Youth and Community Leadership (YACL)

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:

• YACL 101 Introduction to Youth Leadership: Leading the Self
• CHCH 101 Strengthening Communities through Social Innovation
• EDUC 101 Spark! How & What People Learn
• YACL 201 Social Leadership: Leading with Others

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.

• YACL 101 Introduction to Youth Leadership: Leading the Self
• CHCH 101 Strengthening Communities through Social Innovation
• three 100-level courses chosen from Schedule E: Elective courses
• another two courses at 100-level from any bachelor’s degree at UC

Plus one of:

• EDUC 101 Spark! How & What People Learn
• EDUC 102 Child and Adolescent Development
• POLS 103 Introduction to New Zealand Politics and Policy

Year 2

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

• YACL 201 Social Leadership: Leading with Others
• EDUC 206 Education and Society: Ideals and Realities
• two 200-level courses chosen from Schedule E: Elective courses
• another three courses, with at least two at 200-level, from any bachelor’s degree at UC

Plus one of:

• CULT 202 Cultural Politics/Cultural Activism
• EDUC 204 Promoting Child and Adolescent Wellbeing and Health
• INOV 290 Enterprise in Practice (Project)

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.

• YACL 301 Civic Leadership: Leading for Change
• YACL 302 Leadership Project: Implementing Change
• EDUC 302 Researching Development: Opportunities and Risks in Adolescence or EDUC 339 Globalisation, Social Justice and Education
• 30 points of courses from the 300-level courses from Schedule E: Elective courses
• another two courses at 200-level (or above) from any bachelor’s degree at UC

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:

• 45 points chosen from these options
• 30 points chosen from these options

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.

• EDEM670 Leadership as Partnering: Moving Beyond Boundaries
• YACL 401 Youth and Community Leadership in Global Context

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:

• EDEM670 Leadership as Partnering: Moving Beyond Boundaries
• YACL 401 Youth and Community Leadership in Global Context

Plus at least 30 points from the following options:

• CFPY 602 Child and Adolescent Development: Research, Contexts and Applications (30 points)
• EDEM668 The Learning Leader (30 points)
• GEOG 401 Wellbeing, Community and Place (30 points)
• HSRV 401 Advanced Debates and Approaches in Human Services (30 points)
• HSRV 407 The Policies and Politics of Sex (30 points)
• MBAZ 602 Business Economics (15 points)
• MBUS 602 Leadership (15 points)
• POLS 442 Policy and Governance in Small States of New Zealand and the Pacific (30 points)
• POLS 444 International Human Rights (30 points)
• SOWK 612 Mana Motuhake, a Bicultural Analysis (15 points)

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