Bachelor of Construction in Construction Management

at Ara Institute of Canterbury - City Campus New Zealand

This qualification replaces the National Diploma in Construction. If you’ve started but not yet completed the National Diploma, talk to us about cross crediting to the New Zealand Diploma. This two-year program will equip you with the essential skills and knowledge needed to work in construction management, on both residential and commercial building projects.

It covers the skills required at all stages of building projects, from conception to completion, with an emphasis on building technology, communication and health and safety. Other relevant vocational skills covered include planning, methodology and site management, procurement, programming and financial administration of contracts.

This program is designed to equip you with the skills needed to be effective strategic management professional. capable of working in a range of business environments. It covers applied business management, leadership, strategic planning, finance, and marketing.

This program will equip you with skills required by the ever-expanding commercial science sector, which encompasses increasingly automated food production, manufacturing and environmental management businesses. Course content is made up of a mix of practical skills that you'll use every day, and theory relating directly to the modern STEM (science, technology, engineering, maths) workplace.

The New Zealand Diploma in Applied Science covers science, information literacy, quality management and essential soft skills such as teamwork, communication and ethics. It includes seven compulsory courses plus the opportunity to tailor your programme of study to your own interests with an elective in ICT, human nutrition or sports science. You'll also learn about business imperatives and associated data interpretation and manipulation. The programme's IT component will take you well beyond the basics and into the fundamentals of manufacturing process monitoring and control.

IT industry partners have significant input into the structure and content of this programme to ensure that what is being taught continually meets industry needs. The first year covers a broad range of ICT topics that will provide you with a solid base of knowledge in software engineering (programming), hardware and networking, website development, IT tools and concepts and mathematics skills relevant to IT. In years two and three you'll choose one of three specialist pathways: Information Systems, Networking and Infrastructure or Software Development. During this time you'll develop in-depth knowledge of your chosen area through a range of compulsory and elective courses.

You'll also develop skills in problem solving, critical thinking, analysis, team work, project management, time management, self-reliance and communication skills. There is a strong emphasis on practical skills and work-readiness, so wherever possible, theory is integrated and applied to practical tasks. Many courses include group activities or group projects, as the ability to work as part of a team is strongly valued by employers.

In your first year you will develop your knowledge in core business strategies and operations, you will study accounting, business communication, commercial law, business heritage, culture and sustainability, marketing, computing, management and applied research. During the second and third years you will specialise in project management where you will focus on the many inter-related aspects of a project.

This programme is designed to enable you to perform the vital role that accounting plays across all facets of business. You'll investigate business software options, study up-to-date accounting principles and practices, and learn about risk management, ethics, legislation, economic dynamics, supply and demand, sustainable management and strategies for operational efficiency. HR, sales and marketing, innovation and communication are also covered.

You'll also gain a thorough grounding in financial and management accounting with options to specialise in taxation, business financing, or other aspects of the commercial world that interest you most.

This diploma is designed to equip you with sales and marketing skills that will enable you to contribute to the achievements of a business or organisation. It covers business basics such as communication, human resources, business law, organisational culture, economics, risk management and problem solving, then focuses on sales and marketing aspects of business. This focus will give you knowledge and skills in marketing philosophy, segmentation, targeting and positioning. You'll also gain skills in managing performance, attitudes and buyer behaviour.

One of the most important resources in an organisation is its people. This specialisation will develop your management skills and knowledge in people and culture. During your studies you’ll analyse organisational staff behaviour and its impact on business, and learn about wellbeing leadership, health and safety and the latest employment legislation. In your final year you’ll explore advanced HR strategy and contemporary issues in human resource management.

You will gain a solid grounding in engineering theory and principles of engineering science including design and drawing, materials, surveying hydraulics, geotech structures and highways. It is expected that graduates will attain the educational underpinnings and work ready attributes defined in the Engineering New Zealand Graduate Profile for Engineering Technicians.

The graduate profile defined by Engineering New Zealand is benchmarked internationally to the exemplar graduate attributes for graduates of technical education programmes recognised under the Dublin Accord.

With this program, you'll study both the theory and practical aspects of interior design, and learn about light and colour, design principles, materials and finishes, lighting, soft furnishings, window treatments, ergonomic principles, New Zealand art and cultural/historical influences in interior design. You'll also learn about architectural communication, building codes, laws and regulations, personal and business presentation, and business management. In addition, you'll develop your freehand drawing and manual drafting abilities, and learn how to use software such as Computer Aided Design and Photoshop.