Specialist endorsements for postgraduate health studies

For more information on our Nursing endorsement click here.

Taha Hinengaro Health and Wellbeing Practice endorsement is designed to meet the increasing need for integrated practice models including Motivational Interviewing (MI) Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Focused Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (FACT) and counselling interventions skills to support mental health and wellbeing in the community.

This two-year, part-time diploma programme has a strong focus on integrated bicultural practice and safety and ethics in practice. You will learn group therapy skills and about intergroup processes such as oppression and privilege. You will train as you work, with a work-integrated learning model. You will need to be in concurrent employment in a clinical health related field and access to supervision. Practical assessments are based on clinical practice and putting knowledge and skills into practice. Courses will be delivered in block courses and facilitated by clinical psychologists, counsellors, nurses and MI practitioners.

The endorsement provides the opportunity for registered health practitioners, Health Improvement Practitioners and health care workers to develop the necessary knowledge and skills to support people experiencing mild to moderate mental health and addiction problems in the community.

The endorsement draws on research and knowledge in the fields of Psychology, Counselling, Motivational Interviewing, Focused Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and bicultural and indigenous cultural approaches to health care delivery. It includes courses that cover multiple skills and approaches and applies them to newly created roles such as Health Improvement Practitioners or Health Behaviour Consultants. It also builds on undergraduate studies in Psychology or related fields that can lead on to preparing for registration in health-related professions.

The programme includes:

• taught classes
• student presentations
• written assessments
• oral assessments
• practical assessments
• clinical supervision.

What are the entry requirements?

This programme is for current health/mental health and addiction professionals (or other backgrounds, by application).

Students are typically required to have:

• relevant Bachelor’s degree of relevance to health sciences and the proposed course of study), with a B grade average or better, or
• an appropriate health or allied professional qualification requiring at least three years full-time tertiary study at an appropriate level

Please note enrolment in this endorsement is subject to suitable placements being sought. Students enrolling in the Psychology optional courses PSYC442 and PSYC443 must have a minimum of a three year qualification that lead to eligibility for registration as a health practitioner legislated by the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act (2003).

Students with English as an additional language are also required to meet UC’s English language requirements:

If you do not hold an undergraduate degree but are able to demonstrate extensive professional or scholarly experience, you may be considered for entry on a case by case basis by the Dean of Health Sciences.

Planning your Taha Hinengaro Health and Wellbeing Practice endorsement

1. The Postgraduate Diploma in Health Sciences 120-point pathway consists of 60 points of compulsory courses HLTH430, COUN682, SOWK612 and a further 60 points from the recommended courses below.

HLTH430 (30 pts)

COUN682 (15 pts)

SOWK612 (15 pts)

Recommended course (30pts)

Recommended course (30pts)

Courses offered for the Taha Hinengaro Health and Wellbeing Practice endorsement

Refer to the list of courses below to complete the plan for your pathway.

Recommended courses - These courses have been recommended to complement Taha Hinengaro health and wellbeing practice endorsement.

HLTH431 (30pts)

PSYC442 (30pts)

PSYC443 (30pts)

COUN671 (30pts)

COUN681 (30pts)

Courses are offered through a range of delivery methods with block courses, evening classes, on campus and/or distance available. Please refer to individual course webpages for further details regarding course content, dates, workshops and other attendance requirements.

If you wish to discuss your options in more detail we recommend contacting the endorsement coordinator, Dr Mark Wallace-Bell.

Behaviours which may be injurious to health are widespread in our society – smoking, hazardous drinking, inadequate diet, lack of exercise – and many chronic health conditions, such as diabetes, require lifestyle behaviour change as part of their management. Changing such behaviours can be difficult, requiring time and considerable effort and motivation. 

Motivational interviewing (MI) is a collaborative conversation style for strengthening a person’s own motivation and commitment for change. Research shows that with appropriate training, MI may be used by various health workers to facilitate change of addictive and unhealthy behaviours. The health behaviour change programme has the potential to strengthen significantly the health workforce skill base needed to address several objectives of Aotearoa New Zealand Health and Disability strategies.

The Health Behaviour Change endorsement of the Postgraduate Diploma in Health Sciences, the Master of Health Sciences, and the Master of Health Sciences Professional Practice will prepare students so that they can be employable and/or provide leadership in Health Behaviour Change within Aotearoa New Zealand and internationally. 

Planning your Health and Behaviour Change endorsement

There are three study pathways for this endorsement. Each pathway has compulsory and recommended courses.

1. The Postgraduate Diploma in Health Sciences 120-point pathway consists of 60 points of compulsory courses HLTH430 and HLTH431, and a further 60 points from the recommended courses below.

HLTH430 (30 pts)

HLTH431 (30 pts)

Recommended course (30pts)

Recommended course (30pts)

2. The Master of Health Sciences Professional Practice 180-point pathway consists of 120 points of compulsory courses HLTH430, HLTH431, HLTH 463 and HLTH 464 and a further 60 points from the recommended courses below.

HLTH430 (30 pts)

HLTH431 (30 pts)

HLTH463 (30 pts)

HLTH464 (30 pts)

Recommended course (30pts)

Recommended course (30pts)

3. The Master of Health Sciences 240-point thesis pathway comprises: Part 1 (120 points) consisting of 60 points of the compulsory courses HLTH430 and HLTH431, 30 points from the recommended courses below and includes a 30-point research methods course, preferably HLTH 464 Research Approaches for Health; and Part 2 (Thesis) HLTH697 or HLTH690. Before enrolling in Part 2 you require a GPA of B or above, and to have an agreed supervisor and approved topic and completed the Masters Thesis Enrolment application form.

Part 1 

HLTH430 (30 pts)

HLTH431 (30 pts)

HLTH464 (30 pts)

Recommended course (30pts)

Part 2 - Thesis

HLTH697 (90pts)

Recommended course (30pts)

or

HLTH690 (120pts)

Courses offered for the Health Behaviour Change Endorsement

Refer to the list of courses below to complete the plan for your pathway.

Recommended courses - These courses have been recommended to complement the Health and Behaviour Change endorsement.

HLTH460 (30pts)

HLTH442 (30pts)

HLTH472 (15 pts)

HLTH407 (30pts)

HLTH408 (15pts)

HLTH402 (30pts)

HLTH467 (30pts)

HLTH463 (30pts)

HLTH403 (30pts)

HLTH468 (30pts)

HLTH469 (30pts)

Please refer to individual course webpages for further details regarding course content, dates, workshops and other attendance requirements.

Palliative care has emerged as a speciality that incorporates inter-professional health care provision for people who are living with and dying from active, progressive diseases or conditions that are not responsive to curative treatment.

Palliative care embraces the physical, social, emotional and spiritual elements of well-being (tinana, whānau, hinengaro, and wairua) and embraces a person’s quality of life while they are dying. This field involves people throughout the life span from children through to the elderly and continues on to support the bereaved whānau.

The Palliative Care endorsement of the Postgraduate Certificate in Health Sciences, the Postgraduate Diploma in Health Sciences, the Master of Health Sciences, and the Master of Health Sciences Professional Practice will prepare students in Palliative Care so that they can be employable and/or provide leadership in Palliative Care within Aotearoa New Zealand and internationally.

Planning your Palliative care endorsement

There are four study pathways for this endorsement. Each pathway has compulsory and recommended courses.

1. The Postgraduate Certificate in Palliative Care 60-point pathway consists of two compulsory papers  HLTH448 and HLTH449.

HLTH448 (30 pts)

HLTH449 (30 pts)

2. The Postgraduate Diploma in Health Sciences 120-point pathway consists of 90 points of compulsory courses HLTH448, HLTH449 and HLTH450, and a further 30 points from the recommended courses below.

HLTH448 (30 pts)

HLTH449 (30 pts)

HLTH450 (30 pts)

Recommended course (30pts)

3. The Master of Health Sciences Professional Practice 180-point pathway consists of 150 points of compulsory courses HLTH448, HLTH449, HLTH450, HLTH 463 and HLTH 464 and a further 30 points from the recommended courses below.

HLTH448 (30 pts)

HLTH449 (30 pts)

HLTH450 (30 pts)

HLTH463 (30 pts)

HLTH464 (30 pts)

Recommended course (30pts)

4. The Master of Health Sciences 240-point thesis pathway comprises: Part 1 (120 points) consisting of 90 points of the compulsory courses HLTH448, HLTH449 and HLTH450, a 30-point research methods course, preferably HLTH 464 Research Approaches for Health; and Part 2 (Thesis) HLTH697 or HLTH690. Before enrolling in Part 2 you require a GPA of B or above, and to have an agreed supervisor and approved topic and completed the Masters Thesis Enrolment application form.

Part 1 

HLTH448(30 pts)

HLTH449 (30 pts)

HLTH450 (30 pts)

HLTH464 (30 pts)

Part 2 - Thesis

HLTH697 (90pts)

Recommended course (30pts)

or

HLTH690 (120pts)

Courses offered for the Palliative Care Endorsement

Refer to the list of courses below to complete the plan for your pathway.

Recommended courses - These courses have been recommended to complement the Palliative Care endorsement.

HLTH430 (30pts)

HLTH442 (30pts)

HLTH464 (30pts)

COUN679 (30pts)

COUN671 (30pts)

COUN678 (30pts)

Please refer to individual course webpages for further details regarding course content, dates, workshops and other attendance requirements.

The rapid expansion of information technology, combined with an escalating demand for health services and changing patterns of health care delivery, have had a major impact on the health sector. 

The transition from “Industrial Age Medicine” to “Information Age Health Care” (British Medical Journal - 1997, 314, 1495) has created unprecedented pressure for new ways to provide, present, manage and monitor health information, with information technology central to these processes. Worldwide, there is now huge investment in such technology, which in one way or another is used by most health practitioners on a daily basis. 

Advanced training in health information management is increasingly being sought by health sector administrators and managers, technical and support staff, and clinicians whose effective performance of their role is increasingly reliant on up-to-date and well-managed information.

The Health Information Management endorsement of the Postgraduate Diploma in Health Sciences, the Master of Health Sciences, and the Master of Health Sciences Professional Practice will prepare students so that they can be employable and/or provide leadership in Health Information Management within Aotearoa New Zealand and internationally. 

Planning your Health and Information Management endorsement

There are three study pathways for this endorsement. Each pathway has compulsory and recommended courses.

1. The Postgraduate Diploma in Health Sciences 
This 120-point pathway consists of these compulsory courses:

• HLTH402 Health Information Management
• 30 points chosen from these options or other approved Health Sciences courses
• 60 points of courses chosen from approved Health Sciences courses

2. The Master of Health Sciences Professional Practice 
This 180-point practical pathway consists of these compulsory courses:

• HLTH402 Health Information Management
• 30 points chosen from these options or other approved Health Sciences courses
• 60 points of courses chosen from approved Health Sciences courses

3. The Master of Health Sciences 
This 240-point research pathway consists of two parts, with these compulsory courses:

Part I

• HLTH402 Health Information Management
• 30 points chosen from these options or other approved Health Sciences courses
• 60 points of courses chosen from approved Health Sciences courses

Part II

• HLTH690 MHealSc Thesis

OR

• HLTH697 Health Sciences Thesis
• 30 points of approved Health Sciences courses

Before enrolling in Part 2 you require a GPA of B or above, and to have an agreed supervisor and approved topic and completed the Masters Thesis Enrolment application form.

Please refer to individual course webpages for further details regarding course content, dates, workshops and other attendance requirements.

UCs postgraduate health sciences endorsement in Environment and Health is the only qualification in the South Island that qualifies graduates to work as Environmental Health Officers.

Environmental health officers work for councils, public health organisations and within the private sector. Their role includes investigating and monitoring food safety, infectious diseases and environmental health risks. Environmental health officers protect public health through the development of health policy, health promotion initiatives and the enforcement of public health legislation.

Completing a UC postgraduate qualification in Environment and Health will prepare you with the practical skills you require to work in environmental health including taking environmental samples, collecting and preparing evidence for a hearing, engaging with local iwi, and using Geographic Information Systems. You will develop an understanding of risk assessment and exposure, public health investigation and study design in order to reliably assess environmental risks. You will also be prepared with an understanding of relevant legislation including the Health Act and Resource Management Act.

Planning your Environment and Health endorsement

There are three study pathways for this endorsement. Each pathway has compulsory and recommended courses.

1. The Postgraduate Diploma in Health Sciences 120-point pathway consists compulsory courses HLTH460,  HLTH403, ENVR415, ENVR404, GEOG404 and GISC422

HLTH460 (30 pts)

HLTH403 (30 pts)

ENVR415 (15 pts)

ENVR404 (15 pts)

GEOG404 (15 pts)

GISC422 (15 pts)

2. The Master of Health Sciences Professional Practice 180-point pathway consists of compulsory courses HLTH460, HLTH403 ENVR415, ENVR404, GEOG404, GISC422, HLTH 463 and HLTH 464.

ENVR415 (15 pts)

ENVR404 (15 pts)

GEOG404 (15 pts)

GISC422 (15 pts)

HLTH460 (30 pts)

HLTH403 (30 pts)

HLTH463 (30 pts)

HLTH464 (30 pts)

3. The Master of Health Sciences 240-point thesis pathway comprises: Part 1 (120 points) consisting of the compulsory courses HLTH460 and HLTH403, ENVR415, ENVR404, GEOG404, GISC422; and Part 2 (Thesis) HLTH697 or HLTH690. Before enrolling in Part 2 you require a GPA of B or above, and to have an agreed supervisor and approved topic and completed the Masters Thesis Enrolment application form.

Part 1 

ENVR415 (15 pts)

ENVR404 (15 pts)

GEOG404 (15 pts)

GISC422 (15 pts)

HLTH460 (30 pts)

HLTH403 (30 pts)

Part 2 - Thesis

HLTH697 (90pts)

Recommended course (30pts)

or

HLTH690 (120pts)

Please refer to individual course webpages for further details regarding course content, dates, workshops and other attendance requirements.

UC School of Health Sciences draw on their public health expertise to prepare graduates of the Health and Community major with the skills and knowledge to design and implement evidence-based health interventions in community settings.

Increasingly, public health interventions target groups whose well-being is considered at-risk, such as young people and the elderly. Some recent studies indicate that public health programmes targeted at the population or risk-group level may have moderate effectiveness, and may need strengthening. This appears particularly true for hapū and whānau (Cram et al, 2003). 

The social model of health strongly identifies the contributions of communities and social networks to health and well-being. This major helps students understand how communities contribute to health and well-being to increase the effectiveness of health promotion. Fry and Zask (2016) describe the need to strengthen community action by “expanding the resources and capacity of communities to make decisions and take collective action” through networking, advocacy, programme development and building healthy public policy. Current and future workers within the fields of primary health, health promotion, public health and not-for-profit health organisations will benefit from this course of study.

The Health and Community endorsement of the Postgraduate Diploma in Health Sciences, the Master of Health Sciences, and the Master of Health Sciences Professional Practice will prepare students so that they can be employable and/or provide leadership in community health within Aotearoa New Zealand and internationally. 

Planning your Health and Community endorsement

There are three study pathways for this endorsement. Each pathway has compulsory and recommended courses.

1. The Postgraduate Diploma in Health Sciences 120-point pathway consists of 60 points of compulsory courses HLTH463 and HLTH469, and a further 60 points from the recommended courses below.

HLTH463 (30 pts)

HLTH469 (30 pts)

Recommended course (30pts)

Recommended course (30pts)

2. The Master of Health Sciences Professional Practice 180-point pathway consists of 120 points of compulsory courses HLTH463, HLTH469, GEOG401 and HLTH 464 and a further 60 points from the recommended courses below.

GEOG401 (30 pts)

HLTH469 (30 pts)

HLTH463 (30 pts)

HLTH464 (30 pts)

Recommended course (30pts)

Recommended course (30pts)

3. The Master of Health Sciences 240-point thesis pathway comprises: Part 1 (120 points) consisting of 60 points of the compulsory courses HLTH463 and HLTH469, 30 points from the recommended courses below and a 30-point research methods course, preferably HLTH 464 Research Approaches for Health; and Part 2 (Thesis) HLTH697 or HLTH690. Before enrolling in Part 2 you require a GPA of B or above, and to have an agreed supervisor and approved topic and completed the Masters Thesis Enrolment application form.

Part 1 

HLTH464 (30 pts)

HLTH463 (30 pts)

HLTH469 (30 pts)

Recommended course (30pts)

Part 2 - Thesis

HLTH697(90pts)

Recommended course (30pts)

or

HLTH690 (120pts)

Courses offered for the Health and Community Endorsement

Refer to the list of courses below to complete the plan for your pathway.

Recommended courses - These courses have been recommended to complement the Health and Community endorsement.

HLTH430 (30pts)

HLTH442 (30pts)

HLTH472 (15 pts)

HLTH407 (30pts)

HLTH408 (15pts)

HLTH462 (15pts)

HLTH464 (30pts)

HLTH401 (30pts)

HLTH403 (30pts)

Please refer to individual course webpages for further details regarding course content, dates, workshops and other attendance requirements.

The new Health Leadership and Management endorsement offers you the opportunity to extend your experience into strategic and operational roles where you can develop innovative business solutions for better health outcomes.

Health organisations face daily challenges ranging from staffing and workload, to complicated processes and information systems, funding and and policy limitations. In these disruptive environments, effective leaders perform vital roles, using multiple skills such as strategic planning, budgeting, monitoring, evaluation, communication, negotiation, recruitment and managing risk.

The Health Leadership and Management endorsement of the Postgraduate Diploma in Health Sciences, the Master of Health Sciences, and the Master of Health Sciences Professional Practice will help you develop your capability and interpersonal skills to shape and develop teams with high engagement, collaboration, resilience and innovation.

Planning your Health Leadership and Management endorsement

There are three study pathways for this endorsement. Each pathway has compulsory and recommended courses.

1. The Postgraduate Diploma in Health Sciences 120-point pathway consists of 90 points of compulsory courses HLTH410 and two (60 points) of HLTH401, HLTH402, HLTH409 and a further 30 points from the recommended courses below.

HLTH410 (30 pts)

HLTH401 or HLTH402 or HLTH409 (30 pts)

HLTH401 or HLTH402 or HLTH409 (30 pts)

Recommended course (30pts)

2. The Master of Health Sciences Professional Practice 180-point pathway consists of 120 points of compulsory courses HLTH463, HLTH464, HLTH410 and 60 points from HLTH401, HLTH402, HLTH409 and a further 30 points from the recommended courses below.

HLTH463 (30 pts)

HLTH464 (30 pts)

HLTH410 (30 pts)

HLTH401 or HLTH402 or HLTH409 (30 pts)

HLTH401 or HLTH402 or HLTH409 (30 pts)

Recommended course (30pts)

3. The Master of Health Sciences 240-point thesis pathway comprises: Part 1 (120 points) consisting of 90 points of the compulsory courses HLTH410, HLTH464, one of HLTH401, HLTH402 or HLTH409 and 30 points from the recommended courses below; and Part 2 (Thesis) HLTH697 or HLTH690. Before enrolling in Part 2 you require a GPA of B or above, and to have an agreed supervisor and approved topic and completed the Masters Thesis Enrolment application form.

Part 1 

HLTH410 (30 pts)

HLTH464 (30 pts)

HLTH401 or HLTH402or HLTH409 (30 pts)

Recommended course (30pts)

Part 2 - Thesis

HLTH697 (90pts)

Recommended course (30pts)

or

HLTH690 (120pts)

Courses offered for the Health Leadership and Management Endorsement

Refer to the list of courses below to complete the plan for your pathway.

Recommended courses - These courses have been recommended to complement the Health Leadership and Management endorsement.

MBUS602 (15pts)

MBUS603 (15pts)

MBUS644 (15 pts)

MBUS650 (15pts)

HLTH407 (30pts)

HLTH430 (30pts)

HLTH469 (30pts)

HLTH401 (30pts)

HLTH402 (30pts)

HLTH409 (30pts)

MBAM610 (15pts)

Please refer to individual course webpages for further details regarding course content, dates, workshops and other attendance requirements.

Download our Health Leadership and Management brochure.

Students are advised that enrolment in some courses and access to health care agencies for clinical, research or work integrated learning requires compliance with Ministry of Health and agency requirements regarding vaccination and / or health screening. As these requirements are subject to change, updates and information will be provided on or during enrolment in specific courses.