Postgraduate Diploma in Youth and Community Leadership
- Degree Structure - Start In
- Semester 1 or 2 (February or July)
120
Overview
Postgraduate Diploma in Youth and Community Leadership
Introduction
The Postgraduate Diploma in Youth and Community Leadership (PGDipYACL) is one of the only postgraduate programmes of its kind in Aotearoa that creates responsive leaders to youth, community, and global needs.
This Diploma will help you build leadership skills on top of your previous studies, and also supports current leaders to develop key management and entrepreneurial skills to take back into their communities.
Postgraduate Diploma in Youth and Community Leadership
Entry requirements
Note:
The PGDipYACL is currently not open to new enrolments.
You will need to have completed an Aotearoa New Zealand bachelor's degree or a graduate diploma with an average B Grade Point Average or better, or have other approved qualifications of an equivalent standard.
One or more courses in this degree may also require vaccinations. Check each course page for more details.
If English is not your first language, you are also required to meet UC's English language requirements. If you need help meeting these requirements, or would like to practise your English skills before studying, UC offers English for Academic Purposes (EAP) language programmes.
For the full entry requirements, see the Regulations for the Postgraduate Diploma in Youth and Community Leadership or use the admission requirements checker.
How to apply
You can apply online at myUC.
See Admission and enrolment for all information on enrolling at UC.
Postgraduate Diploma in Youth and Community Leadership
How do I plan my diploma?
The Postgraduate Diploma in Youth and Community Leadership is made up of a total of 120 points, including two compulsory courses and a selection of elective courses.
The Diploma is available to study completely by distance at your own location, or a blend of distance and on-campus study.
It will take 1 year full-time to complete, or part-time for up to 2 years, and can be started in either February or July.
You may also choose to transfer any completed courses to the smaller Postgraduate Certificate in Youth and Community Leadership programme during study.
For full requirements, see the Regulations for the Postgraduate Diploma in Youth and Community Leadership.
Postgraduate Diploma in Youth and Community Leadership
Subjects and courses
Coursework includes collaborative learning, practical applications, and virtual site visits from local iwi and charitable organisations. You can also customise your Diploma to an area of your choosing, so you can work towards a career path that interests you.
All students complete these compulsory courses:
- EDME470 Leadership as Partnering: Moving Beyond Boundaries
- YACL401 Youth and Community Leadership in Global Contexts
Plus choose at least 30 points from the following elective courses.
The remaining 30 points can also be chosen from the elective courses list, or from any postgraduate courses at UC.
Domestic
2025 tuition fee estimate: $8,675 (120 points)
2026 tuition fee estimate: $9,196 (120 points)
International
2024 tuition fee estimate: $35,400 (120 points)
2025 tuition fee estimate: $36,800 (120 points)
2026 tuition fee estimate: $38,200 (120 points)
Postgraduate Diploma in Youth and Community Leadership
Further study
You may go onto UC's leadership-focused degrees:
- Master of Education in Leadership
- Master of Māori and Indigenous Leadership
UC also offers a range of master's programmes that can take your leadership skills further and change your career direction, for example in Business Administration, Social Work, Policy and Governance, and more.
Postgraduate Diploma in Youth and Community Leadership
Career opportunities
Everything from business to social movements have need for leaders that can engage and give voice to global issues.
UC's programme will develop you into a leader who can raise awareness and action real change, and our focus on our bicultural nation will make your skills unique in Aotearoa and the global market.
Some career pathways could include:
- Youth or social work
- Activism
- Public policy and civic service.
Useful information:
- Read what other UC postgraduate students have gone on to achieve in their studies and careers in our student stories.
- Te Rōpū Rapuara | UC Careers can help you to achieve the career you want, connect with employers, or find a job.
- For research into career destinations by qualification, visit Te Pōkai Tara | Universities New Zealand website.
- Find out more about what can you do with a degree from UC.
- Come along to an upcoming information event for prospective postgraduate students.
