20 Master Programmes in New Zealand for 2024

The Master of General Practice (MGP) degree is a one year full-time equivalent qualification that can be completed as a thesis. Students enter the MGP after completing the Postgraduate Diploma in General Practice (PGDipGP). The MGP is an internationally recognised qualification for practitioners in the field of general practice. Graduates from the Program are equipped to work in academic and clinical settings. This course is also available through Distance Learning.

The Master of Nursing Science (MNSc) is an intensive integrated Program of study, usually completed in two calendar years of full time study, which offers a pathway to a nursing career. Graduates from any discipline will be considered for this qualification. Students will engage in clinically-focused, face-to-face and online, research-informed learning through the University of Otago, Christchurch, in partnership with healthcare providers in the South Island. Students will develop their knowledge and skills for practice through case-based scenarios, clinical simulation, extensive clinical experiences and research.

The Master of Education and Learning (MEdLn) is designed to meet the professional development needs of teachers in the early childhood, primary, and secondary sectors, and to help teachers further develop their critical knowledge and understanding of issues related to teaching and learning in Aotearoa New Zealand, including their own teaching practices. The Program is notable for its flexible nature, utilising digital technologies to ensure students can be available at times and places that suit them.

The Master of Teaching and Learning (MTchgLn) endorsed in either Early Childhood, Primary or Secondary Education, is an intensive, research-informed program of postgraduate study, usually completed in one calendar year of full-time study, or its equivalent in part-time study.

The Master of Dental Technology (MDentTech) Program usually requires two years' full-time study (or the equivalent in part-time study). It consists of three 500-level papers plus a thesis.

The University of Otago has a strong international reputation for biomedical research. The Master of Biomedical Sciences (MBiomedSc) is a one year thesis only postgraduate degree, which will allow you to further your career in biomedical sciences.

The Master of Medical Laboratory Science (MMLSc) degree and preceding Postgraduate Diploma in Medical Laboratory Science (PGDipMLSc) allow a Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science (BMLSc) graduate to pursue a full-time research option, possibly leading on to a PhD. These postgraduate qualifications also allow experienced medical laboratory scientists with unrelated or no previous university study to undertake research-based qualifications which may assist them into research and academic careers. Potential candidates should note that there is a strong focus on assisting the individual to develop self-directed research skills. These postgraduate qualifications are not designed to provide practising medical laboratory scientists with updates on their area of practice.

The Otago Master of Occupational Medicine degree (MOccMed) is part of an internationally accredited Program that will enable part-time registered medical practitioners to develop competencies for professional occupational medicine practice at a registered or board certified specialist level in any country in the world.

The MSCW(Applied) covers key elements of social work practice: models of practice, family and children, community organisations and policy settings, kaupapa Maori and Indigenous approaches to practice, and research and evaluation skills. Students will also complete two fieldwork placements with social service agencies where they will have the opportunity to learn within a professional setting supervised by a registered social worker.

The Master of Community Dentistry (MComDent) degree is designed to be an appropriate Program of study for a person who wishes to pursue a specialist career in dental public health. It may be undertaken full-time over two academic years, or part-time over three years. The Program fosters the development of critical analysis and research competence, along with the advanced set of knowledge and skills in dental public health which is required by the specialist in that field.

The degree of Master of Ophthalmology (MOphth) is designed for medical graduates who have completed the Postgraduate Diploma in Ophthalmic Basic Sciences (PGDipOphthBS) and wish to extend their understanding of the subject by completing a research project. It also aims to assist those seeking a position in the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO) approved training scheme.

The Master of Health Sciences (MHealSc) degree allows study at a postgraduate level across a range of health disciplines, and research experience (thesis, dissertation or project) in the student's area of specialisation.

The Master of Aviation Medicine (MAvMed) qualification is a 4-year part-time, distance-learning course offered globally. The core of the Master’s degree begins with the Postgraduate Diploma in Occupational Medicine (PGDipOccMed) or the Postgraduate Diploma in Aeromedical Retrieval and Transport (PGDipAeroRT). These four papers lead into four additional advanced papers required to complete the Master’s qualification. Once completed, students will have earned a Diploma in addition to a Master’s qualification.

The Otago Master of Aeromedical Retrieval and Transport degree (MAeroRT) is part of an internationally accredited programme that enables part-time registered medical practitioners to develop competencies for professional aeromedical retrieval and transport practice at a registered or board certified specialist level in any country in the world.