Master of Philosophy in Tourism Management

at The University of Waikato - Hamilton Campus New Zealand

Screen and Media Studies at Waikato makes sure you keep pace with new tools and platforms for the rapidly evolving media industry.

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.

The Community Health major is designed to ensure graduates have the knowledge, skills and understanding to make a difference in the wellbeing of the people in our local, regional and national communities. Drawing on M?ori, Indigenous, critical and sociological perspectives, students will be provided with the opportunity to investigate the way health is understood and practiced in our society. Students will develop practical skills that will allow them to advocate and take action in enhancing the well-being of themselves and others.

Community Health is an interdisciplinary programme, which includes papers from the Waikato Management School as well as the Schools of Arts and School of Social Sciences. The major embraces bi-culturalism and multi-culturalism by conceptualising health in a holistic sense. Moreover, it focuses on key relational and communication skills that are foundational to working with people in the health sector.

Philosophy is for thinkers and doers. It's about solving real-life problems, and applying intellectual rigour to how we understand and interact with others, society and the world. Studying Philosophy at Waikato will teach you how to learn, think and write clearly, argue vigorously, and question deeply held assumptions and beliefs.

The study of Philosophy involves tackling ethical and science-related issues, logic problems and debates about the nature of reality. It asks fundamental questions about what it means to be human, at this time and in this place. Questions such as: what is truth; what is reality; what is the mind; and what is good?

Employers understand the value of graduates who can think, and decide, for themselves. Waikato Philosophy graduates have the practical and analytical skills needed for careers within the public and private, health, business, environmental, publishing, information technology and education sectors, among others.

Electronics covers a wide range of exciting modern developments ranging from microscopic electronic circuits and machines, mobile and computer communications, advances in medical diagnosis and treatment, to developments in the latest audio and video technologies.

Studying electronics at the University of Waikato will give you valuable skills in electronic engineering and design. You will have the option to specialise in some of the most progressive areas in electronics today such as optoelectronics or mechatronics.

Optoelectronics deals with the conversion of electrical signals to light or vice-versa.  Solar cells, fibre optics and lasers are integral components of everyday devices such as supermarket barcode scanners and long distance communication systems.

Mechatronics combines aspects of electronic software and mechanical engineering to produce devices such as printers, cars, aircraft, photocopiers and even washing machines. These are fast growing areas in which you can develop a productive and satisfying career.

Learn about Population Studies through the National Institute for Demographic and Economic Analysis at Waikato and gain a solid, research-led understanding of the population issues facing developed and developing countries, with a particular emphasis on the South Pacific.

The National Institute for Demographic and Economic Analysis (NIDEA) is a research institute based in the University's School of Social Sciences. It is New Zealand's sole national institute of demographic and population-focused research, and the only such unit to generate and coordinate New Zealand research in population studies.

Population problems are among the most serious challenges we face for the 21st Century. Population issues have implications for the environment, employment, families, health, urbanisation, migration, security in old age and refugee movements. It is vital that research develops integrated approaches to these issues, and policy makers and planners pay serious attention to population trends, their causes and effects.

At Waikato, our Population Studies program takes a particular look at trends in New Zealand and the broader South Pacific region. You will learn about, and be involved in, research into Maori demography, population health, family structures and formation, fertility, the labour force and employment relating to New Zealand, as well as work on India, Africa, Europe, the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific. You will become familiar with themes such as mortality, social policy, fertility, migration, families and households, labour force and income, and will understand the contrasting population problems faced by developed and developing countries.

Studying Social Policy involves examining the issues that affect people and society. It analyses the policies and practices of politicians, public servants, governments and non-governmental agencies, and how they impact on communities and wider society. It takes a broad and encompassing approach, because social policy impacts on all parts of everyday life – from health and education to families, transport and housing, plus the systems and institutions that support them.

Your Social Policy studies at Waikato will cover why and how societies respond to problems such as poverty and unemployment. You'll take part in popular and recurring social policy debates, and gain an in-depth understanding of why social problems arise. You'll investigate and evaluate different ways of responding to those problems.

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.

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.

Studying Professional Writing at Waikato teaches you high-level skills as a reader, writer and editor with excellent verbal, grammatical and analytical skills to excel your writing career.

The Master of Professional Writing offers a research-led and strongly practice-based qualification in professional and creative writing. The core paper is designed specifically to enhance the workplace readiness of graduates, and elective papers range across a variety of fields from creative writing to writing for promotional purposes and advertising, for digital media and for scholarly and professional publication.

Students have the opportunity to include a writing internship and all MPW students will be offered an on-campus professional writing mentor, who will provide professional advice and direct students towards on-campus writing opportunities. Candidates for the Creative Writing Thesis are selected on the basis of assessment of a portfolio of work; students accepted for the Creative Writing Thesis complete a book-length manuscript of publishable standard.

Molecular and Cellular Biology explores the complex mechanisms that coordinate the essential systems that define a living cell and that allow cells to have differentiated properties. This knowledge is used to look at how unicellular and multicellular organisms function and how it can provide researchers with crucial insights into the basis of human and animal diseases.

By studying a major in Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Waikato, you will

• Gain a detailed knowledge of the molecules of life and the relationship between the structure and function of biomolecules;
• Understand the subcellular and cellular organisation of eukaryotic cells and the key catabolic, anabolic and metabolic cellular processes that occur.
• Learn how to distinguish between the genetic organisation and gene expression of viruses, prokaryotes, and eukaryotes, and describe the mechanisms of inheritance and evolution;
• Be able to describe the anatomy and physiology of mammals and other organisms, and the mechanisms behind certain diseases.

Along with relevant subject knowledge, you will also gain a range of critical thinking skills, and practical learning experiences from our range of challenging and innovative papers and programs. There is a significant laboratory component to the Molecular and Cellular Biology major, where you will learn relevant skills and be exposed to some of the latest techniques available.

Teaching is research-led, and you can expect to be taught by world-class researchers. Research strengths within Molecular and Cellular Biology include active programs within molecular biology, structural biology and protein engineering, neuroendocrine processes that underlie food intake and biomedical related research relevant to veterinary and human medicine.

This subject explores the knowledge, language, culture, politics, methods and theory of Pacific and Indigenous Studies, while teaching students how to interpret new ways of understanding the world.

Pacific and Indigenous Studies focuses on the diverse Pacific region – which covers a third of the earth’s surface and is home to over 1200 languages – as well as on the histories, experiences and perspectives of Pacific people in New Zealand.

Students of Pacific and Indigenous Studies bring a wide range of background knowledge to their studies: from Pacific students who will find their own perspectives are valued and expanded through academic study in this area, all the way through to students who might have little knowledge about the region but bring a desire to learn about where we are.

All students of Pacific and Indigenous Studies learn a lot about the region and where we are, and also practice and develop skills of critical thinking, communication, and analysis of diverse perspectives.