risk analysis and financial planning.

Finance
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in Environmental Sciences

University of Waikato

Environmental science studies natural systems and the ways human activity alters them: climate, water, soil, air and ecosystems, along with the pollution and resource pressures that connect them. Fieldwork, laboratory analysis and data modelling are the usual tools. Graduates often work in environmental consultancy, conservation, water and waste management, regulation, research and sustainability roles.

Environmental Science
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in Environmental Planning

University of Waikato

Sustainable development studies how human needs — energy, food, housing, work — can be met without exhausting the systems everyone depends on. It draws on economics, environmental science, governance and social equity, and asks who bears the cost of each choice. Graduates often work in development organisations, environmental programmes, policy analysis and corporate responsibility.

Sustainable Development
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in Environment and Society

University of Waikato

This field looks at how natural systems function and how forests and other landscapes are managed and protected. Ecology, soils, climate, conservation and resource policy are studied together, commonly alongside fieldwork. Graduates often work in land and forest management, conservation, environmental consultancy, restoration projects and policy.

Environmental Studies And Forestry
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in English

University of Waikato

World Englishes studies the many forms English takes as it is used, adapted and reshaped by different speech communities. Work here covers pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary and attitudes to variation, alongside questions of identity, power and standardisation. Graduates often go into language teaching, publishing, editing, research and communication roles.

World Englishes
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in Engineering

University of Waikato

Engineering and technology cover the design, building and improvement of the systems, machines and processes societies depend on. Whatever the specialism, the method stays recognisable: apply mathematics and science, model the problem, test, and refine within real constraints of cost, safety and materials. Graduates work across industry, infrastructure, energy and technology development.

Engineering And Technology
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in Electronics

University of Waikato

Electronic engineering deals with circuits and the devices built from them, from sensors and amplifiers to embedded processors and communication systems. It covers analogue and digital design, signal processing, and the testing of hardware that must work reliably. Graduates often work in electronics design, telecommunications, semiconductors, instrumentation and embedded systems.

Electronic Engineering
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in Educational Leadership

University of Waikato

Education explores how people learn, and how teaching, curriculum, assessment and school systems shape that learning. The subject draws on psychology and sociology while staying close to what happens in classrooms and institutions. Graduates often work in teaching and training, curriculum development, educational research, policy and administration.

Education
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in Education

University of Waikato

Education explores how people learn, and how teaching, curriculum, assessment and school systems shape that learning. The subject draws on psychology and sociology while staying close to what happens in classrooms and institutions. Graduates often work in teaching and training, curriculum development, educational research, policy and administration.

Education
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in Economics

University of Waikato

Economics asks how societies use scarce resources: how prices form, how households and firms decide, and how policy, trade and money shape growth, employment and inequality. Mathematical modelling and statistical evidence run through the subject. Graduates often work in analysis and consultancy, banking, government and international organisations, and research.

Economics
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in Earth Sciences

University of Waikato

Earth sciences examine the planet as a working system — rocks, oceans, atmosphere, and the slow processes that build mountains and shift climates. Fieldwork, laboratory analysis and computer modelling are common parts of the training. Graduates often work in energy and minerals, water, environmental consultancy, hazard assessment and research.

Earth Sciences
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in Disability and Inclusion Studies

University of Waikato

Disability studies examines disability as a social and political experience as much as a medical one, looking at barriers, rights, representation and the design of services and spaces. Students engage with law, history, ethics and the voices of disabled people themselves. Graduates often work in advocacy, policy, education, social care and accessibility roles.

Disability Studies
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in Creative Practices

University of Waikato

Creative arts is a broad practice-based field spanning disciplines such as visual art, performance, writing, music and digital media. Students make work, respond to critique, and study the ideas and histories behind contemporary practice, often combining art forms. Graduates often work as practitioners, and in arts organisations, education, media and the creative industries.

Creative Arts
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in Computer Science

University of Waikato

At its core, computer science is about computation: algorithms, data structures, programming languages, operating systems and the theory beneath them. Mathematical reasoning and hands-on building reinforce each other throughout. Graduates often become software engineers, or move into data, security, research, product development and technical roles in almost any industry.

Computer Sciences
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in Chemistry

University of Waikato

Chemistry studies matter: what substances are made of, how they react, and how new compounds and materials can be created and analysed. Laboratory technique and careful measurement sit alongside theory from organic, inorganic and physical chemistry. Graduates often work in pharmaceuticals, materials, energy, food and environmental testing, research and teaching.

Chemistry
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in Biomedical Sciences

University of Waikato

Biomedical engineering applies engineering to medicine and biology, designing devices, imaging systems, prosthetics, biomaterials and the instruments used in diagnosis and treatment. It sits between the laboratory, the clinic and the workshop, so technical rigour and human factors both count. Graduates often work in medical technology, research, hospitals, and clinical or regulatory engineering.

Biomedical Engineering
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in Anthropology

University of Waikato

Anthropology asks what it means to be human, studying kinship, belief, language, power and material life across societies past and present. Much of the discipline rests on close fieldwork and careful comparison rather than assumption. Graduates often work in research, international development, museums, public policy, user research and the cultural sector.

Anthropology
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in Agribusiness

University of Waikato

Agricultural economics applies economic analysis to food, farming and rural life: how prices and markets behave, how farms and agribusinesses make decisions, and how trade and policy shape supply. Students work closely with data. Graduates move into agribusiness management, commodity and market analysis, agricultural lending, policy work, development agencies and research.

Agricultural Economics
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting

University of Waikato

Accounting deals with how financial information is recorded, verified and reported so that decisions can be made and organisations held to account. Study covers financial and management accounting, auditing, taxation and reporting rules. Graduates often work in accountancy practice, corporate finance teams, audit, tax, and financial management or analysis.

Accounting
1 year
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in Tourism and Hospitality Management

University of Waikato

Tourism management studies how destinations, hotels, tour operators and attractions are planned, marketed and run, and how visitor flows affect local economies, cultures and environments. Service operations sit alongside marketing, sustainability and destination planning. Graduates often work in hospitality groups, travel companies, tourism boards and event operations.

Tourism Management
6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in Tertiary Teaching and Learning

University of Waikato

Education explores how people learn, and how teaching, curriculum, assessment and school systems shape that learning. The subject draws on psychology and sociology while staying close to what happens in classrooms and institutions. Graduates often work in teaching and training, curriculum development, educational research, policy and administration.

Education
6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

University of Waikato

Language study builds fluency in speaking, reading and writing another tongue, alongside the grammar, literature and culture that give it meaning. It blends practical communication with translation and the study of how societies express themselves. Graduates commonly move into translation, teaching, international business, diplomacy, media and cultural organisations.

Languages
6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in Supply Chain Management

University of Waikato

This field follows goods from raw material to customer: sourcing, production planning, warehousing, transport and the information that ties them together. It involves modelling flows, controlling inventory and cost, and managing disruption across suppliers and borders. Graduates often work in procurement, logistics, operations planning and distribution.

Supply Chain Management
6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in Strategic Management

University of Waikato

Strategic studies examines how states and other actors pursue security: the causes of armed conflict, deterrence, alliances, military power and the relationship between force and policy. Students analyse historical cases alongside current crises and debate competing theories. Graduates often work in defence and security analysis, diplomacy, risk consulting, research institutes and journalism.

Strategic Studies
6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in Social Policy

University of Waikato

Social policy examines how societies respond to need through welfare, health, housing, education, pensions and employment support, and who gains or loses from the choices made. Students learn to read evidence, compare systems and evaluate what policies actually achieve. Graduates work in government, charities, research institutes, consultancy and advocacy.

Social Policy
6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in Screen and Media Studies

University of Waikato

Media studies and communication analyse how messages are produced, circulated and understood across journalism, broadcasting, advertising, film and digital platforms. Students examine audiences, institutions and the making of meaning, alongside practical production skills. Graduates frequently work in content creation, public relations, marketing communication, media planning, research and cultural organisations.

Media Studies And Communication
6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in Public Relations

University of Waikato

Media studies and communication analyse how messages are produced, circulated and understood across journalism, broadcasting, advertising, film and digital platforms. Students examine audiences, institutions and the making of meaning, alongside practical production skills. Graduates frequently work in content creation, public relations, marketing communication, media planning, research and cultural organisations.

Media Studies And Communication
6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in Public Policy

University of Waikato

Public policy is the study of how problems reach the agenda, how options are designed and chosen, and how programmes are implemented and evaluated. Students learn economics, statistics, politics and ethics, and practise writing analysis for decision-makers. Graduates often work in government, think tanks, international organisations, consultancy and advocacy.

Public Policy
6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in Psychology

University of Waikato

Psychology studies mind and behaviour: perception, memory, development, personality, mental health and how people act within groups. It is an empirical discipline, so designing research and interpreting evidence sit at its centre. Graduates often work in mental health services, research, education, human resources, user research and social services.

Psychology
6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in Political Science

University of Waikato

Political science analyses power: how governments work, how policy is made, why people vote as they do, and how institutions and ideologies shape collective decisions. Methods range from political theory to statistical analysis of behaviour. Graduates often work in public administration, policy research, campaigning, journalism, international organisations and consultancy.

Political Science
6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in Physics

University of Waikato

Physics seeks the rules behind how matter, energy, space and time behave, from particles and atoms to materials, stars and the universe as a whole. Mathematical theory is paired with experiment and measurement. Graduates often move into research, engineering, data and modelling, energy, medical physics, computing and teaching.

Physics
6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in Philosophy

University of Waikato

Philosophy takes up questions that resist easy answers: what we can know, what makes an action right, what exists, and how language and reasoning work. The training lies in constructing arguments and finding the weaknesses in them. Graduates often work in law, policy, education, publishing, technology ethics, research and management.

Philosophy
6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in Music

University of Waikato

Music combines performance, composition, and the study of how music is made, heard and understood across traditions. Technical craft, listening, theory and history support each other, with recording and sound technology never far away. Graduates often work as performers, composers, teachers and producers, and in arts organisations, media and the creative industries.

Music
6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in Mathematics

University of Waikato

Applied mathematics uses mathematical tools to describe and solve problems drawn from the physical, biological, economic and engineering worlds. Differential equations, modelling, numerical methods and computation are the everyday materials. Graduates often work in modelling and simulation, data analysis, finance, engineering, software and research.

Applied Mathematics
6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in Materials and Processing

University of Waikato

Materials engineering focuses on turning materials into working parts — choosing the right metal, polymer, ceramic or composite, processing it, and understanding why components fail. Testing, characterisation and manufacturing processes are central. Graduates often work in manufacturing, automotive and aerospace industries, energy, quality assurance and failure analysis.

Materials Engineering
6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in Marketing

University of Waikato

Marketing studies how organisations understand customers and bring products and services to them, spanning research, branding, pricing, distribution, advertising and digital channels. The work blends creative thinking with data about behaviour. Graduates often work in brand and product management, digital marketing, market research, advertising, and sales or communications.

Marketing
6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in Management Communication

University of Waikato

Media studies and communication analyse how messages are produced, circulated and understood across journalism, broadcasting, advertising, film and digital platforms. Students examine audiences, institutions and the making of meaning, alongside practical production skills. Graduates frequently work in content creation, public relations, marketing communication, media planning, research and cultural organisations.

Media Studies And Communication
6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in Law

University of Waikato

Law examines the rules that govern people, organisations and states, and the reasoning used to interpret and apply them. Much of the work is close reading, building arguments and weighing competing principles. Graduates often pursue legal practice, and also compliance, policy, human rights work, business and public administration.

Law
6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in International Management

University of Waikato

Business administration concentrates on running an organisation as a whole: coordinating people, budgets, operations and strategy so that separate departments work in step. Attention falls on decisions that cut across functions rather than on a narrow specialism. Graduates often move into general management, operations, consulting, and planning or administrative roles across sectors.

Business Administration
6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in Information Technology

University of Waikato

Information technology is about building, running and securing the systems organisations depend on: networks, databases, cloud services, applications and user support. The emphasis leans practical, matching technology to what an organisation actually needs. Graduates often work in systems and network administration, technical support, cloud and infrastructure, security and IT project roles.

Information Technology
6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in Human Resource Management

University of Waikato

Human resources focuses on how organisations recruit, develop, reward and retain people, and how workplace culture, employment law and wellbeing affect performance. The subject draws on psychology, employment relations and management practice. Graduates often work in recruitment, learning and development, employee relations, compensation and benefits, and wider people or operations roles.

Human Resources
6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in Human Development

University of Waikato

Frameworks for explaining how people grow and change across a lifetime sit at the core here, together with the question of what conditions allow them to flourish. Psychological, social and economic accounts are compared and tested against evidence. Graduates often work in education, social services, policy, research and programme design.

Human Development Theory
6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in History

University of Waikato

Human history traces how societies have lived, ruled, traded, believed and changed over long stretches of time. Rather than memorising events, the discipline trains people to work with sources, question who wrote them and why, and build arguments about causes. Graduates often move into research, teaching, heritage, journalism, law and public policy.

Human History
6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in Health, Sport and Human Performance

University of Waikato

Health care is concerned with how health services are organised, delivered and improved, taking in patient needs, clinical practice, ethics, quality and the systems holding it together. Health sciences sit alongside management and social science. Graduates often work in clinical support, health administration, public health bodies and service improvement.

Health Care
6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in Geography

University of Waikato

Geography brings together physical systems such as climate, rivers and landforms with human patterns of cities, migration, development and resource use, asking how place shapes both. Mapping, fieldwork and spatial data analysis are central skills. Graduates often work in planning, environmental management, geographic information systems, development, research and logistics.

Geography
6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in Finance

University of Waikato

Finance concerns how money is raised, invested and managed, and how risk and return are priced over time. Topics run from corporate funding decisions and valuation through to markets, portfolios and financial instruments. Graduates often work in corporate finance, banking, investment and asset management, risk analysis and financial planning.

Finance
6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in Environmental Sciences

University of Waikato

Environmental science studies natural systems and the ways human activity alters them: climate, water, soil, air and ecosystems, along with the pollution and resource pressures that connect them. Fieldwork, laboratory analysis and data modelling are the usual tools. Graduates often work in environmental consultancy, conservation, water and waste management, regulation, research and sustainability roles.

Environmental Science
6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in Environmental Planning

University of Waikato

Sustainable development studies how human needs — energy, food, housing, work — can be met without exhausting the systems everyone depends on. It draws on economics, environmental science, governance and social equity, and asks who bears the cost of each choice. Graduates often work in development organisations, environmental programmes, policy analysis and corporate responsibility.

Sustainable Development
6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in Environment and Society

University of Waikato

This field looks at how natural systems function and how forests and other landscapes are managed and protected. Ecology, soils, climate, conservation and resource policy are studied together, commonly alongside fieldwork. Graduates often work in land and forest management, conservation, environmental consultancy, restoration projects and policy.

Environmental Studies And Forestry
6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in English

University of Waikato

World Englishes studies the many forms English takes as it is used, adapted and reshaped by different speech communities. Work here covers pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary and attitudes to variation, alongside questions of identity, power and standardisation. Graduates often go into language teaching, publishing, editing, research and communication roles.

World Englishes
6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in Engineering

University of Waikato

Engineering and technology cover the design, building and improvement of the systems, machines and processes societies depend on. Whatever the specialism, the method stays recognisable: apply mathematics and science, model the problem, test, and refine within real constraints of cost, safety and materials. Graduates work across industry, infrastructure, energy and technology development.

Engineering And Technology
6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in Electronics

University of Waikato

Electronic engineering deals with circuits and the devices built from them, from sensors and amplifiers to embedded processors and communication systems. It covers analogue and digital design, signal processing, and the testing of hardware that must work reliably. Graduates often work in electronics design, telecommunications, semiconductors, instrumentation and embedded systems.

Electronic Engineering
6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in Educational Leadership

University of Waikato

Education explores how people learn, and how teaching, curriculum, assessment and school systems shape that learning. The subject draws on psychology and sociology while staying close to what happens in classrooms and institutions. Graduates often work in teaching and training, curriculum development, educational research, policy and administration.

Education
6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in Education

University of Waikato

Education explores how people learn, and how teaching, curriculum, assessment and school systems shape that learning. The subject draws on psychology and sociology while staying close to what happens in classrooms and institutions. Graduates often work in teaching and training, curriculum development, educational research, policy and administration.

Education
6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in Economics

University of Waikato

Economics asks how societies use scarce resources: how prices form, how households and firms decide, and how policy, trade and money shape growth, employment and inequality. Mathematical modelling and statistical evidence run through the subject. Graduates often work in analysis and consultancy, banking, government and international organisations, and research.

Economics
6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in Earth Sciences

University of Waikato

Earth sciences examine the planet as a working system — rocks, oceans, atmosphere, and the slow processes that build mountains and shift climates. Fieldwork, laboratory analysis and computer modelling are common parts of the training. Graduates often work in energy and minerals, water, environmental consultancy, hazard assessment and research.

Earth Sciences
6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in Disability and Inclusion Studies

University of Waikato

Disability studies examines disability as a social and political experience as much as a medical one, looking at barriers, rights, representation and the design of services and spaces. Students engage with law, history, ethics and the voices of disabled people themselves. Graduates often work in advocacy, policy, education, social care and accessibility roles.

Disability Studies
6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in Creative Practices

University of Waikato

Creative arts is a broad practice-based field spanning disciplines such as visual art, performance, writing, music and digital media. Students make work, respond to critique, and study the ideas and histories behind contemporary practice, often combining art forms. Graduates often work as practitioners, and in arts organisations, education, media and the creative industries.

Creative Arts
6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in Counselling Studies

University of Waikato

Education explores how people learn, and how teaching, curriculum, assessment and school systems shape that learning. The subject draws on psychology and sociology while staying close to what happens in classrooms and institutions. Graduates often work in teaching and training, curriculum development, educational research, policy and administration.

Education
6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in Computer Science

University of Waikato

At its core, computer science is about computation: algorithms, data structures, programming languages, operating systems and the theory beneath them. Mathematical reasoning and hands-on building reinforce each other throughout. Graduates often become software engineers, or move into data, security, research, product development and technical roles in almost any industry.

Computer Sciences
6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in Chemistry

University of Waikato

Chemistry studies matter: what substances are made of, how they react, and how new compounds and materials can be created and analysed. Laboratory technique and careful measurement sit alongside theory from organic, inorganic and physical chemistry. Graduates often work in pharmaceuticals, materials, energy, food and environmental testing, research and teaching.

Chemistry
6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in Anthropology

University of Waikato

Anthropology asks what it means to be human, studying kinship, belief, language, power and material life across societies past and present. Much of the discipline rests on close fieldwork and careful comparison rather than assumption. Graduates often work in research, international development, museums, public policy, user research and the cultural sector.

Anthropology
6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in Agribusiness

University of Waikato

Agricultural economics applies economic analysis to food, farming and rural life: how prices and markets behave, how farms and agribusinesses make decisions, and how trade and policy shape supply. Students work closely with data. Graduates move into agribusiness management, commodity and market analysis, agricultural lending, policy work, development agencies and research.

Agricultural Economics
6 months
New Zealand
Master's

Postgraduate Certificate in Accounting

University of Waikato

Accounting deals with how financial information is recorded, verified and reported so that decisions can be made and organisations held to account. Study covers financial and management accounting, auditing, taxation and reporting rules. Graduates often work in accountancy practice, corporate finance teams, audit, tax, and financial management or analysis.

Accounting
6 months
New Zealand
PhD

PhD in Tourism Management

University of Waikato

Tourism management studies how destinations, hotels, tour operators and attractions are planned, marketed and run, and how visitor flows affect local economies, cultures and environments. Service operations sit alongside marketing, sustainability and destination planning. Graduates often work in hospitality groups, travel companies, tourism boards and event operations.

Tourism Management
3 years
New Zealand
PhD

PhD in Theatre Studies

University of Waikato

Theatre examines live performance from both sides of the stage: acting, directing, writing, design and stagecraft, together with the history and theory of how drama works on an audience. Text, rehearsal and staging are treated as connected parts of a single craft. Graduates often work in performance, directing, production, arts organisations, teaching and screen work.

Theatre
3 years
New Zealand
PhD

PhD in Supply Chain Management

University of Waikato

This field follows goods from raw material to customer: sourcing, production planning, warehousing, transport and the information that ties them together. It involves modelling flows, controlling inventory and cost, and managing disruption across suppliers and borders. Graduates often work in procurement, logistics, operations planning and distribution.

Supply Chain Management
3 years
New Zealand
PhD

PhD in Strategic Management

University of Waikato

Strategic studies examines how states and other actors pursue security: the causes of armed conflict, deterrence, alliances, military power and the relationship between force and policy. Students analyse historical cases alongside current crises and debate competing theories. Graduates often work in defence and security analysis, diplomacy, risk consulting, research institutes and journalism.

Strategic Studies
3 years
New Zealand
PhD

PhD in Statistics

University of Waikato

Statistics is the discipline of reasoning under uncertainty: designing studies, estimating quantities from samples, testing claims and quantifying how much confidence a result deserves. Probability theory underpins it, and computing makes it practical on real data. Graduates often work in analytics, research, finance, public health, government and quality assurance.

Statistics
3 years
New Zealand

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