School of Science - University of Waikato

Summer Research Scholarship applications are open now!

Every year, the University of Waikato Summer Research Scholarship is offered to promising undergraduates, final-year honours, and first-year master’s students 👨🏻‍🎓.

The $8,000 scholarship program allows students to experience 10-weeks of full-time research during C Trimester 💰.

There are projects occuring across a range of disciplines, including a variety of projects in Te Aka Mātuatua - the School of Science 🔬.

Check out the list of projects to see what the School of Science has to offer, and apply for your favourite project now!

https://www.waikato.ac.nz/study/scholarships/summer-research-scholarship/

Applications close 13 July 2026.

The University of Waikato University of Waikato - Tauranga

Good luck to all our students heading into exam week! 📚✨

Remember to take breaks, stay hydrated, and trust in the hard work you've put in throughout the semester. You've got this! 💪

📸: Ava Hashemi

Field trip day for ENVSC202 🌿🪨

This time, students were exploring Waitomo’s iconic karst landscapes, collecting field data and samples for further testing back in the lab. The data helps uncover the chemical processes that drive speleothem growth and the environmental pressures these unique cave systems face.

Environmental science has a way of revealing hidden stories. When we slow down, look closely, and let the landscape speak, it often tells us far more than we expect. ✨

📸: Marlena Prentice

🎉 That's a close on Hamilton Open Day for 2026! 🧪✨

It was amazing seeing students at the Hamilton Campus today, chatting with our science team and getting involved with their exhibits 🔬🧬🌿.

A massive thank you to everyone who attended — we hope to see you studying at Waikato in the future! 🎓💫

A shoutout also goes out to our staff without whom, this event wouldn't be possible ❤️

If you want to know more about studying science at Waikato, head to the link in our bio 🔗.

On May 10th, the EARTH313-Engineering Geology class went to the Karangahake gorge on a day trip🏞️

👷As a class, they looked for signs of faulting and landslides in the gorge before breaking off into smaller groups to do testing of rock strength on different rock surfaces. This included noting down field observation, slope angles, and using tools such as the pXRF and a Schmidt hammer🔨.
The students learned about the geological history of the area and will use their collected data to test fault stability in future labs.

Many students had fun finding hidden details in the mines, such as quartz veins, glowworms, and collecting cool rocks for their collections💎🪨

📸: Andrea Kosijer and Jazmin Mitchell

More pictures from the EARTH251 fieldtrip.

📸: Marlena Prentice, Annette Rodgers and Kirsty Vincent

The University of Waikato University of Waikato - Tauranga

In mid-April, the class of EARTH251 Applied Earth Sciences attended their five-day field camp in the Port Waikato area.

Students worked in small groups to describe, measure and map the rock formations, landscape geomorphology, soil types, river flows and beach processes in the area 🌏

Students generally find the field camp a fun, challenging and memorable experience and a highlight of a science degree in Earth sciences and environmental sciences.

📸: Marlena Prentice, Annette Rodgers and Kirsty Vincent
Part two of photos to come.

The University of Waikato University of Waikato - Tauranga

Throwback to Hamilton Campus Open Day 2025 📸

The Hamilton Campus Open Day is only one week away (22nd May)! 🤩

At the Open Day, you will get to hear about the subjects we offer, hear from the staff and students at the University, and see first-hand what Waikato University has to offer.

Click the link below to find out more and register (you can even go in the draw to win a VR headset for registering)
https://www.waikato.ac.nz/news-events/events/open-day/

📸: Bella Muir

The University of Waikato University of Waikato - Tauranga

Freshwater Ecology students from the University of Waikato recently visited two North Island streams disturbed by the February storm ⛈️

They sampled stream insects, assessed habitat conditions, and surveyed fish populations 🐜🐟

By comparing their findings with data from previous years, the students will learn how the floods impacted the streams and whether the most heavily-affected reaches are beginning to recover 🌊

📸: Frank Burdon

The University of Waikato University of Waikato - Tauranga