Cultural Heritage
Qualifications
Overview
If you are interested in galleries, libraries, archives, and museums, then this specialisation is for you. Explore culture through objects, ranging from contemporary art to archaeological remains to the built environment.
You will be able to look critically at our cultural heritage in Aotearoa, and apply these skills to international contexts.
- Study a range of cultures across the globe through different time periods.
- Courses can include areas such as history, art, warfare, language, religion, and more.
- Benefit from connections with local museums, art galleries, heritage archives, and libraries around Ōtautahi Christchurch, including internships.
- Practical experience with artefacts dated from 2,000 BCE with the Teece Museum of Classical Antiquities, located at Te Matatiki Toi Ora | Arts Centre.
Cultural Heritage specialisation
UC offers a specialisation in Cultural Heritage within the Bachelor of Arts. Specialisations group courses from different subjects into a central theme.
Each year, you will be able to choose courses that suit your interests in a particular culture, historical period, and society. In the final year, you will choose between practical heritage courses and an internship focused on your chosen areas.
The following courses are required throughout your degree:
100-level
- MAOR107 Te Ara o Tāwhaki: Māori Thought, Beliefs and Practices
- One course from the introductory course list
- One course from the cultural history course list
200-level
- MAOR219 Te Tiriti: The Treaty of Waitangi OR MAOR285 Oral Traditions and Modern Histories of Ngāi Tahu
- Five courses chosen from these options, with no more than two courses in the same subject
300-level
- One course chosen from these options
- Two courses chosen from these options, with no more than one course in the same subject
A degree examining cultural heritage teaches you how history and culture has shaped everything we create. It prepares you for working with a variety of cultures, educational institutions, heritage conservation, or any sector which requires a high degree of multicultural competency.
Some career pathways could include:
- Iwi engagement and development
- Curatorship
- Communications
- Art history.
Find out more about what you can do with a degree from UC.
Contact us
Te Kaupeka Toi Tangata | Faculty of Arts
Phone +64 3 369 3377
Email artsdegreeadvice@canterbury.ac.nz
Location
Level 1, Elsie Locke Building – see campus maps
Postal address
Te Kaupeka Toi Tangata | Faculty of Arts
Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury
Private Bag 4800
Christchurch 8140
New Zealand
Browse related subjects to Cultural Heritage
Choose an area that you are interested in and learn how UC's extensive range of study options can let you study what you want to.

Art History and Theory
This subject traces history and culture using artefacts, architecture, photos, and more.Learn to find meaning through objects and see how these affect our ...

Global Societies and Cultures
Through this specialisation you will learn to engage with ideas that have shaped today’s world during the course of history and examine Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...