Diploma in Engineering - Electrical

at Ara Institute of Canterbury - City Campus New Zealand

IT industry partners have significant input into the structure and content of this programme to ensure that what is being taught continually meets industry needs. The first year covers a broad range of ICT topics that will provide you with a solid base of knowledge in software engineering (programming), hardware and networking, website development, IT tools and concepts and mathematics skills relevant to IT. In years two and three you'll choose one of three specialist pathways: Information Systems, Networking and Infrastructure or Software Development. During this time you'll develop in-depth knowledge of your chosen area through a range of compulsory and elective courses.

You'll also develop skills in problem solving, critical thinking, analysis, team work, project management, time management, self-reliance and communication skills. There is a strong emphasis on practical skills and work-readiness, so wherever possible, theory is integrated and applied to practical tasks. Many courses include group activities or group projects, as the ability to work as part of a team is strongly valued by employers.

This diploma is designed to enable you to support the operational efficiency and effectiveness of a business or organisation. It covers business basics including accounting, sales and marketing, human resources and risk management, then focuses on administration and technology aspects of business.

This focus will give you the knowledge and skills to be able to plan, organise and manage business administration functions, operations and projects, and to support management. You'll learn how to select, apply and support a broad range of current and emerging business technologies to meet a business's needs, as well as manage, analyse and evaluate administrative systems and processes and recommend improvements. In addition you'll gain skills in problem solving, critical thinking and effective communication.

The Postgraduate Diploma in Creative Practice has been designed for musicians, dramatists, performing and visual artists, designers, film makers, writers, directors and other professional creatives who wish to take their first foray into postgraduate study. It will enable you to advance your creative practice and develop knowledge and specialist skills, beyond those gained through your undergraduate degree.

As a student of this programme you'll have the opportunity to use reflection on creative and critical theory to initiate and develop an area of interest into a supervised research project within a domain of practice.

The Bachelor of Construction is designed to equip you with the skills and knowledge needed to work at a high level in the construction industry, as a leader who is able to innovate and contribute to new ways of creating the built environment.

The program starts with an introduction to the knowledge, skills, attributes and academic abilities required of a construction manager or quantity surveyor. You'll gain discipline-specific skills and knowledge, starting with a focus on small domestic buildings then moving on to low-rise and large commercial construction, then heavily serviced, multifaceted projects.

Your year-two project work and assessments will require problem solving, independent research skills and application of cultural approaches and aspects of sustainability. In the third year you'll be required to source and organise technical, project and academic research information, and evaluate, critique and propose well-rationalised solutions.

Human resource management requires a combination of knowledge and people skills. This programme will give you an understanding of both as you cover everything from employment relations and human resource management to communication and organisational behaviour management.

It covers business basics such as communication, human resources, business law, organisational culture, economics, risk management and problem solving, then focuses on human resource aspects of business.

This highly practical program will equip you with the skills and theory necessary to become a radio professional. We develop your understanding of the changing media environment, your practical research skills and prepare you for a first-time position in radio or online. You'll study production and performance while operating a commercial radio station, broadcasting throughout the Canterbury region.

Our program has been strongly influenced by industry groups such as NZME, Mediaworks and The Radio Broadcasters Association. Our 24-week industry internship provides you with a highly effective link between the theoretical and practical aspects of broadcasting, and gives you a working understanding of the industry demands of working in a deadline-driven environment.

Develop the specialist skills and organisational strengths you need to support a career creating greater efficiency and increased productivity within diverse commercial settings.

In your first year of study we broaden your knowledge with core business strategies and operational subjects including accounting, business communication, commercial law, business heritage, culture and sustainability, marketing, computing, management and applied research. In the following two years, our degree programme examines all aspects of the Operations and Production Management major with studies in:

• Intermediate Management Accounting - Covers the processes and information required for effective planning, control and decision making.
• Operations Management - Develops the concepts and analytical methods for transforming inputs into completed goods and services via the management of people and resources.
• Project Management - Appraises project plans using MS Project and explores the basic principles and terminology of project management.
• Resource Integration Management - Examines aspects of supply chain management, business facility layout/modification and engineering economics, and their relation to effective business operation, technical management, project management and production of goods and services.
• Product Development - Evaluates appropriate tools and methods for achieving best outcomes and effective management across all facets of new product and service developments.

This program has been designed to equip you with the skills and knowledge the industry requires to meet the increasing demand for outdoor leaders and guides and to prepare you for a varied, rewarding and adventurous career.

Learning from some of the most qualified educators and instructors in the country you'll become technically competent in a range of outdoor pursuits including sea kayaking, rock climbing, bushwalking and mountain biking. You'll gain skills in leadership, sustainability and environmental education, supervision, and instruction. You'll also learn how to plan, prepare, instruct and guide participants in a range of outdoor activities while maintaining safe, ethical and professional practice in familiar and unfamiliar outdoor environments. This will include assessing and managing emergency care situations in isolated locations.

The Master of Sustainable Practice is designed for individuals who seek to lead innovative problem solving in sustainable practice. Across the range of core, project and applied research components, you'll gain advanced interdisciplinary skills and knowledge that will enable you to: critically evaluate and apply concepts of sustainable practice; work independently and collaboratively; and become a change-maker contributing to sustainable practice. You'll also develop and apply advanced understandings of the theories, driving forces and worldviews related to sustainable practice within the context of your discipline-specific knowledge.

The programme facilitates collaboration and innovation and applies an interdisciplinary framework to address complex sustainability problems. Upon completion of the programme you will be able to: advocate for, and lead change towards, more sustainable practices; apply high level research skills to plan and conduct independent inquiry projects related to sustainability in professional contexts; and be an independent learner who can utilise and undertake research to formulate solutions to sustainability issues.

Bachelor of Music covers all the skills and knowledge you need to be a multi-faceted professional musician. It’s built around collaboration - you’ll learn the foundational skills and apply them in group projects and classes that directly mirror the real world of the music industry. The programme focuses on the practical; even the ‘academic’ subjects are taught in a style that relates directly to the practical application of those subjects. More than half the programme content is practical in nature, a higher proportion than most music degrees in New Zealand. With such a focus on the practical, you’re a musician from day one at Ara.

The degree offers three pathways: Music Creation, Music Performance and Music Production. This choice lets you specialise in the area you’re passionate about, while learning alongside and working with musicians from other pathways. Your third-year capstone project allows you to design your own major project with dedicated specialist tutor support.