A non-clinical subject, Health Sciences offers a multidisciplinary understanding of health in New Zealand. You’ll learn about the biological, social and behavioural bases of the Western medical system as you prepare for a career in the health sector and related industries. Taken into consideration will be socio-economic and behavioural factors, as well as the role governments play in determining the health of our communities.

Topics include health and society, epidemiology, behaviour and health, health systems, healthcare ethics, Māori and Pacific health and human biology.

Health Sciences is a great choice for students who want to prepare for a broad range of health-related careers.

For postgraduate students, you can also complete a Health Sciences degree at the Liggins Institute. The Liggins Institute has a particular focus on fetal and child health, nutrition, development, epigenetics and translational science. It’s a good option if you’re interested in investigating the long-term consequences of early life events.

The University of Auckland is New Zealand’s leading university in the QS World University Rankings 2018. It is the only New Zealand university that ranks in the top 100 for its reputation amongst academics and employers, and is the highest ranking university in the country for Graduate Employability.

You can complete postgraduate study in the Health Sciences subject in the Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours), a Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma in Health Sciences or a Master of Health Sciences.
Health Sciences is an umbrella qualification covering all postgraduate courses offered by the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences.

However most courses on the Master of Health Sciences schedule are more usually taken towards either a specialisation under health sciences (listed below) or another named qualification such as a Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Education, Health Psychology, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, or Public Health, or a Master of Health Leadership or Master of Audiology.
The Master of Health Sciences can also be completed at the Liggins Institute, which is a good option if you’re interested in the early life environment and the impact of this on life-long health.

You can, in some circumstances, choose courses that are not under a specialisation. In that situation you can choose a general health sciences plan.

Most students applying for a health sciences programme are working in the health sector and choose part-time study in a specialisation in their area.
Specialisations include:
- Advanced Nursing
- Alcohol and Drug Studies
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health
- Health Informatics
- Mammography
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Medical Imaging
- Mental Health Nursing
- Nutrition and Dietetics
- Optometry
- Pacific Health
- Palliative Care
- Pharmaceutical Science
- Population Mental Health
- Sports Medicine (Postgraduate Certificate level)
- Ultrasound
- Women's Health (Postgraduate Certificate level)
- Youth Health