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Apply by 23 Jun 2025 to start 7 Jul 2025
Follow your interest for improving people's health and wellbeing and make a difference in the community with a Bachelor of Health from Victoria University of Wellington.
Shape a healthy future
The Bachelor of Health is a three-year undergraduate degree that gives you expertise in health promotion, psychology, and policy, and the delivery of health—with a social justice lens. It will prepare you for a rewarding career contributing to the promotion of good health and wellbeing in our communities.
Design your degree around your interests—choose from our wide range of courses and do a minor or major in another subject, or choose a conjoint degree and pursue two degrees at the same time. Choose between a research project or an internship in your final year.
With a growing population, New Zealand healthcare services need a range of skilled people from health promoters and policy analysts to health data management experts and health advisers.
Whatever your choice of major, you’ll develop an in-depth understanding of the field you’re passionate about, laying the groundwork for many possible careers or further postgraduate study.
Interested in studying for a Bachelor of Health?
Sign up now to find out more about our degree.
Hear from our graduates
Dr Eva Neely catches up with Bachelor of Health graduates and students in this interview series.
Important information
- If you're not sure which subject to choose as your major, you can include a number of different options in your first year, and make a more informed choice for your second year. You can also choose to major in two subjects.
- The Bachelor of Health combines well with other degrees—popular choices are BSc, BA, LLB and BCom. Because some courses can be credited to both degrees, it's possible for you to complete two three-year degrees in four to five years.
- Minor subjects can be included from the BA, BCom, BDI or BSc degrees. Contact the future student advisers to learn more about studying these subjects.
- You can also take a minor subject from within Health. Some changes are currently being made to the regulations for the minors in the Bachelor of Health. Contact the student success advisers to learn more about how these changes might affect your course of study.
First year
In your first year, you’ll learn the social and cultural context of health and the foundations of human bioscience.
You’ll study core introductory courses and three further electives of your choice. The core courses will introduce you to concepts of health and wellbeing, health policy and services, statistical analysis and human biology, anatomy and physiology.
Your remaining three courses will be an introduction to your major and assist with meeting the entry requirements for your second- and third-year courses.
By the end of the first year you should have a strong grasp of the social determinants of health and the health system, and start to understand the ins and outs of your chosen area of interest.
Second year
This is the year you’ll focus on your major—Physical Activity and Hauora, Health Policy and Innovation, Health Promotion, Health Psychology, or Health Informatics. You can also choose to study more than one health major.
You’ll look more closely at the ways we can address health issues impacting our communities and the challenges our health systems face.
Third year
In your final year, you’ll have a range of opportunities to apply your knowledge and skills. You might start designing new health promotion activities, reviewing health policies and services, or managing health information.
The final trimester of your third year includes either a research project or an internship at a health organisation. At the end of your third year you’ll have the knowledge and skills to begin your career in the health sector.
Or you can stay on and begin your postgraduate studies in health.
Flexibility in your degree
Take advantage of the flexibility offered by Victoria University of Wellington. Depending on your degree, you may be able to do a second major from another degree, a minor, or a conjoint degree.
After you graduate
Skills in health management, education, analysis and strategy are in high demand. You might work in health promotion, health psychology, health policy or information management, or in a job improving the effectiveness of patient treatment.
Scholarships
Scholarships are awarded to hundreds of first-year students each year. They help with living costs and accommodation costs at the University's halls of residence.
Our Tangiwai, Totoweka, and Kahotea scholarships are available to school leavers, and there are several other first-year scholarships on offer in our scholarships database.
You can also apply for a TeachNZ Scholarship. These scholarships are awarded based on specific areas where teachers are needed.
We strongly recommend applying for our scholarships, as they often don’t receive enough applications.
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Requirements