Student and alumni profiles

Find out what Master's by coursework is like—read what our current and past students have to say about their experiences.

Ben Jones sits at a table in the hub with students and digital screens blurred behind him.

Ben Jones

Ben completed a Master of Drug Discovery and Development and now works as a medicines evaluator at Medsafe in the Ministry of Health.

Erin stands in front of the tuatara enclosure. She carries a red shoulder bag and there are green ferns and other plants shown behind her.

Erin Maessen

Many of the problems that we face relate not only to science but also the way we live our lives. This link is what drew Erin to a Master of Science in Society.

Gliselle holds binoculars up to her face. Behind her is native New Zealand forest and a wooden trap.

Gliselle Marin

Gliselle completed a Master of Conservation Biology and now works as the development manager for the Ya’axché Conservation Trust in Belize.

Grace Clendon, looking away from the camera to something out of frame, stands in front of a set of outside steps at Kelburn campus with cabbage trees and flax behind.

Grace Clendon

After completing a BSc in Ecology and Biodiversity, Grace decided that a Master of Applied Statistics would help set her up for a career in conservation.

Jakob stands in front of trees and other greenery

Jakob Parrish

Jakob was drawn to the Master of Environmental Science for the chance to work with leading scientists and to make a difference to the future of New Zealand.

James stands outside with blue sky, trees and Wellington city behind him.

James Young-Drew

As a lawyer and a climate-change campaigner, James chose to do a Master of Climate Change Science and Policy to develop interdisciplinary knowledge and skills.

Katie sits on a bench on a rocky beach with the ocean and trees in the background

Katie Clemens-Seely

Interested in a conservation-orientated degree that would allow her to gain practical and research skills, Katie decided to do a Master of Marine Conservation.

Laurette stands with a view of Wellington city behind her

Laurette Siemonek

Laurette was drawn to the Master of Climate Change Science and Policy to further develop her knowledge of climate change and apply this to her policy role.

Maddie sits on a chair in front of a window

Maddie White

Taking a compulsory statistics course led to Maddie discovering her interest in the subject, which eventually led to a Master of Applied Statistics.

Palak, wearing a lab coat, sits by a microscope.

Palak Mehta

Palak completed a Master of Clinical Immunology and now works as a research officer at the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research.

The eight Meteorology graduates in two rows with the programme director and advisors from MetService. They all wear graduation caps and gowns and there are Victoria banners behind them.

From Master's to MetService

In 2018, eight students became the first-ever graduates from the only Master of Meteorology programme in the country, run by the University and MetService.

A purple and blue mountain range generated via GIS

Richard Law

Richard completed a Master of Geographic Information Science and now works as a GIS and web developer at MetOcean Solutions.