Established in 1873, University of Canterbury (UC) is New Zealand’s second oldest university. Over the course of more than a century and a half, UC has produced graduates who have grown to become world leaders in their fields.
UC is committed to nurturing budding innovators and entrepreneurs. At UC, education extends far beyond the classroom, providing students with a truly holistic learning experience. Students will relish the opportunity to practically apply the theoretical concepts they learn in state-of-the-art classrooms and laboratories and hone their skills in analysis, research, writing, and presentation in real-world contexts with an internship.
UC's faculty includes a number of field leading academics and renowned international professors, lecturers, and business, government, and community leaders who are acknowledged experts their fields. Faculty and staff are actively involved in research and publishing in their respective areas of expertise. Visiting professors and lecturers may also hail from top universities around the world, such as Oxford or Cambridge.
Outside of the classroom, UC boasts one of the best club cultures of any university in New Zealand. More than 150 clubs and societies offer numerous avenues for students to explore, from academic and cultural to sport, food, gaming, and more. UC’s lush campus in Christchurch, located only a short distance from the city centre, provides a connected student community with easy access to the heart of the city and a wide range of leisure activities, including dining out, or visiting museums, galleries, and markets. The city’s unique location between the mountains and the ocean also allows students the option of bountiful outdoor activities such as hiking, mountain biking, skiing, surfing, and much more.
2024 401
2023 401
2022 401
2025 261 5
2024 256 28
2023 284
2024 501 100
2023 601 100
2022 501
UC is committed to training its students to be ready for work when they graduate. 95 per cent of UC graduates in 2023 were either employed or involved in further study.
In addition to its graduate profile, which highlights the interpersonal skills students need to be ready for the workplace, UC offers a dedicated careers team.
UC Careers staff are experienced and professionally qualified career consultants, as well as specialists in student and graduate recruitment. UC Careers help students develop their career management competencies to improve their employability, as well as become resilient career managers.
The team works directly with academic departments and students, individually and in groups, to deliver career support. The services provided by UC Careers include:
Career education seminars, tools and resources
Interview preparation
Cover letter and CV development
Career Hub services
Career counselling
Job search strategies
Employer contact/networking
Graduate and student recruitment activities
Careers fairs, events, as well as employer presentations
There is always something exciting happening at UC. From improving soil with forestry to archaeological discoveries in the subantarctic islands, students and visitors can read the latest UC News to find out how the university’s research is changing lives.
UC study finds airborne microplastics directly impact climate change
New Zealand scientists have discovered that microplastics in rivers, oceans, and on land are also present in the air that people breathe. Local scientists believe that airborne microplastic pollution is likely to have a direct bearing on climate change.
UC celebrates exclusive with Wallace and Gromit creators
In a move which carries the potential to redefine the animation landscape in New Zealand, UC have concluded a multi-year agreement with the training arm of Academy Award-winning Aardman Animations.
Building knowledge to reduce deaths from respiratory illnesses
UC Engineering PhD students have created a tool, known as BOB, to help prevent the third leading cause of death in New Zealand.
18,57,562 Undergraduate Fees are for indicative purposes, check with institution for details
18,02,452 Postgraduate Fees are for indicative purposes, check with institution for details
5,23,428 Living costs
6,20,263 To live on campus
UC offers international first-year undergraduate scholarships to top-achieving international students. The website contains the details of various scholarships available.
This award is for students who are already undertaking a course of study at an overseas university and seek to study at UC as a non-degree student for one or two semesters on the university’s study abroad programme.
UC Doctoral Scholarships
UC offers a diverse range of scholarships to support international students for study towards their research doctoral degree. The UC Doctoral Scholarship is offered up to NZD 28,000 per 120 points of thesis enrolment and tuition fees for thesis enrolment only, at the domestic tuition fee rate.
Students can visit the university’s website for a full list of scholarships, including those for master’s and doctoral study.
UC is committed to contributing to SDG 4 – Quality Education, ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education while promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.
UC experts teach a multitude of subjects and many of its researchers are leaders in their field. They are vetted for quality, internally and externally, to ensure that the university delivers the best learning experience possible.
Accessible, flexible, future-focused education is a core component of this commitment, which enables UC to develop and offer unique, innovative courses like the four-year Bachelor of Digital Screen with Honours, designed to educate and develop the talent needed to future-proof the global digital screen industries, and Product Design, which brings together cutting-edge elements of design, business, science, and engineering.
UC currently ranks in the top 300 globally in the QS World Universities rankings, 2025, and features among the top 50 in the world for its commitment to five of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals in the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings 2024. UC has also been awarded a 5-star ranking by the QS World University Rankings for its internationally renowned teaching and research.
UC operates an extensive network of field stations in New Zealand and as far away as Nigeria. These facilities enable UC to offer field research opportunities that no other New Zealand university can match. The university’s Erskine Programme is the largest academic mobility programme in Australasia and attracts up to 90 international senior academic lecturers through its unique-to-UC fellowships every year.
Being part of a strong global network ensures that students have numerous opportunities to gain global experience while at UC, including spending a semester abroad as part of a student exchange programme or participating in an international short course.
UC is made up of seven faculties, each housing a number of schools, departments and research centres. The seven faculties are:
The Faculty of Arts comprises the School of Humanities, School of Language, Social and Political Science, Aotahi School of Māori and Indigenous Studies, and the School of Creative and Digital Arts. Students can earn degrees in more than forty disciplines.
UC Business School offers students a wide range of qualifications that prepare them for life in the dynamic and fast-paced business world.
The Faculty of Education strives to equip students to make a positive impact on the lives of children, adults, and their communities.
The Faculty of Engineering offers a mix of traditional disciplines and new subjects like product design. An engineering degree from UC is recognised all over the globe, thereby opening up attractive employment prospects. The faculty’s postgraduate specialist qualifications are designed to meet the demands of industry.
The Faculty of Health is committed to improving the health of and effecting meaningful change in people’s lives – locally, nationally, and internationally.
The Faculty of Law is one of New Zealand’s leading law schools and offers students a nice blend of academic rigour alongside the development of essential legal skills.
The Faculty of Science offers numerous qualifications in a wide range of sciences at all levels of study.
UC Security officers are available on campus 24 hours a day, seven days a week, assisting and supporting students and staff. All UC Security staff are trained in first aid and the use of the university’s defibrillator in case of cardiac arrest. Officers patrol on foot and by vehicle.
UC’s security team are approachable, knowledgeable about the campus, and happy to help any students and staff needing assistance.
There are 13 help towers located across campus to provide information at any time and immediate assistance in the event of an emergency.
Building access is managed to provide protection to the university community and property while continuing to assist in the provision of an open, safe, comfortable, and efficiently run environment that contributes towards meeting the teaching and research objectives of the university.
Already registered?
Not registered yet?