Why Study / Key Benefits

• The Diploma in Health provides an introduction to health concepts and the principles and practices of health promotion.
• It focuses on health literacy, disease prevention and the social determinants of health.
• Students learn how health education strategies can be used to communicate complex health information effectively.
• The programme develops communication skills for working with individuals, wh?nau and communities.
• It provides exposure to M?ori health perspectives and Indigenous development.
• Students can choose electives in areas such as physical activity and nutrition, psychology, mental health, epidemiology, health systems and policy, and other health-related disciplines.
• The Diploma can be used as a pathway into UC's Bachelor of Health, with completed courses potentially transferred into the degree subject to UC approval.

Programme Structure and Subjects / Topics

The Diploma contains 120 points:

• 60 compulsory points.
• 60 elective points.

The four compulsory courses are:

• HLTH101 Introduction to Health Studies – 15 points.
• HLTH102 Health Promotion – 15 points.
• HLTH105 Communication for Practice – 15 points.
• HLTH106 Te Wero – M?ori Health Issues and Opportunities – 15 points.

The remaining 60 points can be selected from approved courses.

Current 2026 elective options include:

100-level:

• HLTH101 Introduction to Health Studies
• HLTH102 Health Promotion
• HLTH105 Communication for Practice
• HLTH106 Te Wero – M?ori Health Issues and Opportunities
• HLTH111 Global Health
• HLTH112 Anatomy and Physiology I
• HLTH113 Anatomy and Physiology II
• HLTH121 Introduction to Health Education
• HLTH122 Building Resilience
• BCHM111 Cellular Biology and Biochemistry
• GISC101 Introduction to Spatial Data Science
• MAOR165 Tuakiri: Culture and Identity
• PACS111 The Global Pacific
• PSYC105 Introductory Psychology – Brain, Behaviour and Cognition
• PSYC106 Introductory Psychology – Social, Personality and Developmental
• PSYC107 Foundations of Psychological Science
• SOWK101 Introduction to Social Policy
• SPRT107 Sport Nutrition
• SPRT126 Land Journeys and Ethics
• STAT101 Statistics 1.

200-level:

• HLTH203 Epidemiology
• HLTH213 Health Systems and Policy
• HLTH214 Environmental and Occupational Health
• HLTH215 Human Development Across the Lifecourse
• HLTH216 Foundations of Mental Health and Addictions
• HLTH222 Sexualities in Education
• HLTH223 Physical Activity and Nutrition
• HLTH226 Mental Health and Addictions Practicum
• BIOL213 Microbiology
• BIOL253 Cell Biology I
• GEOG205 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
• MAOR212 M?ori and Indigenous Development
• MAOR270 Te Ao Hauora Tangata: M?ori Health Perspectives
• PACS211 The Contemporary and Transnational Pacific
• PHIL240 Bioethics: Life, Death, and Medicine
• PSYC206 Introductory Research Methods and Statistics
• PSYC207 Developmental Psychology
• PSYC208 Cognition
• PSYC209 Sensation and Perception
• PSYC211 Personality
• PSYC213 Introduction to Social Psychology
• PSYC214 The Science and Practice of Wellbeing.

The current UC programme page also lists further approved 300-level options, including:

• HLTH302 Evidence in Health
• HLTH306 Te Kete Hauora – M?ori Health Knowledge and Understandings/Internship
• HLTH307 Human Nutrition Over the Lifespan
• HLTH312 Health Planning, Implementation and Evaluation
• HLTH316 Professional Skills in Mental Health and Addictions I
• HLTH321 Health Internship
• HLTH323 Critical Analysis of Health Education Practices
• HLTH326 Professional Skills in Mental Health and Addictions II
• GEOG325 Health, Wellbeing and Environment
• HSRV311 Qualitative Research Methods
• PACE390 Professional and Community Engagement Internships
• PSYC330 Forensic Psychology
• PSYC336 Industrial and Organisational Psychology
• PSYC341 Environmental Psychology
• PSYC348 Contemporary Issues in Family Psychology
• PSYC373 Neuroscience and Neurological Disorders
• PSYC374 Health Psychology
• PSYC375 Intermediate Research Methods and Statistics
• PSYC376 Working with People – Introduction to Professional Skills in Psychology
• PSYC378 Psychology of Social Media
• PSYC379 Introduction to Psychopathology
• PSYC380 Risk and Resilience in Human Development
• PSYC381 Applied Neuroscience: Brain Imaging
• PSYC382 Culture and Cognition
• PSYC384 Learning and Behaviour Analysis
• PSYC385 Human Factors
• SPCO309 Applied Exercise Physiology
• SPCO343 Performance Nutrition and Recovery Monitoring
• SPRT322 Physical Activity and Wellbeing
• SPRT323 Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology

Disciplines / Specialisations

The Diploma in Health has no formal majors, minors or endorsements.

However, the elective structure allows students to develop an area of interest. Potential focus areas include:

• Health promotion
• Health education
• M?ori health
• Indigenous development
• Global health
• Epidemiology
• Health systems and policy
• Environmental and occupational health
• Mental health and addictions
• Nutrition and physical activity
• Psychology
• Public and community health
• Health research
• Health information and spatial data
• Health and wellbeing
• Sport and exercise-related health.

Programme Highlights

• New Diploma in Health introduced in 2026.
• Replaces the previous Diploma in Health Sciences from 2026.
• 120 points.
• One year full-time.
• Up to four years part-time.
• February or July intake.
• Four compulsory courses.
• Four elective courses.
• Flexible course choices across Health, Psychology, M?ori and Indigenous Studies, Sport, Biology, Geography, Statistics and related areas.
• Campus, distance-learning and UC Online options are available depending on course selection.
• No formal major, minor or endorsement.
• Up to 30 points of previous tertiary study may be transferred with approval.
• Courses can potentially be transferred into the Bachelor of Health, subject to UC approval.

Career Outcomes

The Diploma is particularly oriented toward health promotion, health education and community wellbeing rather than clinical professional registration.

UC states that graduates develop:

• Understanding of health concepts.
• Effective communication skills.
• Health-promotion knowledge.
• Health-literacy skills.
• Understanding of disease prevention.
• Understanding of social determinants of health.
• Ability to apply health education strategies.
• Ability to communicate health information to individuals, wh?nau and communities.

Potential employment areas include:

• Health promotion.
• Community wellbeing.
• Health education.
• Community health organisations.
• Health programme support.
• Health advocacy.
• Public-health support.
• Health-sector administration and coordination.
• Community organisations.
• Health-related government and non-government organisations.

Latest Updates / Special Requirements

• The Diploma in Health was introduced in 2026 and replaced the Diploma in Health Sciences (DipHealSc).
• The current regulations came into force on 1 January 2026.
• There are no majors, minors or endorsements.
• The qualification has a 48-month maximum completion period.
• Up to 30 points of credit from another tertiary qualification may be transferred with approval.
• Honours, Distinction and Merit are not awarded for this Diploma.
• Students can apply to transfer completed Diploma courses into the Bachelor of Health while studying, subject to approval.
• Some elective courses have prerequisites, so course selection needs to be planned carefully.
• Some courses may involve specific delivery modes or location requirements.
• The current 2027 UC programme page is available, but course availability and timetables can change. UC's regulations explicitly state that published information is subject to change.

International Student Visa Requirements

For an international student physically studying the Diploma in Health in New Zealand, the relevant visa is generally the New Zealand Fee Paying Student Visa, subject to Immigration New Zealand's assessment.

Current requirements include:

• Offer of Place from an approved education provider.
• Evidence of sufficient funds to pay tuition fees, or acceptable scholarship funding.
• Evidence of sufficient living funds.
• Acceptable insurance.
• Meeting health and character requirements.
• Genuine intention to study.
• Evidence that the student can leave New Zealand at the end of their authorised stay.