Master of Social Sciences - MSocSc

Requirements | Entry | Subjects | Calendar Regulations | Profile

Requirements

Following the successful completion of the BSocSc(Hons) you may apply for the Master of Social Sciences (MSocSc). Again, this degree is awarded with classes of honours. The MSocSc involves two semesters of full-time study, or the equivalent in part-time study. It comprises either a 120 point thesis, or a 90 point thesis and 30 points from approved 500 Level papers, or a 60 point thesis and 60 points from approved 500 Level papers.

Entry

To be admitted to the MSocSc, you must have completed a Bachelor of Social Sciences with Honours (or the equivalent) in the same subject and must have achieved a satisfactory grade average - normally a B+ average or better. You also need to have appropriate supervision arranged. Admission criteria may vary so please consult the relevant department handbook or the relevant Graduate Adviser for their admission criteria.

Admission to the MSocSc requires the agreement of the Chairperson or Director of the major subject or programme and agreement of the Dean of Arts and Social Sciences (or nominee).

Subjects Offered for the MSocSc

Anthropology, Demography, Economics, Education Studies, Geography (including Tourism Studies*), Health Development and Policy, History, Human Development, Labour Studies (including Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management*), Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Public Policy, Social Policy, Sociology, Tikanga Māori and Women's and Gender Studies.

* The undergraduate subject of Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management (IR & HRM) is an interdisciplinary major of related papers which at graduate level exists as a stream within Labour Studies. Similarly, Tourism Studies is a stream within Geography.

Graduate students enrolled in the MSocSc degree are not restricted to only taking papers in their main subject. Provided their main subject agrees, they may take up to half their papers (60 points) from other subjects. Students should discuss their intended programme with the Graduate Adviser in each of the departments concerned. Individual subjects may have their own guidelines for numbers and types of papers outside the major.