Bachelor of Health Science in Health Promotion

Paula Crabbe wanted to work in health, but not in a clinical role. Picture / Greg Bowker

The course


The Bachelor of Health Science in Health Promotion is a new degree that can be done fulltime in three years or part-time over up to six years. The part-time option is available so people can fit their study around family or work pressures.

Study includes individual and community functions; social, economic and cultural determinants of health; social psychology; and health promotion theories and models.

A full-time semester of four papers involves about 12 hours of classes and 24 hours of self-directed study.

Assessments include essays, reports and presentations. The media and communications paper includes making audio and visual health promotion material.

The course includes two practical papers that allow for work placements, including the health practice paper, which involves placement in health-promoting workplaces.

Graduates become health promoters in organisations such as hospitals, district health boards, Maori and Pasifika environments and non-governmental agencies.

While students do not have to work in the field of health promotion to be eligible to study, it does help if they do. They need University Entrance (42 credits of NCEA Level Three over three subjects) or the equivalent to take the course. Some students enter the course after the one-year Certificate in Health Studies.

The course, which is taught only at the Akoranga campus on the North Shore, has two intakes each year, one in February and one in July. One year of full-time study costs $3800. 

What graduates think


Paula Crabbe
Community worker
Auckland Sexual Health Service (ADHB)
One of four community workers
Starting salary: $30,000 to $40,000, depending on organisation.

I work mainly with youth in the community, which includes participation in school programmes on sexual health. We also represent the Auckland Sexual Health Unit at big regional events such as the Big Day Out and the Big Gay Out.

I chose health promotion because I liked the idea of working in health but didn't want a clinical role. The study involved learning about the theories and models that underpin health promotion, including how to find and critically analyse information and then apply it. There is a big research component and you have to be able to read and understand research even if you're not employed as a researcher.

You have to do one placement but I chose to do two because health promotions is so broad, I wanted to look at more than one area in practice.

The flexibility of the degree meant I could take papers that would help me go in a specific direction. I wanted an educational base, so I took a couple of teaching papers.

I did a placement at the Family Planning Association that confirmed for me that I would enjoy working in the educational side of sexual health. I also realised this aspect of health promotion had plenty of challenges and variety, which was important to me.


What employers think

Nick Laing
Community Health Worker/Advanced Practitioner
Auckland Sexual Health Service ADHB

Our community health workers are working mostly with 15- to 17-year-olds across cultures and genders in mainstream education, the youth justice system and in alcohol and drug rehabilitation.

It often happens that young people get a bad rap about being a problem that needs to be solved. We want to employ people with the ability to build rapport and have positive ideas and attitudes about ways to work effectively with young people.

Sex and sexuality are very values-driven so we also need people with a strong values base in this area.

We're interested in people with education, social work, nursing and health promotion backgrounds. While a degree is great, it isn't the biggest part of why someone is chosen. We also may employ someone with grassroots experience and no formal qualification.

However, the health promotion degree does give Paula, and through her our team, a fresh perspective on health promotion and policy. It is a new degree and quite different from social worker or nurse training. This variety and knowledge is important for a multidisciplinary team.

The qualification


Bachelor of Health Science in Health Promotion
Auckland University of Technology
(09) 917 9735