Connecting with whānau aspirations for hauora.
Learn how to weave together te ao Māori and health practice to make a difference for hauora across the life course.
Kia matomato te tipu o te pā harakeke.
Learn from inspirational hauora Māori teachers, how to connect with and work alongside Māori individuals, whānau, and communities.
As a graduate majoring in Māori Health, you may take up roles within the Māori health, public health, healthcare, disability and social services sectors that work directly with communities and their organisations.
You will have the knowledge and skills to address the determinants of health and their impacts, ensure organisations foster equity and positive outcomes for Māori, and be culturally and clinically responsive.
You will develop a positive attitude to make a difference for Māori health across diverse roles and support the growth of the Māori health and disability workforce.
Studying Māori Health has made Alisa Te Ao aware that meaningful change can take place at all levels of the healthcare system.
“I had always put dentistry and medicine on a pedestal and was sure they were the only pathways I could take to influence change for Māori and Pacific people. However, after some research, I found the Māori Health major and my outlook completely changed.
“Through this major, I've been taught how to think, not what to think, and I attribute this to the teaching staff. They nurture your curiosity and foster an overwhelming passion for wanting to create change within the healthcare system, so it's equitable for everyone in Aotearoa.
“Meaningful change can be made through all positions in all sectors of the healthcare system and I would love to work on a community level with those who are in need.
“For the first time in my life, my culture has not been treated as a hindrance to my learning but an asset. I used to view failing HSFY (Health Sciences First Year) as my greatest failure but now, after studying Māori Health, I've realised it was one of the best things to have happened to me.”
Māori Health focuses on making a difference for Māori health outcomes. You will learn about providing culturally responsive health practice when working with Māori individuals, whānau, communities, organisations and populations.
Our immersive learning environment empowers our students to impact on health care for Māori by:
Specifically, you will learn:
New approaches to health care are required as we face important health challenges.
These include:
With these challenges comes an increasing need to develop new healthcare approaches.
Māori Health is available as a major subject for the Bachelor of Health Sciences (BHealSc) and as an endorsement for the Postgraduate Certificate in Public Health (PGCertPH).
These career-focused qualifications address the skills required to work with patients, populations, and communities to promote health and ensure patients are accessing and receiving the most appropriate care.
Available as a minor subject for a Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Music (MusB), Bachelor of Performing Arts (BPA), Bachelor of Theology (BTheol), Bachelor of Science (BSc), Bachelor of Commerce (BCom), Bachelor of Entrepreneurship (BEntr), Bachelor of Health Sciences (BHealSc), Bachelor of Arts and Commerce (BACom), Bachelor of Arts and Science (BASc) or Bachelor of Commerce and Science (BComSc) degree
| Level | Papers | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 100-level | MAOR 102 Māori Society | 18 |
| 200-level | MAOH 201 Hauora Māori in Practice: Working with Individuals and Whānau* PUBH 204 Hauora Māori: Challenges and Opportunities *Prerequisites for MAOH 201 also include HUBS 191, 192 and POPH 192 or PUBH 192 | 18 18 |
| 300-level | MAOH 301 Hauora Māori in Practice: Working with Organisations and Communities PUBH 304 Rangahau Hauora Māori - Māori Health Research | 18 18 |
| Total | 90 |
Note: This minor subject is not available to students majoring in Community Health Care.
| Paper Code | Year | Title | Points | Teaching period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAOH201 | 2024, 2025 | Hauora Māori in Practice: Working with Individuals and Whānau | 18 points | Semester 1 |
| MAOH301 | 2024, 2025 | Hauora Māori in Practice: Working with Organisations and Communities | 18 points | Semester 2 |
| MAOH401 | 2024, 2025 | Hauora Māori Advanced Practice | 30 points | Semester 2 |
Explore your study options further. Refer to enrolment information found on the following qualification pages.
Contact your local schools' liaison officer if you're currently at secondary school.
Or contact the Bachelor of Health Sciences (BHealSc) team:
Waea / Tel +64 3 479 7202
Īmēra / Email bhealsc@otago.ac.nz
Māori Health is delivered by Kōhatu – Centre for Hauora Māori:
Waea / Tel +64 3 479 4878
Īmēra / Email undergrad.hauoramaori@otago.ac.nz
Wāhitau tukutuku / Web otago.ac.nz/oms/about/deans-office/student-support/hauora-maori
This information must be read subject to the statement on our Copyright & Disclaimer page.
Regulations on this page are taken from the 2024 Calendar and supplementary material.
