Arts schools and departments

Social and cultural anthropology is a wide-ranging discipline that studies culture, society, and how people live around the world. It's related to human geography, history, indigenous studies, linguistics, philosophy, political science, psychology, and sociology. Learn more and explore the Anthropology department at UC.

Kei ngā maunga, kei ngā moana, kei ngā awa, kei ngā mana e tau mai nei, tēnā koutou katoa! Greetings to the sacred mountains, rivers, seas and the prestigious settled here, welcome! Discover the subjects UC offers within Aotahi, the School Māori and Indigenous Studies.

UC's Department of Art History and Theory has been recognised for teaching excellence and innovation. We connect our research and teaching to create innovative, effective, enjoyable classes. Check out our Art History and Theory department.

Chinese offers UC students a language and culture stream. The language stream includes courses at all levels and a course on Business Chinese. Check out UC's Chinese programme.

Cinema Studies courses at UC explores a wide range of films and directors. We look at the era of silent film, the advent of sound to the heyday of Hollywood, international art cinema, and the globalization of film and contemporary world cinema. Check out UC's Cinema Studies department.

Covering the languages, literature, ideas, history, and art of ancient Greece and Rome, Classics is a truly wide-ranging, holistic discipline. Understanding the rich Classical past is immensely rewarding and gives students a keen lens for viewing the world today. Check out UC's Classics department.

What do social activism, New Zealand music, queer-politics, and Koko the talking gorilla have in common? You learn about them in Cultural Studies! In Cultural Studies, 'culture' is understood broadly, but with an emphasis on culture as a site of social and political struggle. Check out UC Cultural Studies.

Digital Humanities is about developing a critical understanding of digital technologies, their relationship to culture and society, and their research applications. Check out UC's Digital Humanities department.

Dive into the dynamic evolution of the digital screen industry with UC's Bachelor of Digital Screen with Honours. Explore virtual production, 3D storytelling, augmented reality, and more within our vibrant creative hub featuring world-class facilities. Join us in creating a collaborative space for film production, game development, and cross-reality technologies.

UC's English department is the oldest in the country and has a history of innovative, distinguished scholarship. We have a strong programme in the more 'traditional' areas of English, such as the study of literature (including novels, plays, short stories, and poetry) from Aotearoa and around the world. 

Are you curious about how the English language has changed over centuries? Or about how the use of English changes depending on social situations or communication mediums? Ever wondered how and why New Zealand English differs from the language spoken in other English-speaking countries?

Find out about UC's English Language department.

After China and Australia, the European Union is New Zealand's most significant bilateral partner. Students at our European and EU Studies department gain multidisciplinary, historical, contemporary, research-informed knowledge of the European Union and wider Europe. Check out UC's European and EU Studies department.

UC's Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) is a four-year degree in design, moving image, painting, photography, and sculpture. The ability to specialise in one of these five disciplines is unique in New Zealand. See what it's like to study at our Fine Arts department.

UC's long-running, popular French programme offers a major in French. We teach language, culture, and history courses. Find out what it's like to study in our French programme.

German is the first language for over a hundred million speakers and a vital tool in international trade. At UC German studies encompass language, culture, and developments that have put Germany and German-speaking countries at the centre of world affairs. See what it's like to study in our our German programme.

UC's Department of Global, Cultural and Language Studies focuses on Asian Studies, and European and European Union Studies. We collaborate with Asia and Europe and engage with business and community groups that are keen to reach out to Asia and Europe. Learn more about our Global, Cultural, and Language Studies department.

UC's History department ranks in the top 200 history departments worldwide! We offer a wide range of undergraduate courses in British, European, global, and New Zealand history. From crime and cultural history to medieval and feminist history, our students can delve into a wealth of themes. See what it's like to study at our History department.

Studying Human Services at UC involves studying human service organisations and the context they work in. It can lead to careers in education, law enforcement, health, community, and other social services.

Our department offers the only postgraduate courses in Human Services in New Zealand. Find out what it's like to study at our Human Services department.

Studying Japanese at UC offers courses that cover a broad range of subjects. These include language, literature, culture, geography, history, sociology, gender studies, film, and theatre studies at undergraduate and graduate level. Find out about UC's Japanese programme.

UC's Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism has a strong reputation for producing work-ready graduates. We maintain a close relationship with the industry and offer opportunities for work experience in digital, print, television, and radio newsrooms. Find out about our Journalism department.

Linguistics is the scientific study of language. It bridges social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences. UC's Linguistics department has close ties with the New Zealand Institute of Language, Brain and Behaviour, a thriving research hub that attracts internationally renowned scholars. Learn more about our Linguistics department.

We're here to inspire, challenge, and encourage our students who get to make the most of real-world experiences with Te Ao Māori through the Māui Lab. Find out about UC's Māori and Indigenous Studies department.

Media and Communication at UC examines the influence and impact of the media and new information technology. It shows how communication and media work in a broader social context. Studying at our Media and Communication department empowers helps you understand profound societal shifts.

UC's music department offers an exciting range of courses at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels in performance, composition, digital music, ethnomusicology, music history and research, musicianship, and music education. Find out what it's like to study at our Music department.

Pacific Studies explores navigation and settlement of the Pacific Ocean, including the first settlement of New Zealand. Postgraduate research takes part in engaging research across multiple disciplines and students get to access our Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies. Check out UC's Pacific Studies department.

If you're fascinated by ideas, like to think and explore, are curious, and want to know where in the great marketplace of the world's ideas truth might reasonably be found, you'll enjoy Philosophy. Not just an academic subject, it addresses the puzzles that arise in daily life. Find out what it's like to study at UC's Philosophy department.

If you are interested in the world around you and how to make a difference in your community, locally, nationally, or internationally, then Political Science and International Relations at UC is the course for you. 

Russian is spoken by 150 million people and is one of the six official languages of the United Nations. UC offers the only major in Russian in New Zealand. Our courses have two main components - Russian language and the culture, history, and society of Russia and the former Soviet Union. See what it's like to study in our Russian programme.

UC's newly formed School of Creative and Digital Arts contains the Fine Arts, Music and Digital Screen programmes. See what it's like to study at our School of Creative and Digital Arts.

From Art History and Cinema Studies to History and Philosophy, UC offers innovative teaching and research in a range of formative Arts disciplines. Check out our School of Humanities.

From Anthropology and Human Services to Political Science and Social Work, our dynamic courses prepare you for global workplaces. Check out UC's School of Language, Social and Political Sciences.

You can study Sociology at UC. Sociology is related to human geography, history, indigenous studies, linguistics, philosophy, political science and psychology. Sociologists investigate the structure of societies, organisations and groups. Check out UC's Sociology department.

Spanish has become a language of strategic importance to New Zealand's trading future. As well as providing classroom learning opportunities, UC works with the Spanish Ministry of Education to place our students in teaching opportunities in Spain. Check out UC's Spanish programme.

Te Reo Māori enables people to explore their identity as New Zealanders and to pass on the language of Aotearoa to others. See what you can learn at UC's Te Reo Māori department.