Utilise your imagination, resourcefulness and intellectual creativity to challenge the status quo.
Any voice, idea, issue or solution requires a way of communicating that stands out, has impact, can affect people and potentially bring change.
The arts provide practical skills for understanding humans and their worlds and conveying and expressing those insights in innovative and impactful ways. This is your opportunity to develop language, literacy and communication skills in areas such as modern languages, visual literacy, sound design, creative writing, musical and vocal expression or dramatic composition. In doing so, learn to exploit multiple traditional and digital delivery platforms.
Our students can work alongside top-rated teachers and internationally respected scholars, across 10 majors:
Our majors can be taken in the 5 degree programmes in the School of Arts:
Do you play trumpet, trombone, saxophone, drums, bass, piano or guitar? Or maybe you have an interest in singing Jazz? Do you love to collaborate with other musicians? If so, sign up for our MUSIC122 or MUSIC227 paper and keep up your passion alongside your other studies.
Available for all University of Waikato students who play a suitable big band instrument.
100-Level and 200-Level MUSIC papers are available to be studied at the Tauranga campus. Please note that some travel to Hamilton may be required.
Personalised career development support to help you take the next step.
Get extra support with our broad range of scholarships
Specialist teaching facilities, including the acclaimed Dr John Gallagher Concert Chamber.
Looking to up-skill or need a change of direction? Explore our wide range of study options.
Winning New Zealand’s richest short story competition, the Sargeson Prize, “stitched an egg of possibility” into Leeanne O'Brien that she might make it as a writer.
Art critic and writer Anthony Byrt will devote the next 12 months to three major projects after being named the Kaipukahu University of Waikato Writer in Residence for 2023.
Dr Calude, Senior Linguistics Lecturer at the University and convenor of its linguistics programme, teamed up with renowned author and linguist Emeritus Professor Laurie Bauer from Victoria University of Wellington to write a book that outlines problems (mysteries) and everyday aspects of grammar in a way that’s easily understood.
Opera singer Madeleine Pierard has been named the inaugural Dame Malvina Major Chair in Opera at the University of Waikato.
The new, philanthropically-funded position has been established as part of plans for growth in Music at the University, and to train singers and develop support as they begin their careers.
Six promising opera students have been selected for the University of Waikato’s immersive Master of Music programme in Advanced Opera Studies in 2023.
Award-winning poet and University of Waikato senior lecturer Dr Tracey Slaughter has spent the last nine months reviewing more than 1000 poems for this year’s Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook 2023: After-burn.
A new book by Nathalie Philippe shows how New Zealand played a much more crucial role in the First World War's Battle of the Somme than previously thought.
