Master of Health Sciences in Health Behaviour Change University of Canterbury, New Zealand

UC's Health Sciences qualifications give health professionals, non-clinical members of the health workforce, and others interested in the health sector or health issues the opportunity to examine critically a range of significant issues in health sciences, and where relevant to improve their professional practice.

The Master of Health Sciences allows you to put together a postgraduate programme of study across health-related disciplines, such as the functioning of the health system, from the management of health information, to health in communities. The increasing focus on prevention and lifestyle change provides enormous potential for a refocusing of health strategies and allied areas such as education, sport and recreation, and local government.

This gives you considerable flexibility, and the opportunity to plan a programme to suit your interests, current employment, or career goals, providing opportunities for interdisciplinary postgraduate study for students already working in health or related services who wish to extend their knowledge and skills, or recent graduates seeking employment in these sectors.



Health Behaviour Change



Behaviours which may be injurious to health are widespread in our society – smoking, hazardous drinking, inadequate diet, lack of exercise – and many chronic health conditions, such as diabetes, require lifestyle behaviour change as part of their management. Changing such behaviours can be difficult, requiring time and considerable effort and motivation.

Motivational interviewing (MI) is a collaborative conversation style for strengthening a person’s own motivation and commitment for change. Research shows that with appropriate training, MI may be used by various health workers to facilitate change of addictive and unhealthy behaviours. The health behaviour change programme has the potential to strengthen significantly the health workforce skill base needed to address several objectives of Aotearoa New Zealand Health and Disability strategies.