Course details

Summary

Are you curious about how the English language works? Are you fascinated by the changes that have taken place in the English language over centuries of time? Or even how individuals vary their use of English from one day to the next, depending on social situation or communication medium? Ever thought about how a person's early experience of English shapes them? Or how and why New Zealand English differs from the language spoken in other English-speaking countries?

English Language studies aim to satisfy these curiosities and illuminate even further; focusing on the structure, functions and contexts of use of English. Students will learn about the sound systems and grammatical systems of English, and they will come to understand how English varies in different historical, geographical and social contexts.

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.

The study of languages is an interdisciplinary field of study that bridges the sciences, the social sciences and the humanities. The Department of Linguistics is internationally renowned for its research work on the linguistics of English. This reflects UC’s established staff expertise in this area.

The New Zealand Institute for Language, Brain and Behaviour is a research centre at UC, where researchers from different departments at the university reflect on the foundations of language as an integrated, multimodal, statistical system operating in a social, physical and physiological context.

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.

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.

This subject provides a foundation for any career which requires advanced communication skills and/or a detailed understanding of the English language, such as teaching, management, marketing, the media, research and publishing.

An English Language degree is an ideal preparation for training in teaching English as a second language, which is a popular career and offers excellent travel opportunities.

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.