Expressive Arts is unique in New Zealand and was created in response to student demand. As part of your study, you will be able to devise, direct and write theatre, creative writing and digital video productions.

The Bachelor of Communication (Expressive Arts) allows you to choose to learn from a range of hands-on skills in acting, managing productions, wordsmithing, scripting, storyboarding, and video filming and editing. You will also learn how these fit into the everyday activities of a professional communication practitioner and the leadership skills necessary to effectively manage people. 

For example, you might produce a music video, or direct an experimental multi-media show based on your original script. You might be immersed in the techniques of improvisational theatre, including games and spontaneity activities. This is way of unlocking and managing your creativity across other media including creative writing. You might find yourself devising poetry or word-at-a-time stories with team members, or learning how your posture communicates a status instantly to others.

Students told us they wanted a little bit of theatre, or creative writing, or digital media production, or some combination of all three, but not necessarily to focus just on one. So we invented ‘expressive arts’. We call it the ‘triple dip’ major where you can add as much or as little as you like to your degree from any of the three creative discipline areas of theatre, creative writing, or digital media production. You choose what to emphasise, whether it’s one, two or all three of these areas.

Choose your courses for this major from the following list:

No more than 60 credits from:
139.209 Speaking: Theory and Practice
139.220 Applied Theatre: Theatre for Social Change 
139.223 Creative Processes
139.224 Making Plays for Theatre
139.225 Writing for Children
139.229 Writing Poetry
139.280 Writing Creative Non-Fiction
139.285 Fiction Writing
154.204 Digital Media Production I
154.224 Documentary (Non-fiction) Film

At least 60 credits from:
139.303 Modern Drama
139.320 Theatre in Production
139.323 Script Writing
139.326 Travel Writing
139.329 Advanced Fiction Writing
139.333 Creativity in the Community
139.340 The Publishing Project
139.374 Tragedy
139.381 Advanced Studies in Creative Writing
139.386 Life Writing
154.304 Digital Media Production II

Major requirements: A major consists of 120 credits in Expressive Arts, including at least 60 credits at 300-level.

Minor requirements: A minor consists of 60 credits in Expressive Arts, including at least 15 credits at 300-level.

The Massey University High Achiever scholarships were established to support new students enrolling at Massey University with a previous record of high achievement in the areas of: Academic, Arts, Sport. Thre are also other undergraduate scholarships available.

High achiever scholarships

Massey University Vice Chancellor's High Achiever Scholarship (Academic)

The Massey University Vice Chancellor's High Achiever Scholarship (Academic) was established to support new students enrolling at Massey University with a previous record of excellence in one or more subject areas and/or a record of merit in several subject areas.

Massey University Academy of Sport Scholarship

The Massey University Academy of Sport Scholarship was established to support new student athletes enrolling at Massey University with a previous record of high achievement in sport and who show future potential in their chosen sport.

Massey University Vice Chancellor's High Achiever Scholarship (Academic)

The Massey University Vice Chancellor's High Achiever Scholarship (Academic) was established to support new students enrolling at Massey University with a previous record of excellence in one or more subject areas and/or a record of merit in several subject areas.

Massey University Vice Chancellor's High Achiever Scholarship (Art)

The Massey University Vice Chancellor's High Achiever Scholarship (Arts) was established to support new students enrolling at Massey University with a previous record of excellence in one or more of the arts fields both inside and outside of the school context.

Massey University Academy of Sport Scholarship

The Massey University Academy of Sport Scholarship was established to support new student athletes enrolling at Massey University with a previous record of high achievement in sport and who show future potential in their chosen sport.

Massey University Albany Vice Chancellor's Natural Sciences Excellence Award

The Massey University Albany Vice Chancellor's Natural Sciences Excellence Award was established to support new students enrolling at the Albany campus, Massey University with a previous record of  academic excellence in the natural sciences. Recipients are expected to be committed to studying and completing the Bachelor of Natural Sciences degree.

Massey University Albany Vice-Chancellor’s Innovation and Academic Excellence Scholarship

The Massey University Albany Vice Chancellor's Innovation and Academic Excellence Scholarship was established to support new students enrolling fulltime at the Albany campus, Massey University who  are currently attending a North Shore or West Auckland secondary school who have a minimum of 20 NCEA L2 credits (or equivalent in CIE or IB) with a record of excellence or merit.

Massey Business School Future Leaders Scholarship

The Massey Business School Future Leaders Scholarship was established to recognise and support future leaders enrolling in full-time business programmes at Massey University who have a previous record of leadership and high academic achievement. 

Encouraging Kiwis into Engineering Massey University Full-Fees Scholarship

The Encouraging Kiwis into Engineering Massey University Full-Fees Scholarship was established to encourage more students into engineering, particularly those currently studying maths, physics, and/or chemistry. Applicants are expected to be studying NCEA Level 3 or equivalent in Mathematics with Calculus, Physics and perhaps also Chemistry; have involvement in extracurricular Science, Engineering or Technology and show leadership and creative skills.