Overview
The College of Humanities and Social Sciences – Te Kura Pūkenga Tangata offers teaching and research in a wide range of disciplines. We foster deep connections across Massey and beyond to forge innovative, relevant and valued ideas, research and teaching.
Te Tiriti o Waitangi at Massey
We are deeply committed to being a Tiriti-led college, 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
Learn from experts in your chosen subject and build a great career. Our study options include anthropology, creative writing, geography, planning, psychology, sociology, te reo Māori, teacher education, speech and language therapy and more.
Our research
Our researchers are contributing to people's lives and tackling the major challenges of our time with their work. Discover research activities in each of our disciplines.
Partner with us
We partner with diverse communities and organisations that make a difference in the world. Partner with us to get involved.
Who we are
Our people make us who we are. Meet senior leaders in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Professor Cynthia White
Cynthia White is a world-renowned expert in applied linguistics and Honorary Research Fellow at the University of New England. Notable roles include:
- chair of Marsden Fund Council's Humanities panel
- member of International Committee of International Applied Linguistics Association
- New Zealand Officer on Australasian Council of the Deans of Arts and Social Science's board).
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.
Associate Professor Alison Kearney
Alison Kearney is a registered teacher with a PhD in Education. At Massey, Alison has taught in the Initial Teacher Education, Masters and Doctoral programmes and more recently, the Specialist Teaching Programme. Her research and teaching interests focus on educational equity, learning and motivation.
Professor Kerry Taylor
Kerry Taylor works in New Zealand history, focusing on the history of dissent and protest politics. He has published widely on the history of communism in New Zealand, and on visual and material culture. Notable roles include:
- Board of Australasian Consortium of Humanities Research Centres
- Trustee of the Alexander Turnbull Library Endowment Trust.
Professor Hēmi Whaanga
Hēmi Whaanga specialises in mātauranga, indigenous methodologies, linguistics and te reo Māori, ethics and technology. His background includes research, leadership and teaching, and he has contributed at disciplinary, institutional, national and international levels.
Professor Bethan Greener
Beth focuses on how states and others seek to provide security and what this means for world order. Her research interests also include the relationship between liberalism and the use of force, how states seek to use their agencies for security provision, international policing through the UN, South Pacific security, gender and security, and the relationship between public and private security.
Associate Professor Kirsty Ross
Kirsty Ross is a registered senior clinical psychologist with a PhD in Psychology. She coordinates and teaches within the clinical psychology training programme at Massey. Her research and teaching centres on child and family clinical psychology, clinical health psychology, trauma (particularly the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences) and developmental and systemic psychology.
Professor Jenny Poskitt
Jenny has experience as a primary school teacher, teaching undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral levels. Her research includes educational assessment, student and professional learning, which has contributed to policy, research, and professional practice locally, nationally and internationally. Jenny is involved in service, management, and leadership roles throughout the university.
Associate Professor Peter Rawlins
Peter has been a registered teacher since 1985. He has won several teaching excellence and innovation awards. Peter’s research focus is in Assessment and Mixed Methods Research. He is on the executive committee for the New Zealand Assessment Institute, and the Global governance board for the Mixed Methods International Research Association.
Dr Tony Fisher
Tony Fisher is a linguist by training, and has over twenty years of experience teaching in a range of contexts. His research interests include political communication, with a specific focus on televised political debates. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Linguistic Society of New Zealand.
Schools
Our college is home to five schools:
Institute of Education
Teacher education, specialist programmes for other education careers, speech and language therapy, and research focused on equality in education.
School of Humanities, Media & Creative Communication
Explore cultures, society, theories and ideas – and the arts – with a rich variety of specialisations.
Te Pūtahi-a-Toi
Te Pūtahi-a-Toi produces graduates and research inspired by te ao Māori (the Māori world).
School of People, Environment & Planning
New Zealand’s largest multi-disciplinary university social science unit – Massey's School of People, Environment and Planning.
School of Psychology
Meet the real world head on. We examine today's challenges and contribute to people's wellbeing and resilience.
Clinics
Massey clinics offer services for the public, as well as research or training for staff, students and professionals.
Our psychology clinics
Massey's three on-campus clinics provide psychology services to the public, as well as professional development for psychologists, interns and students.
Location: Auckland, Manawatū and Wellington campuses
Speech-language Therapy Clinic
A teaching clinic offering therapy for children and adults who experience communication and eating difficulties. Supervised by specialist staff, students provide assessment and intervention support at the clinic and in the community.
Location: Auckland campus
Donate to the College of Humanities and Social Sciences
We welcome your support in raising money to enable excellence in scholarship, teaching and research in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Humanities and social sciences news
Innovative Speech Language Therapy programme undergoes professional accreditation site visit
Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University’s Speech Language Therapy programme has gone through a professional accreditation site visit by the New Zealand Speech-language Therapists’ Association.
Aotearoa Green Theatre Plan launched
Theatre makers, drama teachers and performers in Aotearoa New Zealand now have a practical, locally-relevant green guide to help them start lowering the carbon footprint of their theatre productions.
Finding healing in the world’s natural beauty
New book Heart Stood Still is a record of Miriam Sharland’s journey towards finding healing in the world’s natural beauty, a beauty that we must fight to protect in the current climate crisis. It is a combination of essays, reflections on migration and belonging and a lyrical portrait of Manawatū.
"Keeping the dread at bay": Students combat cost of living crisis with creativity
As politicians gear up for the Budget Launch at the end of May, Wellington students will be launching their own socially connected creative works to combat a growing sense of hopelessness among young people.
Contact the College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Student enquiries: please contact the Massey Contact Centre
Enquiries
Pro Vice-Chancellor’s Office Karen O'Hagan
Directors’ Offices
Academic Programmes Fiona Paewai
Teaching and Learning (TBC)
International Manager Kerry Taylor, Ann Wu-Ross
Regional Directors’ Offices
Auckland (TBC)
Wellington Megan Burnett
College of Humanities and Social Sciences – Auckland campus
- Location
Physical address
Level 2
Atrium Building
AucklandPostal address
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Massey University
Private Bag 102 904
North Shore MSC
AucklandUse our Auckland campus maps or find us on Google Maps.
College of Humanities and Social Sciences – Manawatū campus
- Location
Physical address
Level 3 Sir Geoffrey Peren Building
Manawatū campus
Palmerston NorthPostal address
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Massey University
Private Bag 11-222
Palmerston North 4442Use our Manawatū campus maps or find us on Google Maps.
College of Humanities and Social Sciences – Wellington campus
- Location
Physical address
Level C (ground floor)
Block 7
Wellington campus
Tasman Street
Wellington 6021Postal address
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Massey University
Private Box 756
WellingtonUse our Wellington campus maps or find us on Google Maps.
Looking for a staff member? Visit our staff directory or use Expertise search.