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Youth and Community Leadership (YACL)

27 October 2023

UC's Youth and Community Leadership (YACL) programmes meet a growing need for innovative leaders who can take action on national and global challenges facing our young people and communities. Learn about how you can be empowered to make positive, meaningful contributions in your community.

HOW TO APPLY

Mātātahi tū, hapori ora
When young people are strong, the community thrives

Changing the world through social action and innovation

Youth and Community Leadership (YACL) meets a growing need for innovative leaders who can make an impact on national and global challenges that youth and other communities are encountering. Designed for the future of work, YACL qualifications equip you with the transferable skills and disciplinary knowledge to thrive in rapidly changing environments. Our qualifications build on UC’s international reputation in youth-led social action, and offer real-world leadership and project experience.

The Bachelor of Youth and Community Leadership (BYCL) is a degree that allows you to customise a programme of study to drive your commitment to social action. It prepares you to cultivate collective leadership to action change, making this an ideal degree for anyone wanting to create a better world for future generations. The Certificate in Youth and Community Leadership (CertYCL) is available on campus, or by distance study for students studying from beyond Christchurch and Aotearoa New Zealand. We also offer two postgraduate pathways - the Postgraduate Certificate in Youth and Community Leadership (PGCertYACL) and the Postgraduate Diploma in Youth and Community Leadership (PGDipYACL) - for anyone looking to build leadership skills on top of  previous studies, or develop key management and entrepreneurial skills to take back into the workplace.


Qualifications

In the Certificate in Youth and Community Leadership you will learn about leadership of the self, and leading with others, through exploration and experience of a wide range of contemporary leadership theories, including those that emanate from the unique culture of Aotearoa New Zealand. You will study how and why people learn and what this means for leading change. Your final course will be CHCH101, the heritage service learning course that is at the heart of community engagement.

 

The Certificate in Youth and Community Leadership (CertYCL) is made up of 60 points of compulsory courses. This programme is an especially good option for working professionals and those already in leadership positions, or students who do not want to commit to the full bachelor’s degree. It can be completed in 12 months part-time, or up to 3 years part-time. Studying by distance is also an available option.

The four courses are:

The Bachelor of Youth and Community Leadership develops professional leadership and entrepreneurial skills for those passionate about issues such as sustainability, human rights, equality, and humanitarian efforts. BYCL builds on UC’s international reputation in social action, and offers real-world leadership and project experience by way of theoretical study and applied learning. 

 

Planning your BYCL Pathway

The BYCL degree includes compulsory courses in each year and allows you to customise a programme of study from range of course options from other degrees. We recommend you watch our Bachelor of Youth and Community Leadership video and work with our Student Advice team to align your passions and plan your own custom pathway.

 

The degree doesn't have any majors, but there are four identified study pathways. The youth work and development pathway can lead to a professional youth work accreditation.

 

Compulsory courses

Year 1

The first year of the degree offers introductory courses on developing leadership skills, understanding communities, identifying areas in need of change, and creating group projects.

Plus one of:

 

Year 2

The second year explores team leadership and training, potential boundaries for change, cultural and political influences, and further project experience.

Plus one of:

 

Year 3

Final-year students in the BYCL will develop research and management skills, building on their experiences throughout the degree to create meaningful change in their community.

 

Optional courses

Throughout the degree, you will need to complete at least 105 points of courses from Schedule E: Elective courses. See ‘How do I plan my degree?’ for an example degree structure diagram and a full list of courses.

The Bachelor of Youth and Community Leadership can be combined in a double degree with Arts, Commerce, Criminal Justice, Health Sciences, Law, Science, Social and Environmental Sustainability, and Sport.

You may also choose to do a minor within the degree, from subject options in the Arts, Commerce, Digital Screen, Health Sciences, Product Design, Science, or Sport degrees. A minor requires 75 points of courses, with 45 points above 100-level. If you wish to do a minor, make sure you select your optional courses to meet the minor requirements. 

We also offer a minor in Youth and Community Leadership within the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Digital Screen with Honours, Bachelor of Health Sciences, Bachelor of Science, or Bachelor of Sport. 

For the Youth and Community Leadership minor you will need to take the following courses throughout your chosen degree:

The Postgraduate Certificate in Youth and Community Leadership (PGCertYACL) creates responders to and innovators of change.

You will develop your own personal leadership identity, gain key action skills, and learn about improving issues faced by youth and community organisations. You will have the opportunity to reflect on and engage with youth and/or community work and leadership in local and global contexts.

You will study part-time for one year, beginning in February and have the option to later move into our Postgraduate Diploma Youth and Community Leadership programme.

The two courses in the Certificate include collaborative learning, practical applications, and virtual site visits from local iwi and charitable organisations.

The Postgraduate Diploma in Youth and Community Leadership (PGDipYACL) is one of the only postgraduate programmes of its kind in Aotearoa that creates responsive leaders to youth, community, and global needs.

This Diploma will help you build leadership skills on top of your previous studies, and also supports current leaders to develop key management and entrepreneurial skills to take back into their communities.

You can study this pathway full-time for one year, or part-time for up to two years, and can start in either February or July. Depending on your course selection you can complete your Diploma completely by distance at your own location, or a blend of distance and on-campus study. (Please note that some courses might only be offered online or face-to-face.)

The Diploma is made up of a total of 120 points, including two compulsory courses and a selection of optional courses.

Compulsory courses:

Plus at least 30 points from the following options:

The remaining 30 points can be chosen from the list above, or from any postgraduate courses at UC.


BYCL Pathways

BYCL offers flexibility to align your passions and design your own pathway. The degree doesn't have majors, however there are four identified study pathways. You can also customise a programme of study from range of course options.


Find out more

Sam Andrist

 

'Take every opportunity that comes up. UC is world renowned for its communtiy responsiveness...'

Youth Work pathway

 

Hear Hilary Dutton Ngāti Tūwharetoa, kōrero about Youth Work and the BYCL Youth Work Pathway

Want to know more?

 

Find out  more about the degree and how to plan your pathway


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