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Postgraduate Certificate in Creative Practice

Are you passionate about creative arts, design or cultural expression? Would your portfolio benefit from completing an independent or collaborative creative arts or design project? The Postgraduate Certificate in Creative Practice offers a highly flexible studio or project based programme of study taught by experts in the creative industries. 

Level
8
Credits
60 (0.5 EFTS)
Campus
Mt Albert
Start dates
February or July
Duration
Six months full-time or one year part-time

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Programme overview

The Postgraduate Certificate in Creative Practice enables artists, designers, photographers, actors, dancers, choreographers, directors, producers and other creative practitioners to advance their professional careers through a one-semester course of study. Students undertake creative project and negotiated studies courses over the semester under the supervision of an expert in the field. Whether in traditional (graphic design, industrial design, publication design, photography, animation, visual arts, dance, acting, performance) or hybrid domains (service design, experience design, design for social innovation, performance or production design, transmedia, interdisciplinary practice) students pursue a practice-based programme of learning tailored to individual interests and backgrounds.

Highlights

  • Create a body of new work, improve your job opportunities, and refresh or re-orient your profession.
  • Develop creative thinking and research skills through applied practice.
  • Improve your communication and project proposal skills through studio/project critiques and written components. 
  • Learn from supervisors that include notable artists, designers, and educators. 
  • Enhance your creative portfolio with a small independent or collaborative project.

Focus areas: Options for 2022

Screenwriting

Develop your craft in writing for screen at post graduate level in a practice-led environment mentored by industry specialists. Working across Certificate, Diploma or Masters Level this course offers intensive and collaborative workshop opportunities combined with individualised flexible modes of delivery towards the realisation of a significant screenwriting project. Screenwriting graduates develop strong industry connections throughout their study, taking up opportunities to write for TV and activate links with the screen community.

PGCCP (1 semester) – Upskilling or refresher on screenwriting, including basics of funding, pitching and submitting.

Manaakitia Te Rito: Creative practices within the pā harakeke / te taiao

Nau mai, haere mai! Learn about a wānanga-based approach to creative practice and research through tikanga pā harakeke (customary rituals of harakeke), manaaki whenua (environmental care) and raranga (weaving) in ICIB 8907 (30 credits). Conceptualize and develop a creative or performing arts project in ICIB 8005 (30 credits) that responds to the cultural and ecological features of Wairaka. This special topic is open to students from all creative disciplines.

Creative Placemaking

Survey and analyse the landscape of public art and creative placemaking practices in Auckland and learn about creative methods for community engagement. Work collaboratively to conceptualize, develop, test and realize a creative placemaking project on campus / in Auckland within the semester.

Further study

Students can staircase into the Postgraduate Diploma in Creative Practice (PGDCP) or Master of Creative Practice (MCP) programmes if admitted into the PGDCP or MCP no later than 3 years from completing the award of the Postgraduate Certificate in Creative Practice(PGCCP) qualification. Staircasing involves cross-crediting 60 credits from the PGCCP towards the PGDCP or MCP programme, and completing the remaining requisite credits.

For more information about these specialised courses contact Post Graduate Discipline Leader Becca Wood

Meet our Postgraduate Supervisors

  • William Bardebes, Lecturer (Graphic Design, Motion Graphic Design, Animation)
  • Dr. Cris de Groot, Senior Lecturer (Product Design, Industrial Design, Business Focussed Design, Creativity, Creative Entrepreneurship)
  • Richard Fahey, Senior Lecturer (Painting, Visual Art, Ceramics, NZ Craft, Curating, Visual Art Education)
  • Gina Ferguson, Senior Lecturer (Sculpture, Craft, Installation Art, Public Art)
  • Samuel Holloway, Senior Lecturer (Experimental Sound/Music, Contemporary Art, Music Composition and Theory, Collaborative and Interdisciplinary Practice)
  • Dr. Bobby Hung, Senior Lecturer (Street Art, Graffiti, Public Art, Visual Art, Visual Culture, Education)
  • Pedro Ilgenfritz, Senior Lecturer (Theatre, Performance, Mask, Physical Theatre, Improvisation, Dramaturgy)
  • Allan McDonald, Lecturer (Photography)
  • Claire O’Neil, Lecturer (Choreography, Improvisation, Contemporary Dance)
  • Emma Smith, Senior Lecturer (Painting, Visual Art, Contemporary Art)
  • Dr. Leon Tan, Associate Professor (Public Art, Participatory Art, Visual Art, Visual Culture, Participatory Design, Interdisciplinary Practice)
  • Jonty Valentine, Lecturer (Graphic Design, Publication Design, Contemporary Art)
  • Dan Wagner, Senior Lecturer (Screen Art, Screen Education, Cinematography)
  • Paul Woodruffe, Senior Lecturer (Visual Art, Public Art, Design for Social Innovation)
  • Dr. Becca Wood, Senior Lecturer (Choreography, Social Choreography, Somatic Practice, Participatory Performance, Site-Based Performance, Interdisciplinary Practice)

Upcoming Events

In School of Creative Industries we have a wide range of shows and events, discover more from: 

What's On 

Admission requirements

To be admitted to this programme all applicants must be at least 16 years of age on the date of the programme’s commencement for the semester in which they wish to enrol and meet the following::

General Admission:

  • A recognized Bachelor’s degree in the same or similar discipline, with merit achievement deemed to be an average grade of B- or higher in all Level 7 courses; or
  • A professional qualification in a relevant discipline, recognized as being equivalent to merit achievement in a bachelor degree.

​English Language Requirements

  • 8 credits at NCEA Level 2 in English (4 in reading, 4 in writing)
  • If English is not your first language, you’ll need one or more of the following:
    • Achieved NCEA Level 3 and New Zealand University Entrance
    • Provide evidence you satisfy our criteria for existing English proficiency
    • Achieved at least one English proficiency outcome in the last two years

Don't meet the requirements? We also accept:

  • Provide sufficient evidence to be eligible for special admission.

For more information download the programme regulations:

Programme Regulations

Courses and timetables

For more details on the courses including timetables, please click on the course names below.

Compulsory courses Elective courses
Level 8
Courses Credits Aim
Creative Practice Project (ICIB8005) 30.0 credits (0.25 EFTS) To critically analyse creative practice as both a process and an outcome. This course allows participants to devise and conduct a small creative practice based research project that demonstrates intellectual independence and analytical rigour within a framework of information and principles related to contemporary creative industry practice. This course is designed to enable participants to explore their creativity in a practice based learning environment.
Comparative Critical Reading (ICIB8071) 15.0 credits (0.125 EFTS) To analyse critical and theoretical dimensions, key principles and approaches for a specialist area of creative arts practice through the comparative critical reading of selected texts (written word, oral presentations, creative works and researched essays, etc.). This course is designed to challenge existing ideas about creative practice by surveying the landscape of contemporary theory and to enable the positioning of those ideas into the students personal frame of practice.
Research in the Creative Industries (ICIB8072) 15.0 credits (0.125 EFTS) To provide both a documentation and record of understanding of research methodological practice for collaborative creative arts practice, which incorporates a demonstrated understanding of the theories and methodologies of key practitioners/theorists associated with a specialist study area. This course is designed to enable students with a methodological foundation with which to design, implement, and analyse research projects in a variety of contexts.
Negotiated Study (ICIB8906) 15.0 credits (0.125 EFTS) To enable a student to pursue an individualised course of study of particular interest, and which is empathetic with the aims of the programme and will contribute to the graduate profile. The course content may comprise of an agreed selection of the Workshops, Seminars and Masterclasses offered as part of the Specialist Electives for this programme, or may contain other negotiated outcomes.

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Page last edited: 07 Oct 2022