Course details

Summary

Take your study of sociology to the next level

With Massey’s Postgraduate Diploma in Arts (Sociology) you can build on your undergraduate interests.

What is it Like?

Sociology is about understanding and describing our local society and its global setting. Sociologists are interested in almost all aspects of the social world and in your Postgraduate Diploma in Arts (Sociology) you’ll consider questions such as:

• How is society structured?
• How is society changing?
• What divides or unites social groups?
• What causes the inequalities we see in society?
• How does power operate?

With a Massey Postgraduate Diploma in Arts (Sociology) you’ll ask challenging questions about how power structures function in the social world. You’ll study culture, ethnicity, class, inequality, gender, mass media, politics, environment, social change and individual and group interactions.

Careers

Your Postgraduate Diploma in Arts (Sociology) will give you the knowledge and competencies you need to start your career as a policy analyst, researcher or community development organiser. You‘ll learn a range of intellectual and practical skills that will stand you in good stead in the job market.

Loads of career options

This qualification opens up a world of opportunity to be involved in influencing a broad number of social issue outcomes such as healthy housing, youth development, Maori wellbeing, health promotion, or gender analysis of policy. You’ll approach this not only from the perspective of government and local-body policy, but also from the perspectives of local communities and community organisations.

You’ll learn to apply your critical sociology analysis skills to a number of decision-making scenarios, for better social outcomes. This could take many forms including policy development, project planning, legal submissions or strategic organisational management.

You could work in areas such as:

• Research
• Communications
• Project management
• Governance
• Charitable trusts
• Social marketing
• Journalism
• Advocacy
• Teaching and lecturing
• Policy analysis - public, private and third sector (non-government organizations, public-private partnerships, not-for-profit, voluntary and charity organizations)
• Youth development
• Community development
• Politics
• Government agencies - local, regional and central
• NGOs - housing, Maori land trusts, health service providers, disability advocacy and support, youth development

Postgraduate Diploma in Arts (Sociology) structure

You will complete 120 credits of 700 level courses.

All courses are 30 credits each unless otherwise indicated.

176.701 Current Issues and Theories
176.702 Advanced Social Inquiry
176.711 Sociology of Underdevelopment
176.715 Culture and New Zealand Society
176.718 Environmental Sociology

The Postgraduate Diploma in Arts may be awarded with Distinction or Merit if study is completed to a superior/high standard, and where all requirements have been completed within one year for full-time study.

Entry criteria

You will have completed one of the following:

• Bachelor of Arts degree, with a major in Sociology
• Bachelor’s degree with a minor in Sociology, followed by a Graduate Certificate in Arts endorsed in Sociology
• Bachelor’s degree, followed by a Graduate Diploma in Arts endorsed in Sociology

English language requirements:

• IELTS score of 6.5 (no band less than 6.0)
• TOEFL iBT score of 90 overall (min 20 in Writing)
• PTE Academic score of 58 Overall (min 50 in communicative skills)
• Cambridge English score of 180