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 GradDipArts is designed for graduates seeking to qualify for entry to postgraduate qualifications in arts, to change career direction, or to extend or upgrade their existing qualification/s.

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

Students normally take courses from the Bachelor of Arts (BA) schedule. They are required to pass courses totalling a minimum of 120 points; of these 90 points must be at 300-level, including 60 in a single subject. A maximum of 15 points towards the GradDipArts may be taken from subjects not in the BA schedule. Normally all courses would be from the same subject.

Further study

This qualification is an ideal pathway into postgraduate study.

Career opportunities

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

Graduate diploma require a relevant bachelor's degree. If you gained your qualifications overseas, these will need to be assessed to ensure they are of an equivalent standard.

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.