Overview
The School of Humanities, Media and Creative Communication asks fundamental questions about how we live now in Aotearoa New Zealand and globally.
- What does it mean to be human?
- How and why do we connect with others?
- How did we get here, and where to from here?
Our teaching and research within culture, society and the arts contribute to an increasingly complex and interconnected world. We contribute to people's lives and tackle challenges as diverse as climate change and its impacts, social justice, and wellbeing.
Research and teaching within the School spans multiple areas and methodologies, including:
- classical studies
- communication
- creative writing
- English literature
- expressive arts
- history
- journalism
- languages including Chinese, French, Japanese, Portuguese and Spanish
- linguistics and applied linguistics
- media studies
- philosophy
- theatre studies.
Te Tiriti o Waitangi at Massey
We are deeply committed to being a Tiriti-led university, demonstrating authentic leadership in contemporary Aotearoa New Zealand as we uphold te Tiriti o Waitangi, the founding document of our nation, and its principles through our practice. We embrace this not just as an obligation but as a real opportunity for the nation and its people.
Te Tiriti o Waitangi ki Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – The Treaty of Waitangi at Massey
Study with us
Choose from a range of qualifications. All our specialisations (majors) can be minors, plus minor-only subjects such as French, Portuguese and theatre studies.
Explore by area of interest
Explore a selection of qualifications relating to your interests.
Study English, writing & theatre
Explore the incredible world of literature and creative writing with our range of qualifications. Make your passion a career path, starting today.
Study history, philosophy & culture
Learn about anthropology, classics, history, museum studies, philosophy and much more from some of New Zealand's finest cultural educators.
Study languages & linguistics
Studying language helps us understand the world and each other. Graduates can also turn a language qualification into a successful career.
Study media & communication
The complex and exciting world of media, mass communication and journalism provides rewarding study and promising career paths. Learn more now.
Who we are
Our people make us who we are. Meet some of the team in the School of Humanities, Media and Creative Communication.
Professor Bill Fish
Bill Fish focuses on the philosophy of mind and perception. He is particularly interested in naïve realism and exploring if this view can be extended to theories of consciousness more generally.
Dr Eleanor Ridge
Eleanor Ridge works on the documentation and description of Vatlongos language of highly multilingual Vanuatu. Eleanor focuses on variation in morphology and syntax, and how best to support language maintenance efforts across the speaker community as an outsider linguist.
Research
Our staff have internationally recognised expertise and are award-winning writers, communicators, film-makers and theatre-makers. From the history and culture of past societies to international languages, the creative arts to the impact of digital technologies, our research is diverse in form and approach.
Research projects
Explore a selection of our research projects recently awarded grants from the Marsden Fund Te Pūtea Rangahau.
Massey researchers awarded Te Pūtea Rangahau Marsden funding
Research teams
Examples of how our people create and share new knowledge.
Research centres
Our research centres seek innovative solutions to contemporary issues.
Centre for Culture-Centered Approach to Research & Evaluation (CARE)
CARE is a global hub for justice-based communication research – using participatory and culture-centered methodologies to develop community-driven communication solutions for building and sustaining human health and wellbeing.
Joint Research Centre in Applied Linguistics
Professor Cynthia White
The Centre contributes new knowledge via online language learning innovations such as pairing students with native Mandarin speakers via video. It's a partnership between Massey University and Beijing Language and Culture University.
W.H. Oliver Humanities Research Academy
The Academy fosters a vibrant, creative and responsive research culture among humanities scholars, to anticipate and addresses current and future research challenges.
Rankings and accreditations
QS Ranking - Communication and Media
Massey is ranked by QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) as one of the top 150 universities for communication and media studies. QS is an organisation that ranks universities worldwide in various topics.
ShanghaiRanking - Communication
Communication at Massey is ranked #1 in New Zealand, and 45th in the world, by ShanghaiRanking.
Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (ACEJMC)
Massey’s Bachelor of Communication is the only degree outside the Americas and the Middle East to be recognised by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (ACEJMC).
Our facilities
Discover the facilities available to students through the school.
Audio studio
This is a small audio booth with a two studio microphone set up useful for interviews, in studio or via phone line or for podcasting. Self drive or technician supported.
Location: Wellington
Contact Departmental Technician
Communication lab
Mid-size tutorial classroom with 3 breakout rooms for video recording or live streaming for presentations and seminars. Each breakout room has a iMac video editing workstation that is linked into a media server for project work.
Location: Manawatū and Wellington
Mobile filming equipment
All audio, video and lighting equipment students need to conduct on-site filming.
Locations: Manawatū, Wellington
Video Studio
Useful for students or staff to make short video pieces and presentations or interviews, this is a small video studio that includes a two camera HD camera set up with teleprompter. Useable for stand up presentations or two person interviews. It has a green wall for mid-shot green screening and controllable lighting rig.
Location(s): Manawatū, Wellington
Internships and prizes
Internships and prizes available to our students.
R. G. Frean Prize
Our school offers the R. G. Frean Prize. The prize is awarded for excellent critical, expository or creative writing in an undergraduate course in English or expressive arts.
Communication internship
The Communication internship is available to high-achieving Bachelor of Communication students in their third year, giving our students great real-world experience.
Internships comprise 100–120 hours working on projects or a collection of communication-related activities that support the work of the host organisation.
Contact the School of Humanities, Media and Creative Communication
Social media
Connect with the College of Humanities and Social Sciences on Facebook
Looking for a staff member? Visit our staff directory or use Expertise search.