Diploma in Arts
Broaden your worldview and start your university studies with our Diploma in Arts. It’s a great way to try different subjects and prepare yourself for further study.
Interested in communication studies, education, hospitality, language and culture, Māori and indigenous development, or social sciences? Our Diploma in Arts is perfect if you’re not entirely sure what to expect from uni or missed out on getting into your dream degree.
You’ll take the same courses as our first-year bachelor’s degree students, and study in a supportive environment with additional academic and student support. Once you’ve completed your diploma you can then move into Year 2 of our Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Communication Studies or Bachelor of International Hospitality Management, which means you can still complete your chosen bachelor’s degree in three years.
Download programme guides
Minimum entry requirements for the Diploma in Arts
- University Entrance OR
- 42 NCEA level 3 credits, including UE literacy and numeracy, with:
- 10 credits in each of three approved subjects OR
- 12 credits in each of two approved subjects and 14 credits across two further subjects
If you have narrowly missed gaining UE, you can still apply to study the Diploma in Arts – just select 'Degree Transition' as your pathway when applying.
International student entry requirements
English language requirements
- IELTS (Academic) 5.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in Writing and a minimum of 5.0 in other bands, or equivalent
You’ll become familiar with different concepts related to culture and society, or communication studies, and improve your academic knowledge and study skills to give you the confidence for further study.
The courses you study are from the first year of the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Communication Studies or Bachelor of International Hospitality Management. After you’ve completed this diploma, you can then cross-credit your courses and transfer to the second year of your chosen bachelor’s degree.
Your Diploma in Arts courses can help you decide which subjects you might like to focus on later once you move into our bachelor’s degree.
If you plan to move into the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of International Hospitality Management
As part of the Diploma in Arts, you choose from a wide range of courses from the subjects below1:
Creative writing
- CWRT501 Introduction to Creative Writing (15 points)
- CWRT560 Kaupapa Māori Storytelling (15 points)
- ENGL502 Reading New Zealand (15 points)
- ENGL503 A Pacific Reader (15 points)
Criminology and Criminal Justice
- CRIM580 Criminology and Criminal Justice (15 points)
- CRIM581 Understanding Crime (15 points)
Culinary arts2
- CULN510 Professional Culinary Arts (30 points)
Education3
- EDUC503 Critical Questions in Education (15 points)
- EDUC517 The Child in Aotearoa New Zealand (15 points)
Event management
- EVNT500 Introduction to Event Management (15 points)
Global tourism
- TOUR511 Global Issues in Tourism (15 points)
- TOUR512 Tourism and Sustainability (15 points)
History
- HIST500 Introduction to New Zealand History (15 points)
- HIST504 Gender and Development in Asia and the Pacific since WWII (15 points)
International studies
- CLSY510 Introduction to International Studies (15 points)
Interpreting
- TRIN502 Introduction to Translation and Interpreting (15 points)
Māori development
- MAOR504 Treaty of Waitangi: Resistance and Repair (15 points)
- MAOR505 Te Mānutanga Beginners Māori Language 1 (15 points)
- MAOR507 Te Matariki (15 points)
New Zealand Sign Language and Deaf Studies
- NZSL502 An introduction to the Deaf World (15 points)
- NZSL510 New Zealand Sign Language I (15 points)
Psychology
- PSYC502 Introduction to Psychology B (15 points)
- PSYC580 Introduction to Psychology A (15 points)
Social sciences
- SOSC582 Social Thinking (15 points)
- SOSC583 Social Institutions (15 points)
Spanish
- SPAN501 Spanish 1A (15 points)
Te Reo Māori
- MAOR505 Te Mānūtanga Beginners Māori Language 1 (15 points)
- MAOR506 Te Ekenga Waka Beginners Māori Language 2 (15 points)
We'll work with you to help you identify where you want to go and what courses will help you get there.
1. Only some subjects are offered at the South Campus.
2. Culinary arts courses: The practical side of the culinary arts courses involves using commercial kitchen tools and equipment and requires you to demonstrate a level of skill that doesn’t compromise any health and safety standards for yourself and others. Skills needed for culinary arts courses
3. Bachelor of Arts in Education only. You won't be able to move into the second year of the Bachelor of Education.
If you’ve just missed out on UE, you’ll study the courses below.
Semester 1 courses
- LSKL500 Uni101 (15 points)
- HIST500 Introduction to New Zealand History (15 points)
- SOSC582 Social Thinking (15 points)
- Plus one course from your chosen subject
Semester 2 courses
- CLSY515 Humans + Machines: AI in the Social World (15 points)
- CLSY513 Organisation and Human Behaviour (15 points)
- MAOR514 Te Ao Māori: The Māori Worldview (15 points)
- Plus one course from your chosen subject
We'll work with you to help you identify where you want to go and what courses will help you get there.
Subjects you can choose from1
- Creative writing
- Culinary arts2
- Education3
- Event management
- Global tourism
- History
- Hospitality
- International studies
- Māori development
- Māori media
- New Zealand Sign Language and Deaf Studies
- Psychology
- Social sciences
- Spanish
We'll work with you to help you identify where you want to go and what courses will help you get there.
1. Only some subjects are offered at the South Campus.
2. Culinary arts courses: The practical side of the culinary arts courses involves using commercial kitchen tools and equipment and requires you to demonstrate a level of skill that doesn’t compromise any health and safety standards for yourself and others. Skills needed for culinary arts courses
3. Bachelor of Arts in Education only. You won't be able to move into the second year of the Bachelor of Education.
If you plan to move into the Bachelor of Communication Studies
Semester 1 courses
- COMM505 Text, Image and Sound (15 points)
- COMM516 Media Production Foundations (15 points)
- DIGD507 Mahitahi | Collaborative Practices (15 points)
- LSKL500 Uni101 (15 points)
Semester 2 courses
- COMM512 Communication Ethics (15 points)
- COMM513 Media, Technology, and Society (15 points)
- COMM514 Intercultural Communication (15 points)
- COMM517 Media Production Studio (15 points)
Because you study the same first-year courses as our bachelor’s degree students, you can move into the second year of your chosen degree once you’ve completed this diploma.
South Campus
($8,190 tuition fees + $1,221.60 student services levy)
($35,400 tuition fees + $1,221.60 student services levy)
- Fees shown are based on a full-time workload for the points indicated next to the fee. The exact fee charged will depend on which courses you select at the time of enrolment.
- Fees are subject to change year to year. If you are planning for study beyond the current year, fees may vary from those stated.
- There may also be other fees and charges you need to pay.
- International students' tuition fees reflect the full cost of tuition. Domestic students' tuition fees are less due to a proportion of the tuition fees being funded by the New Zealand Government.
- Fees-free study may be available for domestic students
The information on this page was correct at time of publication. For a comprehensive overview of AUT qualifications, please refer to the Academic Calendar.