School of Physical and Chemical Sciences
Do you want a world-class Western-style Bachelor's degree, but hesitate to travel to countries that are plagued by COVID-19?
UC’s flexible Start online; finish on-campus pathway lets you start your degree ‘online’ in 2021, and then transition to study ‘on-campus’ once the New Zealand borders open up. New Zealand is one of the safest overall countries in the world, and one of the safest countries for international students to study abroad. Recently, New Zealand has been internationally praised for its successful COVID-19 elimination approach.
We have carefully selected a 1st Year course package for online study which will enable international students to continue their 2nd Year of study on-campus in the following subjects:
- Astronomy;
- Biochemistry;
- Chemistry (including, for example, Materials and Nanotechnology, Medicinal Chemistry and Environmental Chemistry, or direct entry into the 2nd Pro Year BE (Hons) in Chemical and Process Engineering);
- Physics (including, for example, Atmospheric Physics, Gravitation and Cosmology, Nanotechnology and Condensed Matter, Medical Physics).
We offer flexibility to start your studies either in Semester 1 (February 2021) or Semester 2 (July 2021).
Online Courses
For starting in Semester 1 (from February, for all majors)
For starting in Semester 2 (from July, course offerings specific to selected by you majors)
Semester 2 (starting July):
- MATH102 Mathematics (choose 'Distance' option)
- PHYS101 Engineering Physics A: Mechanics, Waves, Electromagnetism and Thermal Physics (choose 'Distance' option)
- SCIE101 Science, Society and Me (choose 'Distance' option)
- COSC131 Introduction to Programming for Engineers (choose 'Distance' option)
Summer courses (starting November):
Does this mean I can receive my degree by studying online only?
Please note that this is NOT an offering of a ‘fully online’ BSc course: we expect you to study ‘on-campus’ after the initial ‘online’ study period. This study pathway structure will save you significant amount of time while you could not enter New Zealand due to the temporary COVID-related border closure. Students will have direct access to video recordings of lectures and tutorials for each course in exactly the same way that students studying on campus do. The only major difference for students studying the same courses on-campus will be the laboratory components of the Chemistry and Physics courses, which international students will then complete upon their arrival on campus.
Why enrol into the ‘Start online; finish on-campus’ pathway?
Campus-like lab experience online
Special tutorials run by dedicated Teaching Assistants (TAs) will be offered to international students, specifically creating the opportunity for live, campus-like interactions. Each international student will have a dedicated TA ‘buddy’ for regular pastoral and academic support, with care taken to meet different time-zone issues.
Online Q&A sessions about courses
We will organize Q&A video-link sessions with international students studying at SPCS now, as well as our TAs, for international students interested in enrolling into SPCS Start online, Finish on-campus pathway. Our prospective international students will have a chance to receive uncensored answers to their questions from our students and TAs.
Earn Bachelor degree at high ranking NZ University
We have an excellent reputation as one of the top 200-500 Universities worldwide in all of the major global University ranking systems (e.g. QS, Times Higher, US News etc.). The University of Canterbury is currently ranked in 2nd place from all NZ Universities and in 244th place internationally in the roundranking.com system.
Learning from Erskine Fellows
Up to eight Erskine Fellows – i.e. leading academics from top Universities such CalTech, Cambridge, Berkeley, Oxford etc. – visit us and teach our students each year. For example, Professor Robert Grubbs (CalTech) was an Erskine Fellow at UC teaching our students when his Nobel Prize in Chemistry was announced in 2005.
Finishing degree on campus
We are very keen to attract top international talent. SPCS will offer Top Achiever Scholarships to the best international students (i.e. those who are at the top of their online class) who enrol to study on campus. Finally, the SPCS will welcome our incoming international students by organising tours to our Mt John observatory and nearby sightseeing spots.
As you can see from the above, we are going the extra mile because we want our international students to succeed in their studies and benefit from our support.
Full details of how to enrol in a Bachelor's Degree, UC's entry requirements and fees
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