Course details

Summary

Do you enjoy reading and writing? Novels, plays, short stories, poetry and creative non-fiction help shape and reflect our individual identities and collective culture. Studying literature opens up worlds and times beyond our experience. It also helps us understand - and question - our own social, natural and technological environments.

At the same time, students of English develop skills in research, interpretation, analysis, formulating an argument, and writing clearly and precisely. This skillset is useful for a huge range of occupations, such as journalism, law, communications, publications and creative writing.

The Certificate in Arts (CertArts) is designed for you if you want to study at university level without having to commit to several years of study. It is also an option if you want to take a few courses for interest or study part-time.

Qualification structure and duration

The Certificate in Arts is made up of five courses (a minimum of 75 points) at 100 and/or 200-level.

It can be completed full-time, or over one to two years of part-time study.

You can transfer the credits you gain during the Certificate in Arts to the Bachelor of Arts (and some other degrees), as long as you have not graduated with the certificate.

Recommended preparation

Prior study in English is helpful, or in classics, theatre and drama, history or media studies at school – but the best background is simply an interest in the cultures, stories and ideas that surround us every day.

Further study

The Certificate in Arts can be used as a stepping stone to a Bachelor of Arts.

Career opportunities

Arts graduates enjoy a raft of exciting career destinations, for instance in media, government, international relations, arts, culture, heritage, archives, politics, public policy, writing, editing, PR, communications, conservation, tourism, teaching, community development, publishing, design, business, advertising and marketing.

Among our graduates are a New Zealand ambassador, a former chief political reporter for TVNZ, a political commentator for a national newspaper, a couple of prize-winning novelists (including Eleanor Catton of Man Booker fame), a prize-winning film-maker, a museum curator, a cultural event organiser for Te Papa, an art gallery manager, a theatre director, a local television presenter, a number of publishers' editors, members of parliament, and policy advisers in the Treasury, the Education Ministry and the State Services Commission

Entry criteria

Admission to UC with University Entrance, or equivalent, is required to enrol for a Certificate in Arts. Applicants must have completed New Zealand University Entrance through NCEA; or Cambridge International Examinations (CIE); or International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB) or any other equivalent overseas qualification.

Other English language requirements: TOEFL PBT with a minimum score of 550 and TWE with a minimum score of 4.5; CCEL EAP Level 2 with a minimum C+ grade; CAE or CPE minimum score of 169 with at least 162 in reading, writing, listening and speaking; Pearson Test of English (Academic) - PTE with an overall score of 57 and no PTE communicative skills score below 50.