Postgraduate Diploma in Public Relations

at The University of Waikato - Hamilton Campus New Zealand

Efficiently converting the world’s raw materials and commodity goods into products is important to the global economy.  To do this, we need to understand the properties of materials as diverse as food, wood, metals, plastics and fuel.

By studying Materials and Processing at the University of Waikato, you will learn how to add value to raw materials used to manufacture a number of useful products, while minimising waste.  These products can be as varied as dietary formulae, foods, ceramics that can withstand high temperatures, new metal alloys, pharmaceuticals, laminated boards, functional proteins, and composites.

Materials and processing skills are used in industrial and other activities where materials are undergoing chemical, biochemical or physical changes.

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.

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.

In a fast-paced ever changing world, Interface Design puts designers at the intersection of design and code. You will help users to navigate the sometimes complex digital world with ease through Interface Design.

User experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design for current and emerging technologies will be taught, along with the development of digital skills of coding, motion design, and information design.  This will prepare you to work in fast-growing areas such as editorial design for web and mobile, publication websites, mobile apps, data visualisation and the design and development of digital products.

UI design usually refers to the design of graphical user interfaces for different types of machines and software, but can also apply to other types of interfaces, such as natural and voice user interfaces.

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.

A career in human resources is all about selecting the right people for the right jobs; then knowing how to train, develop and motivate staff to improve their individual performance. It means you'll be involved in all areas of staff recruitment, salaries, employee benefits, training programs, managerial behaviour and staff productivity.

We'll teach you how to achieve the best results from employees through practical workshops, where you'll apply human resource management practices to address real situations in the workplace.

You’ll also learn about employment relations laws, health and safety, work-life balance, organisational culture, and managing conflict, negotiation and diversity in the workplace.

Students are encouraged to apply HR professional practice to real situations in the workplace, such as carrying out a health and safety audit of an organisation to assess whether the building complies with New Zealand legislation.

If you're organised, enjoy problem-solving, meeting new people and work well in teams, then Human Resource Management may be the right career for you.

The Arts are an essential part of living. Engaging in the arts offers significant intrinsic societal value, enhances academic outcomes and contributes to overall quality of life. Students in Arts Education papers will gain specific discipline knowledge and a broader understanding of the Arts in educational settings through hands-on learning opportunities that nurture curiosity and creativity.

Arts Education papers invite participants to explore their passion, enhance their practice and articulate the value and significance of the Arts in society.

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.

As Indigenous world views become increasingly important to society, a rapidly emerging area of study is Indigenous Studies. The Maori creative and performing arts papers diversify your existing program and provide unique insights into Maori tikanga.

Learning about Maori culture, language and knowledge is not just for Maori; it is crucial for all New Zealanders and international visitors to comprehend how Aotearoa/New Zealand’s unique Indigenous culture defines New Zealand’s identity - it is a cultural, social, economic and political force.

Also, learn how Maori Studies is located in the broader and global context of Indigenous Studies; a discipline that has flourished in the last decade as Indigenous scholars have confronted some of the major issues facing the world, such as efforts to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline.

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.