200-level

POLS206
Introduction to Public Policy and Policy Analysis
Description
How do governments address real-world problems such as health crises, climate change, and social inequity? Public policy broadly refers to government goals, decisions, and actions/inactions made on behalf of the public to address perceived issues, and policy analysis entails examining and evaluating the available options. This course introduces students to public policy and policy analysis, with an overview of power and rationality, colonialism, institutions, theories of policy change, citizen participation, policy learning, and more. Over the term we will devote particular focus to Aotearoa/New Zealand, Australia, and small pacific states. This course is part of the public policy subdiscipline of the Political Science degree, is co-coded with Human Services, and is also relevant to a number of other degrees across the university.
Occurrences
Semester One 2026
Points
15 points
Prerequisites
Any 15 points at 100 level from HLTH, HSRV, or POLS, or any 60 points at 100 level from the Schedule V of the BA, or LAWS, GEOG, or the Schedule V of the BCom.
PHIL240
Bioethics: Life, Death, and Medicine
Description
Bioethics is the study of ethical problems in healthcare, research, technology and the environment. Bioethical problems arise every day, affecting societies, people and non-human animals. This course covers a wide range of issues, including: research on human and non-human animals; reproductive technologies, such as surrogacy and genetic testing; the use of data to monitor and control human actions; conflicts between privacy and autonomy and the public good, and decisions about protecting, killing and letting die, including healthcare, abortion, and euthanasia. The course includes an introduction to ethical values and principles, ways of dealing with moral disagreements, and reflection on what it means for something to be worth moral consideration.
Occurrences
Semester One 2026
Semester One 2026 (Distance)
Points
15 points
Prerequisites
Any 15 points at 100 level in PHIL, HSRV, HLTH, LAWS, or POLS, or any 60 points at 100 level from the Schedule V of the BA or the BSc.
Restrictions
PHIL324, POLS225
SOCI243
Sociology of Health and Wellbeing
Description
This course explores the social aspects of health and wellbeing, examining the connection between social structures and health outcomes. Focusing on health institutions, people’s experiences within the health system, and different ways of constructing health and illness, we will look at inequalities and health, culture and health, mental health, doctor-patient relationships, and health advocacy, amongst other topics. Students gain a broad understanding of the Aotearoa New Zealand health scene. Students will also have an opportunity to think about health and wellbeing in relation to their own lives and, through community service learning, to apply classroom learning about health and wellbeing issues to real-time situations.
Occurrences
Semester One 2026
Points
15 points
Prerequisites
Any 15 points at 100 level from ANTH or SOCI, or any 60 points at 100 level from the Schedule V of the BA.
Restrictions
SOCI343

300-level

SOCI363
Investigating Social Worlds
Description
The course provides students with 'hands on' experiential learning in conducting, and participating in, life stories and focus group research. Students will gain skills in one-to-one interviewing, focus group interviews, research ethics, transcript analysis and reflexive research practice.
Occurrences
Semester One 2026
Points
30 points
Prerequisites
Any 30 points at 200 level from ANTH or SOCI, or any 60 points at 200 level from the Schedule V of the BA.
Restrictions
SOCI340, SOCI341
SOCI368
The Politics of Need: Globalisation, Poverty and Welfare Provision
Description
An advanced study of globalisation that examines how our new world of risk (including global financial risk) shapes our experiences of wealth, poverty and belonging. As well as using case studies from around the world, it covers groundbreaking theorisations of globalisation and an interrogation of New Zealand's place in a global world.
Occurrences
Semester One 2026
Points
30 points
Prerequisites
30 points of SOCI including 15 points at 200 level; OR 30 points of SOCI or ANTH at 200 level; OR 60 points in related subjects including 30 points at 200 level with the approval of the Head of Department.
Restrictions
SOCI268, SOCI348 (prior to 2006), HSRV205, SOCI468

Not Offered Courses in 2026

100-level

SOWK101
Introduction to Social Policy
Description
An introduction to the provision of welfare in New Zealand, providing students with the opportunity to examine socio-cultural, economic and political factors that have influenced current welfare policies, practice and services. The course addresses basic organising concepts of welfare, using historical and contemporary case studies. Students will be introduced to tools and frameworks that will enable them to develop research skills and critical thinking. Using current case studies of service delivery presented by guest practitioners, contemporary research practices, social worlds/issues and welfare services/responses are analysed.
Occurrences
Not offered 2026, offered in 2021 , 2022 , 2023 , 2024 , 2025
For further information see SOWK101 course details
Points
15 points

200-level

POLS206
Introduction to Public Policy and Policy Analysis
Description
How do governments address real-world problems such as health crises, climate change, and social inequity? Public policy broadly refers to government goals, decisions, and actions/inactions made on behalf of the public to address perceived issues, and policy analysis entails examining and evaluating the available options. This course introduces students to public policy and policy analysis, with an overview of power and rationality, colonialism, institutions, theories of policy change, citizen participation, policy learning, and more. Over the term we will devote particular focus to Aotearoa/New Zealand, Australia, and small pacific states. This course is part of the public policy subdiscipline of the Political Science degree, is co-coded with Human Services, and is also relevant to a number of other degrees across the university.
Occurrences
POLS206-26S2 (C)
Semester Two 2026 - Not offered
For further information see POLS206 course details
Points
15 points
Prerequisites
Any 15 points at 100 level from HLTH, HSRV, or POLS, or any 60 points at 100 level from the Schedule V of the BA, or LAWS, GEOG, or the Schedule V of the BCom.

300-level

POLS307
Policy Issues in Science, Technology, and Health
Description
This course analyses major political issues and policy challenges in the area of biopolitics - the operation of power through governance of human bodies. Specific issues include the politics of infectious diseases, agtech, human ‘enhancement,’ and the implications of disruptive technologies for medicine, human reproduction, and life extension. Cases will be primarily drawn from North America, Australia, and Aotearoa. This course is part of the public policy subdiscipline in the Political Science degree and is also relevant to a number of other degrees across the university.
Occurrences
Not offered 2026, offered in 2025
For further information see POLS307 course details
Points
30 points