University ranking
The University of Canterbury was the first NZ university to receive 5 Stars rating in 2011 by the international ranking agency QS and has maintained its 5 Stars status since then. The QS website states “A typical five-star institution is generally world-class in a broad range of areas, enjoys an excellent reputation and has cutting-edge facilities and internationally renowned research and teaching faculty.”
QS also ranked the University of Canterbury 231= in the 2018/2019 World University Rankings.
The University of Canterbury has 11 subjects ranked in the world’s top 200 (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2019). UCs subject areas are ranked as follows:
| Subject | Ranking |
| Accounting and Finance | 151-200 |
| Earth and Marine Sciences | 101-150 |
| Education | 151-200 |
| Engineering - Civil and Structural | 51-100 |
| English Language and Literature | 151-200 |
| Environmental Sciences | 151-200 |
| Geography | 101-150 |
| Law | 101-150 |
| Linguistics | 101-150 |
| Philosophy | 151-200 |
| Sociology | 151-200 |
Accredited qualifications
The University of Canterbury qualifications are accredited by a number of regulatory and professional bodies including:
| Degree | Accrediting body |
|---|---|
| Bachelor of Commerce | The BCom Accounting Major is accredited by Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ), CPA Australia (Certified Practising Accountants), and Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). |
| Bachelor of Engineering with Honours | Engineering New Zealand |
| Bachelor of Laws | NZ Law Society |
| Bachelor of Social Work / Masters of Social Work | Social Workers Registration Board |
| Bachelor of Speech and Language Pathology (Honours) | New Zealand Speech-Language Therapists’ Association |
| PG DipClinPsych / PGDipFamPsych | NZ College of Clinical Psychologists |
|
Bachelor of Teaching and Learning (Early Childhood) |
Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand |
| Bachelor of Teaching and Learning (Primary) | Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand |
| Graduate Diploma in Early Childhood Teaching | Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand |
| Graduate Diploma in Teaching and Learning (Primary) | Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand |
| Graduate Diploma in Teaching and Learning (Secondary) | Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand |
| Master of Teaching and Learning | Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand |
| Postgraduate Diploma in Child and Family Psychology | New Zealand Psychologists Board |
| Master of Counselling | New Zealand Association of Counsellors |
| Master of Audiology | NZ Audiological Society |
| Master of Professional Accounting | Acccredited by CAANZ, CPA Australia, ACCA |
| Master of Business Administration (MBA) | Association of MBAs |
| Master of Science in Medical Physics | The Australasian College of Physical Scientists & Engineers in Medicine |
| Master of Speech and Language Pathology | New Zealand Speech-Language Therapists’ Association |
| UC Business School | Association for the Advancement of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB –International). This accreditation applies to ALL degree programmes offered by the School |
The University is also subject to regular review by the Academic Quality Agency of Universities NZ to enure that appropriate academic standards are maintained.