Graduate Diploma in Health Science
Already have a bachelor's degree? In as little as one year you can gain a qualification in health science with the Graduate Diploma in Health Science.
You can choose from a range of courses from the Bachelor of Health Science or Bachelor of Sport, Exercise and Health.
This programme is suitable if you have a degree in another discipline and don’t meet the entry criteria for postgraduate study in health sciences. It's also great for people without a degree but with considerable work experience in health, sport or recreation.
Download programme guides
Minimum entry requirements
- A bachelor’s degree OR
- Relevant professional qualification or experience approved by the Dean (or representative) to be equivalent to a bachelor’s degree
If you're interested in taking clinical health science courses, you need to meet the requirements for the relevant Bachelor of Health Science subject area.
International student entry requirements
English language requirements
- IELTS (Academic) 6.5 overall with all bands 6.0 or higher; or equivalent
Courses in the Graduate Diploma in Health Science
You take eight 15-point approved undergraduate courses, of which at least five must be at level 7.
You‘ll be guided to select your courses in a given subject area.
AUT's addiction courses equip students with the skills to work effectively with people who have substance use or other behavioural-related addiction issues in a range of settings.
Courses you can study
Choose eight 15-point courses including at least three of the addiction courses listed below, with the rest from a related programme, subject to the approval of the programme leader.
- MENH704 Theories and Principles for Addiction Practice
- MENH705 Assessment and Intervention in Addiction Practice
- MENH706 Recovery and Wellbeing in Addiction Practice
PLUS Select up to 5 courses below (at least one must be from level 7)
- MAOH701 Maori Health Promotion
- MAOH702 Applied Primary Māori Mental Health
- HEAL610 Methods of Research and Enquiry
- PSYC601 Abnormal Psychology
- MENH602 Mental Health and Psychopathology
- MENH703 Child Youth Mental Health Issues and Interventions
- COUN706 Cognitive Behavioural Approaches
- PSYC707 Approaches to Psychological Intervention
DAPAANZ registration
Students who want to be considered for dapaanz registration will need to complete MENH704 Theories and Principles for Addiction Practice and MENH705 Assessment and Intervention in Addiction Practice, and will also need to have completed or be completing an applied bachelor’s degree in counselling, psychotherapy, occupational therapy, nursing, social work, medicine, or similar.
To study the lived experience courses you need to have:
- A level 4 qualification in peer support or mental health and addictions support work plus 2 years’ relevant work experience OR
- Lived experience and any bachelor's degree OR
- Experience working in the field equivalent to a bachelor's degree
Complete the following courses
Semester 1 courses
- LEXP500 Foundations For Lived Experience Practice (level 5)
- MENH706 Recovery in Mental Health and Addiction Practice (level 7)
Semester 2
- LEXP700 Enhanced Lived Experience Practice (level 7)
- HEAL706/A201 (Special Topic) Realising the Recovery Potential of Groups & Communities (level 7)
The lived experience courses above are designed to be completed via part-time study and can be done over one or two years.
And complete four courses from
- HLAW701 Health Law and Policy
- MAOH701 Māori Health Promotion
- HEAL708 Professional Practice and Ethics (Online option)
- CONF683 Human Rights and Human Wrongs
- HRMG602 Learning and Development
- HRMG701 Diversity and Inclusion for Social Impact
- PUBL603 Power and Persuasion
- COMM607 Communication for Social Change
- COMM609 Performance for Professional Communication
- ENTR601 Māori Indigenous Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation
- HRMG650 Te Ara Pou Leadership
- MAOR708 Te Ao Hurihuri: Contemporary Māori Issues
- HEAL610 Methods of Research and Enquiry
Or other relevant courses from the Bachelor of Health Science no major option
Many of these elective courses have on-campus components and may require weekly attendance. To find out more about these courses, including when and where they’re taught use our course search.
Choose eight 15-point courses, subject to the approval of the Programme Leader.
The psychology courses in the Graduate Diploma in Health Science are aimed at students who don’t have a psychology degree or experience. If you already have experience in psychology you should apply for the Graduate Certificate in Health Science.
Courses you can study
- HEAL708 Professional Practice and Ethics
- HEAL709 Advanced Research
- HLAW701 Health Law and Policy
- PSYC605 Brain and Behaviour
- PSYC604 Personality
- PSYC603 Psychological Assessment
- PSYC781 Applied Issues in Cultural and Social Psychology
- PSYC706 Health Psychology
- PSYC707 Approaches to Psychological Intervention
- PSYC705 Positive Psychology
- PSYC702 Critical Evaluation in Psychology
- PSYC701 Experimental and Applied Behaviour Analysis
- PSYC780 Emotions and Human Nature
You choose eight 15-point approved undergraduate courses from:
Prerequisites and limitations may apply.
South Campus
($8,190 tuition fees + $1,221.60 student services levy)
($39,200 tuition fees + $1,221.60 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.