Earth Science – Postgraduate Diploma in Science and Technology

Massey University’s Postgraduate Diploma in Science and Technology (Earth Science) gives you the opportunity to join the pathway to in-depth research at a masters level. If you complete the qualification at a satisfactory level you may be able to proceed to the Master of Science (Earth Science). If so, credits you have gained through this qualification may be credited to the master’s qualification.

Explore the world around you

Field work could find you all around the country and the world. From exploring ancient volcanoes on Chatham Island to the back country of the Wanganui Basin you will get a wide range of real-world experiences.

You’ll gain transferable skills that will be useful in many different careers. These include observation skills, advanced ability in data collection, analysis and interpretation, problem-solving and lateral thinking skills, self-motivation and resilience, teamwork as well as developing high-level written and verbal communication skills.

Let our expertise become yours

Massey University Earth science staff are actively researching and are members of internationally-relevant related groups. Many also have extensive industry experience, through either employment or consultancy. They bring this expertise to your teaching.

You can learn from – and build on – our expertise in the societal impacts of Earth events, such as volcanic activity. These include social, economic, infrastructure and the impact on local communities including iwi.

Specialised equipment

We have a range of specialised equipment which is available to you for your research and study.

• A microprobe for spatial geochemical analysis of geological materials. Able to focus down to 2 microns, it allows measurement of changes in composition across crystals (which record pre-eruption processes in magmas).
• Laser particle size analyser for measuring grain-size distributions of materials such as tephra.
• FTIR (Fourier Transform infra-red) microscope. This measures water and CO2 contents in volcanic materials (related to eruption dynamics), but has also been used for analysing compositional differences in horse bones and carbon nanoparticles.
• Pyroclastic Flow simulator.
• Hyperspectral analyser for remote sensing soil, rock and plant materials (an example of use includes detecting mineralised ground by remote sensing).
• FLYSPEC analyser for measuring SO2 in volcanic eruption plumes.
• XRD analyser for determining mineralogical compositions of a wide range of materials, especially clay minerals.
• TGA/DSC (Thermogravimetric Analyser/Differential Scanning Calorimeter) for uses such as thermal behaviour in volcanic glasses to characterise biochar.
• OEA (Optical Emission Analyser) for geochemical analysis with particular application to environmental geochemistry.

Further study

If you complete the qualification at a satisfactory level you may be able to proceed to the Master of Science (Earth Science). If so, credits you have gained through this qualification may be credited to the master’s qualification.