Distance STAR courses

ANTH108 Witchcraft, Magic and The Dead

This course aims to challenge taken-for-granted assumptions about witchcraft, magic and the dead, as well as introducing students to key anthropological concerns such as ritual, symbolism and religion.

Semester: S1
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

ARTS102 Problems, Questions, Evidence

To answer many of the world’s most challenging questions e.g. those related to healthcare, social justice, poverty, climate change, and how we deal with global pandemics we need to understand evidence. This can come in various forms text, images, numbers. Evidence can be a driver for major decision making, help us to gain insight and form connections between issues, and reveal patterns and trends that would otherwise be hidden from us. How do we confidently assess evidence like this? Our decision-making is very often based on the numbers that shape the world we live in. In this course we will explore how to think quantitatively and qualitatively about the evidence behind the world’s ‘wicked problems’, and our ideals now and in the past. Subjects touched on will include public health crises, gender and ethnicity biases in the media, the representation of minority groups in the criminal justice system, and symmetry and patterns in art, literature, and other forms of human expression. The skills you will learn--of evaluating the evidence behind big issues and ideals of the day, and being able to communicate those issues to others--will be of value no matter what your course of study or future walk of life.

Semester: S1, S2
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

CHCH101 Strengthening Communities through Social Innovation

CHCH101 offers anyone interested in active citizenship, community engagement, and social innovation with the opportunity to combine academic content with volunteering and critical reflection. Through this innovative design and delivery, this course serves as a cornerstone experience for further study in these topics across a wide range of disciplines.

Semester: S1
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

CHIN151 Chinese Language 1-A

A beginner's level course, focusing on the four basic language skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening, designed for students with little or no previous knowledge of the Chinese language.

Semester: S1
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

CHIN152 Chinese Language 1-B

Following CHIN151 and still focusing on the four basic language skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening, this course teaches how to conduct simple conversations, and read and write simple texts in Chinese at an elementary level, with an adequate cultural understanding of China.

Students should complete CHIN151 or a placement test first.

Semester: S2
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

CHIN251 Chinese Language 2-A

This course, following CHIN152 and still focusing on the four basic language skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening, is a Chinese language course teaching how to conduct daily and social conversations, and to read and write texts in Chinese at an early intermediate level, with an adequate cultural understanding of China.

Students should complete CHIN152 or a placement test first.

Semester: S1
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

CHIN252 Chinese Language 2-B

This course, following CHIN251 and still focusing on the four basic language skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening, is a Chinese language course, teaching how to communicate Chinese in social and semi-formal situations at an intermediate level, with an adequate cultural understanding of China.

Students should complete CHIN251 or a placement test first.

Semester: S2
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

CLAS120 People, Places and Histories of the Graeco-Roman World

In this course we will survey events in antiquity from Homer through to the Roman Emperor Constantine. On the way we will explore the world of fifth century Athens, gaining an insight into the society that established democracy and move on to appreciate Alexander's campaigns and the formation of the Hellenistic kingdoms after his death. We will also turn to the west of the Mediterranean Sea and investigate the development of Rome from a small town to the capital of a large Empire, its constitutional transformations and the social impact of those changes on people's sense of place and identity.

Semester: S1
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

CLAS122 Myth, Power and Identity in the Graeco-Roman World

In this course students will consider how the Greeks and the Romans thought of themselves and others in their mythology and social power structures. Students will gain an understanding of ancient cosmic world-views, gender issues, colonisation and identity in Archaic and Classical Greece and Augustan Rome, and the relevance of such ideas now. Students will read, analyse and interpret ancient literary texts (selections from epic, tragedy, etc.) and material culture (art and architecture) that depict Greek and Roman myths as well as expressing ancient political and social views.

Semester: S2
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

CLAS145 Beginners' Latin

An introduction to Latin grammar and to reading Latin, following on from CLAS151.

Students should complete CLAS151 or equivalent preparation approved by the Head of School first.

Semester: S2
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

CLAS151 Greek and Latin for Absolute Beginners

This course introduces Greek, Latin grammar to students by way of English grammar. At the end of the course students will understand the most important basic grammatical concepts in Greek and Latin and will have a working vocabulary of about 75 words in each language. They will be prepared to continue more intensive study in Greek and/or Latin.

Semester: S1
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

COMS101 Media and Society

COMS101 explores the relationship between society and media - including social media, print, broadcasting, and all kinds of online spaces. It asks how our understandings of the world and people around us are mediated, how media have shaped society, and how society is reflected and produced through media. We will explore topics like media audiences, technologies, ownership and work; the frames of representation, power, and identity; and analytical tools like semiotics, discourse, and narrative. COMS101 is a stage one course that does not require any prior media study, but it builds on everything you have ever watched, listened to, interacted with, and produced. It includes weekly written exercises to develop core university skills and learn effectively from the teaching staff and from each other.

Semester: S1
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

COMS102 Introduction to News and Journalism

This course provides students with an understanding of how news journalism works and why it looks the way it does. The course includes practical work designed to help students understand news practice from the inside and outside. The focus will be on Aotearoa New Zealand cases and particularly on the representation of te ao Māori in the news.

Semester: S2
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

COMS104 Introduction to Strategic Communication

This course examines the role of strategic communication in society as an economic and political force. Strategic communication attempts to persuade and argue for a particular position that one is advocating for - whether that be on behalf of a business, a governmental policy, or a social cause. Obvious examples from within media are public relations and advertising, however, this course will examine how sponsored messaging has affected social institutions, from education to politics to media to health to philanthropy. The second half of the course is focused on building the skills necessary to create effective strategic messages.

Semester: S2
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

EURA101 Global EUrope

What is the European Union? How important is it in Global Affairs? Why is the EU expanding? What lead to the BREXIT vote and what influence will it have? Through the use of traditional and online teaching methods, this course introduces students to the identity, structure and function of the EU, its key challenges and its role and impact on the world, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region.

Semester: S1
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

GRMN151 Elementary German Language A

German language course for beginners, i.e. students with no knowledge of German, based on the communicative approach.

Semester: S1
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

GRMN152 Elementary German Language B

A German language course that follows on from GRMN 151, based on the communicative approach.

Students should have completed GRMN151 first or 20 credits German at NCEA Level 2 or by placement test.

Semester: S2
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

HSRV103 Violence in Society

This course will introduce students to the contemporary issue of violence in society and its impact on the community. A broad overview will be provided of five main areas of violence: child protection; family violence; youth violence; institutional and cultural violence; and, crime and deviance.

This course covers some sensitive topics.

Semester: S2
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

HSRV104 Youth Realities

The course introduces students to the diverse realities of ‘youth’ with a focus on multiple contexts. Students explore the concept of youth and the cultural, historical, political and economic contexts in which young people live and the decisions that they make. We critically consider the issues that place young people outside the margins of dominant society, and the responses, models and theoretical frameworks used in youth studies.

This course covers some sensitive topics.
Students who have completed SOWK104 should not enrol in this course.

Semester: S1
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

LING101 How Language Works

This course introduces students to the study of the English language, its words, sounds and sentences. It also introduces the conceptual and analytical tools which linguists use to understand how languages are constructed.

Semester: S1
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

LING102 Language and Society in New Zealand and Beyond

What do babies know about language when they're born? And how do our experiences as we get older affect both how we use language and what we think about other people's language behaviour? Why, for example, do people think some languages, or some dialects, are 'better' than others? And is there any truth behind such beliefs? In this course we consider a range of research from the field of linguistics that addresses these and other questions. The role of language experience will emerge as a recurrent theme: the experience that the infant has with a particular language; how our early experience with language affects how we speak and how we listen, and how our beliefs about language are created and maintained in connection to other experiences in our social lives.

Semester: S2
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

MAOR107 Te Ara o Tawhaki: Māori Thought, Beliefs and Practices

This course provides an introduction to Māori knowledges and metaphysics through a study of topics such as voyaging, art and aesthetics, warfare, conflict and peace. We also look at how approaches to Māori knowledges and their impacts are critiqued.

Students should have NCEA Level 2 Literacy, either English or Te Reo Māori and Te Reo Rangatira. 
Students younger than 16 years of age must have Head of School approval first to enrol in this course. Students with Te Reo Rangatira NCEA credits need to meet with the Head of School to assess appropriate level of entry.

Semester: S1
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

MAOR108 Te Patu a Maui: The Treaty of Waitangi - facing and overcoming colonisation

Through focus on the themes of Power, Property and Citizenship, this course examines the historical realities of the Treaty, enabling an understanding of the modern colonial nation state and its processes with respect to Indigenous peoples. The course examines Māori responses, engagement with, and resistance to the colonial project leading to a critical understanding of colonialism.

Students should have NCEA Level 2 Literacy, either English or Te Reo Māori and Te Reo Rangatira.
Students younger than 16 years of age must have Head of School approval first to enrol in this course. Students with Te Reo Rangatira NCEA credits need to meet with the Head of School to assess appropriate level of entry.

Semester: S2
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

PHIL110 Science: Good, Bad, and Bogus

This course is a critical thinker's toolkit. It will teach you 20 principles you can use to tell science from pseudo-science, truth from falsehood, logic from rhetoric, sound reasoning from wishful thinking, effective medicine from quackery, and good evidence from lies, fraud and fakery. The critical thinking skills you learn in this course will be vital if you go on to do more philosophy. They are also readily applicable to other disciplines, and should help you steer clear of scam-artists, charlatans, confidence-tricksters and get-rich-quick-schemes in the world outside of academia. Topics covered include the fallibility of the senses, the fallibility of memory, the placebo effect, the tricks of the cold reader’s trade, confirmation bias, the Barnum effect, relativism, mind viruses, the basics of logic, formal and informal fallacies, and the scientific evaluation of competing hypotheses.

Semester: S1
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

PHIL139 Ethics, Politics and Justice

How we should live our lives is the most important question of all. What makes our actions right or wrong? Is it our culture, our emotions, facts about the world, or God's commands? Are pleasure and happiness all that really matters? What should we do when justice and freedom conflict with happiness or with each other? Should we always obey the law? Is taxation legalised theft? This course introduces students to moral and political philosophy by examining ideas and arguments about how we should live our personal, social and political lives.

Semester: S2
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

POLS102 Politics: An Introduction

This course introduces the basic tools and techniques used in political science, including research techniques, formulation of hypotheses, and methods of analysis. It also introduces students to a selection of key theories and frameworks. The course covers topics such as nationalism and ethnicity, democracy, authoritarianism, people's power, conflict, globalisation, and the future of global politics. This course will be of great benefit to Political Science majors of all levels and to students who desire a broad-based introduction to the field.

Semester: S1
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

POLS104 Introduction to International Relations

This course provides a broad introduction to the core issues and theories related to the study of international relations. Students will be introduced to the discipline through a study of key historical events, prominent theories of international relations, and a variety of practical examples.

Semester: S2
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

PSYC105 Introductory Psychology - Brain, Behaviour and Cognition

Psychology is a diverse and thriving science devoted to understanding behaviour and the human mind. In PSYC105 you will receive an introduction to the following areas: positive psychology; wellbeing; visual perception; research methods; learning and behaviour change; forensic psychology; neuropsychology; drugs and behaviour; memory and cognition; and health psychology.

Semester: S1
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

PSYC106 Introductory Psychology - Social, Personality and Developmental

Psychology is a diverse and thriving science devoted to understanding behaviour and the human mind. In PSYC106 you will receive an introduction to five major domains: personality, abnormal, social, developmental, and organisational psychology. You will also learn about the different research methods used in each of these domains.

Semester: S2
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

RUSS130 Elementary Russian Language A

Russian language course for absolute beginners, i.e. students with no knowledge of Russian, based on the communicative approach.

Semester: S1
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

RUSS131 Elementary Russian Language B

A Russian language course that follows on from RUSS130, based on the coummunicative approach.

Students should complete RUSS130 first.

Semester: S2
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

SOWK101 Introduction to Social Policy

An introduction to the provision of welfare in New Zealand, providing students with the opportunity to examine socio-cultural, economic and political factors that have influenced current welfare policies, practice and services. The course addresses basic organising concepts of welfare, using historical and contemporary case studies. Students will be introduced to tools and frameworks that will enable them to develop research skills and critical thinking. Using current case studies of service delivery presented by guest practitioners, contemporary research practices, social worlds/issues and welfare services/responses are analysed.

Semester: S2
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

SOWK102 Social Services in Aotearoa

A course that introduces the history, and contemporary organisation, and functions of the social services industry in New Zealand society. Particular emphasis is placed on the development of students’ capacities to understand and critically analyse the impact of service delivery on diverse populations.

Students who have completed HSRV102 should not enrol in this course.

Semester: S1
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

SOWK104 Youth Realities

The course introduces students to the diverse realities of ‘youth’ with a focus on multiple contexts. Students explore the concept of youth and the cultural, historical, political and economic contexts in which young people live and the decisions that they make. We critically consider the issues that place young people outside the margins of dominant society, and the responses, models and theoretical frameworks used in youth studies.

This course covers some senstive topics.
Students who have completed HSRV104 should not enrol in this course.

Semester: S1
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

WRIT101 Writing for Academic Success

Writing for Academic Success fosters the capacity for analytical thought about texts and language. The course also provides training in the writing of clear and effective prose, inculcates awareness of crucial structural and rhetorical features of expository writing, and encourages the application of that awareness to writing in a range of academic and professional contexts.

Students who have completed ENGL117 should not enrol in this course.

Semester: S1, S2
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

ECON199 Introduction to Microeconomics

Scarcity, exchange and trade. Market analysis and policy. Consumer choice theory. Theory of the firm. Imperfect competition. Externalities and public goods. (ECON199 is offered under the STAR programme for secondary school students. Secondary School students only may enrol in this course.)

Students who have completed ECON104 should not enrol in this course.
Course starts 19 February and ends 24 November. 

Semester: X (Whole Year)
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

EDUC101 Spark! The Art & Science of Learning

In this course, we address how people learn as well as the social, political, and global contexts in which learning takes place. Together, we walk through the art and science of learning, including contemporary debates and discussions in anthropology, history, philosophy, sociology, and psychology. Through questions, we view learning from diverse perspectives to understand learning in Aotearoa New Zealand and elsewhere around the world. Course assessments are designed in a way that links theories of learning to any academic discipline or subject area while also giving you the opportunity to apply your knowledge in a meaningful, purposeful, and unique way.

Semester: S2
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

EDUC102 Child and Adolescent Development

This course establishes a foundation in theory, concepts, processes and factual knowledge of infant, child, and adolescent development within the context of family, school, and community. Students will acquire an understanding of the developmental processes that take place within and across physical, cognitive, emotional, and social domains, and their associations with developmental outcomes.

Semester: S2
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

EDUC103 Education, Culture and Society

This course provides an introduction to foundational theories, concepts and processes in the study of education. The course explores theories about power, justice and fairness in society, with a particular focus on how they relate to education. It also examines what part factors such as class, genders and sexualities, disability, and race may play in maintaining unequal forms of education. An important feature of the course will be analysing the role played by education in the development of colonial relations between Māori and Pakeha, and how that continues to shape contemporary New Zealand society.

Semester: S1
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

YACL101 Introduction to Youth Leadership: Leading the Self

What is the role of 'the self' in youth and community leadership? What are the personal dispositions required for youth and community leadership and how might these be nurtured within, for and by the self, and/or by others? In this course, students will explore self-leadership from contemporary psychological, philosophical, cultural, and/or any other theoretical perspective/s relevant to their situation and to contemporary Aotearoa. Kaupapa Māori approaches will be explored, as part of which students will be required to have experienced a stay on the noho marae (or alternative).

Semester: S1
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

YACL102 Introduction to Professional Youth Work in Aotearoa

In this course, you will be introduced to and learn about the professional practice of youth work in Aotearoa. You will learn about the context within which youth work in Aotearoa operates, its history and current structures. The course will help you understand the principles of the sector and explicitly acknowledges the diversity and mana of young people. In this course, you will examine how young people build and sustain quality relationships and connect to the social, physical and digital world, demonstrating knowledge of hononga and whanaungatanga. We will investigate the legal and ethical requirements for the care of young people in Aotearoa in the context of holistic wellbeing, responsibility and reciprocity. You will be introduced to frameworks that are used in the youth work sector to facilitate manaakitanga, youth participation and whai wahitanga, recognising young people as valued contributors to society. This course has been designed in cooperation with Ara Taiohi and Korowai Tupu and strongly reflects the Mana Taiohi principles that underpin professional youth work practice in Aotearoa. We will implement the participatory approach, common in the sector, to co-construct our understanding of youth identities and youth work practice. This course will lay the foundation for your journey towards becoming a professional youth worker and will equip you to connect the knowledge and concepts you will encounter in other courses into your developing professional identity.

Semester: S2
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

MATH199 AIMS - Advancing in Mathematical Sciences

MATH199 is a course in calculus and linear algebra. This STAR course is designed for bright secondary school students who have excelled in level 3 NCEA Mathematics (or equivalent) and wish to take level 100 mathematics while still at school.

Applications will be assessed by Head of School or nominee before students can enrol in MATH199. Recommended preparation is about 20 credits of Mathematics with a good proportion of excellences at NCEA Level 3, or the equivalent for students not doing a full NCEA programme. Enrolments will be considered if students’ Level 2 calculus results are excellent and they take year 13 calculus concurrently with MATH199. This course has an introductory session in the week before the course starts: Thursday 15 February 4.15pm - 5.30pm.

Semester: W (Whole Year)
Points: 30
STAR Course Fee: $1,194 (tuition fees for MATH199 are covered by the Faculty of Engineering. Schools will not be invoiced for MATH199)

MATH120 Discrete Mathematics

Discrete mathematics is that part of mathematics not involving limit processes. It includes logic, the integers, finite structures, sets and networks.

Semester: S2
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

HLTH101 Introduction to Health Studies

Social, economic, cultural, environmental and psychological factors affect the health of people living in Aotearoa New Zealand. In this course, students develop strategies for gathering information about causes of ill health, investigate effects of ill health, and evaluate the effectiveness of health-related policies and interventions. During the second part of the course expert guest lecturers introduce their research on mental well-being, adolescent health, and problematic substance use. Students use local and international research to investigate a health problem and present that research in a well-structured, well-referenced report.

Semester: S1
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

HLTH102 Health Promotion

This course will provide an understanding of the broad range of ways in which the health of populations or societies can be promoted. Through personal reflection and synthesis of course material, students will deepen their understanding of key health concepts. Students will learn to design health promotion approaches that aligns with epidemiological and life-course evidence.

Semester: S2
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

HLTH106 Te Wero - Māori Health Issues and Opportunities

This course introduces students to a selection of historical and contemporary Māori health content within a Treaty of Waitangi framework, to support robust analyses of Māori population health issues. Exploring what Māori health was and is, students will be challenged to consider the promise of Māori health and its significance for current and future Aotearoa New Zealand.

Semester: S1
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

SPCO101 Introduction to Sport Coaching

This course introduces students to the contemporary practice of coaching and recent developments in research and practice in the field. It encourages open attitudes to innovations in coaching and the need for informed reflective practice. Students are encouraged to reflect upon their existing beliefs about coaching and how they dispose them toward recent developments in the field and the growing influence of research on practice. Students will gain knowledge and understanding about relevant aspects of human development and pedagogy with a focus on how to coach for learning rather than what to coach. They will be exposed to the idea of a spectrum of coaching styles from direct instruction to problem solving approaches and how the particular sporting context and sport affects decisions about which approach to take. It involves reflecting upon first hand experience as learners and coaches informed by relevant literature.

Semester: S1
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

SPCO103 Sport Psychology

This course introduces students to the relationship between sport and psychology. Basic sport pscyhology theories, methods, and findings are examined in terms of their implications for athletes, coaches, and the sporting environment, and fundamental principles for developing performance, participation, and enjoyment in sport are evaluated.

Semester: S2
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

SPCO104 Anatomy and Physiology

In this course, students will explore the human body’s structure and functions, and how systems interact and adapt to exercise.

Semester: S2
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

SPCO105 Sport, History and Society

An introduction to the history and philosophy of physical education, physical activity and sport, critiquing the development of movement culture with particular reference to New Zealand sport development and physical education. In order to understand the nature and purpose of contemporary movement contexts, this course provides historical and philosophical frameworks.

Semester: S1
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

SPCO107 Sport Nutrition

This course provides an understanding of nutritional principles for healthy living and maintaining and improving sporting performance. The course will identify recommended nutritional practices for various populations including athletes, recreational exercisers, and groups with specific nutritional needs. The use of nutritional supplements in sporting performance will also be examined.

Semester: S2
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

SPRT108 Sport Business and Governance

The sport industry has undergone significant change over recent decades. We have seen a transformation of sport from a community driven past-time to a professional business sector dependent on funding or self-sufficient through profit making, while often still reliant on volunteers. This course investigates governance of sports organisations through a variety of contexts. This includes a focus on board leadership, motivations and structures, including a focus on addressing Māori and Pasifika health and well-being goals and outcomes as a strategic priority for sports organisations. There is a particular focus on Sport NZ’s development and use of Te Pake o Ihi Aotearoa Maori Outcomes Framework and Ara Taiohi’s Mana Taiohi framework. This course focuses on community engagement through the use of marketing communications to create strong connection, action and support.

Semester: S2
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

CRJU101 Introduction to Criminal Justice

The structure of the Criminal Justice system and the role of government agencies: Investigative and prosecutorial agencies such as Police, Fisheries, Customs, Serious Fraud Office, Crown prosecutors (includes ESR); the criminal courts (High, District and Youth Courts) jurisdiction and roles; Corrections and related activities (includes Probation, fines enforcement, community service etc); CYPS.

Semester: S1
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597

ASTR109 The Cosmos: Birth and Evolution

In this "astronomy for poets" course, we take a grand tour of the universe! We will explore how our societies connect to our place in the cosmos, build your own personal awareness of how the Earth and sky relate, and gain an understanding of astronomy, astrophysics and planetary science, beginning with our Solar System and expanding outward to visit exotic stars, remote planets, and distant galaxies. During the journey we will learn about the ways we build this understanding, from voyaging Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa | the Pacific to mapping the structure and origin of the Universe itself. Suitable for inclusion in any course of study.

Semester: S1
Points: 15
STAR Course Fee: $597