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.
• If English is not your first language, you must provide:
  • New Zealand University Entrance OR
  • Overall Academic IELTS 5.5 with no individual band score lower than 5.0 (achieved in one test completed in the last two years), OR
  • Acceptable alternative evidence of the required IELTS (see here for NZQA proficiency table and here for list of recognised proficiency tests).

If you need to improve your English Language skills, we offer a wide range of English programmes.

• As this programme is delivered on campus/on-site, you will need to provide us with a valid My Vaccine Pass before 1 February 2022 if you want to study with us.
• All locations where our teaching occurs face-to-face are classed as an Otago Polytechnic site.
• You will be asked to provide us with your My Vaccine Pass during your application and enrolment process.
• Please be aware that we’ll also ask for some extra details from you during this process. We’re legally obliged to collect these due to these programme areas being covered by a Government mandate. 
• Please also be aware that you cannot apply for an OP exemption from our vaccination policy for this programme as it is covered by a Government vaccination Health Order.

You can find more information about our vaccination requirements here. And, if you still have further questions, please visit our FAQs page which you can find here.

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. 

Student loans and allowances are for domestic students only. For information about student loans and allowances please visit the Studylink website. It is important to apply for your student loan/allowance at the same time as you apply for this programme, due to the length of time Studylink take to process. Loan/allowance applications can be cancelled at any time if you decide to withdraw your programme application or if it is unsuccessful.  

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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