Ara Institute of Canterbury

About us

Location Christchurch, New Zealand Funding Type Public
No of Students 25000 Establishment HE Institution / College
Founded In 2016 Estimated Cost of Living 20000 NZD
Address 130 Madras Street, Christchurch

Ara Institute of Canterbury is a vibrant, progressive, government-funded institute providing world-class, tertiary-level education.

Our objective is to empower students to build better worlds. We want every Ara student to be equipped for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, and we achieve this by providing relevant courses, taught by inspirational mentors in real-life learning environments.

Our talented staff, innovative industry partners and supportive community play a significant role in contributing to this outcome. Collectively, we're committed to ensuring that every student has the industry-relevant knowledge, skills and experience they need to get the job they want and to excel in it.

Our learning models and course content continually evolve to respond to industry and regional needs. To ensure our students have real-world experience and graduate work-ready, we offer an ever-expanding array of workplace training opportunities, internships, apprenticeships and partnerships with industry. And to meet the demand for flexible study options, we offer an increasing range of online, blended delivery and part-time programmes.

These measures, combined with a low student-to-tutor ratio and comprehensive support services, ensure our students thrive in an inclusive, nurturing, flexible and technology-enhanced study environment where meaningful learning experiences are the norm.

And it means that when they head out into the world, our graduates are equipped with internationally-relevant qualifications, valuable industry connections and skills that will enable them to contribute to a fast-changing world.

Why?

Ara is one of the largest institutes of technology in New Zealand with five campuses and a choice of more than 150 qualifications including degrees and graduate diplomas.

At Ara we specialise in education for employment; when you study with us you'll gain skills, knowledge and practical experience, and you'll graduate work-ready with a globally recognised qualification.

Our tutors have years of professional experience and extensive industry connections. Most of our programmes include work-integrated learning (up to 1400 hours for some qualifications) and our course completion rate is among the highest in New Zealand.

Our classes are small so you'll get to know your tutors and classmates well. Our staff are committed to your success and we offer a comprehensive range of accessible student support services.

Wherever in the world, you come from, you will be welcomed into our inclusive community made up of staff and students from more than 50 countries. You'll also have many opportunities to enjoy free time in a safe, friendly region close to beautiful scenery and adventure pursuits.