National athlete to advocate for mothers and children through social work
It was Marijke Claude's passion for justice, whanaungatanga and manaakitanga that inspired her to study a Bachelor of Social Work at the University of Waikato in Tauranga.
School of Psychological and Social Sciences
Welcome into a community full of innovative thinkers. Our students work alongside internationally respected psychological and social scientists, and psychologists, to understand people, explore social dynamics and advocate for inclusive communities.
Te Kura Whatu Oho Mauri School of Psychological and Social Sciences
Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behaviour of humans and non-human animals. It's about understanding what makes people tick and how this understanding can help us address many of the problems and issues in society today.
As both a thriving academic discipline and a vital professional practice, psychology is dedicated to the study of human behaviour and how we act, react and interact - and the thoughts, feelings, and motivations behind it.
In our School, we have strong connections to a range of other subjects such as medicine, social sciences, sport, management and education. We specialise in the most critical areas of psychology, where we can make a real difference to New Zealand society.
Welcome from the Head of School
I absolutely love the discipline of Psychology. It is an incredibly broad and diverse academic subject. As much, it comes in all sorts of flavours and is often difficult to pin down in a definition. For me, Psychology is the science of how we understand and improve how humans and animals perceive and think. It is the study of how we act, react and interact. This field lets us make great strides in creating new knowledge that positively helps our society.
The School of Psychological and Social Sciences at Waikato contains all the flavours of Psychology – from neuroscience to social science. We are a very special community that is warm and welcoming. We continually strive to be world leading experts in our respective fields. This is reflected in the way that we teach. We bring our excitement, knowledge and passion to our lecture theatres and labs. This means that our students learn about the most up-to-date advances in psychology together with how psychology can be applied in the modern world.
Professor Vincent Reid
Head of School
Research at the School of Psychological and Social Sciences
Join a world-leading psychology school. Our research is multidisciplinary and focused on creating positive societal impact.
Our Māori name
Find out how the School of Psychological and Social Sciences was gifted it's beautiful name.
Our Staff
Our School is home to leading researchers and clinicians who are making exciting discoveries in the field of psychology and social sciences.
Intelligent Questions
Gender, sexuality and the body
When did you last hear something positive about physical differences? Professor Katrina Roen speaks about how we experience our bodies and how we make sense of what we experience.
Exploring Consumer Society and the Service Economy by Researching Baristas
Dr Gemma Piercy-Cameron speaks about her PhD research on baristas and café culture.
What does history look like if we start from the ocean, instead of the land?
Dr Kate Stevens speaks about the history of whaling in Aotearoa New Zealand and her other research interests.
Success stories
News
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How can I be safe at work when my boss is a bit of a psycho?
Happy and engaged workers boost productivity. However, when your boss is a psychopath, it can negatively impact employee wellbeing and workplace dynamics.
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Designing an inclusive citizenship model guided by Te Tiriti o Waitangi
A trans-disciplinary research project is kicking off in the New Year.
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Newly refurbished Waikato IDI Lab a catalyst for fostering academic-industry collaboration
The University of Waikato is delighted to announce the re-opening of its newly refurbished Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI) Lab.