Faculty oF humanities and social sciences 2013 - Victoria University ...

Faculty oF humanities and social sciences 

TE WĀHANGA AroNui 

2013

Contents 

Welcome ...................................................2 

Faculty Student and Academic Services Office ................3 

Bachelor of Arts ............................................4 

Bachelor of Arts / Bachelor of Teaching 

(Primary and Secondary) ....................................6 


(Early Childhood Education). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 

Postgraduate Study ........................................12 

Art History, Classics and Religious Studies ..................16 

English, Film, Theatre, and Media Studies ....................20 

Graduate School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health ...........26 

History, Philosophy, Political Science 

and International Relations ................................30 

Languages and Cultures ....................................36 

Linguistics and Applied Language Studies .................. 40 

Social and Cultural Studies .................................46 

Te Kawa a Māui ............................................50 

Va’aomanū Pasifika ........................................54 

IMPORTANT NOTICE 

Victoria University uses all reasonable skill and care to ensure 

the information contained in this document is accurate at the 

time of being made available. However, matters covered by this 

document are subject to change due to a continuous process 

of review, and to unanticipated circumstances. The University 

therefore reserves the right to make any changes without notice. 

So far as the law permits, the University accepts no responsibility 

for any loss suffered by any person due to reliance (either whole 

or in part) on the information contained in this document, 

whether direct or indirect, and whether foreseeable or not. 

International Institute of Modern Letters ....................58 

Stout Research Centre for New Zealand Studies .............62 

Wai-te-ata Press ...........................................66 

Te Kōkī, New Zealand School of Music .......................68 

Education, Education and Psychology 

and Early Childhood Studies ................................71 

Student Services and Facilities at Victoria ...................72 

Scholarships ..............................................72 

Careers ...................................................74 

Te Pūtahi Atawhai ..........................................75 

Leadership Development ...................................76 

Victoria Overseas Exchange (Vic OE) ........................77 

Publications ...............................................78 

Admission .................................................78 

Who to Contact. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 

Key Dates .................................................81 

Note: Victoria’s commerce degree is referred to as the Bachelor 

of Commerce (BCom). The name change from the Bachelor 

of Commerce and Administration (BCA) is expected to be 

confirmed in July 2012—see our website for further details. 

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences 2013 1

2 Victoria University of Wellington 

Welcome 

E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā karangatanga maha, e 

mihi ana ki a koutou katoa. 

Welcome to Victoria University, and in particular, a very warm 

welcome to the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. 

What better place to study humanities and the social sciences 

than at Victoria University? We are situated in a vibrant, 

creative city—rich in theatre, art and heritage not to mention 

Wellington’s obvious connection with politics and international 

affairs. Combine this with staff whose national and international 

research reputations enable them to bring insight and 

enthusiasm to enliven their teaching and you have an ideal mix 

for learning. 

The Faculty is the largest at Victoria and provides you with the 

opportunity to expand your interests and gain knowledge and 

skills that will prepare you for your future career. These include 

an ability to communicate clearly, an ability to think critically 

and creatively, an ability to solve problems across a wide range 

of domains, and general leadership abilities. 

I encourage you to make the most of your time at Victoria. 

Join clubs, visit the University’s Adam Art Gallery, attend the 

many concerts, shows and performances. Enrol in the Victoria 

Plus and the Victoria International leadership programmes— 

not only is the successful completion of these programmes 

recognised on your academic record, but you also get the 

opportunity to engage with a wide variety of people. It is never 

too early in your academic career to plan some international 

study through a field trip or on exchange with one of many 

exchange partners. 

Welcome to Wellington, welcome to Victoria University and 

welcome to the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. 

I wish you enjoyment and success with your studies at Victoria. 

Professor Deborah Willis 

Dean, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Faculty Student and 

Academic Services Office 

The Faculty Student and Academic Services Office (SASO) aims 

to enhance the student experience at Victoria by providing 

advice and assistance to students throughout their studies. 

Student Advisers, for instance, assist students with admission 

requirements, degree or course planning, transfer of credit 

from other tertiary institutions, enrolment and general 

enquiries about both undergraduate and postgraduate 

qualifications. To ensure continuity of service, Student Advisers 

manage a particular group of students according to surname 

and specialist qualifications. 

SASO staff can also assist you with enquiries about enrolment, 

graduation, applying for an academic transcript, the various 

kinds of withdrawals from courses, examination-related 

questions or queries related to restriction under the Academic 

Progress Statute. 

The SASO works closely with student support services, such 

as Student Health, the Student Counselling Service, Disability 

Services, the Māori and Pacific Support Coordinators and 

Victoria International, to ensure that our students have access 

to and are encouraged to use support services available. 

Students are also strongly encouraged to use the Faculty 

website (www.victoria.ac.nz/fhss) to find detailed information 

about who your Student Adviser is, to find course outlines, 

FAQs and various forms including the self-audit forms for the 

Bachelor of Arts (BA) and the application form for an academic 

transcript. You will also find links to the Schools, information 

about the qualifications offered by the Faculty under the ‘Study 

and Careers’ tab and a link to the online Course Catalogue. 

The SASO team also provides Faculty and University staff 

with academic administration services, including advice on 

preparing proposals to change courses or qualifications, 

compilation and compliance checking of all Faculty 

publications and the Faculty’s sections in centrally-produced 

publications, maintenance of the Faculty website, executive 

assistance to Faculty committees and the Faculty Board and 

compliance checking of course outlines. 

You will find the staff in the SASO have a great deal of 

information about many aspects of university life and you are 

strongly encouraged to make use of their expertise to help 

make your time at Victoria both enjoyable and rewarding. If you 

do need advice, please do not hesitate to ask. 

For further information, contact us or drop in to the office. The 

SASO team looks forward to your call, your email and your visit. 

Our opening hours are as follows: 

Monday, Thursday, Friday: 9:30am–4:30pm 

Tuesday, Wednesday: 10am–4:30pm 

The Faculty Student and Academic Services Office (SASO) 

is located on Level 4 of the Murphy Building (MY 411) at the 

Kelburn Campus. 

Phone 04-463 5745 

Fax 04-463 5183 

Email fhss-enquiries@vuw.ac.nz 

Website www.victoria.ac.nz/fhss 


Bachelor of Arts 

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) equips students with a number of 

important life skills. These include an ability to communicate 

clearly, an ability to think critically and creatively, an ability to 

solve problems across a wide range of domains and general 

leadership abilities. 

What makes the Victoria BA degree distinctive is its strong 

emphasis on the humanities, creative arts, languages and 

social sciences, its flexible structure and its broad range of 

opportunities for exploring a variety of disciplines. 

The humanities include subjects where we explore what it 

means to be human; for example, languages, History, English 

Literature, Media Studies, Film, Theatre and Music. Social 

sciences include subjects where we explore how humans 

interact with each other, such as Cultural Anthropology, 

Criminology and Sociology. 

Key features 

͠ Three years of full-time study. 

͠ A strong emphasis on the humanities, creative arts, 

languages and social sciences. 

͠ 240 points must be in subjects taught by the Faculty of 

Humanities and Social Sciences (FHSS). These are the nonstarred 

subjects and majors listed opposite. 

͠ The exception is if you choose a starred major opposite 

(listed in the BA Statute, but not taught by FHSS). In this 

case, you only need to take 180 points in FHSS subjects. 

͠ Students may include a second major in their BA from any 

Victoria undergraduate degree so long as your first major 

is a non-starred major. You must confirm the requirements 

with your Student Adviser. 

To enrol in a BA you will need Victoria’s Guaranteed Entry Score 

or equivalent. In some areas it is advisable to have previously 

studied subjects relevant to your programme of study; 

otherwise you will have to enrol in additional courses to catch 

up with others who have the appropriate background. 


Students doing a BA must meet the requirements of a major in 

at least one subject. However, most students choose to major 

in two subjects. Each subject area has specific courses you 

need to take to meet the requirements of the major. If you are 

not sure about which subjects to major in, you can include a 

number of different options in your first year of study, and make 

a more considered choice in your second year. 

You may also include a second major from subject areas 

administered by another faculty if not already included in 

the listed majors opposite. Students who exercise this option 

often choose to major in subjects like Information Systems 

or Statistics. These majors nicely complement traditional 

humanities and social science subjects, which students are 

required to take to complete their degree. 

There are interdisciplinary possibilities open to students doing 

a BA here that are not options at most other universities in 

New Zealand. Students interested in the evolution/creationism 

debates can take a double major in both Religious Studies and 

Biology; students interested in the fundamental mysteries of 

the universe can take a double major in Philosophy and Physics; 

students interested in working in a foreign country can take 

a major in French or Chinese and a minor in Marketing. All of 

these combinations—and a vast array of others—are perfectly 

natural, depending on a student’s particular interests. 

Students may also select up to two minors in any 

undergraduate subject areas offered by the University for the 

BA, BAS, BDI, BSc and BCom degrees and not taken as major 

subjects or from additional minor subjects areas listed in these 

degree statutes.* A minor comprises at least 60 points from the 

relevant subject area at 200 level or above, of which at least 15 

points must be at 300 level and not counted towards a major 

or another minor. 

*Subject to approval. 

For further information, see www.victoria.ac.nz/ba

BA listed majors 

Art History 

Asian Studies 

Chinese 

Classical Studies 

Criminology 

Cultural Anthropology 

Development Studies* 

Early Childhood Studies*^ 

Economics* 

Education* 

Education and Psychology* 

English Literature 

English Studies 

Film 

French 

Geography* 

German 

Greek 

History 

International Relations 

Italian 

Japanese 

Latin 

Linguistics 

Māori Resource Management 

Māori Studies 

Mathematics* 

Media Studies 

Modern Language Studies 

Music* 

Pacific Studies 

Philosophy 

Political Science 

Psychology* 

Public Policy* 

Religious Studies 

Samoan Studies/Fa’asāmoa 

Second Language Education 

Social Policy 

Sociology 

Spanish 

Te Reo Māori 

Theatre 

*Majors listed under the BA Statute, but taught by other faculties. 

^Students will only be permitted to take this subject as their sole major 

through the BA if they are enrolled in the conjoint BA/BTeach(ECE). 

Non-major undergraduate subjects 

Creative Writing 

Deaf Studies 

Museum and Heritage Studies 

Text Technologies 

Writing (Academic and Professional) 

For the latest information on degrees, go to the Faculty website 

www.victoria.ac.nz/fhss. For course details and prescriptions, 

visit www.victoria.ac.nz/coursecatalogue 

Morgan Ashworth 

Current BA student 

“Art History is teaching me to think critically, not just 

about art but about the world we live in.” 

Morgan is completing her BA majoring in Art History and 

English Literature in 2012. She plans to continue studying 

Honours in Art History at Victoria in 2013, encouraged by 

the supportive and friendly environment in the Art History 

Programme. 

The Adam Art Gallery on campus at Victoria University has 

played a large part in fostering Morgan’s excitement for 

New Zealand art. The gallery’s volunteer programme has given 

her hands-on knowledge and experience in a professional 

application of her Art History studies, and she is now employed 

by the gallery. Morgan aims to focus her postgraduate study 

on contemporary New Zealand art practice, to lead her into 

curating exhibitions and projects of her own. 

Morgan is also pursuing art writing, with critical work published 

in Victoria’s student magazine, Salient, and online. 



(Primary and Secondary) 

Teaching at primary and secondary level is a rewarding career 

for a range of graduates. 

Victoria University offers two pathways to teaching—a fouryear 

conjoint degree or a one-year graduate diploma on 

completion of an undergraduate degree. Pre-service teacher 

education builds the knowledge needed to excel in the 

classroom and teachers with conjoint degrees in teaching and 

sciences or arts can use their specialised skills to inspire and 

teach future generations. 

The conjoint teaching degree programme combines a Bachelor of 

Arts with a Bachelor of Teaching (BA/BTeach). It takes four years 

of full-time study to complete the two degrees and requires 

study over the summer trimesters. The BTeach provides a sound 

understanding of classroom practice and includes teaching 

experiences in both primary and secondary schools. The BA gives 

specialised knowledge in your chosen major subject(s). 

This challenging programme produces teachers of the highest 

quality. Conjoint graduates become qualified to teach at 

primary and secondary levels. Applicants are assessed by the 

Faculty of Education for suitability to the teaching profession. 

This involves meeting set criteria, having supportive referees, 

making declarations about any criminal convictions or 

health and disability issues and successfully taking part in an 

assessment exercise. 

In the first year of a conjoint BA/BTeach, students study courses 

for their BA. The following January, the BTeach starts with 

an introductory course that includes one week of classroom 

observation. At this point students have the option to continue 

with a conjoint teaching degree or continue their BA, retaining 

the introductory teaching course credit. 

Help is available to plan your conjoint degree from the BA/BTeach 

Student Adviser in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. 


Graduates of the BA/BTeach (Primary and Secondary) degree 

can continue their studies with Victoria’s Postgraduate 

Certificate and Diploma in Education and Professional 

Development, or Master of Education programme. The degree 

leads to careers in a range of education roles including 

teaching in primary and secondary schools and graduates are 

eligible for registration with the New Zealand Teachers Council. 

Ba/Bteach student adviser, Faculty oF humanities and social sciences 

Student and Academic Services office, 

room 411, Murphy Building, Kelburn Parade, Kelburn Campus 

Phone 04-463 5745 


Faculty oF education 

Student Administration office, 

room 2.19, Waghorn Block, Karori Campus 

Phone 04-463 9500 

Email education@vuw.ac.nz 

Website www.victoria.ac.nz/education 

Compulsory courses 

͠ EPOL 132, 133, 134, 231, 232, 233, 234, 324, 325 

͠ EPSY 131, 132, 231, 232, 233, 331 

͠ KURA 135* 

͠ two of EPSY 322, EPOL 361-370 


You must be able to teach two subjects from different 

curriculum areas in schools once you finish your degree. 

To do this you must: 

͠ complete your BA major in one approved teaching subject 

at 300 level, and 

͠ take another approved teaching subject from a different 

curriculum area to at least 200 level.

The following table shows the approved teaching subject 

majors listed according to their curriculum area. 

BTeach curriculum area BA degree subject 

English English Literature, English Studies 

Learning languages Chinese, French, German, Japanese, 

Māori Studies*, Samoan Studies, 

Spanish, Te Reo Māori 

Mathematics Econometrics**, Mathematics, 

Statistics** 

Arts Theatre 

Social sciences (specifically 

Economics, Geography, History 

Economics, Geography, History, 

Social Studies) 

*Must include Te Reo Māori language courses to at least 200 level. 

**Courses only, not a major. 

What degree should I combine with my BTeach? 

When choosing to do a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Science (BSc) 

you should focus the degree in your key area of interest. Choose 

a BA/BTeach if your main interests lie in humanities and social 

sciences or a BSc/BTeach if you are most focused on science. 

Once you have decided on your main teaching subject, which you 

will study to at least 300 level for the BA or BSc, you will need 

to choose a second approved teaching subject (from a separate 

curriculum area) which you will study to at least 200 level. 

It is possible to do two full majors, and/or to choose your 

second teaching subject from an area not in the degree table 

above; however, this would require you to do extra points. Make 

sure you discuss this with your faculty. 

See www.victoria.ac.nz/education/study/graduateprogrammes 

for more information. 

Examples 

͠ History and Economics are both in the ‘Social Sciences’ 

curriculum area and are therefore not an approved 

combination. 

͠ Geography and Te Reo Māori are in different curriculum 

areas—Geography is in ‘Social sciences’ and Te Reo Māori 

is in ‘Learning languages’—and are therefore an approved 

combination. 

Chinese 

French 

German 

Japanese 


Samoan Studies 

Spanish 

Te Reo Māori 

Economics 

Geography 

History 

Te Reo Māori 

Geography 

approved combination 


Frequently asked questions 

Which BA courses do I need to do? 

To find out what you will need to do to complete your major, go 

to www.victoria.ac.nz/ba 

What majors will I come out with? 

All students who complete the BA/BTeach will have a major in 

Teaching Primary and Secondary under the BTeach component 

of the degree. All students will have at least one major under 

the BA component, which will be the teaching subject that 

they take to 300 level. It is not a requirement that the second 

teaching subject is a major or minor. 

Can I do a double major in my BA? 

How do I know if I’m doing enough points? 

What if I can’t fit all my courses into the four-year plan? 

Make an appointment for planning assistance with the BA/ 

BTeach Student Adviser. 

What if I decide I just want to do a BA? 

You can change from doing the BA/BTeach to doing just the BA 

at any time. If you still want to train to be a teacher you could 

apply to enrol in the one-year Graduate Diploma of Teaching 

(at either Early Childhood, Primary or Secondary level) once 

your BA is complete. If you want to teach at secondary level 

refer to the information about curriculum subjects (go to www. 

victoria.ac.nz/education/study/graduate-programmes/ 

grad-dip-sec). 

See the BA/BTeach Student Adviser for more information on 

changing to the BA. 


How do I know if I have maintained a B- average? 

Those students who have not been successful in maintaining a 

B- average will be contacted and advised of their options. 

Which teaching subjects should I take? 

If you are having difficulty choosing your teaching subjects, 

contact the Faculty of Education for additional options. 

The TeachNZ website has a list of ‘targeted subjects’—subjects 

for which scholarships are available. Visit www.teachnz.govt.nz 

or phone 0800 832 246. 

Note: Only New Zealand citizens or permanent residents are 

eligible for these scholarships.



(Early Childhood Education) 

Early childhood teachers are among the most influential and 

important members of the community. The teaching and care 

that they offer lay the foundation for success in education, and 

in life. 

The four-year BA/BTeach(ECE) degree provides you with a 

BA majoring in Early Childhood Studies and a specialised 

early childhood teaching qualification. The conjoint degree 

is taught at both the Karori and Kelburn Campuses, but the 

programme is arranged to minimise travel between the two. 

The BA/BTeach(ECE) is the first conjoint degree programme 

in New Zealand designed specifically for early childhood 

teachers, and was developed in consultation with teachers, 

employers and early childhood organisations. Applicants are 

assessed by the Faculty of Education for suitability to the 

teaching profession. This involves meeting set criteria, having 

supportive referees, making declarations about any criminal 

convictions or health and disability issues and successfully 

taking part in an assessment exercise. 

Graduates of the BA/BTeach(ECE) degree can continue their 

studies with Victoria’s Postgraduate Certificate and Diploma 

in Education and Professional Development, or Master of 

Education programme. The degree leads to careers in a 

range of education roles including teaching in kindergartens, 

education and care centres and Kōhanga Reo. 


Ba/Bteach(ece) student adviser, Faculty oF humanities and social sciences 

Student and Academic Services office, 

room 411, Murphy Building, Kelburn Parade, Kelburn Campus 

Phone 04-463 5745 


Faculty oF education 

Student Administration office, 

room 2.19, Waghorn Block, Karori Campus 

Phone 04-463 9500 

Email education@vuw.ac.nz 

Website www.victoria.ac.nz/education 

Compulsory courses 

BA component (Early Childhood Studies major) 

͠ EPOL 113, 215, 317 and EPSY 113 

͠ EPSY 315 or another approved course from (EPOL, EPSY or 

KURA 300–399) 

͠ One further approved course from (EPOL, EPSY or KURA 

200–399) 

͠ Eight elective courses from the BA schedule: three 

100-level, two 200-level, three 300-level 

BTeach component 

There are two strands: 

͠ Teaching and Professional Studies courses: 

EPSY 114, EPSY 115, EPOL 214, EPSY 211, EPSY 212, EPOL 316, 

EPSY 313, EPSY 317 

͠ Curriculum and Cultural Studies courses: 

EPOL 111, EPOL 112, EPSY 111, KURA 111, EPOL 211, EPOL 212, 

EPOL 213, KURA 211, EPSY 314, KURA 311

Frequently asked questions 

What majors will I come out with? 

All students who complete the BA/BTeach(ECE) will have a 

major in Early Childhood Studies under the BA component of 

the degree and a major in Teaching Early Childhood under the 

BTeach(ECE) component of the degree. It is possible to take a 

second major under the BA component. Some students choose 

to take a second major in Education under the BA component, 

by taking additional Education courses. 

How do I know if I have maintained a B- average? 

Those students who have not been successful in maintaining a 

B- average will be contacted and advised of their options. 

What if I can’t fit all my courses into the four-year plan? 

What if I decide I want to do just a BA? 

Contact the BA/BTeach(ECE) Student Adviser for further 

information. 

What if I decide I want to do just a BTeach(ECE)? 

You cannot do a BTeach(ECE) by itself. If you choose to 

withdraw from the BA/BTeach(ECE) programme and still wish 

to become an early childhood teacher, your best option is 

to complete the BA and then apply to enrol in the one-year 

Graduate Diploma of Teaching (ECE) programme. 


Postgraduate Study 

Increasingly, postgraduate study is becoming the key to 

gaining high-level employment. Victoria is one of the country’s 

foremost research institutions, with significant funding from 

internal and external research sources. 

As a postgraduate student at Victoria University, you are able to 

tap into not only the expertise of Victoria’s research institutes 

but also the Crown Research Institutes and the national, 

historical and cultural resources available in Wellington. 

The University’s teaching and research programmes present 

excellent opportunities for student research. 

Graduate Diploma in Arts (GDipArts) 

The GDipArts is a one-year full-time or up to four years parttime 

programme of study. Courses are chosen in consultation 

with the Head of School or Postgraduate Coordinator in the 

subject area in which you would like the GDipArts awarded. 

You must take at least 120 points from courses at 200 to 300 

level, which together must make up a coherent programme of 

study. At least 75 points must be at 300 level. 

The Diploma is an ideal opportunity to specialise at an 

advanced level in areas not included in your first degree or, 

if you have been away from study for a while, to learn about 

further developments in your original discipline. 

Postgraduate Diploma in Arts (PGDipArts) 

The PGDipArts will normally consist of 120 points at 400 level. 

It is intended primarily for students who are interested in doing 

advanced study in Humanities and Social Science subjects at 

400 level but are not intending to complete the 489 Research 

Essay (or alternative research component). 

Admission requirements 

Admission requirements for the PGDipArts are the same as for 

the BA with Honours. 


Other graduate and postgraduate diplomas and 

certificates 

The Faculty offers a variety of specialised graduate and 

postgraduate diplomas and certificates; for example, the 

Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma in Museum and 

Heritage Studies and the Graduate Certificate in TESOL. These 

are listed in the individual school sections which follow. 

A Graduate Diploma in Music, a Postgraduate Diploma in Music 

and an Artist Diploma are also offered by Te Kōkī, New Zealand 

School of Music (NZSM). See the NZSM website www.nzsm.ac.nz 

for further details. 

Honours degrees 

The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences offers BA 

Honours (BA(Hons)) programmes in diverse subject areas. 

All Honours degrees taught in the Faculty consist of four 

30-point 400-level courses (or the equivalent) including a 

research component. Honours degrees that include courses 

taught by other faculties—such as in Economics, Mathematics 

and Public Policy—require more courses but have the 

equivalent workload, totalling 120 points. 

A Bachelor of Music (Hons) programme is also offered by the 

NZSM. See the NZSM website www.nzsm.ac.nz for further 

details. 


Admission to a BA(Hons) programme at Victoria normally 

requires a B+ average in your undergraduate degree, with the 

appropriate prerequisite courses.

Master’s degrees 

The Faculty offers Master of Arts programmes in a diverse 

range of subject areas, and a number of specialist Master’s 

programmes including: 

͠ Master of Health Care 

͠ Master of International Relations 

͠ Master of Museum and Heritage Studies 

͠ Master of Nursing Science 

͠ Master of Strategic Studies 

͠ Master of Theatre Arts 

Note: The Master of Music, Master of Musical Arts and Master of 

Music Therapy are also offered by the NZSM, and administered 

by the Faculty. See the NZSM website www.nzsm.ac.nz for 

further details. 

Master of Arts 

The Master of Arts (MA) is a one-year full-time degree, offered 

in more than 40 subject areas. 

Research is the primary focus of all but a few MA programmes, 

with most being by thesis only. Some offer the possibility of 

substituting part of the thesis with up to two courses, while a 

few, such as the MA in English, Linguistics, Applied Linguistics 

or TESOL, offer the further possibility of substituting the thesis 

with a smaller research paper and other coursework. 

Master of Theatre Arts 

The Master of Theatre Arts is a two-year full-time course in 

theatre directing jointly taught by the Theatre programme 

and Te Kura Toi Whakaari o Aotearoa: New Zealand Drama 

School. In this unique partnership between a university and 

New Zealand’s leading training school for professional theatre 

artists, students learn through a combination of practical and 

theoretical studies the skills necessary to direct plays and 

initiate projects in professional theatre. 

Faculty Master’s Guidelines 

The Faculty produces an online document (Master’s 

Guidelines), which contains information and advice relevant 

to all Master’s students in the Faculty. It is essential reading, 

particularly regarding the procedures and pitfalls associated 

with undertaking research and the writing of theses. 

See www.victoria.ac.nz/fhss/study/postgraduate/ma 

for further details. 


Admission to an MA programme normally requires a BA(Hons) 

degree with First or Second Class (2/1) Honours in the same 

discipline, or an Honours degree in another subject with at 

least one course in the discipline. In disciplines that do not 

offer Honours courses, a Bachelor’s degree or GDipArts (see 

above) plus a relevant diploma may be accepted, or, with 

approval, an Honours degree in another subject. 

There are specific requirements for some MAs and for 

specialised Master’s programmes. 

All applications are considered individually, and recognition 

can be given to appropriate academic and relevant work 

experience, as well as other forms of prior learning. 

If you are unsure whether you meet the requirements to apply 

to enrol in a programme, contact the Faculty Student and 

Academic Services Office to discuss your background and your 

options. 


Doctoral study 

Supervision for research for a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is 

offered in almost all areas in the Faculty. The PhD thesis is 

examined after a period of a minimum of two years of full-time 

supervised research (or three years for part-time students). 

However, full-time PhD theses normally require at least three 

years of study. 

The PhD thesis is a major piece of original research. Word 

length varies according to the nature of each project, but 

it should not exceed 100,000 words. According to the PhD 

Statute, a PhD thesis “demonstrates the candidate’s ability to 

carry out independent research and constitutes a significant 

and original contribution to knowledge or understanding” of a 

field of study. As well as intelligence and research aptitude, the 

degree requires considerable dedication and tenacity. 

Note: The PhD in Music and Doctorate of Musical Arts, jointly 

awarded by Massey University and Victoria University, are also 

offered by the NZSM. They are administered by the Faculties 

of Humanities and Social Sciences, and Graduate Research at 

Victoria. 


In order to gain admission as a PhD candidate, you will 

normally need to have obtained a First or Second Class pass 

in an Honours or Master’s degree (or equivalent). You may also 

be admitted if you are currently enrolled in a Master’s degree 

by thesis or if you can demonstrate sufficient knowledge and 

ability. 

A PhD involves three to four years of independent and original 

research under the guidance of a supervisor. When you 

undertake a PhD at Victoria, you will spend the first six to 12 

months writing a full research proposal. During this time, you 

will be ‘provisionally registered’ for the degree. 

There are three application deadlines per year for the Victoria 

PhD—1 March, 1 July and 1 November. All doctoral programmes 

are overseen and administered by the Faculty of Graduate 

Research. For more information on requirements, applications 

and scholarships, visit www.victoria.ac.nz/fgr 


Wayne Naylor 

BSc(Hons) Manchester, PGCCLN, 

PhD candidate 

“Conducting an important piece of research under 

the guidance of experienced academic and research 

staff is a brilliant opportunity.” 

Wayne is currently working towards his PhD after completing 

a BSc(Hons) in adult cancer nursing in the UK followed by 

postgraduate study in palliative care and statistics at Victoria. 

Having worked as a staff nurse, a clinical nurse specialist and a 

nurse lecturer, Wayne is now involved in health care as a Senior 

Analyst for the Palliative Care Council of New Zealand. 

“I am drawn to the areas of education and research and so I see 

undertaking my PhD as a logical next step in my career, as I will 

be able to develop my research abilities and widen my future 

employment opportunities.” Wayne hopes to further develop 

his research knowledge and experience and contribute to the 

body of knowledge on palliative care. 

He is strongly in support of nurses sharing knowledge and this 

has driven his desire to publish his PhD. Wayne has already 

published on the subjects of cancer nursing, wound management 

and palliative care.


Art History, Classics 

and Religious Studies 

school oF art history, classics and reliGious studies 

Email sacr@vuw.ac.nz 

Website www.victoria.ac.nz/sacr 

art history 

room 306, old Kirk Building 

Kelburn Parade, Kelburn Campus 

Phone 04-463 5800 

Email art-history@vuw.ac.nz 

classics 



Phone 04-463 5319 

Email classics@vuw.ac.nz 

reliGious studies 

room 318, Hunter Building 


Phone 04-463 5299 

Email religious-studies@vuw.ac.nz 

museum and heritaGe studies 

Level 3, old Kirk Building 


Phone 04-463 5800 

Email museum-heritage@vuw.ac.nz 


Bachelor of Arts majors 

͠ Art History 

͠ Classical Studies 

͠ Greek 

͠ Latin 

͠ Religious Studies 

Additional postgraduate subject area 

͠ Museum and Heritage Studies 

Graduate and postgraduate qualifications 

͠ Graduate Certificate in Museum and Heritage Studies 

͠ Graduate Diploma in Arts 

͠ Graduate Diploma in Museum and Heritage Studies 

͠ Postgraduate Diploma in Arts 

͠ Bachelor of Arts with Honours 

͠ Master of Arts 

͠ Master of Museum and Heritage Studies 

͠ PhD

Art History, Classics, Religious Studies and Museum and 

Heritage Studies are analytical, relevant and insightful areas of 

study. They teach us to describe, explain and better understand 

our world, and be more effective participants in it. 

Art History 

The Art History programme provides historical, social, cultural, 

political and aesthetic frameworks for understanding visual art 

and culture from prehistory to the present. The programme has 

specialists in historical and contemporary New Zealand and 

Pacific art, European art, art in the 20th century and history of 

photography. Historical knowledge is grounded in a range of 

theoretical approaches, and research is undertaken with critical 

attention to our location in the South Pacific. 

Art History is enriched by the extensive experience of staff as 

curators, writers and critical commentators who play active roles 

in the wider cultural sphere, and benefits from strong links with 

the arts infrastructure of Wellington, New Zealand’s cultural 

capital. 

Classics, Greek and Latin 

Classics was one of the original subjects offered when Victoria 

opened its doors for the first time in 1899 and has a history 

that dates back to the beginnings of academia. Since Greek and 

Roman traditions underpin modern thought and our systems 

of law and government, the Classics programme offers the 

basis for the understanding of New Zealand society in the 21st 

century. 

Our staff have a proud record as multiple recipients of teaching 

awards both at Victoria, nationally and internationally and in 

2011 they received the inaugural Public Contribution Excellence 

Award. This award acknowledged their public programmes 

which included school visits, public lectures, the provision of 

expertise to the media and government agencies, participation 

in several boards and committees, to field trips, as well as 

maintaining links with the local Greek community and contacts 

within Greece. 

With courses available in art, history, politics, literature and 

mythology, as well as the classical languages (Latin and Greek), 

Classics invites its students to join in discussion with the finest 

thinkers throughout history. 


Religious Studies 

Literature, law, music, philosophy, politics and culture are all 

informed by religion. We can only understand ourselves, our 

cultures and those of others if we understand religion. In the 

Religious Studies programme we look at the role of religions 

in history and culture and we explore beliefs and practices 

and the relationship between religion and conflict, religion 

and peacemaking, religions and resource inequalities and 

development, religion and politics, religion and the meaning of 

death, religion and identity, religion, morality and ethics, and 

religion and its role in our evolutionary history. 

Our 100-level courses introduce students to the major religious 

traditions and the role of religion in the contemporary world. 

The religious traditions of the West (Judaism, Christianity and 

Islam), and of Asia (India, China and Japan) are explored. As 

well, a broader course examines the relationships between 

politics and law and religion; another, the role of myth and 

rituals in social systems; another explores spiritual and 

religious experience. These themes are continued in our 200and 

300-level courses. In addition Religious Studies has a 

strong postgraduate research programme. 

Museum and Heritage Studies 

The Museum and Heritage Studies programme offers a range 

of qualifications balancing taught courses, work placements, 

academic research and professional skills. There are courses 

on topics such as museum history, theory and practice, 

research methods, Māori and museums, art gallery studies, 

leisure and heritage conservation. Based in Wellington, New 

Zealand’s cultural capital, the programme’s courses are taught 

in partnership with key national organisations such as Museum 

of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, the Ministry for Culture and 

Heritage and the New Zealand Historic Places Trust. 


Alan Edwards 

BA Melbourne, GDipArts, MA Victoria 

“The study of religion as a phenomenon allows 

us to encounter humanity at its most fascinating, 

perplexing and inspiring.” 

After completing his BA at the University of Melbourne, Alan 

decided to embark on postgraduate study at Victoria based on 

a thorough investigation into the religious studies programmes 

in the Australasian region. 

Alan found his Master’s thesis, a study in Hinduism during 

colonial India, to be a fantastic and rewarding experience. He 

affirms that Victoria provided him with excellent resources 

and opportunities, including a scholarship that enabled him to 

conduct research in India. Alan also presented his research at 

an academic conference in Australia, as well as at a seminar at 

the University of Queensland. 

Alan currently works as a tutor for the Programme and hopes 

to receive a PhD scholarship from Victoria so that he may 

continue working in an environment abundant with inspiring 

scholars and supportive administrators.

Simon Perris 

Lecturer, Classics 

“‘A life not investigated is not worth living,’ claimed 

Sokrates. Studying Classics is nothing if not such an 

investigation.” 

Simon Perris joined the Classics Programme permanently in 2012, 

having taught there in one way or another since 2009 after taking 

his doctorate in Classics from the University of Oxford. It is entirely 

fitting that he comes to Victoria: he studied music and arts here as 

an undergraduate, leading to an MA in Classical Studies. 

Simon cherishes his colleagues in Classics, many of whom taught 

him as an undergraduate. “As a student, I was always utterly 

impressed by the inspiring, talented teachers in Classics.” 

Simon is an energetic, enthusiastic teacher of classical 

languages, literature and culture. He is also an active 

researcher, working on Greek tragedy and on the reception 

of the ancient world in English-language poetry, drama and 

fiction; he has a special interest in classical reception in 

New Zealand. Simon is currently writing a book on translations 

and adaptations of Euripides’ tragedy, Bakkhai. 


English, Film, Theatre, 

and Media Studies 

Te Kura Tānga Kōrero Ingarihi, Kiriata, Whakaari, Pāpāho 

school oF enGlish, Film, theatre, and media studies 

Te Kura Tānga Kōrero ingarihi, Kiriata, Whakaari, Pāpāho 

Phone 04-463 6393 

Email seftms@vuw.ac.nz 

Website www.victoria.ac.nz/seftms 

enGlish 

reception, Level 8, von Zedlitz Building 


Phone 04-463 6800 

Email english@vuw.ac.nz 

Film 

reception, 83 Fairlie Tce, Kelburn Campus 

Phone 04-463 5750 

Email film@vuw.ac.nz 

theatre 


Phone 04-463 5359 

Email theatre@vuw.ac.nz 

media studies 


Phone 04-463 7466 

Email mediastudies@vuw.ac.nz 



͠ English Literature 

͠ Film 

͠ Media Studies 

͠ Theatre 

͠ English Studies 

Additional postgraduate subject area 

͠ New Zealand Literature 






͠ Master of Theatre Arts 

͠ PhD 

Related academic programmes, institutes and centres 

The International Institute of Modern Letters (see page 58) 

offers the best opportunity in New Zealand to develop your 

creative writing skills. 

The Stout Research Centre (see page 62) co-teaches with 

English the MA in New Zealand Literature. Toi Whakaari: New 

Zealand Drama School co-teaches with Theatre the Master of 

Theatre Arts www.toiwhakaari.ac.nz

The School of English, Film, Theatre, and Media Studies 

(SEFTMS) has scholars with international reputations teaching 

in all its programmes, a sizeable body of postgraduate students 

at Honours, Master’s and PhD levels and a long tradition of its 

best students securing research scholarships overseas as well 

as at Victoria. 

Within its five majors, SEFTMS offers a fascinating range of 

courses, all of which help you to understand and appreciate 

some of the most important and enjoyable parts of our 

contemporary culture and its heritage. 

At the same time they develop skills of critical thinking and 

writing that make graduates in these subjects highly valued 

by a very wide range of employers looking for well-educated, 

thoughtful and creative employees. 

English, Film, Theatre and Media Studies have much in common 

in the ways of thinking and the skills that they develop in 

textual analysis so, as beginning students, you are encouraged 

to range across several of these subjects in order to find just 

what suits you best. For instance, passing one 100-level course 

in each of English, Film, Theatre and Media Studies allows entry 

to any of these subjects at 200 level. Some of the advanced 

courses have a strong practical element, especially in Theatre 

and Film. 

English Literature 

Victoria offers one of New Zealand’s widest ranges of courses 

in English Literature from Old English to the present day, and 

literature in English from New Zealand, the Pacific and America. 

Our courses take an equally wide range of approaches to the 

study of these texts, using both traditional and contemporary 

critical methods, and placing them in a variety of literary, 

historical and cultural contexts. 

Studying English Literature gives you access to one of the 

world’s richest cultural traditions. At the heart of all our 

courses are the skills of advanced reading and writing: we aim 

to help you to read with greater attention, appreciation and 

enjoyment, and to express your responses and thinking with 

more precision, and to discover the excitements and challenges 

of independent literary research. 


Film 

The Film programme furthers the understanding of cinema as 

an art of narrative, spectacle and performance, as well as a 

medium with important social implications within a university 

context of research and teaching in the creative arts and 

humanities. Though its aim is not primarily to offer vocational 

or technical training, the programme stresses practical work 

whenever possible. 

Film in New Zealand is enjoying unprecedented attention as 

local filmmakers and their works catch the eye of the global 

audience. At Victoria, a major in Film is a major in taking film 

seriously. You’ll begin in your first year with an introduction 

to film study. Then you can pursue your interests with courses 

that focus on international and New Zealand film, and the 

creative aspects of filmmaking. 

Theatre 

From Shakespeare to Shortland Street, from a simple chalk 

square to the most elaborate multimedia setting, Theatre offers 

the seductive possibility of getting into someone else’s skin, of 

seeing life through a new pair of eyes. The study of Theatre at 

Victoria gives you an opportunity to understand this impulse. 

It aims at an understanding of art forms that both affirm and 

question the most fundamental values of individuals and 

societies. Within a university context of teaching and research, 

practical creative work is integrated with literary, critical and 

historical study in the belief that experience of the craft is an 

essential ingredient in understanding the art. Acting, technical 

work, directing and public performance form an important part 

of the programme’s approach to the study of Theatre although 

we do not aim to provide vocational training. 


Media Studies 

Media Studies is an interdisciplinary academic field that 

analyses the meaning and role of media such as newspapers, 

magazines, television, the internet and popular music. Media 

are a major social, cultural and political force in society. They 

can have enormous influence, shaping not only knowledge, 

values and desires but also our perceptions of society, culture 

and nation. 

Media Studies courses allow students to explore political, 

institutional, industrial, historical, cultural and aesthetic 

aspects of media through a variety of media forms, contexts, 

theories and production/reception cultures. Media Studies 

courses also foster an understanding of how media products 

are constructed in response to a combination of technological, 

institutional, creative and cultural conditions. 

The Media Studies programme offers a range of courses at 

undergraduate level. At 100 level (MDIA 101, 102, 103) courses 

provide a coherent and complementary introduction to basic 

concepts, analytical techniques and research methodologies. 

Each course at subsequent levels is designed to build upon, 

put into practice and develop these in relation to more specific 

topics and contexts, such as news, popular music, television, 

new media, advertising, cultural production and identity 

(notably gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity and indigeneity).

English Studies 

English, Film, Theatre, Media Studies, Linguistics—the choice 

is yours with an English Studies major. This BA major has been 

specially designed to enable students who enrol for the BA/ 

BTeach conjoint programme to study across all aspects of the 

English curriculum. 

English is a core subject, taught through to Year 13 in all New 

Zealand schools, and having the skills to teach in this important 

curriculum area will make you a valuable asset to any school. 

Balance this major with a second teaching subject from a 

different curriculum area and you are on your way to being a 

flexible, sought-after teacher. 

In the English Studies major you can gain an understanding 

of all aspects of the English curriculum: you can study poetry, 

prose and drama, including New Zealand literature, film and 

theatre; you can study children’s fantasy writing, or get a 

better understanding of films; or learn about language and 

communication and the language learning process. You can 

examine genre in television or the concepts of stardom and 

celebrity. 

Dana Leaming 

BA 

“I am exactly where I want to be. I am in a place 

where life is electric, knowledge is everywhere and 

theatre is at the centre of everything.” 

Studying can bring thoughts of books piled high along your desk 

and endless nights in the library. As a Theatre student my nights 

of study were spent in rehearsals with like-minded students and 

innovative lecturers or watching a performance I created with 

audiences observing and responding. Theatre at Victoria allows 

the opportunity to perform and produce creative pieces of work 

in a safe and understanding environment along with learning the 

theoretical basis of Theatre. 

As a BA student I was able to develop my critical thinking 

and apply this to the way I look at Theatre as a postgraduate 

student. The Honours Theatre study teaches you Theatre as if 

you were already in the professional field. You are hands-on 

directing plays, arranging publicity meetings and researching 

a topic that interests you. Not only have I enjoyed my time at 

Victoria but I have seen myself grow and am tackling projects I 

once thought would never be within my reach. 


Isobelle Thomson 


“The constant presence of media within society 

means that it never ceases evolving, making it an 

ever interesting subject to pursue.” 

Unable to pick a single topic to study I chose to do a double 

major in Psychology and Media Studies. This allowed me to 

actively pursue multiple interests and broaden my thinking in 

more ways than one, yet to also identify crossovers between 

the two. I have a particular interest in how and why people 

behave and think the way they do and find that both subjects 

highlight different, yet important aspects of this notion. 

I am particularly interested in how media technologies are 

used to shape the way people think and behave. The ubiquitous 

presence of media within daily life means that it is an ever 

relevant source in which to identify and establish cultural 

norms, issues and the discourse of modern society. Because of 

this I have found the study of media to be critical to expanding 

my understanding and thinking of such topics. 


Miriam Ross 

Lecturer in Film 

“Victoria University is in an ideal position to reflect 

upon and contribute to Wellington’s stimulating and 

expanding film culture.” 

Miriam Ross studied Drama and English at Trinity College 

Dublin and then worked as an English teacher in South Korea 

and Chile before returning to her home country, Scotland, 

to undertake a Master’s and PhD in Film Studies. During her 

time overseas she became fascinated with national cinemas 

that operate outside of Hollywood and Europe, leading to a 

PhD project that allowed her to travel through much of Latin 

America. This project has recently been published as the 

book, South American Cinematic Culture: Policy, Production, 

Distribution and Exhibition. 

Since arriving in New Zealand in 2011, she has been awarded 

funding by Victoria to begin a new project on the global spread 

of 3D cinema. This work has taken her to archives in Berlin, a 

film festival in Belgium, a conference in Boston and numerous 

3D film screenings in Wellington. She has discussed this work 

on the local podcast Cinematica and on National Radio.


Graduate School of Nursing, 

Midwifery and Health 

Graduate school oF nursinG, midWiFery and health 

Level 7, Clinical Services Block, Wellington regional Hospital 

Po Box 7625, Newtown, Wellington 6242 

Phone 0800 108 005 

Email nmh@vuw.ac.nz 

Website www.victoria.ac.nz/nmh 


Postgraduate qualifications 

͠ Postgraduate Certificate in Nursing Science 

͠ Postgraduate Certificate in Health Care 

͠ Postgraduate Diploma in Nursing Science 

͠ Postgraduate Diploma in Health Care 

͠ Master of Nursing Science 

͠ Master of Health Care 

͠ Master of Nursing 

͠ Master of Midwifery 

͠ PhD (Health, Nursing and Midwifery)

The Graduate School offers nurses, midwives and other health 

professionals excellent opportunities to explore practice and 

research interests at postgraduate level—from postgraduate 

certificates and diplomas to Master’s degrees and PhDs. Our 

overall focus is to ensure our graduates can provide leadership 

in health policy and clinical practice. Students flourish in an 

atmosphere of support and respect in an environment where 

all are welcomed. 

We work with students nationwide, offering both full- and 

part-time courses structured in a modular manner. Our block 

courses are designed to supplement learning, give time for 

study and provide access to our staff for advice and guidance. 

These school blocks are also a great opportunity for students 

to meet and mingle with fellow students—to share ideas 

and strategies for learning, identify areas for change and 

benchmark progress. 

Our coursework programmes suit our students’ diversity. They 

are all designed to challenge, inform and educate—and to help 

students contribute greater value to their own practice and 

the wider profession. We pride ourselves on our accessibility 

and the support we give students in adapting to postgraduate 

study, and have designed our courses to assist students to 

further their careers and grow as individuals. 

As a specialist in providing postgraduate programmes for 

New Zealand’s health professionals, the Graduate School is 

particularly active in research. On our own and in collaboration 

with other academic institutions and health agencies nationally 

and internationally, we explore and address key issues 

affecting nursing, midwifery and health. Our staff offer a wide 

range of expertise in teaching and supervising research. We 

also conduct research that addresses knowledge generation, 

synthesis and/or utilisation in order to improve patient 

outcomes. Our specific interests are in the areas of: 

͠ human factors in health care, including patient safety, team 

work, communication and professional comportment 

͠ effective leadership in policy and practice 

͠ the experience of health and illness 

͠ evidence-based practice across the life span 

͠ specialist practice in nursing and midwifery, including 

normal birth, care of those with acute or long-term 

conditions, care of the older adult and palliative care. 


Our students 

Registered nurses, midwives and other health professionals 

from all over New Zealand choose us for their postgraduate 

study. Their specialties and experience vary widely: some 

have been in the profession for many years while others are 

relatively new to practice. Some work in hospitals while others 

are based in independent practice. 

Our Master of Health Care (MHC) has been developed for 

nurses, midwives and other health professionals whose focus is 

on service development, quality, leadership, education, policy 

and management. The development of knowledge and skills 

in relation to health services is a key focus of this programme. 

However, it remains broad enough to cater for students from a 

range of professional backgrounds. 

Our Master of Nursing Science (MNS) has been developed for 

those nurses in practice who wish to enhance their clinical 

practice skills and knowledge, and who require a Nursing 

Council-approved clinical nursing degree before applying for 

Nurse Practitioner (NP) registration. Progression in this degree 

is prescribed in a manner that will meet the clinical focus of 

the award. 

Graduates from our postgraduate programmes will be 

multitalented and possess a range of skills relevant to health, 

which will allow them to make a significant contribution to 

health outcomes for the wider New Zealand community. They 

will possess research skills that will allow them to appraise 

literature meaningfully, and to develop and conduct research 

projects that will enable them to address real-world clinical 

issues in innovative ways through research. 


Jiaxi Yu 

MNS 

“I do not know if I will ever know enough, but I will 

never stop questioning and learning.” 

Studying Nursing is hard, studying Nursing in another language 

is harder—but studying for a Master of Nursing Science in 

another language was a challenge that Jiaxi Yu met head on. 

Jiaxi came to New Zealand in 2001 with very limited English and 

says “I never thought I could have gone this far.” It has been a 

four-year journey for Jiaxi who says that she succeeded through 

the help and support of her lecturers and fellow students at 

Victoria in combination with her own determination. 

Jiaxi found the design of the self-directed learning Master’s 

programme to be a challenge, but it forced her to question 

things that appear to be routine or ordinary. 

Jiaxi’s research interests lie within the acute care setting, 

e-learning and the Migrant Nurse experience in New Zealand.

Chris Bowden 

MA Otago 

“GSNMH offers the right mix of philosophy, theory 

and practice and the staff really care about their 

students’ success.” 

Chris has just started his PhD and sees it as an important 

step towards becoming a leader in the field of men’s grief and 

suicide bereavement. 

The main reasons he chose to embark on a PhD at the GSNMH 

were the strong qualitative research skills of the staff; their 

experience with ethics and mental health issues; their reputation 

for encouraging innovation and creativity; and the School’s active 

international connections with other researchers. 

Chris is a busy lecturer in the Faculty of Education at Victoria, 

facilitates a suicide bereavement grief education programme 

and is involved in community mental health education. He says 

the staff at the GSNMH are very supportive of professionals 

juggling work and study commitments and promote 

connections with other staff and students. “I feel very much a 

part of a community of scholars and practitioners.” 

Kay de Vries 

Senior Lecturer 

“It is essential to ‘get it right’ for care of older people 

and particularly people with dementia, especially 

when numbers are increasing every year.” 

Kay worked as a Public Health Nurse on the West Coast for 13 

years before moving to the UK. She spent 20 years in the UK 

initially working in old age care before moving to palliative 

care with the specific purpose of developing end of life care 

for older people. This led to an interest in end of life care for 

people with dementia and the bereavement experiences of 

both caregivers and people with dementia. 

Kay has taught extensively on advanced communication skills 

in cancer and palliative care and has a deep interest in virtue 

ethics and humility in nursing practice. Her research and 

teaching have been focused on the above interests over the 

past 10 years. 

Kay returned to New Zealand from the UK in 2011 to continue 

this focus and is particularly interested in developing the 

Graduate School’s curriculum in relation to old age, dementia, 

communication skills and virtue ethics in healthcare practice. 


History, Philosophy, Political Science 

and International Relations 

Te Kura Aro Whakamuri, Rapunga Whakaaro, Matai Tōrangapū me te Ao 

school oF history, PhilosoPhy, Political science and international relations 

Te Kura Aro Whakamuri, rapunga Whakaaro, 

Matai Tōrangapū me te Ao 

Website www.victoria.ac.nz/hppi 

history 



Phone 04-463 5344 

Email history@vuw.ac.nz 

PhilosoPhy 

room 518, Murphy Building 


Phone 04-463 5368 

Email philosophy@vuw.ac.nz 

Political science and international relations 



Phone 04-463 5351 

Email politics@vuw.ac.nz 

centre For strateGic studies 

room 204, 16 Kelburn Parade 

Kelburn Campus 

Phone 04-463 5437 

Email css@vuw.ac.nz 



͠ History 

͠ International Relations 

͠ Philosophy 

͠ Political Science 

Additional postgraduate subject areas 

͠ Logic 

͠ Logic and Computation 

͠ Strategic Studies 



͠ Postgraduate Certificate in Strategic Studies 


͠ Postgraduate Diploma in Strategic Studies 



͠ Master of International Relations 

͠ Master of Strategic Studies 

͠ PhD

The disciplines within the School of History, Philosophy, 

Political Science and International Relations (HPPI) represent 

important fields of study, each with their own set of concepts 

and perspectives. Many students take courses in each of them. 

Graduates develop skills in critical and creative thinking, 

leadership, communication and research. 

Victoria’s location in Wellington is particularly useful for 

study as it is the political and cultural centre of New Zealand. 

Wellington has the best research archives and resources in the 

country for New Zealand history, as well as good early modern 

material. The close proximity of our public records archives and 

national collections—the Alexander Turnbull Library, National 

Library, Archives New Zealand and the Parliamentary Library— 

within a block of each other in ‘Wellington’s Government 

Centre’, is unique in Australasia. 

Also on the doorstep for you to visit and use: New Zealand Film 

Archive; NZ Historic Places Trust; Te Papa; Waitangi Tribunal; 

Museum of Wellington: City and Sea; Parliament; and the central 

government departments. They can also be places to find parttime 

and casual work, and later, professional work for graduates. 

For further information, see our website 

www.victoria.ac.nz/hppi 

History 

The study of History explores our past to help us understand 

our present. It provides context for discussing and clarifying 

the complex issues of 21st-century life. History broadens our 

general cultural knowledge and reminds us that our own values 

are not absolute. 

The study of History develops a wide range of skills that 

are increasingly valuable in the diverse 21st-century job 

market. In-depth analysis of particular historical periods and 

events not only builds knowledge applicable to particular 

jobs, but also teaches generic skills applicable to a rapidly 

changing job market. Studying History helps one to analyse 

complex information, to problem-solve and to communicate 

information effectively. 

Our staff and students undertake research on a wide variety 

of topics. Some recent and current research areas include: 

partition in Eastern India; the slave trade; the first national 

fitness drive; an exploration of John Dee’s political, magical, 

and scientific writings; representation of history in film; US-Iran 

relations; and war experiences. 

The New Historians Postgraduate Conference is an annual 

event that gives History postgraduates from around the 

country the opportunity to present papers and establish close 

ties within the New Zealand postgraduate research community. 

The conference was an initiative of our past postgraduate 

students and is organised by our current students, actively 

involved in promoting the discipline. 


Philosophy 

Philosophers explore the nature of argument and justification 

and examine the rational basis of belief in all areas of enquiry. 

Students of Philosophy develop skills in creative and critical 

thinking, as well as learning to develop and defend their own 

views about science, morality, religion and art, among many 

other subjects. The concepts and methods of contemporary 

philosophy can be useful for students majoring in other fields. 

Philosophy should be included early in the degree, to allow the 

option of taking advanced courses suited to other areas. 

The Philosophy programme at Victoria has research skills in a 

wide range of areas, including logic, ethics, critical thinking and 

metaphysics. We also have links to other disciplines outside 

the School, including computing and mathematics through 

logic; science through the philosophy of biology, and ethics and 

genetics; and art and art history through the philosophy of art. 

Philosophy graduates find employment in a wide variety of 

fields. The critical thinking and writing skills developed in 

Philosophy are valued by employers in government, academia 

and business. A large number of our graduates have gone on to 

successful careers as advisers in Ministries of the Government. 

Our former students have gone on to do PhDs in Philosophy at 

some of the best universities in the world, including Princeton, 

Stanford and MIT. 

Active defence of your own ideas is an integral part of 

postgraduate study in the Philosophy programme at Victoria. 

Students are provided with ample opportunities to discuss their 

philosophical ideas with fellow students in relaxed settings, such 

as during the weekly student seminars and especially on the 

student-run retreats in idyllic off-campus settings. 


Political Science and International Relations 

Situated in New Zealand’s capital city, we are especially well 

placed to give you the chance to study the nation’s politics, 

the institutions of government and the manner in which 

foreign affairs is conducted. Here you can see the rough and 

tumble of politics-in-the-making (perhaps as a Parliamentary 

intern in your Honours year). On the periphery of world affairs, 

Wellington, paradoxically, offers a unique vantage point from 

which to examine international relations. 

What is the secret of successful political leadership? Do 

structures or individuals most affect political outcomes? Such 

questions, whether addressed comparatively in the study of 

the domestic politics of particular countries or posed globally 

to the interactions between states, are asked and answered by 

our staff and students. The teaching of politics is not intended 

to promote any particular ideology or policy. Rather, you will be 

exposed to the complexity and variety of political phenomena, 

and be given the necessary tools to understand and critically 

analyse current events. 

Interested in a career as a diplomat, an aid worker or serving 

with the United Nations? Or simply curious about the world? 

Victoria is the only university in New Zealand offering an 

undergraduate major in International Relations that gives you 

the opportunity to understand world affairs. 

If you want to change direction mid-career, the Master of 

International Relations (MIR) one-year qualification attracts 

students from around the world. The core course gets 

MIR students up to speed with the current theories about 

international relations. In addition, there are elective courses 

on topics that include migration, war and its aftermath, and 

diplomacy.

Centre for Strategic Studies 

Te Pokapū Take Rautaki 

Through research, teaching and public dialogue the Centre for 

Strategic Studies (CSS) supports clear thinking and informed 

debate about global security issues, strategic change in the 

Asia-Pacific region and New Zealand’s choices in a changing 

environment. Recently ranked among the world’s top 30 

university-affiliated think-tanks, the CSS hosts the New Zealand 

branch of the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific 

(CSCAP), delivers a postgraduate programme centred on the 

Master of Strategic Studies and fosters close connections with 

the official community. Its Director is Professor Robert Ayson. 

www.victoria.ac.nz/css 

International conferences 

Victoria University of Wellington will host the 60th annual 

AAP NZ Division Conference in 2012. The conference is the 

most significant general philosophy conference held in 

New Zealand each year and regularly attracts participants 

from around the world. The conference will run from 2–6 

December. Details of the conference can be found on the 

AAP website http://aap.org.au 

The 20th Pacific History Association Conference, 

“Generations: History in the Pacific, Histories with a 

Future”, will be held at Victoria from 6–8 December. PHA 

2012 provides strategic opportunities for researchers with 

projects in the early and advanced stages of research. Details 

of the conference can be found at 

http://pacifichistoryassociation.org 

In 2013 The Australasian Association for European History 

Conference, “Faultlines: Cohesion and Division in Europe from 

the 18th Century to the 21st” will be held at Victoria from 2–5 

July. In the context of intense pressures on Europe’s cohesion, 

the conference encourages reconsideration of Europe’s myriad 

historical faultlines. Details of the conference can be found at 

www.victoria.ac.nz/aaehconference 

Hannah Blumhardt 

BA(Hons) 

“An Honours degree in International Relations was 

the ideal preparation for my future. It was thoughtprovoking, 

challenging and fulfilling.” 

Hannah finished her BA(Hons) degree in 2011 and is currently 

completing an Honours degree in Law. Her interests lie in 

the area of research, policy and advocacy on issues of social 

justice. She has completed several internships that have 

utilised the skills and critical thinking she has developed from 

studying, including internships at Oxfam New Zealand and 

in Parliament. She is currently volunteering at the Whitireia 

Community Law Centre in Porirua. 

As a postgraduate student Hannah has had the opportunity 

to help in the administration of academic conferences and to 

deliver her own research at conferences. She was the President 

of the student club Victoria International Development Society, 

which has organised a range of high-profile speaker events and 

panel discussions on campus. She is also a founding member 

of Oppression Watch Aotearoa, an organisation focused 

on addressing entrenched racism and oppression in the 

community. 


Lee Woodman 

Current BDI student working towards a 

minor in Philosophy 

“A constant attitude of learning ensures we remain 

open to change and improvement in our thoughts 

and beliefs.” 

Hi, my name is Lee. I am currently in the final year of a 

three-year Bachelor of Design Innovation. I am also studying 

Philosophy as a minor. I feel fortunate being able to study after 

already spending time in the workplace as this puts a different 

emphasis on the time spent here. Design is a great subject 

to help build systematic creative processes and also aid in 

problem-solving. Philosophy helps in many ways too. It teaches 

me to explain clearly the required message and helps to keep 

the mind open for alternative views. 

Viewing something from a different angle helps to pinpoint the 

flaws or weak points. In this way Design and Philosophy can 

help form a robust creative process. Also, studying helps me 

learn how technology and global awareness can preserve and 

enhance the places where we live. 


Giacomo Lichtner 

Senior Lecturer, History 

“Historical films are double-glazed windows onto 

past and present. Historians study the space in 

between, deceivingly empty, where past and present 

interact and memories are formed.” 

The History Programme at Victoria is committed to excellence 

in the study and teaching of the past, placing New Zealand in a 

global perspective. 

Giacomo’s research complements the Programme’s 

comparative and interdisciplinary strengths by examining the 

relationship between history and the moving image. From the 

propaganda films to modern-day epics, cinema has played a 

crucial role in constructing national identities, reinforcing or 

challenging perceptions of history. Giacomo has investigated 

this role in a variety of historical and geographical contexts, 

including Europe and India. After publishing primarily on the 

representation of the Holocaust, Giacomo is completing a 

study of fascism in Italian cinema since 1945. 

Giacomo grew up in Rome and moved to Reading in 1996, 

where he undertook his undergraduate and postgraduate 

studies, spending time in Siena and Paris along the way. He 

joined Victoria in 2003 as a Lecturer in History and Film.

Simon Judkins, History student’s poster L.A. Uncovered 

awarded ‘Best Overall’ in the Victoria Summer Scholarships 

Poster Competition. 


Languages and Cultures 

Te Kura o ngā Reo me ngā Tikanga-ā-iwi 

school oF lanGuaGes and cultures 

Te Kura o ngā reo me ngā Tikanga-ā-iwi 

room 610, von Zedlitz Building, Kelburn Parade, Kelburn Campus 

Phone 04-463 5293 

Email slc@vuw.ac.nz 

Website www.victoria.ac.nz/slc 


͠ Asian Studies 

͠ Chinese 

͠ French 

͠ German 

͠ Italian 

͠ Japanese 

͠ Modern Language Studies 

͠ Spanish 






͠ PhD 

Associated institutes/centres 

͠ Asian Studies Institute 

͠ Chair of Malay Studies 

͠ New Zealand Centre for Literary Translation 


The School of Languages and Cultures coordinates the teaching 

of languages, cultural studies and literature, from 100-level 

courses through to Honours and postgraduate programmes. 

Majors are offered in the following subjects: Asian Studies, 

Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Modern Language 

Studies and Spanish. 

These subjects have obvious affinities with others in the 

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences such as Art History, 

Classics, Cultural Anthropology, English, Film Studies, History, 

International Relations, Linguistics, Media Studies, Music, 

Philosophy, Political Science, Religious Studies and Sociology. 

There is also the possibility of combining language study with 

courses for another degree, or a conjoint or double degree 

such as Commerce, Architecture, Law, Music, Science, Teaching 

or Tourism. 

Languages and Cultures students have numerous opportunities 

to participate in extra-curricular activities such as the Victoria 

International Leadership Programme and events organised by 

centres such as the New Zealand Centre for Literary Translation 

and the Confucius Centre. The student clubs of the various 

language and culture programmes also organise events, 

excursions and performances. 

The School offers exchanges with a number of universities 

and many students take up Teaching Assistantships offered 

in France, Germany, Spain and Japan. Scholarships and prizes 

in Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish are 

also available.

Asian Studies 

Asia is undergoing unprecedented economic and social change 

and our relationships with the region require sophisticated 

levels of knowledge and understanding. The Asian Studies 

major at Victoria gives you the scope and flexibility to combine 

material on Asia from subjects as varied as Political Science, 

International Business, Religious Studies and Music among 

others, all in one degree. 

Chinese 

The Chinese Programme teaches the Chinese language 

(Mandarin) from beginner to advanced levels. We also offer 

studies of Chinese literature, culture and society. Students 

can major in Chinese or take Chinese courses as electives. 

The Programme provides a full range of training from 

undergraduate and Honours to research degrees of MA and 

PhD. Students are encouraged to undertake in-country studies 

through exchanges. 

French 

Programme courses allow you to study French from beginner 

level through to PhD and to learn about aspects of French and 

francophone culture and literature. Most classes are taught in 

French to increase exposure to the language. Exchanges with 

French universities are encouraged. 

German 

The German major allows students to study the German 

language in its spoken and written form from beginner to an 

advanced stage over a period of three years. Underpinning 

each level are content courses that provide an in-depth 

understanding of the history, society and culture of Germanspeaking 

countries from the 18th to the 21st century. 

Italian 

A major designed to develop Italian language skills from 

absolute beginner to advanced level. Students then apply 

their knowledge of the language to the study of Italian history, 

society and culture in courses that focus on translation, 

literature, films and the visual arts. 

Japanese 

Victoria offers Japanese language and culture courses for 

beginner, intermediate and advanced students. Exchanges 

with several prestigious Japanese universities are offered. 

Graduates seek employment in business, trade, tourism, 

diplomacy, international relations and education. 

Modern Language Studies 

Modern Language Studies at Victoria combines study of a 

modern language with courses in Linguistics to provide a 

comprehensive language package. You can study Chinese, 

French, German, Italian, Japanese, Māori, Samoan or Spanish. 


Spanish 

The Spanish major offers Spanish language courses at beginner, 

intermediate and advanced levels, as well as courses on the 

history, cultures and literatures of Spain and Latin America. 

Asian Studies Institute 

The purpose of the Asian Studies Institute is to act as a focal 

point for Victoria’s Asia-related activities. 

www.victoria.ac.nz/slc/asi 

Chair of Malay Studies 

The Chair of Malay Studies at Victoria was inaugurated in March 

1996 by the former Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Dr Mahathir 

Mohamad. Sponsorship for the Chair was obtained through the 

governments of Malaysia and New Zealand with the support of 

private companies in both countries. 

www.victoria.ac.nz/slc/study/subjectsoffered/mala.aspx 

The New Zealand Centre for Literary Translation 

Te Tumu Whakawhiti Tuhinga o Aotearoa 

The New Zealand Centre for Literary Translation was 

established in 2008 and has three main aims: to research 

issues relating to the theory and practice of literary translation; 

to provide support for the translation of New Zealand writers; 

and the development of literary translation activities, in both 

teaching and professional areas. 

www.victoria.ac.nz/slc/nzclt 


Kerry Nitz 

MSocSc Waikato, 

GDipBusStud, GDipSc, GDipInfSc Massey, 

DipTchg WellingtonCoE, 

GDipArts, BA(Hons) Victoria 

“The path is more important than the destination, 

and there’s no reason to stick to just one.” 

In between completing his MSocSc in Economics at Waikato 

in 1994 and returning to full-time study for a BA(Hons) in 

German at Victoria in 2011, Kerry had a varied career. Starting 

off as an economist, he subsequently moved into information 

technology, with a break in 2004–7 where he taught high school 

mathematics and economics. His qualifications to date range 

across Economics, Finance, Mathematics, Information Systems, 

Teaching and German. 

Kerry is currently studying intertextual references in Iris 

Hanika’s 2008 German Book Prize short-listed novel Treffen 

sich zwei for an MA in German—a refreshing change from 

his BA(Hons) research paper which addressed problems in 

translating the work of early 20th-century German economist 

Werner Sombart.

Mica Moore 


“You can’t underestimate the benefits of having 

your eyes opened to new knowledge, new ways of 

thinking and how to apply them.” 

Mica is in the final year of her undergraduate degree studying 

for a BA majoring in Japanese and International Relations, with 

a minor in Development Studies. She has a keen interest in 

international development and is hoping her study will take her 

around the world, representing New Zealand in development 

initiatives and strengthening ties. She has been thrilled by how 

Victoria has provided her with the opportunities to get involved 

in these areas both at home and overseas. 

“There’s so much I can take part in through the courses I’m 

studying. I was lucky enough to go to Japan last year for a sixweek 

language programme, and opportunities such as these 

are readily available. I’ve really enjoyed being a part of classes 

that have continued with the same group of people over three 

years; we’ve come to know and support each other, and the staff 

in the School are fantastic as well. The whole atmosphere of the 

University reflects the city which surrounds it—Wellington is 

always buzzing, it’s an exciting place to be a part of.” 

Ross Woods 

Lecturer, Spanish 

“When studying Spanish you don’t just learn a 

language—you experience new cultures, see the 

world through different eyes.” 

Ross Woods is a lecturer in Spanish language and literature. After 

completing a BA in Spanish and Italian, Ross received a PhD in 

Spanish literature from University College Dublin in 2008. His 

research and teaching focus on post-Spanish Civil War literature 

with a particular interest in the varying representations of the 

theme of memory in Spanish poetry and novels of this period. His 

current research project uses literary maps to analyse a number 

of novels by contemporary Spanish authors. 

The chance to travel is one of the great advantages of studying 

languages and Ross counts time spent in Spain while an 

undergraduate as one of the most memorable experiences of 

his life. Teaching and studying Spanish is a great way to become 

familiar with the various cultures of Spain and Latin America, 

and Ross finds it extremely rewarding to share his passion for the 

Spanish-speaking world with students. 


Linguistics and 

Applied Language Studies 

Te Kura Tātari Reo 

school oF linGuistics and aPPlied lanGuaGe studies 

Te Kura Tātari reo 

room 210, von Zedlitz Building 


Phone 04-463 5600 

Email lals@vuw.ac.nz 

Website www.victoria.ac.nz/lals 



͠ Linguistics 

͠ Second Language Education 

Other undergraduate subject areas 

͠ Deaf Studies/New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) 

͠ Writing 


͠ Graduate Certificate in TESOL 




͠ Master of Arts (Applied Linguistics, Linguistics, TESOL) 

͠ PhD 

Additional qualifications 

͠ Certificate of English Proficiency (pre-degree) 

͠ Certificate in Deaf Studies: Teaching NZSL 

Associated institutes/centres/units 

͠ Deaf Studies Research Unit (DSRU) 

͠ English Language Institute (ELI) 

͠ New Zealand Dictionary Centre (NZDC) 

͠ Language in the Workplace (LWP)

The School of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies (LALS) 

incorporates the Deaf Studies Research Unit, the English 

Language Institute and the New Zealand Dictionary Centre. 

The Language in the Workplace Project is also located within 

the School. The creation of the School in 1997 consolidated 

Victoria’s position as a major teaching and research centre for 

linguistics and applied linguistics. 

The School has a strong New Zealand and international profile 

in areas as diverse as language learning and teaching (including 

curriculum design and methodology), New Zealand English, the 

description of English and other languages, the compilation 

and analysis of electronic corpora, sociolinguistics (including 

social dialectology, language maintenance and language 

policy), linguistic theory, lexicography and Deaf studies. Staff 

contribute regularly to international forums in their specialist 

fields through publications and conference papers which can 

be seen at www.victoria.ac.nz/lals/staff 

Undergraduate programmes taught at the School include a BA 

major in Linguistics, a BA major in Second Language Education 

and programmes in New Zealand Sign Language, Writing and 

English for Academic Purposes. The Writing focus includes 

courses in business and print media that complement studies 

in other schools and faculties. The English Language Institute 

offers high-quality intensive English language courses for 

speakers of other languages who are preparing for tertiary 

study or who need English for professional purposes. 

Linguistics 

The use of language is one of the major ways of distinguishing 

us from other animals. Linguistics is the systematic study of 

human language and the uses people put it to. Our courses 

consider questions such as “How does language work?”, “Why 

do people speak differently in different contexts?”, “What 

does language tell us about the human mind?”, “What do all 

languages have in common?”, “How and why do dialects of a 

language develop?” 

Second Language Education 

The Second Language Education major presents an 

undergraduate pathway for those who are interested in 

developing a career in language education and wish to 

develop a good academic understanding of the field. It is also 

available to experienced teachers who require an academic 

training in language education but who have not met academic 

requirements to undertake graduate study. 

There is also a wide range of postgraduate courses in the areas 

of linguistics and applied linguistics available in the School. For 

more information, visit the School’s website 

www.victoria.ac.nz/lals 


English Language Institute (ELI) 

The ELI has been an important part of Victoria University for 50 

years. Since 1961, students from 120 countries have studied at 

the Institute either on the English language courses or on the 

widely respected teacher education programmes. Most teacher 

education programmes are now offered under the name of the 

larger School. The English language courses continue under 

the name of the ELI. The highly qualified teaching staff at the 

Institute have had professional experience in working with 

students from many parts of the world—the Pacific, Asia, Africa 

and Europe. Language teaching at the Institute benefits directly 

from our long-established research programme on the English 

language and the processes of learning and using it. Most 

of our course materials are designed and developed at the 

Institute in response to the needs of our students. 

www.victoria.ac.nz/eli 

Deaf Studies Research Unit (DSRU) 

The School has a programme of research in New Zealand 

Sign Language (NZSL), under the DSRU. Research in the 

DSRU has focused on describing the lexicon and grammar of 

NZSL, producing resources for teaching and learning NZSL, 

documenting the cultural experiences of NZSL users, studying 

Deaf people in education and investigating sociolinguistic 

variation in the use of NZSL. The DSRU has also developed 

an online dictionary of NZSL. Staff and postgraduate thesis 

students contribute to the School’s research activities in the 

area of NZSL and Deaf Studies. 

www.victoria.ac.nz/dsru 


Language in the Workplace (LWP) 

The LWP research project was established in 1996 to identify 

characteristics of effective communication between people, 

diagnose possible causes of miscommunication and explore 

possible applications of the findings for New Zealand 

workplaces. 

The project initially received a generous grant from the 

Foundation for Research, Science and Technology and has also 

received Marsden funding to explore aspects of leadership, 

including ethnically distinctive leadership styles. The LWP 

database incorporates video and audio recorded material 

from a wide range of different workplaces, including factories, 

commercial workplaces, small businesses, government 

departments and a hospital ward. Many aspects of interaction 

have been analysed including small talk at work, humour, 

decision-making, directives in the workplace and gendered 

styles of talk at work. The database provides a rich starting 

point for postgraduate projects and many PhD students have 

been actively involved in contributing to the growing corpus of 

data and analysis. 

www.victoria.ac.nz/lwp

New Zealand Dictionary Centre (NZDC) 

For more than 60 years, Victoria has been the major centre 

for lexicography in New Zealand. A number of distinguished 

lexicographers, many of them former students of Professor Ian 

Gordon, have been graduates of Victoria and have contributed 

to works of English lexicography, including the supplements 

to the Oxford English Dictionary and the Australian National 

Dictionary. In particular, the NZDC builds on the pioneering 

scholarship of Dr Harry Orsman, whose research on New 

Zealand English spanned more than 40 years and culminated 

in 1997 in the publication of his award-winning Dictionary 

of New Zealand English, the most comprehensive and 

fully documented dictionary of New Zealandisms based 

on historical principles. In 2005, the New Zealand Oxford 

Dictionary, prepared at the Centre over several years, won 

the reference section of the Montana Book Awards. Since that 

time, lexicographers Dr Dianne Bardsley and Tony Deverson 

have compiled a range of dictionaries and thesauruses for 

schools and for trade, in partnership with Oxford University 

Press. Former Director Emeritus Professor Graeme Kennedy is a 

Senior Fellow at the Centre. 

Every three years, two PhD research fellowships in New Zealand 

English are offered at the Centre. The NZDC was established 

at a time of significant advances in the technology to support 

lexicography and the Centre makes use of large collections of 

spoken and written New Zealand English in electronic corpora 

to further its research aims and to provide terms and citations 

for its database of New Zealand English terms. 

www.victoria.ac.nz/nzdc 

Conferences 

The Independent Learning Association Conference 

(ILA 2012) 

The ILA Conference is being held in Wellington from 30 

August–2 September 2012. We have a fabulous lineup 

of keynote speakers and a large number of local and 

international speakers have submitted abstracts. LALS has 

a strong presence on the committee for the conference, 

including Peter Gu, Averil Coxhead, David Crabbe and Irina 

Elgort. Other members of the committee are from the 

Language Learning Centre, CPIT and UNITEC. Join us for this 

fabulous opportunity to explore independent learning. 

More information can be found on the ILA website at 

https://www.eiseverywhere.com/ehome/ila2012/22977 


Kieran File 

MA 

“Applied Linguistics is an interesting and incredibly 

flexible subject with a range of possible research 

directions which can have a lot of multidisciplinary 

outcomes and applications.” 

My PhD research looks at how context affects the language that 

we use. To explore this phenomenon, I am investigating the 

language of the post-match sports interview in rugby, football, 

golf and tennis. The goal is to identify the language features 

of this genre and the aspects of the context that lead to and 

affect language use in these interviews. Linguistics provides 

the background and tools to explore this, allowing me to get 

behind the language and explore the cultural and contextual 

influences on our language use. 

I have previously completed a Master’s degree in this School 

and I have taught English for specific purposes overseas. 

Studying Applied Linguistics and Linguistics has opened up 

a range of potential opportunities for me in an increasingly 

globalised world that is relying more and more on linguistic 

knowledge to facilitate intercultural communication. 


Sasha Calhoun 

Lecturer 

“Language is central to being human, so it’s exciting 

to be in linguistics—to think about how language 

works every day.” 

Sasha’s research focuses on the functions of prosody and 

intonation (ie. the rhythm, timing and tune of speech). Prosody 

is essential to speech; we cannot speak without it (without 

sounding like a robot!). Sasha’s work has looked at the role of 

stress in conveying meaning, such as why “She doesn’t LIKE 

him” differs from “She doesn’t like HIM”. She has also looked 

at how we interpret intonation in discourse expressions 

like “Really?” She is also interested in the role of rhythm in 

language processing. Sasha is currently teaching phonetics 

and phonology at undergraduate and Master’s levels, and is 

supervising four PhD students. 

Sasha is from Wellington, and completed her BA(Hons) at 

Victoria. She returned to Victoria in mid-2010 after many years at 

the University of Edinburgh, where she completed her PhD, and 

more recently was a British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow. She 

has published in top international journals, including Language.


Social and Cultural Studies 

Te Kura Mahinga Tangata 

school oF social and cultural studies 

Te Kura Mahinga Tangata 



Phone 04-463 5317 

Email sacs@vuw.ac.nz 

Website www.victoria.ac.nz/sacs 



͠ Criminology 

͠ Cultural Anthropology 

͠ Social Policy 

͠ Sociology 

Other undergraduate subject areas 

͠ Methods in Social and Cultural Research 

͠ Topic in Feminist Theory: Key Thinkers and Perspectives* 







͠ PhD 

The School of Social and Cultural Studies (SACS) brings 

together the respective teaching, research and scholarship 

strengths of Criminology, Cultural Anthropology, Social Policy 

and Sociology. We are interested in critical social theory and 

what you can expect to learn from us are current analyses of 

how societies and cultures are formed, how they are governed, 

how they break down and how we might envisage new and 

viable future social and cultural systems. This knowledge and 

the skills you will acquire along the way can then be applied in 

a wide range of occupations.

Criminology 

Criminology is the study of crime and the social, legal and 

policy responses to criminal behaviour. The Institute of 

Criminology established at Victoria University in 1975 has 

a depth of expertise as the first university in Aotearoa/ 

New Zealand to offer Criminology as a major. Criminology 

integrates a range of disciplines (including law, psychology, 

social policy, sociology and cultural studies) to provide a 

fascinating insight into crime and society. 

Criminology students at Victoria will study the characteristics 

and social context of offenders and their victims, learn how the 

police operate, and how the law, the courts and correctional 

agencies try to prevent and control crime. Students will also be 

encouraged to question and critically explore crime and criminal 

behaviour as a social construct, and examine alternative ways of 

managing and responding to the ‘crime’ problem. 

Staff research areas include: state crimes; human rights; 

histories and cultures of punishment; imprisonment 

practices; the psychology of criminal behaviour; evolutionary 

criminology, drug and alcohol misuse; drug law and policy; 

harm reduction; sexual offending and offenders; experiences 

and treatment of rape victims; family violence; prostitution 

law reform; media representations of crime; the politics of 

crime; community sentencing and correctional agencies; 

crime prevention; crime reduction and community safety; and 

private policing and security. 

Cultural Anthropology 

Anthropology is the ‘study of human beings’. Within this 

general field, Cultural Anthropology seeks to understand and 

explain cultural diversity and similarity by studying peoples 

and societies from all over the world. Cultural Anthropology 

at Victoria offers comparative insights into the different ways 

social life is meaningfully organised and changes, locally and 

globally. An education in Cultural Anthropology provides 

you with a wide range of skills relating to cultural and social 

analysis, complementing other subjects by providing a broad 

comparative understanding of human society and culture. Staff 

research interests include: culture and migration; the cultural 

dimensions of inequality and power; medical systems and the 

body; Pacific cultures; ethnicity; refugees; architecture; and 

material culture. 


Social Policy 

Social Policy is concerned with the study of the needs and 

wellbeing of the population and how a society organises to 

meet such needs. Social Policy includes social issues like 

the alleviation of poverty, the provision of health care, the 

allocation of housing resources, equity in education and the 

Treaty of Waitangi debate. Social Policy considers these issues 

using social, economic and political perspectives. Policy is 

made in Wellington at the Beehive and Parliament and is 

enacted by government institutions based here. 

Social Policy at Victoria studies how and why social policy 

gets made and how it works in the real world. Careers for 

Social Policy majors are found in government departments, 

health care, management of private business, journalism 

and the non-profit sector. Staff research interests include: 

social movements; the role of discourse in policy-making and 

political processes; women and political representation in New 

Zealand; childcare and unpaid work debates; social inequality; 

philanthropy and the non-profit sector; and public sociology. 

Sociology 

Sociology is the study of social life. Sociologists examine all 

kinds of group situations, from interpersonal relationships to 

global links between peoples, in order to understand and explain 

social patterns in their own and other societies. Sociology is an 

exciting discipline whose ideas and methods add fresh insights 

on the major issues confronting our world and our ability to deal 

with them. In the process it opens up new life experiences and 

opportunities for a wide range of career paths. 

Staff research interests include: nationalism; multi-culturalism 

and bi-culturalism; medical sociology; gender, sexuality and 

health; bioethics; ageing; death and dying; hegemony and race 

relations in New Zealand; classical and contemporary political 

and social theory; the history of ideas; political sociology; the 

sociology of development and globalisation; cultural studies; 

embodiment; everyday life; and humour. 


Maree Martinussen 

BA 

“According to Oscar Wilde ‘The truth is rarely pure 

and never simple’; using the skills and theories from 

Sociology allows one to explore the ‘truths’ that 

make up our day-to-day lives.” 

My way of looking at the world has been completely 

transformed by my studies in Sociology. We take much of the 

motivations and reasoning that guide our everyday actions and 

thoughts for granted, without realising that we are partaking 

in an intricate web of systems and processes that make up our 

social world. To ask about the world ‘What is changing and 

what is staying the same?’, ‘What enables those changes, and 

who do they affect?’ means that we are in a better position to 

act as agents of social change. 

Pinning down what is at the core of Sociology is notoriously 

difficult. This can be partly attributed to the fact that what we 

are studying—societies—is complex and dynamic. Rather than 

seeing any conundrums in this, I relish studying something that 

is constantly changing, and I’m happy for my sociological work 

to never be done!

Cameron 

Poole Smith 


“Studying Cultural Anthropology gives you an 

understanding of how we as humans interact with 

our environment and with each other.” 

Cultural Anthropology has intrigued me since the very 

first lecture. It has opened my eyes to our world’s vast and 

diverse array of cultures. More importantly though, through 

anthropological ideas and theories, I’ve learnt to interpret and 

understand these cultures. I no longer see foreign ways of life as 

bizarre anomalies, but as unique and symbolically meaningful 

interpretations of what it means to be a human being. 

Furthermore, these ideas can be applied to our own culture, 

making the study of anthropology all the more important. 

I really appreciate the personal nature of the Cultural 

Anthropology Programme. Classes are generally a lot smaller 

than those in many other courses and the friendly lecturers take 

advantage of this to make lectures and tutorials much more 

interactive. I have thoroughly enjoyed studying Anthropology and 

am looking forward to postgraduate studies. 

Julian Buchanan 

Associate Professor, Criminology 

“Responses to crime are too often informed by 

populist sound bites—Criminology can provide a 

much needed antidote of critical, well-reasoned, 

evidence-based theoretical insights.” 

Julian’s early career as a probation officer involved supervising 

offenders in Liverpool, England. This provided valuable 

criminological insights: visiting prisons; courts; police cells; 

and most importantly, the homes of offenders. Listening and 

understanding the ‘world’ as they experienced it, has had a 

significant impact upon his thinking on crime. 

During the time of the UK ‘heroin epidemic’ Julian was appointed 

a drug specialist and pioneered harm reduction theory, policy and 

practice, and helped establish one of the largest multi-agency 

community drugs teams in the country. Following this, an academic 

career took him to the Universities of Liverpool, Central Lancashire 

and Glyndŵr before joining Victoria in January 2011. Julian has 

researched and published widely in the related areas of probation, 

social exclusion, stigma, reintegration and problematic drug use. 

He is a strong critic of over-simplified populist approaches to drug 

control which he argues have done more harm than good. 


Te Kawa a Māui 

School of Māori Studies 

te KaWa a mĀui/school oF mĀori studies 

room 102, 50 Kelburn Parade, Kelburn Campus 

Phone 04-463 5314 

Email maori-studies@vuw.ac.nz 

Website www.victoria.ac.nz/maori 

Diploma 

͠ Tohu Māoritanga/Diploma in Māoritanga 


͠ Māori Resource Management 

͠ Māori Studies 

͠ Te Reo Māori 






͠ PhD 

Associated links 

͠ Te Herenga Waka Marae 

www.victoria.ac.nz/marae 

͠ Te Pūtahi Atawhai 

www.victoria.ac.nz/tpa 


Te Kawa a Māui at Victoria 

Te Kawa a Māui is the School of Māori Studies at Victoria 

University. Māori Studies was established as an independent 

academic unit in the University in 1978 when Tā Hirini Moko 

Mead was appointed as the first professor. 

Māori Studies aims to provide an education that empowers 

students to understand and participate effectively in the Māori 

world and, above all, enable them to make a positive contribution 

to the development of Māori culture, society and politics. 

The School offers courses at every level in the University 

from undergraduate diploma through to PhD. The academic 

programme of the School is based on teaching both Māori 

language and culture, and the School has established an 

enviable reputation as a leading producer of fluent Māori 

speakers in the country, including luminaries such as Julian 

Wilcox, Mereana Hond, Hon Justice Joe Williams and many 

other high-profile New Zealanders.

Central to the Māori Studies academic programme is Te 

Herenga Waka, the University Marae. This marae was the first 

university-based marae to be established in New Zealand 

and really came of age in 1986 when its carved house, Te 

Tumu Herenga Waka, was officially opened. The marae is a 

base for a range of Māori student activities. Amongst other 

things, lunches are provided during the work week, classes are 

taught in the wharenui, class noho marae take place there, the 

kapa haka practises there and it is the site of numerous hui 

throughout the year. 

Our academic programme includes a range of courses that 

are part of several degree and diploma programmes and 

includes the option of three separate Māori Studies majors in 

the BA degree. 

At undergraduate level we offer the Tohu Māoritanga which 

is a one-year diploma programme. It is designed to provide 

an opportunity for people who might not otherwise consider 

university education as an option. Students as young as 16 years 

of age may be admitted and some of the points completed in the 

Tohu can be credited towards a BA degree as well. 


This is the most popular major within Māori Studies, producing 

graduates with a well-rounded understanding of te reo me 

ōna tikanga. Students emerge with an understanding of 

Māori language; Māori culture—past and present; and the 

relationship between Māori and other cultures in New Zealand, 

Polynesia and the world. The major combines well with all 

other BA subjects and degrees. 

Māori Resource Management 

This major provides a pathway for students to attain an 

in-depth understanding of the complex issues in this much 

sought after field. Students graduate with an understanding of 

and competency in Māori language; the relationship between 

Māori customary concepts, their application in the modern 

world; and resource management skills. The major has strong 

interdisciplinary connections in the Faculty of Science, the 

Victoria Business School and within the Faculty of Humanities 

and Social Sciences. 

Te Reo Māori 

This major is designed to meet the needs and aspirations 

of students committed to the acquisition, analysis and 

preservation of te reo Māori. Students graduate with a fluency 

in both written and oral communications; an awareness of 

issues; and a competency in linguistic analysis of te reo Māori. 

There is growing national demand for Māori language speakers, 

particularly in the public, broadcasting and education sectors. 


Postgraduate study 

After the completion of a BA our students are strongly 

encouraged to consider graduate and postgraduate study. The 

postgraduate programme offered by Te Kawa a Māui is highly 

flexible, designed to enable you to tailor your study to suit your 

personal, professional and academic needs. 

Postgraduate study usually requires enrolment in either a 

BA(Hons), or in the case of students who have not majored 

in Māori Studies in their undergraduate degree, a Graduate 

Diploma in Arts. Both are one-year full-time courses (or the 

equivalent in part-time study) and the BA(Hons) may lead to 

enrolment in the MA programme. Students who have been 

awarded First Class Honours or Second Class (First Division) 

Honours are encouraged to complete a thesis in their MA year, 

but it is possible to complete the MA by coursework as well. 

The highest degree that we offer is the PhD in Māori Studies. 

PhD students are normally required to be in residence at Māori 

Studies and are expected to contribute to the intellectual life of 

the School. 

It is our experience that students who complete degrees 

in Māori Studies become highly employable in a range of 

occupations. Our alumni are working in jobs as diverse as 

television presenters to judges. Many are employed in various 

areas of government but are also found in the arts and working 

for their various iwi. 


Ewan Pohe 

DipHort Massey, BA, LLB, MIM Victoria 

“Whāia te iti kahurangi ki te tuohu koe me he 

maunga teitei.” 

“To achieve your major objective, come what may, 

you must persevere.” 

Ewan was 25 when he started his first university qualification, 

a Diploma in Horticulture. As with many Māori, no-one in his 

whānau had been to university before, and although he had 

plenty of work experience, he had limited study skills. Ewan 

came to Victoria, graduating with a BA and LLB. After travelling 

abroad and establishing a successful business career Ewan 

then returned to Victoria to complete a Master of Information 

Management, before moving on to a PhD in Māori Studies. 

Inspired by his experiences as an avid learner and now teacher 

of te reo Māori, the topic of his PhD thesis was Māori language 

revitilisation. Ewan credits the supportive whānau environment 

that Te Herenga Waka Marae and Te Kawa a Māui provided to 

overcoming the challenges of writing the PhD thesis. 

Kāinga te miro o te rākau mātauranga ā nā tātou, nā te iwi Māori 

te Ao—For Māori, a consummate education is the gateway to 

our future opportunities.

Te Wehi Wright 

Current BA/LLB student 

“Maintaining a good work-life balance is 

important and contributes to the successful 

completion of studies.” 

I am currently enrolled in a conjoint BA/LLB degree in 

Te Reo Māori and Law. I am under no illusion that the path to 

completing them successfully will be easy. What has helped 

tremendously so far is having the support of the many friends I 

have made at university as well as the staff who have the same 

passion as me for their respective interests. Te Herenga Waka 

Marae has also been a good place to base myself. They provide 

study facilities, free tea and coffee and cheap lunches for us in 

a Māori-friendly environment. 

I love MAOR 322 because I grew up speaking Te Reo and am 

now exploring the technical aspects of language, which is like 

maths with words. 

“He ao te rangi ka ūhia, ma te huruhuru te manu ka rere.” 

When the sky covers over with clouds, the feathers of a bird 

can soar through them. (Māori proverb) 

Mike Ross 

Lecturer 

“I ako iho, kia mau ki te pai, kia atawhai ki te 

tangata.” 

“It was taught and passed down, hold on to what is 

right and care for others.” Māori proverb 

Mike is a graduate of the Tohu Māoritanga programme and 

has a Master of Public Policy from Victoria. Mike spent many 

years working in youth and community organisations. He has a 

particular interest in whānau, hapū and iwi development which 

led to various roles and then to joining Te Kawa a Māui 

at Victoria. 

Mike is currently teaching Te Reo at 200 and 300 levels and 

believes the maintenance and advancement of the Māori 

language and tikanga are important components of Māori wellbeing. 

He enjoys being part of the Te Kawa a Māui whānau and 

the opportunities that come from being a part of the University. 

Mike is currently working on a PhD looking at the practice of 

accountability in the governance of Māori organisations. 


Va’aomanū Pasifika 

va’aomanŪ PasiFiKa 

room 101, 6 Kelburn Parade, Kelburn Campus 

Phone 04-463 5830 

Email pacific-studies@vuw.ac.nz 

samoan-studies@vuw.ac.nz 

Website www.victoria.ac.nz/pasifika 



͠ Pacific Studies 

͠ Samoan Studies 



͠ Postgraduate Diploma in Arts (Pacific Studies only) 

͠ Bachelor of Arts with Honours (Pacific Studies only) 

͠ Master of Arts (Pacific Studies only) 

͠ PhD (Pacific Studies only) 

Va’aomanū Pasifika comprises two programmes—the Pacific 

Studies programme and the Samoan Studies programme. 

The aims of both courses of study are to increase student 

understanding of Pacific issues and to produce Pacific 

graduates who can think critically and creatively and who will 

contribute to and be leaders in the development of Pasifika 

communities in New Zealand, the region and internationally. 

Victoria has a proud tradition of research, teaching and learning 

about the Pacific. Va’aomanū Pasifika means ‘canoe/journey of 

good fortune’ and, with staff internationally recognised in their 

fields, we can help you on your own journey of discovery and 

achievement.

Pacific Studies 

Victoria is one of three universities in New Zealand offering 

a BA degree in Pacific Studies and our Pacific Studies 

postgraduate programme is also expanding steadily. The Pacific 

Studies programme provides students the chance to develop 

critical perspectives on knowledge about the diverse cultures 

and communities of the Pacific. Attention is given to processes 

of both continuity and change in Pacific societies and 

communities. Pacific Studies at Victoria emphasises a cultural 

studies approach (along the lines of the Birmingham School) to 

analysing historical and contemporary phenomena. 

Pacific Studies is also building its social sciences research and 

teaching capacity. Here students examine current and historic 

issues of concern to Pacific communities in New Zealand and 

the wider region, as well as contribute to and critique emerging 

strategies for ensuring Pacific participation in policy and 

programme decision-making forums. 

Wellington is an exciting place for Pacific Studies because it 

is the centre of political power in New Zealand: through our 

programme, students have access to the Beehive, government 

ministries and agencies working with Pacific communities 

here and abroad, Pacific Islands High Commissions and 

representatives from non-governmental organisations and civil 

society. Wellington is also the place for access to information 

and the arts with Te Papa, the Turnbull Library, Archives New 

Zealand, New Zealand Film Archive and the International 

Festival of the Arts being right at our doorstep. 

The programme in Pacific Studies maintains close working 

relationships with staff who teach Pacific content in other 

programmes at Victoria such as: Architecture; Art History; 

Cultural Anthropology; Education; English; Geography; 

History; Law; Māori Studies; Music; and Political Science and 

International Relations. 

Samoan Studies 

The Samoan language is the third most spoken language in New 

Zealand and as such it is being studied by Samoans and non- 

Samoans alike at schools and universities. However, Victoria 

is the only university in the world to offer Samoan Studies as 

an undergraduate major. The Samoan Studies programme 

offers the opportunity to study, understand and appreciate 

fa’asāmoa—Samoan language, culture and society. A research 

component on Samoan language construction and use is also 

now included in the programme. 

Samoan Studies graduates are now in demand in government 

policy agencies (such as Pacific Islands Affairs, Health, Justice 

and Housing) in the social services sector and as teachers of 

Samoan, now that Samoan is an NCEA subject. 


Antonia McBryde 

BA, LLB, GDipArts 

“Pacific Studies invites students to examine, negotiate 

and seek to understand their roots and routes.” 

My route to Pacific Studies has been a winding one, at times 

through clear lagoons, at other times through deep waters. 

Here now in Pacific Studies’ soil I have put down roots. I 

recognise that my undergraduate journey via Laws, Te Reo 

Māori, Samoan Studies and English Literature has naturally led 

me to this interdisciplinary, comparative and indigenous space 

where I can place my own map onto the map of the Pacific. 

Here at Pacific Studies, under the tutelage of inspirational 

thinkers and researchers, I am proposing a research project 

that examines, negotiates and seeks to understand why and 

how Pacific people in Aotearoa learn Te Reo Māori. The other 

courses in my honours programme, in Cultural Anthropology 

and English Literature, complement my research with reflective 

space and points of connection. 


Tamasailau 

Suaalii-Sauni 


“E lele a le toloa ‘ae ma’au lava i le vai.” 

“A toloa bird will fly away but will always return to 

where the water is.” (Samoan proverb) 

As a Samoan academic researcher who was born in Samoa but 

grew up in New Zealand, I have always had an interest in Samoan 

things. My undergraduate degrees were in Law and Sociology. 

My interest in Sociology led me to do doctoral research on what 

I called the ‘spirits of governing’ that govern Samoan youth 

offender cases in New Zealand. 

An opportunity to work in the Pacific health sector, particularly 

in Pacific mental health and addictions research, triggered an 

interest in cultural models of research and service delivery. 

This opportunity gave me insight not only into the on-theground 

workings of public policy and research, but also into 

how good Pacific research can make a positive contribution to 

the development of Pacific services and research models. 

My current research interests focus on two broad themes: the 

development of a Pacific jurisprudence, and the development 

of Pacific research models.


International Institute 

of Modern Letters 

Te Pūtahi Tuhi Auaha o Te Ao 

international institute oF modern letters 

Te Pūtahi Tuhi Auaha o Te Ao 

16 Wai-te-ata road, Kelburn Campus 

Phone 04-463 6854 

Fax 04-463 6865 

Email modernletters@vuw.ac.nz 

Website www.victoria.ac.nz/modernletters 


The International Institute of Modern Letters (IIML) 

hosts Victoria’s Creative Writing programme, focusing on 

contemporary imaginative writing. It offers both undergraduate 

and postgraduate courses in Creative Writing. IIML graduates 

are now among New Zealand’s leading contemporary writers. 

Increasingly, they are also at the forefront of creative writing 

development in the New Zealand tertiary sector and have a 

growing international presence. 

Undergraduate 

Our undergraduate programme is based on a range of 

specialised workshops which provide a forum for writer visits, 

for the study of appropriate genre readings and for close 

discussion of the ongoing work of class members. Each student 

submits a portfolio of work for assessment at the completion of 

any course. 

The undergraduate courses in Poetry, Short Fiction, Children’s 

Writing and Creative Non-fiction, as well as other Special 

Topic courses, can contribute to a BA or be included in other 

degrees by arrangement with the relevant faculty. Up to two 

such courses may be included in an English Literature major, 

provided not more than one is at 300 level. From 2013 a minor 

in Creative Writing will be available.* 

*Subject to approval.

Workshops 

Creative writing workshops will obviously be of interest to 

students of English literature, but scientists and others from 

a range of backgrounds have successfully taken our courses. 

Some courses—such as the Children’s Writing Workshop—will 

be of particular interest to teachers. All of our undergraduate 

courses can be taken by themselves, or as part of a longer 

degree programme. 

To ensure quality teaching and learning, these are limited-entry 

courses and must be applied for (in addition to enrolment). The 

writing sample submitted with applications will be especially 

important in deciding admissions. 

Master’s and PhD 

The MA in Creative Writing is a one-year full-time graduate 

research degree which gives recognition to work in creative 

writing. We offer streams in Writing for the Page (poetry, 

fiction, creative non-fiction) and Scriptwriting (stage, screen, 

radio). The MA encourages talented new writers to identify and 

develop their own distinctive voices in their chosen medium 

through a programme of workshops, master classes, portfolio 

supervision and complementary reading. Students in the 

Scriptwriting stream will also complete industry placements. 

Entry to the MA in Creative Writing is highly competitive 

and the quality of the writing sample submitted with your 

application will be central to deciding course admissions. 

The IIML also offers New Zealand’s first PhD programme in 

Creative Writing. This highly selective course consists of two 

related parts: a creative component, in the form of a full-length 

work for the page, or the text of full-length works for stage 

or screen; and a complementary critical component in the 

form of an academic/scholarly study contextualising and/or 

complementing the creative component. Applicants will need a 

First Class or High Second Class Honours or a Master’s degree 

in a relevant field. The quality of your proposal will also be very 

important. 

Note that our undergraduate and postgraduate courses are 

not a classroom version of a writing manual—we do not teach 

a specific set of predetermined skills. Rather, our aim is to 

develop the imaginative capacity and individual literary skills 

of emerging writers in a stimulating workshop environment. 

Visit our website (www.victoria.ac.nz/modernletters) 

or contact us directly for more information about our 

undergraduate or postgraduate courses and application 

process. 


Scholarships 

In addition to the general scholarships available through the 

University, the IIML has the discretion to offer up to six project 

scholarships to MA candidates at the end of each year. These 

include the Michael Hirschfeld Project Scholarship and the 

Jean Squire Project Scholarship. The IIML also offers several 

annual prizes for significant achievement at postgraduate 

level, including the Adam Prize and the David Carson-Parker 

Embassy Prize for the best portfolios in the Writing for the Page 

and Scriptwriting streams, and the Biggs Poetry Prize, which 

recognises a graduating poet. Undergraduate prizes include the 

Maurice Gee Prize in Children’s Writing, the Prize for Original 

Composition (prose) and the Story Inc. Prize for Poetry. 

Recent visitors 

Recent visitors to Victoria’s Creative Writing programme 

include bookworld professionals along with such writers as 

Andrew Bovell, Philippa Boyens, Brian Castro, Santo Cilauro, 

Mark Doty, Richard Ford, Lavinia Greenlaw, Lee Gutkind, Joy 

Harjo, August Kleinzahler, Glyn Maxwell, Michael Palmer, 

Richard Powers, Ron Rash, Christopher Reid, David Vann, 

Christopher Vogler, Linda Voorhees, Eliot Weinberger and 

Lesley Wheeler. 

Outside the workshop 

The IIML hosts Victoria’s annual writer in residence (in 2012, 

young adult writer Bernard Beckett). We publish the online 

anthology Best New Zealand Poems and the online literary 

journal Turbine, as well as engaging with the wider writing and 

reading community through annual events like our Writers on 

Mondays series and the National Schools Writing Festival and 

Poetry Awards. 

www.victoria.ac.nz/bestnzpoems 

www.victoria.ac.nz/turbine 


Award winners 

In recent years many staff and former students of the IIML have 

won or been shortlisted for the New Zealand Post (formerly 

Montana) Book Awards. Since 2007 this list has included staff 

members Damien Wilkins, Bill Manhire and Chris Price, and 

Creative Writing graduates Airini Beautrais, Rachel King, Mary 

McCallum, Jenny Bornholdt, Eleanor Catton and Emily Perkins. 

In 2010, MA graduates Anna Taylor and Pip Desmond won the 

Best First Book Awards for Fiction and Non-Fiction respectively. 

In 2011, MA graduates and completing PhD candidates 

Laurence Fearnley and Pip Adam won the overall Fiction and 

Best First Book of Fiction categories respectively, Kate Camp 

won the overall Poetry Award and Lynn Jenner won Best First 

Book of Poetry. Craig Cliff won Best First Book in the 2011 

Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. 

MA Page convener Chris Price spent 2008 as writer in residence 

at the Michael King Writers’ Centre in Devonport, Auckland. All 

three MA conveners have now been awarded the New Zealand 

Post Katherine Mansfield Prize which funds a writer’s residency 

in Menton, France; Damien Wilkins in 2008, Ken Duncum in 

2010 and most recently, Chris Price in 2011. The IIML’s Director 

Bill Manhire won the prize in 2003.

Tina Makereti 

MA 

“The things I appreciate most at the IIML are the 

strong sense of community and diversity of projects, 

as well as the immense support and astute critical 

input of other writers.” 

Tina’s first collection of short stories, Once Upon a Time in 

Aotearoa, began life in the 2008 MA Creative Writing workshop 

at the IIML. It was published in 2010 by Huia Publishers, and 

named one of the best New Zealand books of 2010 by the 

New Zealand Listener and Sunday Star Times. In 2011 it won 

the Nga Kupu Ora Award for Fiction. 

In 2009 Tina was the winner of the non-fiction category of the 

Royal Society Manhire Prize for Creative Science Writing and 

the Best Short Story in English at the Pikihuia Awards for Māori 

Writers. She is currently completing a PhD in Creative Writing, 

which consists of a novel inspired by her mixed heritage and 

Moriori culture, and a critical analysis of fiction by Patricia 

Grace, Kim Scott and Edward P. Jones. 

Chris Price 


“All writers need to work at becoming their own best 

readers and editors: in the workshop, we do this by 

reading each other, as well as the great community 

of writers we hope to join.” 

Chris Price is a past editor of Landfall, has worked in publishing 

and was for many years coordinator of the New Zealand 

International Arts Festival’s Writers and Readers Week. 

Chris’s first book of poems, Husk, won the 2002 Montana Best 

First Book of Poetry Award. Her second book, Brief Lives (2006), 

is a genre-defying work that was shortlisted in the biography 

category of the 2007 Book Awards. Her most recent book is a 

poetry collection, The Blind Singer (2009). 

As 2011 New Zealand Post Mansfield Prize winner, Chris spent 

six months living and writing in Menton, France. In 2012 she is 

one of six poets from New Zealand and Germany who will travel 

to Tolaga Bay to witness the Transit of Venus, then produce new 

work for presentation as part of New Zealand’s programme as 

country of honour at the Frankfurt Book Fair. 


Stout Research Centre 

for New Zealand Studies 

Te Kura Tātari Reo 

stout research centre 

Te Kura Tātari reo 

12 Wai-te-ata road, Kelburn Campus 

Phone 04-463 5305 

Email stout-centre@vuw.ac.nz 

Website www.victoria.ac.nz/stout-centre 


Our history, society and culture 

The Stout Research Centre specialises in multidisciplinary 

and innovative approaches to key issues in New Zealand 

history, society and culture, and often seeks to place them in 

a comparative or transnational context. The Centre offers MA 

and PhD qualifications by thesis in New Zealand Studies and 

supervises students from other disciplines such as History 

and New Zealand Literature. Postgraduate study at the Stout 

Centre is particularly appropriate for those equally interested 

in combining disciplines, such as history and literature, or 

in New Zealand research problems best unlocked by an 

interdisciplinary approach. 

The Stout Centre was established in 1984 with the generous 

support of the Stout Trust, to encourage scholarly inquiry 

into New Zealand society in a collegial, interdisciplinary 

environment. In addition to its three professional staff, the 

Centre hosts the JD Stout Fellow who is appointed annually to 

the prestigious JD Stout Fellowship. 

Recent Fellows include historians John and Hilary Mitchell, 

economist Brian Easton, scholar-poet John Newton, education 

researcher Cathy Wylie and historian Patricia O’Brien. The 

Centre is also home to the Treaty of Waitangi Research Unit, 

which carries out independent scholarly research on Treaty of 

Waitangi matters.

Postgraduate study 

Postgraduate students at the Stout Centre are supervised by 

internationally recognised scholars in a dedicated research 

environment. Stout Centre Director, Professor Lydia Wevers, 

specialises in New Zealand and Australian literature, and the 

history of reading and travel writing. Professor Richard Hill is 

the Director of the Treaty of Waitangi Research Unit and his 

research areas include Crown-Māori relations, the history of 

policing and social control, and labour movement history. 

Associate Professor Anna Green, an historian specialising in 

memory, labour and oral history, joins the Stout Centre in 

September 2012. 

Research 

Students at the Stout Centre become part of a lively research 

unit that holds regular seminar series and international 

conferences. 

The Centre also hosts independent scholars from the 

community working on a wide variety of research topics. 

Recent residents include Rachel Barrowman, writing a 

biography of Maurice Gee; Anne Opie, studying prisoners’ 

transitions to family/whānau and community; and Bernard 

Cadogan, writing a biography of Sir George Grey that focuses 

on his contribution to 19th-century thought. 

Resources 

Students at the Stout Centre are well placed to take advantage 

of the excellent research resources available in the capital 

city, including Archives New Zealand, the Alexander Turnbull 

Library, National Library and New Zealand Film Archive. 

Students at the Centre develop skills in critical thinking, 

research, writing and analysis, and its graduates have had 

careers in teaching, libraries and museums, the public service, 

policy analysis and contract research. 

The Centre publishes the multidisciplinary Journal of 

New Zealand Studies, and the Treaty of Waitangi Research Unit 

publishes three series of papers: Occasional Papers; Historical 

Documents; and the Rangatiratanga Series. 


Richard Hill 

Professor 

“The history of the policing of empire is inextricably 

interwoven with that of the dispossession of 

indigenous peoples.” 

An historian of policing and social control in colonial New 

Zealand and other colonies, including colonies of empires 

other than the British, Richard also works on the history of the 

interaction between states (past and present) and indigenous 

peoples. As a former negotiator in Treaty negotiations processes, 

and a current member of the Waitangi Tribunal, he has long 

been involved in applying historical scholarship to Treaty-based 

reconciliation. He has published four books on policing/social 

control in 19th and early 20th-century New Zealand, and two 

books on Crown–Māori relations from 1900–2000. 

Richard supervises postgraduate students whose studies cover 

a diverse range of subjects, but he specialises in supervising 

work focused on coercion, state activity and indigeneity. He is 

currently writing a book on comparative policing in colonies. 


Therese Crocker 

BA(Hons) Massey 

“Historians have tended to focus on the hearing 

of Treaty of Waitangi claims. We now need to 

shift our gaze to the process and outcomes of 

Treaty negotiations.” 

Therese has long had an interest in New Zealand history, sparked 

by her upbringing in Patea in South Taranaki. After graduating 

from Massey University in 1993 with a BA(Hons), focusing on 

New Zealand history, she started work as a historian at the 

Office of Treaty Settlements. Over the past 14 years Therese has 

continued to work as an independent research historian. Much 

of this work has been in the field of Treaty settlements. 

Her doctoral research will focus on the development of the 

Treaty of Waitangi claims settlement process, from 1988 to 

1998. That period encompasses the establishment of a formal 

negotiations process between claimants and the Crown, the 

launch of the ‘fiscal envelope’ policies and the settlement of 

several major claims including the pioneering Waikato-Tainui 

and Ngai Tahu settlements. This work will investigate the 

motivation behind the establishment of the claims settlement 

process and its evolution in that initial decade.


Wai-te-ata Press 

Te Whare Tā o Wai-te-ata 

Wai-te-ata Press 

Te Whare Tā o Wai-te-ata 

room 006, rankine Brown Building, Kelburn Campus 

Phone 04-463 5784 

Email sydney.shep@vuw.ac.nz 

Website www.victoria.ac.nz/wtapress 

Featured course 

TXTT 201 Print, Communication and Culture 

If you thought you knew everything about books and print, 

think again. This course examines the history of the book 

from oral performance and cave painting, to contemporary 

graffiti, tattooing and e-publications. We undertake printing 

projects in the letterpress printery and use any and all digital 

tools at our disposal to explore the relationship between 

communication and culture. Students come from all across 

the University and are at all levels, so classes are energetic 

and engaging. Think about joining us! 


Wai-te-ata Press is a letterpress printing facility founded in 

1962 by the late Professor Emeritus DF McKenzie. It boasts 

one of the finest collections of historic printing equipment, 

metal and wood types and industrial realia in the southern 

hemisphere. 

As a teaching laboratory, Wai-te-ata Press is used to explore 

historic and contemporary information technology and design 

in the context of undergraduate and postgraduate courses and 

workshops for media studies, architecture and design, history, 

English literature, theatre and music students, amongst others. 

Graphic design students from the lower North Island attend 

customised workshops and the Press also provides invaluable 

experience and internships for publishing students. Throughout 

the year, letterpress printing and bookbinding courses for 

community and professional designers are organised through 

the Centre for Lifelong Learning. 

As a research centre funded by a range of internal and external 

grants, staff and students investigate topics in book history and 

print culture, communication and media theory and material 

culture studies. Collaborative eResearch projects include: the 

New Zealand Reading Experience Database [NZ-RED] that 

initially focuses on Reading in World War One and links with 

partners in the UK, Australia, Canada and the Netherlands; 

The Print History Project, devised by Wai-te-ata Press, the 

JC Beaglehole Room and the NZ Electronic Text Centre; and 

The Digital Colenso, a prosopographical collaboratorium.

As a book arts studio, Wai-te-ata Press produces limited 

edition, fine press and computer-generated publications by 

contemporary New Zealand writers and artists, including 

Vincent O’Sullivan, Alistair Te Ariki Campbell, Greg O’Brien and 

Miria George, and by staff and students from the International 

Institute of Modern Letters. 

Although bearing a similar name and founded by Douglas 

Lilburn shortly after the establishment of Wai-te-ata Press, 

Waiteata Music Press is now a completely separate entity 

based at the New Zealand School of Music. 

The Press is directed by The Printer, Dr Sydney J. Shep, Senior 

Lecturer in Print and Book Culture. Sydney specialises in a 

variety of book history and print culture research projects, 

including the history of paper and papermaking in 19th-century 

New Zealand, edible typography and street graffiti, Wellington’s 

book trade history, diasporic print cultures and transnational 

book history. In 2009, she was awarded a three-year Marsden 

Fund grant (her second) to study 19th-century typographical 

journals. Sydney is also a practising letterpress printer, 

exhibiting book artist and designer bookbinder who undertakes 

creative research commissions at Wai-te-ata Press. 

Sydney J. Shep 

Senior Lecturer in Print and Book Culture 

The Printer, Wai-te-ata Press 

In the new knowledge economy, ‘book’ might be a four-letter 

word, but it’s also an endlessly fascinating and seductive 

material object to study. Hold a page up to the light and read its 

distinctive signature, sniff the edges for the tell-tale aroma of 

vinegar, riffle a volume to hear the music of its binding, run your 

finger down the spine to expose the fake cords, taste the animal 

glue brushed onto the paper. Books provide a fascinating window 

onto the transmission of human knowledge and the complex web 

of social, cultural, economic and political relationships which 

produce, consume and preserve them. Contrary to popular 

belief, the book’s longevity is a function of its extraordinary 

flexibility as a portable knowledge basket over time and across 

space. And, far from being dead, the book is alive and well, 

breathing in libraries, in bookshops and on bookshelves, and 

informing the technical vocabulary, architectural structures and 

metaphors of the electronic environment. 

Wai-te-ata Press is a space to explore books and print in all their 

myriad forms. As letterpress printer and cultural historian, I relish 

the unique opportunity to make books as well as study them. As 

an advocate for collaborative, interdisciplinary and research-led 

teaching and learning, I want to enthuse and inspire. 


Te Kōkī, New Zealand School of Music 

te KōKī, neW Zealand school oF music 

Email info@nzsm.ac.nz 

Website www.nzsm.ac.nz 

Enquiries about Classical Performance, Composition 

(Instrumental and Vocal, or Sonic Arts) and the BMus in Music 

Studies (including Musicology, Ethnomusicology and Jazz 

Studies): 

nZsm KelBurn camPus oFFice 

Phone +64-4-463 5369 

Enquiries about Jazz and Music Therapy, including enquiries for 

Albany and Palmerston North: 

nZsm mt cooK oFFice 

Phone +64-4-463 4760 


Whether the rich sonorities of Baroque instruments, the 

compelling patterns of an improvised jazz riff, the passion and 

power of Romantic opera, the evocative imagery of traditional 

Māori waiata or the innovative sound world of electronica, music 

reaches out and connects us to our past, to other cultures and to 

each other. The New Zealand School of Music’s Bachelor of Music 

(BMus) programme is comprehensive and inspirational, and will 

help you become the musician you want to be. 

Te Kōkī, New Zealand School of Music (NZSM) was formed by 

combining the strengths of the music programmes of Massey 

University and Victoria University and includes campuses in 

Wellington, Palmerston North and Auckland. The specialist 

Music programmes (eg. Bachelor of Music) formerly offered by 

each university are now jointly awarded as NZSM qualifications. 

NZSM staff are professionally active musicians and academics 

who bring the benefits of national and international experience 

and expertise to their teaching. Artists in Residence include the 

New Zealand String Quartet and the Jack C Richards/Creative 

New Zealand Composer in Residence. Artist Teachers are drawn 

from the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and New Zealand’s 

most prominent jazz performers. Composers include 

New Zealand’s most respected instrumental and 

electroacoustic specialists. 

The NZSM in Wellington has Indonesian and Balinese gamelan, 

three electroacoustic music studios, well-appointed practice 

rooms, a keyboard laboratory, a Sonic Arts laboratory and 

student common rooms. The Adam Concert Room seats 

200 and the NZSM Concert Hall seats 150. Both venues have

excellent concert pianos and professional recording facilities. 

The Adam Concert Room has a two-manual classical organ and 

has recently been equipped with a new world-class Steinway 

‘D’ Concert Grand piano. 

You will be able to take part, either as audience or participants, 

in the many performance and academic events hosted annually 

by the NZSM both on campus and in public venues such as the 

Wellington Town Hall and St Andrews on The Terrace. The NZSM 

has a symphony orchestra, three Jazz Big Bands and a host of 

smaller chamber groups, jazz combos and a jazz choir. Classical 

Voice students produce an opera or opera scenes each year. 

There are weekly music forums, composer workshops, Friday 

lunchtime concerts and frequent masterclasses presented by 

our staff and visiting academics and performers. 

BMus 

At the NZSM you can major in a wide range of disciplines 

including: Classical Performance; Jazz; Composition 

(Instrumental and Vocal, or Sonic Arts); or the broadly based 

Bachelor of Music in Music Studies. That programme includes 

streams in Ethomusicology, Musicology and Jazz Studies. 

BA in Music 

This degree is distinguished from the BMus, in which music is the 

main focus of study. In the BA in Music, up to half of your degree 

may comprise Music courses, with the other half being made up 

of courses in one or more other subjects taught by the Faculty 

of Humanities and Social Sciences. You can also take Music as a 

double major along with another arts subject. 

A core course in both the BMus and BA in Music is MUSC 105 

Music Now, a broad-based study of the range of musics that 

have flourished across the 20th century and up to the present 

in widely divergent traditions. 

The following postgraduate qualifications in Music 

are offered: 

͠ Graduate Diploma in Arts (in Music) 

͠ Postgraduate Diploma in Music 

͠ Bachelor of Arts with Honours (in Music)* 

͠ Bachelor of Music with Honours 

͠ Master of Arts (in Musicology)* 

͠ Master of Music 

͠ Master of Musical Arts 

͠ Master of Music Therapy 

͠ Doctor of Philosophy 

͠ Doctorate of Musical Arts 

͠ Artist Diploma 

*Not offered in 2013. 


Dave Lisik 

Lecturer, Jazz Composition 

“Balance is always key in jazz education. A modern 

jazz musician must be fluent in the language of jazz 

as improviser, composer and educator.” 

Canadian composer and trumpeter, Dave Lisik, teaches jazz 

composition, arranging, theory and pedagogy. His diverse portfolio 

includes original compositions for and recordings of jazz and 

classical groups of all sizes as well as many electroacoustic 

combinations. His Dave Lisik Orchestra featuring Tim Hagans 

released a debut CD in 2010 entitled Coming Through Slaughter 

and has two new projects underway, Origin of Species and 

Metropolis. He recently wrote an album, Walkabout, for Australia’s 

premiere jazz orchestra, the Jazzgroove Mothership, and will 

record an original album with the New York jazz quintet, Opus Five. 

A dedicated educator, Dave previously taught high school 

and university music in the US and Canada and is helping 

to coordinate several educational events in New Zealand 

including the NZ Youth Jazz Orchestra, the National Jazz 

Workshops and the new NZSM Jazz Festival. 

Dave completed his doctorate in classical and jazz composition 

at the University of Memphis in 2006. 


Isabella Moore 

Current BMus student 

“NZSM has amazing tutors and lecturers. The 

knowledge they share and the learning environment 

are what makes my experience here truly rewarding.” 

Isabella is a 21-year-old New Zealand-born soprano of Samoan, 

Irish, English and German heritage. She is majoring in Classical 

Voice performance under the tutelage of Margaret Medlyn. 

Isabella was formerly a member of the NZ Secondary Students 

Choir and the NZ Youth Choir. She won the Mari D’Albini 

Scholarship for singing in 2010. In 2011 she took part in the NZSM 

Opera, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and the NZ Aria competition 

as one of 10 selected to sing with the APO in the finals. Recently, 

Isabella was awarded third place in the Becroft Grand Aria 

competition in Auckland and was chosen as one of 12 semifinalists 

for the 2012 Lexus Song Quest. 

Passionate about singing and committed to developing her 

talents and a career as a soprano, Isabella regularly performs; 

recent events have included the Rugby World Cup Pasifika 

Dinner, the 2011 Sir Peter Blake Leadership Awards ceremony, 

Victoria Graduation ceremonies, Leadership NZ Programme 

Launch and the PACIFICA Women’s Council Heritage Dinner.

Education, 

Education and Psychology 

and Early Childhood Studies 

The Faculty of Education offers courses in Education, Education 

and Psychology and Early Childhood Studies which contribute 

to the BA degree administered by the Faculty of Humanities 

and Social Sciences. 

Education 

Education is an academic and professional study, which 

focuses upon contemporary issues of direct concern to those 

working in a wide range of education services. Education 

courses give you the knowledge and skills to understand and 

assess education theory, practice and policy issues. Staff 

teach courses linked to their own areas of research expertise 

in schooling and youth issues, educational psychology and 

counselling, education policy and theory, media and technology 

issues and young people, evaluation and assessment, early 

childhood, Māori and Pacific education and more. 

Education and Psychology 

This interdisciplinary BA major is offered in conjunction with 

the School of Psychology in the Faculty of Science and is for 

students who have an interest in these disciplines, but may 

not wish to complete separate majors in both Psychology and 

Education. Graduates of this programme will be able to: 

͠ use appropriate methods and technologies to study and 

analyse research and theory in both the disciplines of 

psychology and education 

͠ recognise and address the complexities that arise within 

society and schools 

͠ understand and apply a variety of analytical and statistical 

techniques. 

Prospective students should note that this major does not 

automatically lead to postgraduate study towards a career as 

an educational psychologist, and should seek course advice 

from the Faculty of Education if this is what they wish to 

pursue. 

Early Childhood Studies 

Early Childhood Studies is a multidisciplinary field that explores 

the theory and practice of early childhood education, including 

child development theory and the history of educational 

practices. This major is only available to students enrolled in 

the conjoint BA/BTeach(ECE). 

For further information, visit www.victoria.ac.nz/education 


Student Services and 

Facilities at Victoria 

Your experience in the classrooms of the Faculty of Humanities 

and Social Sciences will be both challenging and interesting. To 

make the most out of your student experience at Victoria, we 

encourage you to get involved both inside and outside of the 

classroom. The University offers a range of services to enhance 

your learning and enrich your experience at Victoria. There are 

also many opportunities to get involved in clubs, leadership 

programmes and to contribute as a student representative. 

This helps you to build networks with staff and students and to 

develop skills for your future. 

Please take advantage of Victoria’s services. They are designed 

to extend the knowledge and skills acquired through academic 

courses and provide support for your learning, health and 

well being. From financial advice to academic mentoring and 

volunteering opportunities, engaging with the different student 

services on campus will be of great benefit during your studies 

as well as for your future career. 

We encourage you to spend time on campus, in the Student 

Union Building, at our marae at Kelburn and Karori, in the 

library or at Victoria’s recreation centre. Involve yourself fully as 

a member of our university community. 

Check out the Services for Students brochure at: 

www.victoria.ac.nz/home/viclife/studentservice 


Scholarships 

Victoria has a range of scholarships and awards available to 

students including hundreds of scholarships for first-year 

undergraduate students. 

Victoria Excellence Scholarships are awarded to students 

who have their NCEA Level 2 Certificate endorsed with 

Excellence, or equivalent (some conditions apply). In 2013 the 

majority of these scholarships will be awarded at $5,000. A 

small number of applicants will receive $10,000. Applications 

close on 1 October. 

Victoria Achiever Scholarships are offered to students 

who: are of Māori or Pacific descent; have a disability; can 

demonstrate financial hardship; or were educated at a 

decile 1–3 school. All applicants should have their NCEA 

Level 2 Certificate endorsed with Merit, or equivalent. These 

scholarships aim to encourage students who may otherwise 

be unable to attend Victoria University. They are awarded 

competitively after assessment of the merits of each individual 

application. In 2013 the majority of these scholarships will be 

awarded at $5,000. A small number of applicants will receive 

$10,000. Applications close on 1 October. 

Applying for scholarships 

Eligibility criteria for all scholarships may change, so it is 

essential that scholarship details are checked on the website 

www.victoria.ac.nz/scholarships prior to application. 

Up-to-date information and application forms are available 

from the Scholarships Database accessed from the 

Scholarships webpage.

Miki Seifert 

PhD, Te Kawa a Māui 

“To ensure that Māori values, ethics and aspirations 

were an integral part of my research, I chose to 

conduct my research at Te Kawa a Māui.” 

Miki, a recipient of the New Zealand International Doctoral 

Research Scholarship, was awarded the 2010 PGSA Research 

Excellence Award for Māori Knowledge & Development for her 

development of a decolonising methodology that employs 

a mix of knowledges and finds that knowledge production 

needs to be performative—something must be done—and 

transformative—something has to change. Her research drew 

upon her 20-odd years of exploring the cultural interface as an 

artist-researcher in the US. 

With William Franco, she is co-founder and co-artistic 

director of With Lime, a Wellington-based international, 

interdisciplinary arts company that creates performances, 

installations and projections that explore the interface between 

cultures and is committed to the vision of the arts as positive 

force for personal and societal transformation. Presently, 

they are developing The Dragon King’s Daughter, a onewoman 

Butoh performance for Miki that utilises her research 

methodology and the latest image projection technology. 

Libby Johns 

MMusTher candidate and Scholarship 

recipient 

“My journey in music has continued to expand my 

experience as an individual and in relationships 

with friends and the community.” 

In 2008 Libby completed a BMus in Jazz Performance as a 

saxophonist. It was during these studies at NZSM’s Mt Cook 

Campus that she became acquainted with the Music Therapy 

Programme, the only tertiary programme in Music Therapy 

available in New Zealand. 

“I really wanted to make music and to empower others to make 

music. Following two years of working and travelling I enrolled in 

the Master of Music Therapy in 2011. The papers and programmes 

on offer at the NZSM have given me the ability to specialise, whilst 

still exposing me to music and people outside of my focus area. I 

am now working, as a music therapy student, in a profession which 

I am both fascinated by and excited to be a part of.” 

Libby is a recipient of the Sir Roy McKenzie Scholarship. She is 

currently on a nine-month placement at the Raukatauri Music 

Therapy Centre in Auckland where she works as a student music 

therapist with children who have diverse needs and abilities. 


Careers 

Employers look for enthusiasm and passion as well as good 

grades. They hire graduates who are able to explain why they 

chose their particular course of study and why they enjoyed 

it. The right attitude to life, study and work is what gives 

graduates the competitive edge when applying for jobs. 

Humanities and Social Science graduates come to the job market 

as flexible, highly literate and well-informed individuals with 

excellent communication skills, which are consistently placed by 

employers at the top of their selection criteria for new staff. 

Throughout your degree you will develop expertise in research 

methods, problem-solving, written and spoken communication. 

You will learn to use these skills to harness your own creative 

and critical thinking to the effective analysis, organisation and 

presentation of complex material. 

A BA provides a solid foundation by developing an informed 

understanding of an increasingly globalised and multicultural 

world, both by introducing the cultural and intellectual traditions 

that inform contemporary ways of thinking, and by studying 

contemporary issues and emerging trends and attitudes. 

Humanities and Social Science graduates are able to transfer 

the skills they acquire across many sectors. They can become 

archivists, diplomats, historians, interpreters, criminologists, 

educators, policy analysts, psychologists, publishers, journalists, 

media and advertising professionals, curators in art galleries and 

museums, resource managers, town planners, writers, producers, 

market researchers and public relations advisers. 


Career Development and Employment 

The Vic Careers team is available to help you explore 

work, study and lifestyle options. The service includes 

a comprehensive Careers Resource Library, graduate 

destination information, internet access to research career 

opportunities, excellent reference books, free handouts, 

information on internships, scholarships and summer work, 

Victoria CareerHub—our 24/7 web-based job vacancy 

service—and graduate recruitment programmes including 

employer seminars. Workshops are held throughout the year 

on job-searching strategies and making career decisions. On 

CareerHub, you can also register for the Victoria Plus Award, 

Victoria’s service and leadership award. There is also a Resume 

Builder to help you get your CV started and an ePortfolio for 

you to record your skills and experiences. 

Useful resources 

͠ Career View series www.victoria.ac.nz/careers/resources/ 

career_publications/career_view including recent issues 

for Film, Theatre, Linguistics and Applied Language Studies. 

͠ What can I do with my degree/subject? 

www.victoria.ac.nz/careers/resources/degree_options 

͠ Enrolled students and Victoria graduates can access upto-date 

careers information and job vacancies 24/7 by 

registering on Victoria CareerHub 

http://careerhub.victoria.ac.nz 

career develoPment and emPloyment 

14 Kelburn Parade, Kelburn Campus 

Phone 04-463 5393 

Fax 04-463 5252 

Email careers-service@vuw.ac.nz 

Website www.victoria.ac.nz/careers

Te Pūtahi Atawhai 

Our team is here to provide support, guidance and advice for 

Māori and Pasifika students to succeed in their studies. 

We offer an academic mentoring programme for all undergraduate 

levels for Victoria Business School and the Faculty of Humanities 

and Social Sciences. At 100 level, mentees and mentors are paired 

up by courses, and at 200 and 300 levels by subject. Mentors are 

second-year, third-year or postgraduate students of any ethnicity 

who volunteer to participate. Mentors have already passed the 

course with a good grade and have valuable tips and skills to pass 

on. They are also trained in peer-assisted teaching and learning 

and study skills. Mentoring sessions—either one-on-one or smallgroups—are 

held for an hour each week, fortnightly or just before 

assignments are due. Mentors can also assist via email. 

Advocacy support and advice for all Māori and Pasifika students 

from our Pacific Support Coordinator and Kaiakiaki Māori Support 

Coordinator is available. Their role is to assist first-year students’ 

transition into university life, help students cope with academic 

studies by disseminating information on services that can help, 

create learning action plans to keep on track with assignments, 

as well as by making appointments with services on a student’s 

behalf and taking students to services for help. 

In addition, we also offer: scholarship advice and information; 

a postgraduate students’ network for all Māori and Pasifika 

students; social networks and links with other Māori and Pacific 

groups on campus; a computer suite for Māori and Pasifika 

students; and a whānau/aiga atmosphere to study in. 

To become part of the whānau/aiga as either a mentor or mentee, 

or for any other type of support, please contact our team. 

te PŪtahi ataWhai 

14 Kelburn Parade back courtyard or Level 2, railway West Wing 

Phone 04-463 9962 

Email te-putahi-atawhai@vuw.ac.nz 

Website www.victoria.ac.nz/tpa 



Leadership 

Development 

Two leadership development programmes have been 

established for students who are interested in global 

leadership or in making a more local contribution. 

The Victoria Plus Award is the first of its kind in New Zealand. 

The award recognises significant extra-curricular contribution 

to service and leadership development opportunities and is 

highly valued by employers when recruiting graduates. Be 

involved in volunteering and student support work and lead 

clubs or societies to help your university and local community. 

Attend workshops led by highly regarded business executives. 

This three-part award programme sits alongside your degree 

and helps develop leadership, social responsibility and 

employability skills. 

www.victoria.ac.nz/victoriaplus 

The Victoria International Leadership Programme (VILP) 

is an award-winning, extra-curricular programme that will 

interest those wishing to pursue a truly international career. 

It is designed to develop your leadership potential, advance 

your knowledge and global awareness as well as create 

opportunities for international experiences and networks. 

Participants will: 

͠ gain an awareness of international issues then reflect on 

these through a seminar series 

͠ attend networking speaker events where distinguished 

international speakers inform and inspire 

͠ design their own selection of global leadership activities— 

study and volunteering abroad, international internships 

and professional and personal development opportunities 

both in Wellington and overseas. 

www.victoria.ac.nz/vilp

Victoria Overseas Exchange (Vic OE) 

Victoria Overseas Exchange (Vic OE) offers you the opportunity 

to broaden your personal, academic and cultural horizons. 

Study towards your degree for one or two trimesters on an 

exchange overseas and receive a grant of up to $2,000. Both 

domestic and international students are eligible for Vic OE 

(international students pay Victoria international fees). 

Vic OE gives you the chance to complete part of your degree 

abroad at one of more than 100 prestigious exchange partners 

in over 30 countries worldwide. You can attend an institution 

overseas and study for credit towards your degree while 

still paying normal Victoria fees. The benefits of having an 

international academic experience as part of your studies are 

invaluable. It is an opportunity to travel, to learn new languages 

and study novel academic disciplines while you encounter 

different cultures. Participants in VILP can count an overseas 

exchange as a component (see page 76). 

As a Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences student, you will 

have the opportunity to study in over 75 locations throughout 

Europe (eg. University of Leeds, Royal Holloway, Copenhagen 

University, Tübingen University, Bocconi University and La 

Rochelle), Asia (eg. Korea University, Gakushuin University and 

National University of Singapore), North America (eg. University 

of California, Berkeley, Penn State and Dalhousie), Latin 

America (eg. Universidad de Chile, Universidad de Monterrey, 

Mexico and EAFIT, Colombia), Australia (eg. The Australian 

National University, Macquarie University) and the South 

Pacific (eg. University of the South Pacific and Université de la 

Polynésie Française). A full list can be found at 

www.victoria.ac.nz/exchange/partners/humanities.aspx 

Eligibility 

In order to be eligible for exchange, you must: 

͠ be enrolled as a full-time student at Victoria University (at 

the time of application) 

͠ have completed a year of full-time study by the time you 

leave for your exchange 

͠ be an academically-sound student with a B average overall 

in your studies at Victoria 

͠ meet language requirements (in some non-English taught 

universities) 

͠ be able to demonstrate that you would be a good 

ambassador for Victoria. 

Funding 

Students eligible for StudyLink Loans and Allowances can 

receive these while on exchange. All accepted students 

receive a travel grant of up to $2,000, and a number of other 

scholarship opportunities are available for specific destinations 

or specific types of students. 

There are accommodation subsidies and travel grants offered 

at specific locations. Students on VILP can receive extra 

funding. See www.victoria.ac.nz/vilp for more information. 

Application deadlines 

͠ 5 January 2013 (for study in Trimester Two, 2013). 

͠ 16 July 2013 (for study in Trimester One, 2014). 

͠ University of California applications should be submitted as 

early as possible, no later than 25 November and 28 May. 

www.victoria.ac.nz/exchange/howtoapply.aspx 

student exchanGe oFFice 

Victoria international, Easterfield Building, Level 2, Kelburn Campus 

Phone 04-463 5667, 04-463 6794 

Email vicoe@vuw.ac.nz 

Website www.victoria.ac.nz/exchange 



Publications 

The Online Course Catalogue will have the most up-to-date 

course information: www.victoria.ac.nz/coursecatalogue 

All of our publications can be downloaded from www.victoria. 

ac.nz/publications or requested in hardcopy by contacting 

Student Recruitment, Admission and Orientation (see back 

cover for details). 

͠ Introduction to Victoria (February) gives a brief overview to 

Victoria’s degrees and student life. 

͠ Guide to Undergraduate Study (July) includes all 

information students need about first-year courses, 

degrees, student life and how to apply. 

͠ Guide for Parents (May) answers questions parents have 

about sending their children to university. 

͠ Accommodation Guide (June) gives information about each 

Hall of Residence and how to apply. 

Admission 

There are various ways you can gain admission to Victoria 

University of Wellington. You need to understand what 

qualifications and results you require for admission and how to 

apply to the University. For full details of admission and enrolment 

requirements, see www.victoria.ac.nz/home/admisenrol 

Applications for limited-entry degrees and courses are due 

before 10 December 2012, and open-entry degrees and 

courses are due before 10 January 2013. The online enrolment 

system will be open from 1 October 2012.

Who to Contact 

Faculty Student and Academic Services Office 

Visit the office for help with anything from enrolment to 

graduation. Get help with choosing your degree, planning 

your courses or changing your degree programme. This office 

should be your first point of contact for any enquiries you 

have about your studies. 

See also the information on page 3. 

Level 4, Murphy Building, Kelburn Campus 

Phone 04-463 5745 

Fax 04-463 5183 



Accommodation Service 

Advice on our Halls of Residence, renting and other 

accommodation options. 

www.victoria.ac.nz/accommodation 

Campus Care 

24/7 campus security. 

04-463 9999 (if calling from outside University) 

8888 (if calling from within University) 

Career Development and Employment 

Also known as Vic Careers—find out what you need to know to 

get a job, what career options are open to you and what your 

ideal future might look like. 

www.victoria.ac.nz/careers 

Career Hub 

24/7 access to part-time jobs, graduate jobs, contract work, 

tutoring positions, internships, work experience opportunities 

and a CV building tool. Use your student computing account 

to log in. 

http://careerhub.victoria.ac.nz 

Counselling Service 

Professional, confidential counselling available at all campuses 

for any issue that is impacting on your personal or academic 

success. 

www.victoria.ac.nz/counselling 

Crèche 

The University crèches can provide your children with the best 

possible education and care while you study. 

www.victoria.ac.nz/creche 

Disability Services 

If you have a temporary or ongoing impairment you can get 

planning help, liaison with academic staff , adaptive equipment, 

technology and training, sign language interpreting, note-taking 

assistance, mobility parking, ergonomic furniture and access to 

rest and study rooms. 

www.victoria.ac.nz/disability 

Enrolment Office 

If you are a prospective or a current student, you can get 

information, advice and support with enrolment. 

www.victoria.ac.nz/enrol 

Fees and Payments 

Get information and advice related to fees, payments, student 

levies, scholarships and liaising with StudyLink. 

www.victoria.ac.nz/fees 

Financial Support and Advice 

Get information on money matters. Financial Support and 

Advice also manages the Hardship Fund. 

www.victoria.ac.nz/finadvice 


Health Services 

Get access to a full range of general practice medical services. 

www.victoria.ac.nz/studenthealth 

Information Technology Services 

Support relating to ITS computers on all campuses, access 

to myVictoria (the student portal), standard software such 

as Microsoft Office, and other specialised software like SPSS 

and Endnote. 

www.victoria.ac.nz/its 

Language Learning Centre 

Self-study and classroom facilities, resources and people to 

help you with language learning. 

www.victoria.ac.nz/llc 

Libraries 

Information resources and people to support you in your 

research and learning; space to think and work. 

www.victoria.ac.nz/library 

Marae 

The marae provides a turangawaewae—a standing place where 

Māori custom prevails—for students and staff. 

www.victoria.ac.nz/marae 

Overseas Exchange (Vic OE) 

See page 77. 

Physiotherapy Clinic 

No referral necessary, you can come straight to the Clinic. 

www.victoria.ac.nz/physio 

Recreation Services 

Get access to recreation, fitness and sports, to stay healthy and 

happy during your studies. 

www.victoria.ac.nz/reccentre 


Student Interest and Dispute Advisor 

If you need support or guidance on any matter involving 

safety, conflict or misconduct, make contact to discuss what 

assistance is available to deal with the problem. 

www.victoria.ac.nz/disputes-advice 

Student Learning Support Service 

Group and one-to-one academic support—useful at any stage 

of your study. 

www.victoria.ac.nz/slss 

Student Recruitment, Admission and Orientation 

If you are a prospective or new student, get course advice and 

your admission questions answered. 

www.victoria.ac.nz/futurestudents 

Te Pūtahi Atawhai 

See page 75. 

vicbooks and Student Notes 

Buy your textbooks (new or second hand) and your student 

notes. 

www.vicbooks.co.nz 

Victoria International 

If you are an international student you can get access to support 

services, including insurance and student visa renewal, as well as 

admission, enrolment and orientation (for new students). 

www.victoria.ac.nz/international 

Victoria University of Wellington Students’ 

Association (VUWSA) 

VUWSA is a Victoria student association that provides 

advocacy, support and advice for all students. 

www.vuwsa.org.nz

Key Dates 

2012 

March 

Liaison Officers begin visiting schools to introduce study at 

Victoria University 

June 

Accommodation Guide available 

14 June—Year 12 day on campus 

JuLy 

Guide to Undergraduate Study first-year prospectus available 

august 

Liaison Officers visit schools for course planning (through to 

October) 

1 August—Halls of Residence applications open for 2013 

31 August—Study at Vic Open Day 

OctOber 

1 October—Online enrolment opens 

1 October—Halls of Residence applications due 

1 October—Victoria Excellence and Achiever Scholarship 

applications due 

30 October—Application deadline for courses in 2012/13 

Trimester Three 

nOveMber 

19 November—Course Planning Weeks for first-year students, 

Kelburn Campus and Auckland (through to 7 December) 

DeceMber 

1 December—International students’ first-year applications 

due for February 2013 intake 

10 December—Application due date for limited-entry 

programmes and courses starting in 2013 

2013 

January 

10 January—Application due date for all other programmes 

10 January—Application due date for Discretionary Entrance 

February 

25 February—New Students’ Orientation Week begins 

(through to 1 March 2013) 

March 

4 March—First trimester begins 

JuLy 

15 July—Second trimester begins 

nOveMber 

18 November—Summer trimester begins

Faculty oF humanities and social sciences 

Student and Academic Services office 

Phone 04-463 5745 

Fax 04-463 5183 



Level 4, Murphy Building 

Wellington 6012 

New Zealand 

Victoria university of Wellington 

Po Box 600 



student recruitment, admission and 

orientation 

Phone 0800 ViCToriA (842 867) 

04-463 5374 

Fax 04-463 5193 

Email course-advice@vuw.ac.nz 

Website www.victoria.ac.nz/futurestudents 

Level 1, Hunter Building 

Gate 2, Kelburn Parade 

Po Box 600 



victoria international 

Phone +64-4-463 5350 

Fax +64-4-463 5056 

Email victoria-international@vuw.ac.nz 

Website www.victoria-international.ac.nz 

Level 2, Easterfield Building 

Kelburn Parade 

Po Box 600 



FHSS0095

Faculty oF humanities and social sciences 2013 - Victoria University ...

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?