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Study Abroad at UC

25 September 2023

Study Abroad is for students who want to study at UC for one or more semesters as part of their overseas degree. UC is an internationally recognised institution in Christchurch, the gateway to New Zealand's stunning South Island. Our lakes, mountains, and native forest provide a magical adventure playground. See what it's like to study with us.

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What is Study Abroad at UC?

Study Abroad is for students who wish to study at UC for one or more semesters as part of an overseas degree.

Studying at UC allows you to study at an internationally recognised institution in a city that is the gateway to the beautiful South Island in New Zealand. Our lakes, mountains, native forest, open spaces and clean air provide a magical backdrop and an outdoor adventure playground for your Study Abroad experience.

See how our Study Abroad and Exchange students have experienced New Zealand with their own photos and videos in our gallery.

Check out this video for a glimpse of UC and the South Island.

Study Abroad Prospectus

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Your 2023 and 2024 Experience Offer

As a Study Abroad student at UC, you can select your own combination of courses from across UC’s wide range of courses and subjects, provided you have the necessary background for the courses you wish to take. You can browse courses here (search by subject) to choose a combination of courses that suits you.


Entry requirements

International students may apply to enrol as a Study Abroad student for one or more semesters. Study Abroad students are required to pay a set tuition fee at UC.

You’re usually able to apply as a Study Abroad student at UC if: 

  •  You have completed at least one year of university study at a recognised university or college. Students with less than one year of university study may also be eligible in many cases, contact ucmobility@canterbury.ac.nz for advice
  • You have a grade point average (GPA) of 2.8 or higher (on a scale of 4.0), or a B average or higher

 

If you are a postgraduate student, you will need to provide evidence of your completed undergraduate degree. Please see postgraduate students for more information.

If English is not your first language, you must also meet UC’s English language requirements.

For students coming from Germany for a one or two semester Study Abroad programme, we will also accept a DAAD English test score which meets UC requirements.

Email us if you’re unsure that you meet the requirements set out above, or for any further details.

 

Select your studies

Browse Qualifications and courses or Subjects to explore your study options at UC.

You'll also need to check that the courses you propose to take are acceptable for credit at your home university.

Some UC courses run for the first semester only, some for the second semester, and others which are full year courses. You will need to check when applying that the courses you want to take are available for the semester you want to be here.

A standard workload is 60 points per semester and individual courses are worth either 15 or 30 points.

 

Choose your courses

Study Abroad students can select courses from across UC’s wide study options and are accepted provided the entry requirements for each course are met.

There are some courses which may not be available to Study Abroad students. These include Fine Arts/Studio Art courses (Graphic Design, Film, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture), Forest Biology (FORE218), 200 level LAWS courses, distance courses, clinical practice courses and some teacher education courses.

Physical Education and Sport Coaching courses may require police checks. Please contact usat ucmobility@canterbury.ac.nz to check if the Physical Education and Sport Coaching courses you wish to take require police checks.

Please note students who have been accepted into CMDS281 are required to provide a police report.

If you need to know in advance whether you are able to take a particular course, please include a course list in your Study Abroad application.

If you are a postgraduate student you must provide a complete list of courses you want to study.

Students wishing to study Civil and Natural Resource Engineering should provide a list of intended courses with their application.

If you are applying to other engineering courses it is also recommended that you provide a list of courses with your application.

Tuition fees

As a Study Abroad student, you are required to pay tuition fees to the University of Canterbury.

  • Tuition fees for one semester of undergraduate courses for 2024 are NZ$12,700 (flat fee).
  • Tuition fees for postgraduate courses are calculated on a course-by-course basis. Tuition fees for a Study Abroad programme containing postgraduate courses may therefore be higher than the undergraduate flat fee.
 
Additional costs

There are also additional costs to factor into your budget per semester. 

  • In 2023, the Student Services Levy will be depending on your course load as follows.  Information on the Levy for 2024 will be available and updated soon. 
    • 45 points per semester: NZ$372.15 per semester
    • 60 points per semester: NZ$496.20 per semester
    • 75 points per semester: NZ$620.25 per semester
  • Insurance which meets UC requirements - NZ$405 per semester in 2024 for Studentsafe - student insurance (costs vary depending on selected provider). All students are required to have medical and travel insurance which meets UC requirements.
  • Living costs may vary depending on your accommodation and lifestyle choices. You should budget for approximately NZ$1,700 per month, excluding airfares and tuition. 
 
Accommodation

Most Study Abroad students stay at Ilam Apartments on campus, which offers an accommodation package for Study Abroad students. 

Find out more about our accommodation package for study abroad students.

 

Visas

As a Study Abroad student, you must apply for and receive a student visa prior to arriving in New Zealand, even if your country of citizenship has a visa waiver agreement with New Zealand.

Find out more about visas and immigration.

 

Insurance

As a Study Abroad student it is compulsory to have medical and travel insurance, and your insurance must be valid for the duration of your stay. Please check the insurance requirements.

  • Applications for Semester One (February – June) should be received by the 15th of November
  • Applications for Semester Two (July – November) should be received by the 15th of April

 

Applications for admission after these dates will be processed, but please make sure that you allow time for all the necessary travel preparations, including applying for and receiving a student visa before you travel.

 

There is a separate online application for accommodation.

You must apply for accommodation (housing) by the following deadlines:

  • Semester One (February start) – 1st of December
  • Semester Two (July start) – 1st of May

 

The academic year in New Zealand is usually the reverse of the northern hemisphere year. The US or European first semester will normally be the dates of Semester Two at Canterbury, and the US or European second semester will be the dates of Semester One at UC. Our long summer recess runs November to February.


Applying through an outside organisation

It is also an option to apply through one of the organisations below. UC has been working with the partners listed below for many years and welcomes all students that apply through their programmes.

Whether you apply directly or through one of the following partners, you will still be considered for UC's International Mobility Inbound Study Award.

The College of Global Studies, Arcadia University
Email
 auabroad@arcadia.edu
Phone toll-free 1 866 927 2234 or (215) 572 2900
Fax (215) 572 2174

Postal address
450 South Easton Road
Glenside
PA 19038-3295
United States of America

 

College Consortium for International Studies (CCIS)
Email 
newzealand@montana.edu
Phone
 (406) 994 4031
Fax (406) 994 1619 

Postal address
Strand Union Building 183
PO Box 172260
Bozeman
MT 59717-2260
United States of America

 

Frontiers Abroad
Email max@frontiersabroad.com
Phone within the US 949 680 7850
Phone within New Zealand +64 21 463 146

Postal address
3 Harbour View Terrace
Lyttelton
Christchurch 8082
New Zealand

 

ISA
Email isa@studiesabroad.com
Phone 512 480 8522

Postal address
12020 N. Pecos Str. Suite 320
Westminster Colorado 80234 
United States of America 

 

IES Abroad-Institute for the International Education of Students
Email
 info@IESabroad.org
Phone
 (312) 944 1750
Phone Toll Free 800 995 2300
Fax (312) 944 1448

Postal address
33 W. Monroe Street 
Suite 2300 Chicago, IL 60603-5405 
United States of America 

 

The Education Abroad Network (TEAN)
Email info@teanabroad.org
Phone toll free (800) 585 9658
Phone outside of the US (312) 239 3710
Fax (312) 239 3713

Postal address
505 N LaSalle St, Suite 200
Chicago, IL 60654
United States of America 

 

Institute for Study Abroad, Butler University
Email:
 studyabroad@ifsa-butler.org
U.S. Toll Free Telephone 800-858-0229
Local/International Telephone 317-940-9336

Address
6201 Corporate Drive, Suite 200
Indianapolis, IN 46278
United States of America

College Contact GmbH
Email kundenservice@college-contact.com
Phone +49-251-14989350
Fax +49-251-14989360

Postal address
Hammer Str. 39
48153 Muenster
Germany

 

GOZealand!

Stuttgart Office
Email stuttgart@gozealand.de
Phone +49 711 284 8886

Postal address 
Jaegerstrase 53
70174 Stuttgart
Germany

 

Berlin office
Email
 berlin@gozealand.de
Phone +49 30 2787 6970

Postal address 
Gormannstrasse 14
10119 Berlin
Germany

 

Hamburg Office
Email hamburg@gozealand.de
Phone +49 40 7679 9964

Postal address
Alstertor 1
20095 Hamburg
Germany

 

Dortmund Office
Email dortmund@gozealand.de
Phone +49 231 586 2482

Postal address
Sudermannstrasse 41
44137 Dortmund
Germany

 

Cologne Office
Email koeln@gozealand.de 
Phone +49 221 975 868 70

Postal address
Office Centre Barbarossaplatz
Salierring 48
50677 Cologne

 

IEC Online Gmbh
Email
 info@ieconline.de
Phone +49 30 2045 8687
Fax +49 30 2045 8688

Postal address
Marienstraße 19/20
10117 Berlin
Germany

 

Institute Ranke-Heinemann

Berlin office
Email berlin@ranke-heinemann.de
Phone
 +49 30 2096 29593
Fax +49 30 2096 29591

Postal address 
Internationales Handelszentrum
Friedrichstrasse 95
10117 Berlin
Germany

 

Essen office
Email
 info@ranke-heinemann.de
Phone
 +49 201 8943567
Fax +49 201 267553

Postal address 
Schnutenhausstrasse 44
45136 Essen
Germany


Ready for a life-changing experience?

Study Abroad Awards

In 2023, UC is offering a number of UC International Mobility Inbound Study Abroad awards of NZD$2000 to students who are enrolled in a degree programme at a recognised institution outside of New Zealand, and who will study at the University of Canterbury for one or two semesters under UC’s Study Abroad programme.

  • Awards are open to fee-paying, non-degree international students enrolling at UC in the Study Abroad programme for a minimum of one semester. Please note that New Zealand and Australian permanent residents or citizens are not eligible for the award. Students attending UC as reciprocal exchange students or non-Study Abroad international students are also not eligible for the award.
  • To be considered for the award, you must have applied and been accepted by UC to the UC Study Abroad programme for 2023.
  • Please apply for the award by sending a statement outlining why you have chosen a Study Abroad experience in New Zealand and how the award will be beneficial to you to ucmobility@canterbury.ac.nz by 15 November 2022 if you will be attending UC in Semester 1 2023 (February semester) or by 15 April if  commencing at UC in Semester 2 2023 (July semester). You may also provide a statement of support from the Study Abroad advisor at your home university if you wish.
  • Awards will be deducted from the UC tuition fee.
Contact us

Study Abroad Student Profiles

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