Why Study/Key Benefits

• Massey’s Diploma in Arts in Sociology is designed to help students understand the rapidly changing social world and develop the ability to analyse and contribute to social issues.
• The programme explores culture, ethnicity, class, inequality, gender, environment, politics, work, social justice, everyday life, and individual and group relationships.
• Students learn to challenge assumptions, analyse social problems and develop sociological perspectives on local, national and global processes.
• The qualification is suitable for students interested in social justice and how societies and people's lives are influenced by wider social processes.
• If a student later progresses to Massey’s Bachelor of Arts, all courses completed in the Diploma in Arts can be transferred to the Bachelor of Arts.

Programme Structure and Subjects/Topics

The Diploma in Arts contains core courses plus the Sociology specialisation courses. Students completing the qualification full-time take 120 credits in one year.

Sociology subject courses currently listed by Massey include:

• 176101 The Sociological Imagination – 15 credits
  • Introduces key aspects of contemporary society, including individual and social processes, globalisation and social inequalities.
• 176106 The Stuff of Everyday Life – 15 credits
  • Introduces the sociology of everyday life and everyday material objects in local and global contexts.
• 294115 War and Society – 15 credits
  • Examines war and its effects on society, people, communities, human behaviour, culture, the environment and world order.

Students choose no more than 15 credits from this initial group.

The programme page currently lists the following further Sociology options:

• 176216 Globalisation in a Digital World – 15 credits
  • Examines material, social and digital dimensions of late capitalism, globalisation and glocalisation.
• 176218 Racism and Colonisation – 15 credits
  • Examines the development of ideas about race and nation, including contemporary concepts of ethnicity and indigeneity in Aotearoa New Zealand.
• 176223 Social Inequality and Justice – 15 credits
  • Examines social structures that produce inequalities, with emphasis on gender, class, ethnic diversity and identity.
• 176224 Gender: Bodies that Matter – 15 credits
  • Examines experiences of gender, gender inequality and the relationship between gender and other forms of social difference.
• 176308 Society, Climate Change and the Environment – 15 credits
  • Examines relationships between society and the environment, environmental knowledge, climate change, politics, activism, Te Ao M?ori, Indigenous perspectives, markets, government and community initiatives.
• 176322 AI and the World of Work – 15 credits
  • Examines changing forms of work, occupations and local and global labour markets in the context of contemporary technological and social change.
• 176324 Imagining Other Worlds – 15 credits
  • Examines sociological approaches to alternative forms of social change, economy, governance and social reproduction.
• 176325 The Politics of Truth – 15 credits
  • Examines how social contexts and power relationships influence the production of knowledge and truth claims.
• 230302 Practicing Fieldwork: Doing Qualitative Research – 15 credits
  • Provides practical experience with qualitative social-science fieldwork methods. 

Disciplines/Specialisations

Primary specialisation:

• Sociology

Key areas covered include:

• Social theory
• Culture and everyday life
• Globalisation
• Social inequality
• Social justice
• Gender
• Race and colonisation
• Ethnicity and indigeneity
• Environment and climate change
• Politics
• Work and labour markets
• Digital society and AI
• War and society
• Qualitative research and fieldwork.

Programme Highlights

• Undergraduate Diploma in Arts.
• Sociology specialisation.
• 120-credit qualification.
• One-year full-time study option.
• Auckland, Manawat and distance/online study options.
• Eight 15-credit courses normally completed over one full-time year.
• Sociology courses address contemporary social issues including inequality, gender, race, environment, globalisation, work, politics and social justice.
• Qualitative fieldwork is available through Practicing Fieldwork: Doing Qualitative Research.
• Courses can transfer into Massey's Bachelor of Arts if the student subsequently progresses to that degree.
• Massey reports that Sociology is ranked among the world's top 375 universities for Sociology by QS. This is a university-reported ranking statement and should not be interpreted as an independent assessment of an individual student's outcome.

Career Outcomes

Massey reports that recent Sociology graduates have moved into roles such as:

• Policy adviser at the Ministry of Social Development
• Policy adviser at the Ministry for the Environment
• Vocational consultant
• Community researcher at Kainga Ora
• Social justice advocate for an NGO
• Human resources roles
• Community liaison with a regional council
• Event planning.

Other career areas identified by Massey include:

• Government and NGO research
• Policy analysis
• Teaching
• Journalism
• Community and social services
• Political advocacy
• Business
• Planning and consultancy
• Advertising and marketing
• Film and television production.

Latest Updates/Special Requirements

• The current programme remains a 120-credit Diploma in Arts with Sociology as a specialisation.
• There are no Sociology-specific admission requirements beyond Massey's university admission regulations.
• Not all courses are available at every campus.
• Course availability may change between semesters and academic years.
• Some courses are restricted against each other because of overlapping content.
• Students who already hold a bachelor's degree may request permission to replace the Diploma's T Kupu: Writing and Inquiry or T Arohae: Critical Thinking courses with courses of their choice. Evidence of the completed degree must be attached to the special-permission request.
• International students should apply at least three months before their intended start date.
• English test results are generally valid for two years.

International Student Visa Requirements

International students studying the Diploma on campus in New Zealand will generally require a Fee Paying Student Visa.

Immigration New Zealand requires evidence of:

• An offer of place from an approved education provider.
• Payment of tuition fees, or evidence of an acceptable arrangement to pay them.
• Sufficient funds for living costs.
• Acceptable medical and travel insurance.
• Evidence of onward travel or sufficient funds to purchase it.
• Health and character evidence where required.
• Genuine intention to study and comply with visa conditions