Professional and Community Engagement
Qualifications
Overview
Professional and Community Engagement (PACE) studies is an ideal complement to your degree. Training in this area will help you to develop key skills in community engagement, professional enterprise, cultural competence, and innovation. These skills will be honed through relevant work experience, projects, and internships.
Working jointly on projects with businesses and community organisations, PACE students learn to provide productive outcomes, develop strategies, enhance their communication skills, and change communities in the process.
- UC has led the way in Australasia with its popular PACE Internships programme – a unique offering by Te Rāngai Toi Tangata | College of Arts open to any student across UC. PACE students have completed over 300 internship projects in recent years, ranging from media strategy development, event organisation, marketing, and fundraising, to health advocacy, environmental advice, and policy analysis.
- Nearby in the Ōtautahi Christchurch central business district, UC students are able to get involved in public art, pop-up galleries, urban transformation projects, community building events, well-being activities and more. Nowhere else in Aotearoa New Zealand are students getting so much exposure to social innovation and entrepreneurship, the chance to reshape a city, and create meaningful and personalised environments that make a difference to the communities in which they live.
Prior study in almost any discipline and a positive approach to working in a new environment are both helpful when applying to do a PACE internship.
Having a good command of written English is also useful, which may have been acquired through a variety of school subjects taken such as history or media studies. Some work experience, either past or current, is also an advantage.
UC offers a minor in Professional and Community Engagement within the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Sport Coaching, and Bachelor of Youth and Community Leadership.
Students from Arts subject areas may be able to credit the 300-level PACE course towards their major study, with approval from the Internship Coordinator.
Professional and Community Engagement minor
Students complete these courses throughout their chosen degree for the Professional and Community Engagement minor:
200-level
300-level
- Plus one other course towards the minor at any level, from a list approved by the Internship Coordinator.
PACE courses above 100-level require a special application – see the PACE Internship Programme Application process and dates.
Students participate in internship projects organised through UC with a business or community organisation. These courses enable students to work on a professional or community-based project, supported by personal reflection on the project and academic theories of community engagement. It allows students to develop their academic and professional communication skills in a work environment.
The courses are run during Semester 1 and 2, as well as during the summer months (November–February).
As a graduate of Professional and Community Engagement studies, you will be uniquely trained in key transferable skills, and will have a thorough understanding of how your degree has prepared you to work with local and international communities.
PACE students have an edge over other graduates, as they will have had the chance to develop their communication, creativity, problem solving, and critical thinking skills in real-world scenarios.
Find out more about what you can do with a degree from UC.
Contact us
Te Rāngai Toi Tangata | College of Arts
Phone +64 3 369 4033
Email paceinternships@canterbury.ac.nz
Location
Room 105, Elsie Locke building – see campus maps
Postal address
Te Rāngai Toi Tangata | College of Arts
Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury
Private Bag 4800
Christchurch 8140
New Zealand
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