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PGCertPS in Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences

The Postgraduate Certificate in Professional Studies (PGCertPS) is a flexible qualification that you can customise to match your study goals. See what your options are if you want to focus on Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences.

Explore society and culture from a fresh perspective

Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences is a rich and diverse area of the University. Musicians and filmmakers sit alongside criminologists and historians. Philosophers and classics scholars speak to experts in media and communications.

Here, you can pursue your interest in Māori studies, Pacific cultures, creative writing, or languages. Or you can explore anthropology, sociology, or theatre—or politics and international relations. Our breadth of courses offers unrivalled opportunities to progress your future.

You can also complement your humanities courses with courses offered by other faculties, such as the Wellington School of Business and Government.

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There is a beautiful culture of support within the postgraduate community here, and this has been key in the longevity of my studies.

Rebekah Bowling, Kāi Tahu

Postgraduate student in the Wellington Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Options for course combinations

Encounters across cultures

The following courses explore a range of themes relating to culture. ANTH 401 critically examines the ethics and politics of ethnographic representation, historically and in the present. FHSS 410 considers the evolution of cultures from an interdisciplinary range of perspectives. And LANG 403 investigates theories and practices of intercultural communication.

Fiction and film in the contemporary world

These courses look at contemporary culture through the lens of literature or film. ENGL 428 explores questions of belonging and complications in national and postcolonial discourses. FILM 402/MDIA 402 situates cinema in terms of its social and cultural contexts at an advanced level.

Human rights, borders, and belonging

In PHIL 449, we delve into the meaning of concepts such as politics, liberty, justice, property, rights, law, and authority and how these concepts shape our understanding of government. POLS 416 investigates the causes and consequences of contemporary human mobility from a political perspective. And SOSC 414 examines key sociological debates and approaches to citizenship, legality, and belonging in the 21st Century.

Understanding film and GLAM industries

The FILM 420 course focuses on various discourses, practices, and contexts relevant to the analysis of film as an industry and institution. Meanwhile, the MHST 501 and MHST 502 courses explore the history, theory, and practice of museums, galleries, and cultural heritage in a variety of forms and contexts.

Explore all available courses

The PGCertPS is made up of courses worth 60 points. If you want to focus on the area of humanities, arts, or social sciences, at least 40 of those 60 points need to be from courses offered by the Wellington Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.

You can choose courses from across the Faculty to build a cohesive package that suits your professional goals and previous study experience. Follow the links listed below to see what postgraduate courses are offered within each general area of study:

Get in touch

If you’re keen to find out more about the PGCertPS, fill in our form—we’ll put you in touch with an academic adviser from your area of interest.

Go to the form
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Financial support

Furthering your education can be a big investment, both time-wise and financially. Many organisations offer tuition reimbursement programmes or other forms of financial support for their employees’ education. This can greatly reduce the financial burden of postgraduate study and make it easier for you to focus on your education.

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Asking your employer for support

Read our blog story about how pursuing postgraduate study can be a win-win for you and your employer.

See the story

Qualifying for a different postgraduate certificate

If the combination of courses you choose meets the requirements for another postgraduate certificate at this university, we’ll encourage you to take that programme instead of the PGCertPS.

Most of the postgraduate certificates offered in our faculty can act as a stepping stone into a higher qualification, such as a postgraduate diploma or a Master’s degree. If you are thinking about further study in the future, a postgraduate certificate is a great way to get a taste for a programme and decide if it’s right for you.

Other postgraduate certificates offered by the Wellington Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences include the following:

Choose a different area of focus

The PGCertPS gives you the flexibility to choose courses from across the University to build a customised qualification. You can choose a main area of focus, or you can keep your qualification broad and pursue your own unique course of study across multiple subject areas.

Apart from humanities, arts, and social sciences, you have the option of five other areas of focus:

  • Architecture and Design Innovation
  • Business and Government
  • Data Science and Statistics
  • Health
  • Science

Find out more about these other study pathways below.

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Find out more about the PGCertPS

Get more details about the Postgraduate Certificate in Professional Studies—including when you can start and how you can apply for it.

Go to the PGCertPS page