Master of Science
With the 180-point Master of Science you can complete a research project in an area of your interest and develop advanced-level knowledge of science, or computer and mathematical sciences.
You can choose to study the generic Master of Science focusing on either science or computer and mathematical sciences, or one of: Biomedical Science, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Food Science, Geospatial Science, Marine Science, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics. You can gain advanced research skills and knowledge in a friendly and professional development.
This is your opportunity to engage in cutting-edge research, under the supervision of AUT's research-active staff in the areas of science, or computer and mathematical sciences.
Download programme guides
Minimum entry requirements
One of the following (or equivalent) with a B grade average in courses at level 7:
- Bachelor of Science OR
- Graduate Diploma in Science
International student entry requirements
English language requirements
- IELTS (Academic) 6.5 overall with all bands 6.0 or higher; or equivalent
You complete courses to make up a total of 180 points. Enrolment in courses is subject to meeting all requirements and availability of courses.
Choose from a wide range of courses
You can complete the 180-point Master of Science without a specialisation, and choose from a wide range of courses in computer and mathematical sciences, or science.
The research project is a key part of the Master of Science and helps you develop skills in critical analysis and expertise in research methods, analysis, evaluation, and drafting a course in a format suitable for publication.
If you choose to complete this degree in computer and mathematical sciences, you need to take:
- ENGE817 STEM Research Methods (15 points)
- MATH997 Dissertation (60 points)
- And approved Master of Science courses (to make up a total of 180 points)
Complete 75 points from:
ASTR800 Advanced Topics in Astronomy and Astrophysics (15 points) - not offered in 2024
COMP800 Neuroinformatics (15 points)
COMP809 Data Mining and Machine Learning (15 points)
COMP810 Data Warehousing and Big Data (15 points)
COMP813 Artificial Intelligence (15 points)
COMP815 Nature Inspired Computing (15 points)
COMP826 Mobile System Development (15 points)
COMP840 Specialist Topic A* (15 points)
COMP841 Specialist Topic B* (15 points)
MATH800 Advanced Topics in Applied Mathematics (15 points) - not offered in 2024
MATH802 Advanced Financial Modelling and Analytics (15 points)
MATH803 Mathematical Modelling and Simulation (15 points)
STAT800 Stochastic Modelling (15 points) - not offered in 2024
STAT802 Advanced Topics in Analytics (15 points)
STAT803 Official Statistics (15 points)
STAT804 Optimisation and Operation Research (15 points)
STAT805 Computational Mathematics and Statistics (15 points)
You also complete two postgraduate courses (totalling 30 points) with the approval of the programme leader.
More details about courses in this programme
Email cmspg@aut.ac.nz
Enrolment in courses is subject to meeting all requirements and availability of courses. Some courses may only be offered once per year. To find out more, contact the postgraduate coordinator at the email address above. The timetable may be subject to change and courses could be cancelled if there aren’t enough students enrolled.
If you choose to complete this degree without a specialisation in science, you need to take:
- SCIE996 Research Study - 45 points or
- SCIE997 Research Project - 60 points
- And approved Master of Science courses (to make up a total of 180 points)
Courses offered
- BIOL801 Biomedical Science & Technology (30 points)
- BIOL803 Introduction to Medicinal Cannabis (15 points)
- CHEM801 Physical Chemistry I (15 points)
- CHEM803 Chemistry for Drug Discovery (15 points)
- CHEM804 Organic Chemistry II (15 points)
- CHEM805 Biological Inorganic Chemistry I (15 points)
- CHEM806 Biological Inorganic Chemistry II (15 points)
- CHEM808 Molecular Spectroscopy (15 points)
- CHEM809 Metabolites and Proteins (15 points)
- CONS801 International Conservation Biology (15 points)
- CONS802 Applied New Zealand Conservation (15 points)
- CONS803 Socio-Ecological Systems (15 points)
- CONS804 Global Change Biology (15 points)
- ECOL801 Advanced Ecology (15 points)
- ECOL802 Macroecology and Biogeography (15 points)
- ENVS801 Applications of Geographical Information Systems (15 points)
- ENVS802 Advanced Applications of Geographic Information Systems (30 points)
- ENVS803 GIS Programming (15 points)
- ENVS804 Geospatial Science for Conservation (15 points)
- ENVS805 Advances in Remote Sensing (15 points)
- ENVS806 Advances in Geospatial Analysis (15 points)
- ENVS807 Geospatial Customisation and Visualisation (15 points)
- ENVS808 Geospatial Internship (15 points)
- FOOD801 Food Science (30 points)
- FOOD802 Frontiers of Food Microbiology (30 points)
- FOOD803 Recent Trends in Food Science (15 points)
- FOOD804 Current Topics in Food Science (30 points)
- FOOD805 Advanced Sensory Analysis of Food (15 points)
- GENE802 Contemporary Molecular Genetics (30 points)
- GEOL801 Environment, Hazards and Society (15 points)
- INFS812 Bioinformatics (15 points)
- MASC801 Advanced Biological Oceanography (15 points)
- MASC802 Fisheries Science (15 points)
- MASC803 Marine Ecosystem Functions (15 points)
- MASC804 Marine Spatial Planning (15 points)
- MICR801 Selected Topics in Microbiology (15 points)
- MELS801 Biomedical Ethics (15 points)
- MELS802 Quality Assurance in Laboratory Services (15 points)
- PHIL880 Ethics of Biotechnology (15 points)
- SCIE803 Specialist Readings in Applied Science (30 points)
- SCIE804 Selected Topics in Applied Science (30 points)
- SCIE809 Selected Topic (15 points)
More information about this programme
Specialisations in the Master of Science
To specialise in one of the areas listed below, complete the courses listed for this specialisation.
Complete the following course:
And 30 points from:
- GENE802 Contemporary Molecular Genetics (30 points)
- MELS802 Quality Assurance in Laboratory Services (30 points)
- PHIL880 Ethics of Biotechnology (30 points)
And 90 points:
- SCIE806 Scientific Research and communication (15 points) or SCIE808 Advanced Scientific Enquiry (15 points)
- SCIE805 Quantitative Analysis (15 points) or SCIE807 Advanced Statistical Modelling (15 points)
- SCIE997 Research Project (60 points)
And the remaining points from other courses in the Master of Science.
More information about this programme
Complete at least 60 points from:
- CHEM801 Physical Chemistry I (15 points)
- CHEM803 Organic Chemistry I (15 points)
- CHEM804 Organic Chemistry II (15 points)
- CHEM805 Biological Inorganic Chemistry I (15 points)
- CHEM806 Biological Inorganic Chemistry II (15 points)
- CHEM808 Molecular Spectroscopy (15 points)
And 75 points:
- SCIE806 Scientific Research and communication (15 points) or SCIE808 Advanced Scientific Enquiry (15 points)
- SCIE997 Research Project (60 points)
And the remaining points from other courses in the Master of Science.
More information about this programme
Complete the following courses:
- ECOL801 Advanced Ecology
- ECOL802 Macroecology and Biogeography
- ENVS801 Applications of Geographical Information Systems (15 points)
- MASC803 Marine Ecosystem Functions (15 points)
And 90 points from:
- SCIE806 Scientific Research and communication (15 points) or SCIE808 Advanced Scientific Enquiry (15 points)
- SCIE805 Quantitative Analysis (15 points) or SCIE807 Advanced Statistical Modelling (15 points)
- SCIE997 Research Project (60 points)
And the remaining points from other courses in the Master of Science.
More information about this programme
Complete at least 60 points from:
- FOOD801 Food Science (30 points)
- FOOD802 Frontiers of Food Microbiology (30 points)
- FOOD803 Recent Trends in Food Science (15 points)
- SCIE801 Specialist Readings (15 points)
- FOOD805 Advanced Sensory Analysis of Food (15 points)
And 90 points from:
- SCIE806 Scientific Research and communication (15 points) or SCIE808 Advanced Scientific Enquiry (15 points)
- SCIE805 Quantitative Analysis (15 points) or SCIE807 Advanced Statistical Modelling (15 points)
- SCIE997 Research Project (60 points)
And the remaining points from other courses in the Master of Science.
More information about this programme
Complete at least 60 points from:
- ENVS801 Applications of Geographical Information Systems (15 points)
- ENVS802 Advanced Applications in Geographic Information Systems (30 points)
- ENVS803 GIS Programming (15 points)
- ENVS804 Geospatial Science for Conservation (15 points)
- ENVS805 Advances in Remote Sensing (15 points)
- ENVS806 Advances in Geospatial Analysis (15 points)
- ENVS807 Geospatial Customisation and Visualisation (15 points)
- ENVS808 Geospatial Internship (15 points)
And choose one of:
- SCIE806 Scientific Research and communication (15 points) or SCIE808 Advanced Scientific Enquiry (15 points)
- SCIE805 Quantitative Analysis (15 points) or SCIE807 Advanced Statistical Modelling (15 points)
- SCIE997 Research Project (60 points)
And the remaining points from other courses in the Master of Science.
More information about this programme
Complete 60 points from:
- MASC801 Advanced Biological Oceanography
- MASC802 Fisheries Science
- MASC803 Marine Ecosystems Functions
- MASC804 Marine Spatial Planning
And complete one of:
And the remaining points from other courses in the Master of Science. You need to include SCIE805 (or SCIE807) and SCIE806 (or SCIE808).
More information about this programme
Complete at least 60 points from:
- FOOD802 Frontiers of Food Microbiology (30 points)
- GENE802 Contemporary Molecular Genetics (30 points)
- MICR801 Selected Topics in Microbiology (30 points)
And 90 points from:
- SCIE806 Scientific Research and communication (15 points) or SCIE808 Advanced Scientific Enquiry (15 points)
- SCIE805 Quantitative Analysis (15 points) or SCIE807 Advanced Statistical Modelling (15 points)
- SCIE997 Research Project (60 points)
And the remaining points from other courses in the Master of Science.
More information about this programme
Complete the following courses:
- GENE802 Contemporary Molecular Genetics (30 points)
- INFS812 Bioinformatics (15 points)
- PHIL880 Ethics of Biotechnology (30 points)
- SCIE801 Specialist Readings (15 Points)
And 90 points from:
- SCIE806 Scientific Research and communication (15 points) or SCIE808 Advanced Scientific Enquiry (15 points)
- SCIE805 Quantitative Analysis (15 points) or SCIE807 Advanced Statistical Modelling (15 points)
- SCIE997 Research Project (60 points)
And the remaining points from other courses in the Master of Science.
More information about this programme
Not all courses are offered each year. To see if your chosen course is offered and to view its timetable use our course search.
Skills you will develop
The outcomes for graduates of the Master of Science are outlined in the Graduate Profile below.
($9,461 tuition fees + $1146 student services levy)
($61,800 tuition fees + $1719 student services levy)
Science: $64,119 (for 180 points)
($62,400 tuition fees + $1719 student services levy)
- Fees shown are based on a full-time workload for the points indicated next to the fee. The exact fee charged will depend on which courses you select at the time of enrolment.
- Fees are subject to change year to year. If you are planning for study beyond the current year, fees may vary from those stated.
- There may also be other fees and charges you need to pay.
- International students' tuition fees reflect the full cost of tuition. Domestic students' tuition fees are less due to a proportion of the tuition fees being funded by the New Zealand Government.
The information on this page was correct at time of publication. For a comprehensive overview of AUT qualifications, please refer to the Academic Calendar.