Take a walk around any of our campuses and you'll discover a diverse and welcoming environment where staff and students from throughout New Zealand and around the world meet, mix and mingle. You'll discover a wide range of facilities like gyms, libraries and health centres, and you'll come across all manner of student events, activities and exhibitions.
There are places to catch up with friends and fellow students, like on-campus cafes and even training restaurants where you can savour fabulous, affordable meals prepared by trainee chefs and served by hospitality students. And if you're seeking assistance, you'll find it; whether it's directions to your classroom, a recommendation for a great coffee, or expert guidance on student finance, accommodation or career opportunities.
Ara specialises in applied tertiary training. Subject choices include business, engineering, architecture, nursing, creative arts, hospitality, computing, science, languages, outdoor education, broadcasting and primary industries. Programmes range from Level 1 to Level 9. The institute works closely with industry to ensure students have relevant skills for employment, and have a wide range of work placement opportunities.
Ara has five campuses in Canterbury and North Otago (two in Christchurch and one each in Ashburton, Timaru and Oamaru), making it the largest tertiary institute in the South Island. Owned by the New Zealand government, Ara is regarded as one of the leading institutions of its kind in the country and has a Category 1 rating.
The graduate profile reflects a set of attributes that we consider to be attainable by graduates of a research-led comprehensive university. They make clear to students and staff, to potential students, to employers, to the community and to other academic institutions, the qualities that the Ara Institute of Canterbury seeks to impart to, or foster in, its graduates. Responsibility for enabling graduates to meet the Graduate Profile lies with University staff and students. We hope that, as individuals and as members of the University community, all will engage in the teaching, learning, research and creative activities of the University, and in its extra-curricular, cultural, intellectual, social and sports life, to achieve the aspirations we hold for our graduates.