Bachelor of Social Sciences in Social Policy

at The University of Waikato - Hamilton Campus New Zealand

Finance is all about achieving the best return relative to risk, and helping organisations add value for their shareholders. Studying Finance at Waikato University will prepare you for highly paid positions in the financial and business sectors anywhere in the world.

Practical assignments will prepare you for exactly what you'll encounter in your financial career. For example, students get to work on a funds simulation project using real data, and prepare a report on a publicly listed New Zealand or Australian company, while playing the role of a trainee investment analyst.

You also have the opportunity to do a practical workplace internship or applied research project as part of your degree.
If you enjoy mathematics, accounting, economics, and using analytical tools to find the meaning behind numbers, than finance may be the right fit for you.

International Management deals with business activities that span the globe, across countries and cultures. New Zealand businesses must learn how to operate in countries that have very different laws, economic systems, technology and cultural values to our own.

In this subject, you will learn about some of the barriers and opportunities facing New Zealand exporters, how to develop strategies for entering and servicing international markets, the benefits of e-commerce technologies, managing international alliances and networks, cross-cultural communication, and some of the key strategies used by companies that operate across national borders.

This subject will prepare you for an exciting range of careers in the commercial sector, particularly in exporting, international management, finance, tourism, and government departments such as New Zealand Trade and Enterprise. Alongside your international management papers, you can also choose to learn or continue to learn a foreign language.

International Management may suit you if you're adventurous, business minded, enjoy overseas travel, and have good communication and language skills (or are willing to learn a language.

Communication Design is concerned with visually communicating messages and ideas across multiple media platforms. as a communication designer, you will be responsible for arranging typography, form and image on a myriad of communication platforms, and in various types of media. You will be recognised for the quality of your contribution to our visual culture.

Communication designers work in areas such as branding, environmental graphics, wayfinding systems, editorial design (newspapers, magazines, books), catalogues, museum displays and every aspect of our visual landscape where there is a communication need.  You will find communication designers working in digital mediums too, and the Communication Design major offers opportunities for you to learn web design and motion graphic design as well.

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.

International Languages and Cultures at Waikato offers four streams - Chinese, French, Japanese, and Spanish. With advanced language skills, you'll meet the world's need for multilingual and culturally sensitive speakers, enhancing your business and social skills and preparing you for success in a multicultural work environment.

Students also benefit from travelling abroad to study their language through immersive learning opportunities. Chinese students, for instance, travel to China to gain first-hand language skills and cultural understanding.

Waikato gives you the space to become versatile to deal with texts in a variety of media formats to meet communication and translation needs. The International Languages and Cultures programme at Waikato is highly reputed and increases employability for those seeking job opportunities in other cultures and with different people groups.

The Sport Development and Coaching major is based on an innovative combination of pedagogical and sociological studies of sport and active recreation.

Students in this major will have the opportunity to develop skills and understandings that will support them to enhance sport, recreation, and physical activities for diverse groups and individuals in the community. The transferable knowledge and skills developed through this major will ensure graduates have the capability to lead across any sector that involves people moving.

Students will benefit from the industry partnerships that we have, both locally and nationally, with organisations such as: Sport New Zealand, The International Olympic Committee, Sport Waikato, the Avantidrome, the Waikato Institute of Sport and Leisure Studies, Brian Perry Charitable Trust, The Lowie Foundation, and sports clubs/franchises in the greater Waikato and Bay of Plenty region. A Sport Development and Coaching major prepares you for a range of possible careers which involve policy leadership, sport governance, teaching, coaching, leading, organising, facilitating or managing sport and active recreation.

The study of Design combines an understanding of human needs and desires, forming creative solutions, prototyping and developing artefacts and evaluating their impact and effectiveness in society. It comprises a well-balanced combination of analytical, technological and creative abilities.

Studying Design at the University of Waikato makes you highly sought after, with a unique combination of design and coding skills. You will be able to meet the increasing demand for designers who can work in a variety of media, such as websites, apps, gaming and virtual reality.

Marketing is essential for attracting customers to purchase a company's products or services. It helps to create strong, unique brands that will stand out from their competitors in the crowded global marketplace.

Marketing is far more than just selling or advertising – ultimately, it is marketing that decides what products and services an organisation will offer, to which customers, at what price, using which channels.

In first year you'll take part in a Marketing Tradeshow where you'll put theory into practice. In this fun assignment, you'll work in a team to develop an innovative idea for a new product or service based around a theme, such as tourism, board games, chocolate or sports. Your team will conduct customer research and plan a full marketing mix strategy, including product  packaging design, promotion, price and place of distribution. You'll be encouraged to dress up in costumes on the night, with prizes awarded for best stand, best costumes, and best overall product.

You'll also have the opportunity to study specialist areas of marketing such as digital marketing, brand management, marketing research, consumer and buyer behaviour, services marketing, and business development and sales.

Mathematics is a subject of vital importance that underpins many activities of our modern world. Employers recognise University of Waikato Mathematics graduates for their analytical and problem solving skills as well as their high level of numeracy, which are critical skills for a broad range of jobs.

If you are a graduate with a Mathematics degree, or even with a strong Mathematical component to your degree, you will be a valuable person in today's workforce, with a qualification that appeals to a wide range of employers including banks, insurance companies, schools and government departments.

There is strong employer demand for Mathematicians, due to a shortage of Mathematics graduates and in particular a critical shortage of Mathematics teachers.

Mathematics is a subject of vital importance that underpins many activities of our modern world. Employers recognise University of Waikato Mathematics graduates for their analytical and problem solving skills as well as their high level of numeracy, which are critical skills for a broad range of jobs.

If you are a graduate with a Mathematics degree, or even with a strong Mathematical component to your degree, you will be a valuable person in today's workforce, with a qualification that appeals to a wide range of employers including banks, insurance companies, schools and government departments.

There is strong employer demand for Mathematicians, due to a shortage of Mathematics graduates and in particular a critical shortage of Mathematics teachers.