Ara Institute of Canterbury is a vibrant, progressive, government-funded institute providing world-class, tertiary-level education.

Our objective is to empower students to build better worlds. We want every Ara student to be equipped for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, and we achieve this by providing relevant courses, taught by inspirational mentors in real-life learning environments.

Our talented staff, innovative industry partners and supportive community play a significant role in contributing to this outcome. Collectively, we're committed to ensuring that every student has the industry-relevant knowledge, skills and experience they need to get the job they want and to excel in it.

Our learning models and course content continually evolve to respond to industry and regional needs. To ensure our students have real-world experience and graduate work-ready, we offer an ever-expanding array of workplace training opportunities, internships, apprenticeships and partnerships with industry. And to meet the demand for flexible study options, we offer an increasing range of online, blended delivery and part-time programmes.

These measures, combined with a low student-to-tutor ratio and comprehensive support services, ensure our students thrive in an inclusive, nurturing, flexible and technology-enhanced study environment where meaningful learning experiences are the norm.

And it means that when they head out into the world, our graduates are equipped with internationally-relevant qualifications, valuable industry connections and skills that will enable them to contribute to a fast-changing world.


Industry relationships
Ara is proud to have formed close working relationships with a range of individuals, companies and organisations. These relationships allow Ara to make the most of the resources and information available, strengthening the institution and the wider community.

Ara has close industry relationships with Metro, The Tertiary Accord of New Zealand (TANZ), Tai Poutini and a number of private training organisations. Ara is also proud to have several international relationships with sister institutions.

Industry relationships enable Ara to initiate projects to enhance learning and develop research and technology transfer. These relationships have created TradeFIT (Trade Future In Training), a project to enhance and expand the trade, industry and infrastructure training that already operates at Ara.


Innovation and teaching
Ara Institute of Canterbury is actively seeking and using new innovative technology in our teaching practice. Students benefit in their learning from using simulations, iphones, virtual reality technology and apps.


Study areas
•Animal and Laboratory Science
•Architectural Studies
•Art and Design
•Business
•ICT
•Engineering
•English
•Food and Hospitality
•Hair and Beauty
•Language and Education
•Māori and Pacific
•Music Arts
•Music theatre (NASDA)
•New Zealand Broadcasting School
•Nursing, Midwifery and Medical Imaging
•Social Work and Human Services
•Sport science, nutrition and health promotion
•Sustainability and Outdoor Education
•Trades
•Transport and Logistics