Spanish – Graduate Certificate in Arts

Boost your career while learning a new language. The Graduate Certificate in Arts (Spanish) will give you the equivalent of an undergraduate major in Spanish without having to complete a second bachelor’s degree.

Where you can study

Distance and online

International students

International students are not New Zealand citizens or residents.

Definition of New Zealand citizens and residents

Not open to international students
Note: Not all courses are available in any one year.

Specialise in Spanish for your Graduate Certificate in Arts at Massey

Learn a globally relevant language

With more than 400 million speakers, Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. It continues to grow as a popular second language. Spanish is spoken not only in Spain, but also in more than 20 countries in Latin America, parts of Africa, and in many regions of the United States.

Alongside the language is a vibrant and captivating cultural heritage, which New Zealanders are beginning to discover and appreciate more fully through our growing relationships with Latin American countries.

The increasingly multicultural nature of society means it is important to learn about new languages and cultures, and how they interact with, and are affected by, your own.

Highly interactive language learning

Whether you study on campus or by distance, you will learn from supportive, passionate academics. They produce digital study materials complete with exercises, audio, videos and presentations. Your lecturers deliver live online tutorials/lectures at various times to fit with your busy schedule. They ensure that you don’t have to learn on your own and that everyone can practice speaking Spanish in a shared environment.

Combines culture and language to enhance your learning experience

Language doesn’t exist in isolation. It becomes more powerful when it is learnt in a cultural context. You’ll use videos, music and literature to examine social, historical and political developments. Through exploring this context, you’ll also explore your own culture and identity.

A Graduate Certificate in Arts in Spanish is a good fit if you:

  • want to learn a new language
  • like exploring different cultures
  • are interested in pursuing postgraduate study in Spanish.

Planning information

This qualification may be completed in one semester of full-time study (depending on sequencing of courses) or over a longer period of part-time study.

Not all courses will be offered in all modes or across all campuses in any given year.

If you are a Spanish language speaker please contact the qualification coordinator by using the Get advice button on this page prior to enrolling in language courses.

Prerequisite courses

Make sure you include courses that are prerequisites for the next level of courses you wish to study.

The GCertArts (Spanish) schedule includes some courses which have specific 100-level courses required as prerequisites which must be passed before enrolling in a 200-level course. Meeting prerequisite requirements may require you to study courses in addition to those specified for the GCertArts.

Check the requirements for your courses before you enrol. 

Please note: No 100-level credits can be included in the GCertArts. Any 100-level prerequisite course that you need to pass before you start the Graduate Certificate in Arts should be taken under the Certificate of Proficiency Undergraduate.

Official regulations

To understand what you need to study and must complete to graduate read the official rules and regulations for this qualification.

You should read these together with all other relevant Statutes and Regulations of the University including the General Regulations for Undergraduate Degrees, Undergraduate Diplomas, Undergraduate Certificates, Graduate Diplomas and Graduate Certificates.

Returning students

For returning students, there may be changes to the majors and minors available and the courses you need to take. Go to the section called ‘Transitional Provisions’ in the Regulations to find out more.

In some cases the qualification or specialisation you enrolled in may be no longer be taking new enrolments, so may not appear on these web pages. To find information on the regulations for these qualifications go to the Massey University Calendar.

Please contact us through the Get advice button on this page if you have any questions.

Courses you can enrol in

Course planning key

Prerequisites
Courses that need to be completed before moving onto a course at the next level. For example, a lot of 200-level courses have 100-level prerequisite courses.
Corequisites
Courses that must be completed at the same time as another course are known as corequisite courses.
Restrictions
Some courses are restricted against each other because their content is similar. This means you can only choose one of the offered courses to study and credit to your qualification.

Subject courses

Choose no more than 15 credits from
Course code: 245201 Intermediate Spanish Language I 15 credits

Intermediate level written and oral comprehension and communication skills in Spanish, providing a broad linguistic base for the study of Spanish and Latin American culture, literature and civilisation.

Prerequisites: 245102 Restrictions: 245202, 245301

View full course details
Course code: 245202 Intermediate Spanish Language II 15 credits

An extension of intermediate skills in reading, free composition, listening comprehension and oral communication to illustrate aspects of contemporary Spanish and Latin American culture and society.

Prerequisites: 245201 Restrictions: 245301

View full course details
Course code: 245203 The Sound of Spanish: Diction, Dialects and Diversity 15 credits

An introduction to socio-linguistic aspects of the use of Spanish around the world, including dialectal variations and bilingualism, through a study of basic Spanish phonetics and phonology.

Prerequisites: 245201

View full course details
Course code: 245204 Latin American Voices 15 credits

An introduction to 20th century Latin American literature and its historical and political contexts through short literary works in Spanish.

Prerequisites: 245201 Restrictions: 164255

View full course details
Choose at least 30 credits from
Course code: 245301 Advanced Spanish Language 15 credits

Advanced level skills in reading, free composition, listening comprehension and oral communication in Spanish, illustrating aspects of contemporary Spanish and Latin American culture and society.

Prerequisites: 245202

View full course details
Course code: 245302 Theory and Practice of Spanish Translation 15 credits

An advanced introduction to the theory and practice of translation from and into Spanish and the role and responsibility of the translator.

Prerequisites: 245301

View full course details
Course code: 245303 Latin American Rhythms and Politics: From Tango to Rock 15 credits

Study of representative twentieth century Latin American music styles and their links to key social and political events that have shaped Latin American history. This course will be taught in Spanish.

Prerequisites: 245202 or 245204

View full course details
Course code: 245304 Travellers' Tales: the Invention of Latin America 15 credits

An exploration of how Latin American people, landscapes and cultures have been defined through the writings of European, North American, Australasian and Latin American travellers. This course will be taught in Spanish.

Prerequisites: 245202 or 245204

View full course details
Course code: 245305 Spanish Conversation on Film 15 credits

An advanced study of contemporary Latin American cinema within the context of current socio-political debates.

Prerequisites: 245202

View full course details

Entry requirements

Admission to Massey

All students must meet university entrance requirements to be admitted to the University.

Specific requirements

To enter the Graduate Certificate in Arts (Spanish) you will have been awarded or qualified for a bachelor's degree.

You will need to provide copies of all official academic transcripts for studies taken at all universities other than Massey University.

English language requirements

To study this qualification you must meet Massey University's English language standards.

This qualification is classified as NZQF Level 7 and requires the same English language standard as most undergraduate bachelor degrees, diplomas and certificates.

English language skills

If you need help with your English language skills before you start university, see our English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses.

Can't meet the entry requirements?

If you need to do a course before you start your qualification, there may be options for you in Summer School.

Fees and scholarships

Fees, student loans and free fees scheme

Your tuition fees may be different depending on the courses you choose. Your exact fees will show once you have chosen your courses.

There will also be some compulsory non-tuition fees and for some courses, there may also be charges for things such as study resources, software, trips and contact workshops.

Already know which courses you're going to choose?

You can view fees for the courses that make up your qualification on the course details pages.

Student loans (StudyLink) and Fees Free scheme

You may be eligible for a student loan to help towards paying your fees.

The New Zealand Government offers fees-free tertiary study for eligible domestic students. Find out more about the scheme and your eligibility on the Fees Free website. To use the site's eligibility checking tool, you will need your National Student Number.

Current and returning Massey students can find their National Student Number in the student portal.

Scholarship and award opportunities

Search our scholarships and awards

Fees disclaimer

This information is for estimation purposes only. Actual fees payable will be finalised on confirmation of enrolment. Unless otherwise stated, all fees shown are quoted in New Zealand dollars and include Goods and Services Tax, if any. Before relying on any information on these pages you should also read the University's Disclaimer Notice.

Careers and job opportunities

Trade, tourism and diplomatic relations between New Zealand and the Hispanic world are on an upward trend. With the Graduate Certificate in Arts (Spanish) your knowledge of Spanish language and culture will prove both valuable and rewarding with a wide range of career choices possible, including:

  • banking
  • journalism
  • management
  • marketing
  • teaching
  • trade and export
  • travel and tourism.

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