坎特伯雷大学

The BHSc is a three-year programme that provides a comprehensive overview of health and health care. It is a multidisciplinary qualification and our graduates are using their skills in the health sector and beyond.

Aotearoa New Zealand's health and disability sector is characterised by a diverse workforce made up of many occupations. This diversity is essential to be able to provide the range of services required to meet population health outcomes. Enables graduates to improve health and well-being through disease prevention, health promotion, and health service planning, delivery, and evaluation.

The Society and Policy major focuses on the relationship between health science, health governance, bioethics and society. It will comprise an interdisciplinary core based on sociology of health, policy issues in health technology and health delivery at the local, national and global levels, together with research training in qualitative and quantitative social science research methods.

Graduates of the Society and Policy major have an in-depth knowledge of social issues relating to health, bioethics, and the development and evaluation of public policies, particularly policies with implications for health. Society and Policy majors possess core knowledge and skills relevant to health employment and sector-defined competencies. This includes some of the Aotearoa New Zealand generic public health competencies (PHANZ 2007), and some of the Aotearoa health promotion competencies (Health Promotion Forum 2012), including bioethics competencies that are specific to this major.

How do I plan my degree?

The BHSc requires a total of 360 points:

• 135 points of compulsory courses
• at least 90 points of major courses
• the remaining points from Health Sciences or from other degrees.

At least 225 points must be from courses above 100-level, with at least 90 points at 300-level.

Career opportunities

This major prepares students for positions in policy analysis, social science research and development of public policy. It also prepares them for further research in humanities and the social sciences.

Students who graduate with a BHSc in Society and Policy are well prepared for postgraduate study in Health Sciences, and may be eligible to enrol in the Master of Policy and Governance. Students who take the Sociology option at 300-level, may also go on to postgraduate work in Sociology.

Graduates who do not wish to complete a postgraduate degree may pursue careers in health administration, public policy, health policy, and other non-clinical roles within the broad health sector. This major also provides a foundation for graduate clinical degrees.

Examples of career pathways include:

• careers in health-related institutions and agencies;
• community development roles in public health units, District Health Boards, Maori and iwi health/development organisations, NGOs, and local government agencies;
• health policy analysts;
• postgraduate studies towards a research career in health;
• social and health researchers.