New Zealand Certificate in Exercise (Level 4)

• Working with others to provide exercise advice
• Gym Instructor 
• Personal Trainer (after completing our New Zealand Certificate in Exercise Level 5). 

• Open entry - no minimum academic entry requirements.

All students (international and domestic) for whom English is not a first language:

• must demonstrate English Language skills with an IELTS overall band score (academic) of 5.5, with no band score lower than 5.0 OR
• must provide acceptable alternative evidence of English language proficiency depending on the visa decline rate of the country you are from. See here for acceptable evidence and visa decline rates by country.

Please note: All scores must be achieved in a single test completed in the preceding two years. You cannot combine scores from multiple tests. If you have achieved NCEA Level 3 University Entrance you are not required to provide evidence of English Language skills.

If you need to improve your English, we offer a range of English language programmes.  

All students will need to wear Otago Polytechnic branded clothing when they are working with clients or are out with industry. We also ask all learners to have a laptop or tablet that they can use for classwork. 

Full-time students will be expected to study for 36 hours per week. This will include directed teaching, self-directed learning and industry experience hours. If you choose to study part-time, you will need to study for around 16 hours per week. 

Applied Exercise Prescription (Level 4, 15 credits)

Learn how to apply and adapt the fundamentals of exercise prescription to meet the needs of a client. 

Applied Anatomy and Physiology (Level 4, 15 credits)

Gain an understanding of human anatomy and physiology and how it applies to movement. 

Professional Practice 1 (Level 4, 15 credits)

Discover how to apply professional practice principles of working in the exercise industry. 

Exercise Science 1 (Level 4, 15 credits)

Learn how to explain behaviour in relation to nutrition and exercise. 

To become a Personal Trainer, you will need to complete the New Zealand Certificate in Exercise (Level 5). Our Bachelor of Applied Science degree will then enable you to advance your learning further and explore the areas of Exercise, Sport and Health to expand your career prospects. 

Full-time domestic students of this programme are eligible for student loans and allowances (dependent on age and financial circumstances.) Please contact Studylink for additional information. Phone 0800 88 99 00 or visit: www.studylink.govt.nz

If you already have extensive knowledge and skills gained from practical experience in this area, enquire about our recognition of prior learning process at Capable NZ. You may have already gained credits towards this qualification in the course of your life. www.capablenz.ac.nz

While every effort is made to ensure that this sheet is accurate, Otago Polytechnic reserves the right to amend, alter or withdraw any of the contained information. The fees shown in this document are indicative ONLY. Both domestic and international fees are subject to change and are dependent on the development and implementation of Government policies. Please note that additional fees may from time to time be required for external examination, NZQA fees and/or additional material fees.

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