Elevate your care, leadership and insight – our online Primary Health Care postgraduate programmes advance your practice in a changing sector.
Why study postgraduate Primary Health Care
Primary Health Care matters because it is where most people first access health support. Studying at postgraduate level gives you the tools to improve health outcomes, foster equity, and respond to emerging challenges in communities. At Otago you dive into evidence-based practice, understand how policy, culture, and ethics shape care, and build the skills to work in collaboration with other health professionals. Postgraduate study empowers you with insight, confidence, academic skills, and a deeper appreciation for holistic, community-centred care.
Career opportunities
When you graduate from our Primary Health Care postgraduate programmes you can build on your experience and explore new pathways.
Possible career directions include:
- Advanced roles in general practice or primary care teams
- Leadership or management positions in primary health organisations
- Community health and population health coordination
- Research and evaluation roles in health services or public health
- Policy, planning or advisory roles in health and disability organisations
- Progressing to higher degrees such as master’s and PhD programmes
What it’s like to study at this level
Otago’s postgraduate Primary Health Care teaching blends distance learning with interprofessional connection. You will engage with practitioners from disciplines such as medicine, nursing, pharmacy, physiotherapy and more, from across Aotearoa. Courses are designed to be flexible so you can study around work or life commitments. You will take part in online discussions, video conferences, and two-day online block courses that bring together experts and peers. Through real-world case studies, policy analysis, and collaborative learning, you will build skills that you can apply in your workplace or community.
This is for you if ...
You’re best suited to this study if you have a health or social care professional background such as nursing, medicine, pharmacy, paramedicine, physiotherapy, or health management, and an interest in holistic, community-oriented care.
Level up in Primary Care
Hear from staff and students about how Otago’s flexible postgraduate study in Primary Health Care builds confidence, supports working professionals, and connects learners across disciplines to make meaningful change.
Read transcript
Dr Jonathan Kennedy:
I’m Dr Jonathan Kennedy and I convene postgraduate qualifications in Primary Health Care and General Practice at University of Otago Wellington. I’m a general practitioner in Newtown in Wellington, uh, and I have a special interest in the care of refugees and migrants in Primary Care. Also, a strong interest in public health.
In our department, we strongly emphasise interprofessional healthcare. Our Primary Health Care qualifications are aimed at health professionals who are active in their chosen professions and want to take knowledge and skills to the next level. Our students come from right across the range of primary care professions.
We offer two qualifications: a Postgraduate Certificate in Primary Health Care and a Postgraduate Diploma in Primary Health Care. Our papers are predominantly distance taught, with online discussions, video conferences, activities, and assignments. Each course has a two-day block course where students get together to learn from a selection of experts in their fields.
Most of our students are adult learners with lots going on in their family and work lives, and we work with that. Our friendly and approachable paper conveners and tutors, uh, they go out of their way to ensure students are well supported to get through the course.
Marcia Gawith:
My passion is in Primary Health Care. It was stimulating, it was a challenge, and I really enjoyed the learning, but it didn’t come at the impact of me having to, sacrifice work or life commitments. And I learned a lot from the GPs, pharmacists, physios that were on the course.
Dr Jonathan Kennedy:
Our students tell us that the papers were inspiring and confidence-building. Now they spark their interest in the bigger picture and equity. You know, they especially love the block course workshops with the high-quality speakers. Students talk about their learning giving purpose and value to their professional role.
Our lives are so busy at the moment and the world is really quite crazy, and so it’s very satisfying to take skills and your knowledge further in a supported environment, and then have something concrete to look back on that you managed to do at that time.
Marcia Gawith:
Go for it. I wasn’t a confident student, I didn’t particularly enjoy undergrad, but I flourished in postgraduate.
Elevate your insight and impact in primary health care
Otago brings a strong national and international reputation in health research and education. Our Department of Primary Health Care offers interprofessional teaching led by active practitioners and academics who understand the evolving needs of Aotearoa’s health system. The distance-taught format means you can study from anywhere in New Zealand while staying connected with a community of peers and mentors. Whether you aim to deepen your clinical practice, step into leadership, or contribute to health equity and research, Otago supports you with expertise, flexibility, and the opportunity to shape meaningful change.
Choose a study option
Whether you are advancing your career with our specialised graduate qualifications or pursuing in-depth research and expertise through our postgraduate programmes, Otago is here to support your aspirations.
Postgraduate qualifications
Honours, masters’, PhDs, and other advanced degrees for graduates. Just one additional year of study will earn you a valuable postgraduate degree. Or perhaps you want the depth of a full year of research-only time during a master’s or to step up to a PhD.
Postgraduate Certificate in Primary Health Care (PGCertPHC)
A one-semester (full time), distance-taught, coursework programme for health/social care and management professionals engaged in delivering primary health care
Postgraduate Diploma in Primary Health Care (PGDipPHC)
A one-year full-time (or longer part-time) distance-taught programme available for health, social care and management professionals in primary health care
Master of Primary Health Care (MPHC)
A two-year part-time degree that can be completed either by thesis, by portfolio, or by combining a shorter portfolio with an approved research methods paper
Ready to apply?
Take your expertise to the next level with advanced study.
Contacts
Department of Primary Health Care
University of Otago, Wellington
Tel +64 4 918 5626
Email primarycare.distance@otago.ac.nz
Web otago.ac.nz/phc
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