Graduate Diploma in International Languages and Cultures

at The University of Waikato - Hamilton Campus New Zealand

Literature encompasses the total human experience and comes forth in stories, songs, laments and praise. It draws out the nuances of human nature and imagination and compliments the other arts.

English at Waikato stays relevant by constantly evolving and adapting to newer art forms including film, graphic novel and creative non-fiction.

You'll be immersed in fiction, plays and poetry and explore their potential to shape our world. You'll also have the choice to specialise in creative writing and learn from award-winning writers as well as have the opportunity to publish in Mayhem, our online literary journal. Your writing will gain clarity and subtlety as you develop your unique voice.

The pressure on our environment is increasing as the human population grows. Environmental Sciences provide a basis for understanding environmental problems, and finding solutions to them.

The growing human population is expected to exceed 9 billion within the next 40 years.  The need to provide for increasing human demands, while protecting and sustainably managing the environment, is one of our greatest global challenges. Environmental Science is at the core of this challenge.

A major in Environmental Sciences at Waikato encompasses ecology, earth sciences, and environmental chemistry as well as many other disciplines. It is about understanding and managing human impacts on our land, biodiversity, freshwater, oceans, atmosphere and climate while providing the food, water, energy, and mineral resource needs that are critical to our survival.

Physics aims to understand the entire physical world, from the sub-atomic to the cosmological.

In the School of Science, Physics is taught at a postgraduate level. By studying with us you will develop a thorough understanding of theoretical physics and gain advanced knowledge in areas such as quantum theory and biophysics.

Many famous scientists, such as Einstein and Newton were physicists. Physicists are versed in mathematics, computer programming, experimental science and the design of complex instruments. They are among the most versatile scientists, able to easily cross boundaries into other disciplines such as chemistry, biology, medicine, Earth and planetary sciences. There are biophysicists, geophysicists, astrophysicists and neurophysicists.

The Political Science program will ask you why some crises lead to armed conflict while others resolve peacefully - why democracy thrives in some countries while it dies in others. We challenge you to learn lessons from international politics and to consider political solutions to international crises. We push you to consider tough questions like those involving equality and freedom - must one be sacrificed for the other to flourish?

Political Science is a highly flexible program and will give you job opportunities from local to national government, media, education, industry, business, labour organisations and social services. We also offer minors in Public Policy and in International Relations and Security Studies which further allows you to investigate relevant contemporary issues.

Political Science at Waikato not only gives you a well-rounded perspective on political issues but also provides a versatile base of knowledge and skills to enter many fields.

Computer Science is rapidly changing the world we live in. Studying Computer Science at the University of Waikato, you'll learn about software systems and how people and computers interact. You’ll also learn how to create new software, and ensure it's easy for people to use.

Ongoing progress in computer technology means that there is a steady need for more qualified computer professionals. The University of Waikato is recognised among the world’s best in computer science, and offers the largest range of advanced computer science courses in New Zealand.

A major in Computer Science is flexible, allowing you to focus on a particular area, or to complete a more generalist major. The papers available are carefully designed to ensure you have a good mastery of a particular area of Computer Science and will equip you with the skills you need to succeed in your chosen career.

Students have the opportunity to work alongside internationally-respected academics on a wide range of exciting and innovative research projects in areas such as:

• Broadband communication
• Data compression
• Digital libraries
• Formal methods
• Human-computer interaction
• Machine learning
• Software engineering
• Cyber security.

Screen and Media Studies at Waikato makes sure you keep pace with new tools and platforms for the rapidly evolving media industry. You'll get high-quality learning experiences with up-to-date resources in our top 250 QS-rated program.

During your studies, you'll gain knowledge and learn transferable media skills that can be applied to future technical, social or experiential advancements. It is an area of study for critical, creative and innovative minds and attracts those who wish to not only understand concepts and ideas but also bring them to life. Knowledge is gained from study and hands-on experience writing media content, constructing films, exploiting and adapting media technologies, or designing games.

We expect our students to take their work beyond the classroom and enter competitions and festivals for more experience and greater exposure. Our students have been finalists in film festivals nationally and internationally, contributed specialised skills to feature-length film productions and work for, or run, their own media companies.

Our Screen and Media Studies major for the Bachelor of Arts has the staff expertise and resources to help you launch your career and inspire you to be an innovator in New Zealand and abroad.

Explore how national, regional and local state institutions formulate and implement policies when you study Public Policy at Waikato. You'll also examine how non-profit organisations, individuals and businesses address issues of public concern.

Government decisions influence our lives on a daily basis. They affect the price of our housing, clothes, food, transport and water. They determine the types of jobs we do, how much we are paid and where we live.

Studying Public Policy equips you with the skills to understand and interpret current affairs, deal with government in your future profession or business, and work within government or for groups that lobby government. It is particularly suitable for students who want a career in the public sector, and for employees of organisations that are seeking to influence public policies.

At Waikato, Public Policy is an interdisciplinary subject. That means you can combine it with programs from a variety of other disciplines, creating a program of study to suit your needs. The minor in Public Policy offers both structure and flexibility – there's a compulsory paper at each level of study, but you'll also have the freedom to focus on the particular policy areas that most interest you. Choose from papers on economic, educational, environmental, ethnic, foreign, population and social policy.

In your studies you'll discuss theories of organisation, decision-making and administration, public management, and how public officials work and interact with the public sector and the political executive. You'll learn to examine policies in the context of political values and culture, economic constraints and political party agendas, and come to understand how and why particular policies are adopted by governments.

Screen and Media Studies at Waikato makes sure you keep pace with new tools and platforms for the rapidly evolving media industry. You'll get high-quality learning experiences with up-to-date resources in our top 250 QS-rated program.

During your studies, you'll gain knowledge and learn transferable media skills that can be applied to future technical, social or experiential advancements. It is an area of study for critical, creative and innovative minds and attracts those who wish to not only understand concepts and ideas but also bring them to life. Knowledge is gained from study and hands-on experience writing media content, constructing films, exploiting and adapting media technologies, or designing games.

We expect our students to take their work beyond the classroom and enter competitions and festivals for more experience and greater exposure. Our students have been finalists in film festivals nationally and internationally, contributed specialised skills to feature-length film productions and work for, or run, their own media companies.

Our Screen and Media Studies major for the Bachelor of Arts has the staff expertise and resources to help you launch your career and inspire you to be an innovator in New Zealand and abroad.

Screen and Media Studies at Waikato makes sure you keep pace with new tools and platforms for the rapidly evolving media industry. You'll get high-quality learning experiences with up-to-date resources in our top 250 QS-rated program.

During your studies, you'll gain knowledge and learn transferable media skills that can be applied to future technical, social or experiential advancements. It is an area of study for critical, creative and innovative minds and attracts those who wish to not only understand concepts and ideas but also bring them to life. Knowledge is gained from study and hands-on experience writing media content, constructing films, exploiting and adapting media technologies, or designing games.

We expect our students to take their work beyond the classroom and enter competitions and festivals for more experience and greater exposure. Our students have been finalists in film festivals nationally and internationally, contributed specialised skills to feature-length film productions and work for, or run, their own media companies.

Our Screen and Media Studies major for the Bachelor of Arts has the staff expertise and resources to help you launch your career and inspire you to be an innovator in New Zealand and abroad.

Computer Science is rapidly changing the world we live in. Studying Computer Science at the University of Waikato, you'll learn about software systems and how people and computers interact. You’ll also learn how to create new software, and ensure it's easy for people to use.

Ongoing progress in computer technology means that there is a steady need for more qualified computer professionals. The University of Waikato is recognised among the world’s best in computer science, and offers the largest range of advanced computer science courses in New Zealand.

A major in Computer Science is flexible, allowing you to focus on a particular area, or to complete a more generalist major. The papers available are carefully designed to ensure you have a good mastery of a particular area of Computer Science and will equip you with the skills you need to succeed in your chosen career.

Waikato is well-recognised internationally for our computer science research, and have especially enjoyed success with open source software development.

Students have the opportunity to work alongside internationally-respected academics on a wide range of exciting and innovative research projects in areas such as:

• Broadband communication
• Data compression
• Digital libraries
• Formal methods
• Human-computer interaction
• Machine learning
• Software engineering
• Cyber security.