University of Canterbury

Program Overview

Established in 1873 and based on an Oxbridge model, University of Canterbury was known for innovation from the start, including the immediate admission of women. The first Maori graduate of an Aotearoa New Zealand university, leader and politician Sir Apirana Ngata (Ngati Porou) , and the 1917 winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Ernest Rutherford (the first person to split the atom), were contemporaries at the University of Canterbury in the late nineteenth century. Portraits of the two can be found on New Zealand bank notes. 

University of Canterbury prides itself on being a holistic university which values seven dimensions, known as the UC7: Learn, Innovate, Connect, Bicultural, Global Citizen, Well Being and Explore.

The campus maintains a deep commitment to community. In response to a major earthquake in 2011, the University and the city joined together as the region rebuilt, turning the area into a space for major innovation and driving the establishment of the Centre for Entrepreneurship (UCE).  Arcadia encourages students to get involved with the Student Volunteer Army, which offers a wide array of service opportunities in the area.

The University was established in the center of Christchurch, but moved to a new, suburban location minutes away from the original site in 1975 with purpose-built facilities, and the lovely Ilam Gardens and woodlands surrounding them.

This site is home to five colleges offering over 150 subjects. Five additional field stations provide faculty and students the opportunity for research and innovation. 

Particular areas of academic strength are in engineering, forestry, astronomy, environmental science, and speech therapy.

Special opportunities at the University include the ability to work with local start-ups and businesses in the course Enterprise in Practice through the UCE, and a credit-bearing internship in the Humanities. The School of Business and Economics is AACSB accredited. 

Student life centers around the campus itself, including its own social hub, The Foundry, and over eighty student clubs. Canterbury students are proud that they can ski and surf in the same day, and that they are in the best location for easy access to glaciers on the West Coast, whale watching at Kaikoura, and star-gazing in the Dark Sky Reserve at Lake Tekapo.

WHY ARCADIA?

Arcadia is a nationally recognized leader in higher education, offering exceptional study, research and internship experiences for students from colleges and universities across the US. Our unique combination of customized, diverse academic programming and comprehensive support allows students to explore new worlds, get to know themselves, boost their resumes for future job opportunities and graduate school, and experience the incredible growth and shifts in perspective that a culturally immersive experience can deliver.

Please check our website for dates and the latest program information.