Graduate Diploma in Laboratory Technology

at Ara Institute of Canterbury - City Campus New Zealand

One of the most important resources in an organisation is its people. This specialisation will develop your management skills and knowledge in people and culture. During your studies you’ll analyse organisational staff behaviour and its impact on business, and learn about wellbeing leadership, health and safety and the latest employment legislation. In your final year you’ll explore advanced HR strategy and contemporary issues in human resource management.

Applied visual art aims to develop the student as an independent art practitioner or designer. Core skills taught include design strategies, drawing, printmaking and sculptural skills in a range of materials. In addition students will choose three courses from a range of electives, which will enable them to develop complementary skills in particular areas of interest. As well as studio courses, students will complete a group of core courses in academic subjects. These include both professional and contextual studies, which will give them developed communication skills, a background in the history and sociology of creative practices, insights into contemporary professional ethics and some business skills.

With this program you will have the expertise to strategically direct the future focus of your organisation with regards to Food and Beverage, and Accommodation and Facilities. You will combine your knowledge and skills gained into a practical industry project, completed within a work context further developing your skills and ability, whilst assisting an organisation to resolve a business issue.

You'll learn about leadership principles, how to build and maintain positive staff relationships, and how to monitor and maintain operating procedures and compliance requirements. Key areas covered include the importance of excellent customer service and how to work in collaborative, team-based environments within the restaurant, bar, barista, hotel reception and accommodation contexts. In addition, you'll gain a sound understanding of local and international tourism and the essential contribution tourists make to the hospitality industry. You'll undertake a practical work placement which will give you the opportunity to set personal and professional development goals.

During the course of this one-year programme you'll acquire the skills to confidently plan and produce a broad range of meat, poultry, fish and larder dishes, employing advanced preparation, cookery and presentation techniques. You'll also learn effective methods for planning and monitoring workflow, strategies for managing staff and operations to meet performance targets, and how to plan, develop and design dishes and menus. To meet Health and Safety requirements, applicants must be physically able to undertake the practical components of the programme in an industry emulated environment.

Our one year program, which has been designed in collaboration with New Zealand employers, provides you with specific knowledge, practical skills and relevant analytical techniques for work as a laboratory technician. These skills include critical thinking, problem solving and the ability to interpret results.

You'll also gain an understanding of laboratory quality management practice and reporting skills suitable for international quality standards, and have the skills to work independently and within groups. Personal skills such as punctuality, team work and time management will be developed.

You'll have the opportunity to enrich and broaden your knowledge with electives in areas such as microbiology, analytical and environmental chemistry, food microbiology and molecular biology. The program also includes a research project and work placement element to ensure you're work-ready when you graduate.

Developed according to best practice approaches in clinical education and delivered utilising innovative teaching methods, the Bachelor of Musculoskeletal Health will equip you with the knowledge and skills required for employment in non-registered areas of health care and management. You'll start your studies by gaining foundational knowledge of musculoskeletal health and osteopathy and forming a basis for critical thinking. In year two, the emphasis is on evidence-based clinical practice and extending your bioscience knowledge. Your final year focuses almost entirely on the development of clinical practice learning, critical thinking and increasingly complex problem solving and decision-making.

Throughout the degree, clinical practice courses will give you industry experience by enabling you to apply your knowledge in real-world environments. You'll also have the opportunity to train with Ara students in other health care disciplines such as nursing, midwifery, medical imaging, social work, human nutrition, health promotion and sport and exercise science. This provides opportunities for inter-disciplinary learning, further enhancing your employment outcomes.

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 degree programme aims to give you tools to become an independent designer or garment producer. You'll learn key skills in design strategy, drawing, garment construction and pattern making. You'll also get to choose two courses from a wide range of electives that will help you to develop specialist skills that suit your goals. As well as studio courses, you'll complete a group of core courses in academic subjects, including both professional and contextual studies, which will give you great communication skills, knowledge of a range of creative practices, and basic business skills.

This program is designed to enable you to perform the vital role that accounting plays across all facets of the business. You'll investigate business software options, study up-to-date accounting principles and practices, and learn about risk management, ethics, legislation, economic dynamics, supply and demand, sustainable management and strategies for operational efficiency. HR, sales and marketing, innovation and communication are also covered.

You'll also gain a thorough grounding in financial and management accounting with options to specialise in taxation, business financing, or other aspects of the commercial world that interest you most.