Bachelor of Health, Sport and Human Performance

As one of New Zealand's fastest growing industries, the sport and leisure industry provides exciting career opportunities. Offered in Hamilton, and in conjunction with Toi Ohomai in Tauranga, the Bachelor of Health, Sport & Human Performance (BHSHP) will equip you with the latest knowledge and skills to excel in this dynamic environment, and help to improve the physical, social and mental wellbeing of others.

Spanning the Waikato and Bay of Plenty, we are proud to foster collaborative relationships with some of the country's top organisations and facilities. Our partnerships allow students to connect with industry and community partners, including the Chiefs, BOP Magic, Cycling NZ, Sport Waikato, Sport Bay of Plenty, Enabling Good Lives, K'aute Pasifika and Paralympics NZ.

Our facilities boast the latest equipment in sport science specialisations, namely The University of Waikato Sports Laboratory at the Cambridge Avantidrome and The University of Waikato Adams Centre for High Performance in Tauranga. Both are equipped with cutting-edge facilities to test athlete performance, exercise and recovery, including an environmental chamber for altitude training.

The Community Health major is designed to ensure graduates have the knowledge, skills and understanding to make a difference to the wellbeing of people in our local, regional and national communities. Drawing on Maori, Indigenous, critical and sociological perspectives, students will be provided with the opportunity to investigate the way health is understood and practiced in our society, and develop practical skills that will allow them to advocate and take action in enhancing the wellbeing of themselves and others.

Based on three pillars - performance physiology, performance psychology and performance monitoring and exercise prescription - this major has clear links to high performance sport, as well as to the general population, movement-related professions, exercise, nutrition and physical health. Supported by our satellite spaces in the Avantidrome and the Adams Centre, students benefit from the established relationships the University has with professional sport franchises, such as Magic Netball and Chiefs Rugby.

This major gives students the skills that support them to enhance sport, recreation and physical activity for groups and individuals. Students will benefit from established local and national industry partnerships with Sport New Zealand, The International Olympic Committee, Sport Waikato, the Avantidrome, The Waikato Institute of Sport and Leisure Studies, Brian Perry Charitable Trust, The Lowie Foundation and sports clubs/franchises in the greater Waikato and Bay of Plenty region. Graduates will have the transferable skills and knowledge to lead in any sector involving people and movement.