Why Study / Key Benefits

• The Postgraduate Certificate in Arts (PGCertArts) is a short, flexible postgraduate qualification allowing students to deepen their knowledge in a chosen Arts discipline.
• It can be completed in 6 months full-time or 1 year part-time, making it suitable for professional development or students who want to extend their disciplinary knowledge without immediately committing to a full master's degree.
• Students engage with more advanced subject matter and develop skills in critical evaluation of academic literature.
• The programme develops high-level critical thinking, problem-solving and communication skills.
• There is a broad choice of disciplines, with more than 30 subject areas available across Arts.
• Students can focus their studies in a single subject rather than completing a broad collection of unrelated Arts courses.
• The qualification can provide a pathway into further postgraduate study, including the Postgraduate Diploma in Arts, Bachelor of Arts with Honours or Master of Arts, subject to the relevant admission requirements.

Programme Structure and Subjects / Topics

The qualification consists of:

• 60 points
• 400-level taught courses
• Courses within one approved subject area.

The current programme page lists the following subject areas:

• Anthropology
• Art History
• Art Theory
• Chinese
• Cinema Studies, as an English major
• Classics
• Cultural Studies
• Digital Humanities
• Economics
• Education
• English
• European Studies
• French
• Geography
• German
• History
• Human Services
• Japanese
• Linguistics
• Maori and Indigenous Studies
• Mathematics
• Media and Communication
• Music
• Philosophy
• Political Science and International Relations
• Psychology
• Russian
• Sociology
• Spanish
• Statistics
• Te Reo Maori. 

Programme Highlights

• 60-point postgraduate qualification.
• 6 months full-time.
• Up to 1 year part-time.
• February and July starts.
• More than 30 Arts subject areas.
• 400-level postgraduate study.
• Focused study within an approved discipline.
• Suitable for extending knowledge from an existing Arts or equivalent degree.
• Develops critical thinking, problem-solving, academic evaluation and communication skills.
• PACE495 or DIGI403 can potentially replace 30 points with approval.
• Provides progression opportunities into further Arts postgraduate qualifications.

Career Outcomes

The PGCertArts is not a professional registration qualification leading to one specific occupation. Career outcomes depend heavily on the student's chosen discipline and previous academic/professional background.

UC identifies general benefits of postgraduate Arts study such as:

• specialist knowledge and skills;
• enhanced disciplinary knowledge;
• preparation for specific occupations;
• improved career progression potential;
• research capability;
• evidence of advanced academic attainment and self-discipline.

Depending on the chosen discipline, graduates may apply their skills in areas such as:

• education
• research
• government and public policy
• communications
• media
• publishing
• cultural organisations
• museums and heritage
• community and social services
• international affairs
• public relations
• business and administration
• data/statistics-related work
• arts and cultural management.

Latest Updates / Special Requirements

The current 2026 regulations remain applicable to the PGCertArts. The qualification was first offered in 2016, with the current regulations stating that the regulations came into force on 1 January 2021.

Important current requirements include:

• 60 points must be completed.
• The study must normally be at 400-level.
• The chosen subject must be one permitted under the relevant Arts regulations.
• Executive Dean/delegate approval is required.
• The formal maximum time limit is 12 months.
• Students failing up to 30 points may, with approval, repeat or substitute courses.
• A student who fails more than 30 points will be withdrawn from the qualification.
• There are no separate exit qualifications.
• A B average is required for the certificate courses if the student wants to use the certificate as the basis for the specified progression pathways.

International Student Visa Requirements

An international student intending to study the PGCertArts in New Zealand would normally require a Fee Paying Student Visa.

Immigration New Zealand currently states that this visa:

• costs from NZD $850;
• can allow a stay of up to four years;
• requires an Offer of Place from an approved education provider;
• requires evidence of sufficient tuition funding or an acceptable scholarship;
• requires evidence of sufficient living funds;
• requires acceptable health/travel insurance;
• requires the applicant to satisfy other visa requirements.