New Zealand Sign Language and Deaf Studies Major - Bachelor of Arts
New Zealand Sign Language is an official language of New Zealand, and an understanding of sign language and Deaf culture is useful for many careers.
The New Zealand Sign Language and Deaf Studies major covers communication strategies in NZSL and the cultural knowledge to work with Deaf clients and colleagues. Sign language skills are in demand in all areas of New Zealand society, including education, health, legal and social service settings, as well as any customer-facing area of work.
Tailor this sign language course to your interests, and combine it with courses from any other area of study, including education, health promotion or Māori development.
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This is part of the Bachelor of Arts.
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The first year focuses on the development of receptive and expressive fluency in New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL), and the study of the Deaf community and culture. In the second and third years, you can either continue with further language acquisition, learn about the interpreting profession, or choose courses related to intercultural competence.
Apart from the courses below you also need to complete courses from your second major, your chosen minor(s) or electives.
Core courses
All Bachelor of Arts students need to complete core courses that help you develop transferable skills and support your work in all other courses in the degree.
Complete one course from each of the following clusters. Each cluster aligns with one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Partnerships and Reduced Inequalities
Choose one of:
- ENGL502 Reading New Zealand
- ENGL503 A Pacific Reader
- JAPA511 Speak Japanese I
- MAOR505 Te Mānutanga Beginners Māori Language 1
- MAOR506 Te Ekenga Waka Beginners Māori Language 2
- NZSL502 Deaf Community and Culture I
- NZSL510 New Zealand Sign Language I
- NZSL520 New Zealand Sign Language II
- SPAN501 Spanish 1A
- SPAN502 Spanish 1B
Peace and Justice, Climate Action and Economic World
Choose one of:
- CRIM580 Criminology and Criminal Justice
- EVNT500 Introduction to Event Management
- HIST500 Introduction to New Zealand History
- HIST501 The Holocaust: Its Causes, Character, and Legacy
- PSYC580 Introduction to Psychology A
- SOSC582 Social Thinking
- SOSC583 Social Institutions
- SOSC585 Climate Action
- TOUR511 Global Issues in Tourism
Sustainability, Health and Wellbeing
Choose one of:
- FOOD501 Food and the Senses
- CLSY513 Organisation and Human Behaviour Perspectives
- HOSP509 Hospitality Social Enterprise
- TOUR512 Tourism and Sustainability
Quality Education, Gender Equality and Reduced Poverty
Workplace experience is an important part of your degree, and the Work Integrated Learning course is the final part of your degree. This is a supervised work placement related to your major(s), for an organisation of your choice. It's a great way to get industry experience while still being able to get feedback from AUT lecturers, and for many of our students this workplace experience also leads to a job offer.
Recent placements included:
- Auckland Deaf Society
- Ko Taku Reo Deaf Education New Zealand
- SignDNA
You could also take the Foundations in Research course if you’re considering continuing into postgraduate study.
Want more info about work integrated learning at AUT?
Read more about workplace experience in AUT programmes, how it works and why it’s so beneficial when you start your career.
New Zealand Sign Language and Deaf studies courses
If you're majoring in New Zealand Sign Language and Deaf studies, this is the main subject area you specialise in. It makes up one third of your degree and consists of eight Deaf studies-related courses you study throughout your degree.
If you don't have any experience with New Zealand Sign Language, you may need to take additional foundation-level language courses. Contact the programme leader on george.major@aut.ac.nz for more information.
Year 1 courses
Complete two of:
- NZSL502 An introduction to the Deaf World
- NZSL510 New Zealand Sign Language I
- NZSL520 New Zealand Sign Language II
Year 2 courses
Complete three of:
- NZSL600 New Zealand Sign Language Discourse
- NZSL602 Being in the Deaf World
- NZSL610 New Zealand Sign Language III
- NZSL620 New Zealand Sign Language IV
Year 3 courses
Complete three of:
- NZSL700 Special Topic (Deaf Studies)
- NZSL702 Current Issues in the Deaf World
- NZSL703 Comparative Analysis of English and NZSL
- NZSL710 New Zealand Sign Language V
Ready to enrol in your courses?
Find out how you can enrol in the courses and classes for your programme, whether you’ve just joined AUT as a new student or you’re already studying with us. If you’re looking for more info on a specific course use our course search.
Build your degree
Use our online tool to build your own degree and see what your three years of study could look like.
https://www.aut.ac.nz/courses/bachelor-of-arts/new-zealand-sign-language-and-deaf-studies-major
Professionals working with Deaf clients, colleagues, students, as well as any customer-facing profession. For example:
- Teachers
- Health professionals
- Health educators
- Event managers
- Hospitality professionals
- Disability service coordinators
- Social workers
- Lawyers
- Any area of work where you might meet Deaf people
Industry organisations that recognise this programme
- Sign Language Interpreting Association of New Zealand
- New Zealand Society of Translators and Interpreters
- Interpreter booking agencies New Zealand-wide
- Deaf Aotearoa New Zealand
- Tertiary Education Institutions New Zealand-wide
- Ko Taku Reo Deaf Education New Zealand
Find out more about industry trends, job descriptions and what employers may be looking for.
Other majors in the Bachelor of Arts
- Creative Writing
- Criminology and Criminal Justice
- Culinary Arts
- Economics (not open to new students from 2025)
- Education
- Event Management
- Global Tourism
- History
- International Studies
- Interpreting
- Māori Development
- Māori Media
- New Zealand Sign Language - English Interpreting*
- Psychology
- Social Sciences
*This major focuses on New Zealand Sign Language and developing the skills to become a Sign Language interpreter. It doesn’t include the option to include courses from different subjects.
- Many opportunities to practise your skills with the Deaf community
- Only major of its kind
- Workplace experience in your final semester
- Option to include subjects from across AUT in your degree
- Passionate about working with the Deaf community
- Interested in people
- A communicator
- Enjoying challenges
The information on this page was correct at time of publication. For a comprehensive overview of AUT qualifications, please refer to the Academic Calendar.