Antarctic Studies
Mātai Te Pou Tonga
Qualifications
Overview
Of all places in the world, none holds the fascination and awe of Antarctica. Not only is Antarctica the highest, coldest, and most isolated continent, but it is so vast it affects the world's climate and ocean currents. If the ice sheets were to melt, as is currently predicted in many climate models, the sea would rise up to 70 metres above current levels. The Antarctic and surrounding Southern Ocean support a unique and complex system of life that survives in an environment at the extremes.
However, Antarctica has not always been the cold, isolated, polar continent it is today. In the past, it has experienced warmer climates and was linked to other continents, most notably as part of Gondwana. The fragmentation of that supercontinent shaped the southern continents as we know them today. Many of Aotearoa New Zealand's and the Southern Hemisphere's unique plants and animals had their origins in Gondwana.
- Antarctic Studies courses are coordinated by Gateway Antarctica, the Centre for Antarctic Studies and Research at Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury. Gateway Antarctica plays a leading role in the quest for knowledge in a diverse range of national and international Antarctic research projects, in areas including engineering in extreme environments; Antarctica as driver of, and responder to, climate change; connections between Antarctica and Aotearoa New Zealand; and human influences in/on Antarctica.
Participants in Antarctica Studies postgraduate qualifications are selected via a competitive process. Participants must have a degree. The competitive process attracts applicants from across a range of natural and social sciences, and from across the world.
An in-depth knowledge of Antarctic issues can form a useful part of many careers in science, politics, tourism, education, and law. There are a large number of people who visit the Antarctic every year, many of whom are scientists specialising in areas such as geology, glaciology, biology, astronomy, and environmental management.
To make their day-to-day operations run smoothly, a range of staff are employed by national Antarctic programmes – from engineers to plant technicians, finance personnel to communication managers.
Having a degree and some background knowledge in Antarctic Studies will give you a greater opportunity to visit and work in Antarctica. It provides you with information on global systems that is becoming fundamentally important in many non-Antarctic jobs such as science technicians, IT specialists, and law or policymakers. The important role the polar regions play as drivers of the world's climate will be a major consideration in many careers in the coming years.
Contact us
Te Kura Aronukurangi | School of Earth and Environment
Phone +64 3 369 0655
Email earthandenvironment@canterbury.ac.nz
Location
Level 2, Beatrice Tinsley building – see campus maps
Postal address
Te Kaupeka Pūtaiao | Faculty of Science
Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury
Private Bag 4800
Christchurch 8140
New Zealand
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