2023 Summer Start Course List

Courses available for enrolment under the Summer Start Programme are shown below. Our friendly Student Advisers are on-hand to assist you in making the right decision for you based on your tertiary study needs and programme preferences.

Some courses are specific to a study pathway while others are also offered as a General Education ‘G’ course – this means they count towards a wide range of degrees.

Faculty of Arts

Course Description Who is this course for?
ACADENG 100 - Forms in Academic English  Develop an understanding of academic reading and writing, including sentence and paragraph structure and academic vocabulary. This course covers reading, vocabulary and writing that helps you to understand and produce written texts at university level.   Students who speak English as an additional language and want to improve their accuracy in reading, grammar and writing skills will find this course beneficial. The course is available as an Academic English Language Requirement (AELR) course to students from all faculties except Business.  
ACADENG 101 - Academic English Writing  Learn the skills necessary to write essays for university purposes, including brainstorming, writing an outline, structuring an essay, integrating quotations, summaries and referencing. Course improves your academic writing needed in other subjects, in particular, planning and writing essays.   Students who speak English as an additional language and want to improve their academic writing needed in other subjects, in particular, planning and writing essays. This course is also an approved course for students who have not met the Academic English Language Literacy Requirements (AELR). 
ARTSGEN 104 - Te Pārekereke  This course is grounded in mātauranga Māori and Pasifika knowledges with whanaungatanga (relationships that strengthen) and Vā fealoa'i (nurturing respectful relationships) at its heart. This speaks to relationships to place and understanding the stories of this land (Waipapa) and its people, and the new relationships you will establish with your peers and teachers. You will master necessary skills, including time and workload management, written and verbal communication, note-taking, academic writing, successful use of the library and approaches to research.  Students interested in a Bachelor of Arts who are looking to be equipped with the core skills that all students need to be able to succeed with University study.
MĀORI 130/G - Te Ao Māori: The Māori World  An introduction to Māori analyses of topics that are often discussed and sometimes controversial, and that continue to shape contemporary life in New Zealand.  Topics include aspects of world view, philosophy and social organisation; the Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Waitangi and European immigration; and contemporary issues including Treaty claims, ownership of the foreshore and seabed and constitutional issues. It is taught in the English language using some Māori language terms that you will learn during the course.  This course is suitable for students from a range of disciplines and backgrounds, from absolute beginners to those with extensive knowledge of Te Ao Māori.
PHIL 105/G - Critical Thinking  An introduction to reasoning, argument, and explanation that emphasises the development of practical skills and their use in everyday life. The course introduces different forms of reasoning and explains techniques to evaluate them. It will enable students to distinguish good arguments and explanations from bad ones, to explain the difference, and thereby to improve critical thinking abilities.  Students from a range of disciplines and backgrounds. 

Faculty of Science

Course Description Who is this course for?
CHEM 100/G - Molecules that Changed the World Explore the impact of chemistry on the modern world by focusing on the stories of specific molecules, including penicillin, DDT and nylon. Students with a science background at Yr 11 or higher and who are not planning to continue in chemistry.
CHEM 150 - Concepts in Chemistry Explore the fundamentals of chemistry with a view to enhancing understanding of the chemical nature of the world around us and providing a foundation for further study in chemistry. Students who do not have a background in chemistry or are looking to build confidence following Yr 13 chemistry, especially if chemistry is a part of their planned degree.
COMPSCI 101 - Principles of Programming An introduction to computers and computer programming in a high-level language. The course will be useful for students who may wish to advance in Computer Science or in Information Systems and Operations Management, or to build programming skills suitable for Engineering or other science programmes. Students who do not have any prior programming experience. 
EXERSCI 105 - Exercise Prescription  What should my heart rate be when working out? How do you improve someone’s health with exercise? How do you measure someone’s 'fitness'? You'll learn how to answer questions like these and how to implement an evidence-based approach to exercise prescription.  Students interested in majoring in Exercise Science or interested in a BSc. 
MATHS 102 - Functioning in Mathematics  An introduction to calculus that builds mathematical skills and develops conceptual thinking. Students who haven’t studied mathematics for some time, an opportunity to build confidence following Yr 13, and a preparation course for further study in Mathematics. 
 
For students seeking an Engineering Pathway. 
MATHS 108 - General Mathematics 1  A general entry to Mathematics for commerce and the social sciences, including topics in algebra and calculus and their applications.  Students who have studied mathematics at Yr 13, earning at least 13 credits in Mathematics at NCEA Level 3 including the Differentiation Standard 91578, or D in CIE A2 Mathematics or C in CIE AS Mathematics or 3 out of 7 in IB Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches (SL or HL).
PHYSICS 102 - Basic Concepts of Physics  An introduction to the basic principles of physics. Key topics are the physical description of motion, electricity and magnetism. Students with little prior knowledge of physics or those are looking to build confidence in their Y13 Physics. 
 
For students seeking an Engineering Pathway. 
STATS 101 - Introduction to Statistics  Intended for anyone who will ever have to collect or make sense of data, either in their career or private life.  Students interested in a BSc, BA or other degrees. 
STATS 108 - Statistics for Commerce  The standard Stage I Statistics course for the Faculty of Business and Economics or for Arts students taking Economics courses.  Students interested in a BCom, BProp, BPlan or Barch. 

Business School

Course Description Who is this course for?
BUS 114 - Accounting for Decision Making
 This course examines how understanding financial, non-financial and legal information is critical to business decision making. It considers the accounting and legal requirements, issues and mechanisms that impact management of an organisation. BUS 114 is a core subject in the BCom/BProp designed to provide support for all Commerce majors. 
 Students interested in a BCom, BProp and who have taken accounting in high school. 

Faculty of Engineering

Course Description Who is this course for?
ENGGEN131 - Introduction to Engineering Computation and Software Development  Introduction to problem solving in engineering through the use of the software package MATLAB, and the programming language C.  Students with a Fast Track offer to Engineering who have achieved a B+ average or higher in one of the following: 
- University of Canterbury STAR: MATH 199 (Advancing in Mathematical Sciences) 
- University of Waikato Unistart: ENGEN 101+ENGEN 102, or MATHS101+MATHS 102 
- Massey University School+: 160.101+160.102 
ENGSCI 111 - Mathematical Modelling 1 Develop an understanding of mathematical modelling, including differentiation and integration (polynomials, trigonometric, exponential, logarithmic, and rational functions) and more.  Students with a Fast Track offer to Engineering who are either starting a conjoint degree, or who have completed MATHS 199 (Max) at the University of Auckland with a B+ or higher.

Note: there are pathways to engineering with the Faculty of Science. Students considering Engineering should see the Summer Start for Engineers information.

Faculty of Creative Arts and Industries

Course Description Who is this course for? 
DANCE 101/G - Introduction to Dance and Creative Processes This course aims to develop an understanding of our moving bodies through movement awareness, dance improvisation, choreography, and interdisciplinary arts processes.  Students from a range of disciplines and backgrounds, except those interested in a Bachelor of Dance Studies. 
MUS144/G– Turning-Points in Western Music  This course introduces the history and literatures of Western music from medieval times to the late 20th-century. You will study, discuss, and write about the people and the factors (artistic, intellectual, social, technical) that were and are Western music’s agents of change.   Students from a range of disciplines and backgrounds. 
MUS 103 - Music Fundamentals  This course aims to provide students with foundational knowledge and skills in the areas of music theory, and practice in aural perception and active listening. This will enable the student to begin developing the musicianship and notation skills necessary for all musical disciplines.  Students who will be undertaking a BMus and are seeking an online learning environment.

Faculty of Education and Social Work

Course Description Who is this course for?
EDUC 113 - Current Issues in Education This course asks some fundamental questions about education -- why do we have the education system that we have? What works and what doesn't work? Who succeeds in our system and who doesn't -- and what can we do about this? It is designed as an introduction to the issues that confront the education system from early childhood, through compulsory schooling to higher education.  Students interested in majoring in Education as part of a BA. 

All students proposing to enter the University for the first time must take the online academic integrity course.