Master of Physical Activity and Hauora

Summary

Gain specialist skills and apply mātauranga Māori to help promote physical activity and wellbeing in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Actively transform lives

Whether you’re a health and physical activity practitioner who wants to develop advanced knowledge and skills in promoting physical activity and mātauranga Māori or are looking for a solid foundation to move into a career in the physical activity sector, this is the degree for you.

The Master of Physical Activity and Hauora is a unique programme developed in consultation with Sport New Zealand Ihi Aotearoa. It aligns closely with the Health Promotion Forum of New Zealand’s Ngā Kaiakatanga Hauora (Health Promotion) objectives.

Choose from four majors

Within the Master of Physical Activity and Hauora, you can take courses that let you specialise in a particular area of study. We offer the following four majors:

Ngā Mahi Tākaro / Play

Explore the current play system including tākarokaro Māori (Indigenous play) and how this relates to hauora (wellbeing) in Aotearoa New Zealand and globally. Develop your skills in assessing play environments and translating evidence into effective play advocacy, policy, and practice.

Ngā Mahi a te Rēhia / Active Recreation

Understand the theoretical frameworks, practical guidelines, and mātauranga Māori that underpin effective promotion of active recreation across the lifespan. Develop your skills in assessing community-led initiatives and translating evidence into effective active recreation advocacy, policy, and practice.

Te Kori Tinana me te Hauora ā Hāpori / Physical Activity and Public Health

Learn about Indigenous and non-Indigenous approaches to physical activity promotion, surveillance, and related wellbeing benefits. Explore approaches to promoting physical activity and processes for delivering physical activity interventions at scale.

Ngā Hākinakina mō te Whakawhanake / Sport for Development

Explore the current sport system including taonga tākaro (traditional games) and how this relates to hauora (wellbeing) across Aotearoa New Zealand and globally. Develop your skills in assessing local need for sport-for-development programmes and translating evidence into effective sport-for-development advocacy, policy, and practice.

Scholarships for international students

We are currently offering a NZ$10,000 VUW Postgraduate International Scholarship to all eligible international students enrolling in a Master’s degree or Postgraduate Diploma programme. Your scholarship will be processed automatically when your programme application is accepted, and the amount will be deducted from your tuition fees.

Study while you work

Through this programme, you can help to lift capability in the physical activity promotion sector. We’ve designed the programme to fit in with the schedules of working people.

Each course is delivered in two blocks of two to three days here in Wellington. The rest of your learning is online. If you plan to work while you study, see information about employer support in our MPAH overview pamphlet and check out the 2026 sample timetable.

Find out about your options for studying this programme, and discover what pathways you can follow during your study.

Qualification family structure

The Master of Physical Activity and Hauora is part of a tiered family of qualifications. These are ‘staircased’, so that courses completed for each qualification can count towards the next step.

• Master of Physical Activity and Hauora (MPAH)
• Postgraduate Diploma in Physical Activity and Hauora (PGDipPAH)
• Postgraduate Certificate in Physical Activity and Hauora (PGCertPAH)

Choose the qualification with the time commitment and career benefits that suit you.

If you are initially accepted for a Certificate or Diploma, you can apply to transfer to the Master’s degree at a later stage.

If you’re working towards the Master’s degree but can’t complete it for some reason, you may have enough points to be awarded the Certificate or Diploma.

What you’ll study Core courses

Each of the three qualifications includes core courses in physical activity promotion and physical activity and the environment, along with a selected course aligned with your area of interest.

Building blocks

The PGDipPAH builds on this core learning with two courses in advanced health promotion issues, theory, and practice, as well as a foundational research methods course or evaluation methods course.

Research

If you pursue the Master’s programme, you will go on to complete a research project in a topic that aligns with your professional interest.

Workload

You can expect to commit around 120 study hours for each course you are taking. If you a...