Study Abroad
Study Abroad students can enrol for one or two semesters at the University of Otago independently, or as part of a Study Abroad programme organised by their home university or a Study Abroad placement organisation.
Applying to Otago as a Study Abroad student is a simple process. All you need to do is:
- Complete our application form for Study Abroad students
- Attach all the necessary supporting documents as explained below
- Submit your application to the International Office or your Study Abroad adviser
- Meet our undergraduate English requirements
We cannot assess your application without the application form and academic transcripts (in English).
Application Closing Dates
- First Semester: 1 December
- Second Semester: 30 April
- Summer School: 31 October
To find out when you should arrive at and leave Otago, please check our important dates for international students.
Submitting your Study Abroad application
Download the Study Abroad application form, complete it and send it to the International Office together with:
- Original or certified copies of all previous tertiary level studies undertaken (a full academic transcript showing all subjects attempted, including failures, marks, or grades). The International Office will also accept documents that have been certified/notarised by staff of the Study Abroad office at your home institution.
- Evidence of English language proficiency (if applicable).
- An original or certified copy of your birth certificate or passport personal details page.
- A key/guide to the grading system must also be included.
- Documents not in English must be accompanied by official English language translations.
Meeting the entrance requirements
To be eligible to apply for the Study Abroad programme you should have:
- Completed at least one year of study at an accredited tertiary institution. US students are expected to be in their Junior year.
- Current enrolment at an accredited tertiary institution.
- A cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or greater (USA), or have "credit", "good", or above average results.
Students who do not meet all of the above criteria are welcome to apply. We will confirm your eligibility for Study Abroad.
In addition to the requirements above, if you wish to gain entry to higher level undergraduate classes at Otago, you will need to have completed academic prerequisites at your home institution.
Meeting the English language requirements
If your first language is not English you must provide evidence of a satisfactory level of English language proficiency.
Evidence of English language proficiency may be satisfied by one of the following:
- IELTS score of 6.0 in the academic module (no individual band below 6.0).
- Internet-based TOEFL score of 80 (minimum writing score of 20).
For a full list of English language tests we accept please see:
English language requirements for undergraduate applicants
Frequently asked questions
How do I get courses (we call them 'papers') pre-approved?
Some students need to apply for pre-approval, so that they know their home institution will give them credit for the papers they do at Otago. To do this, list the papers you need pre-approval for on your application form when you apply. You can apply to have a maximum of six papers pre-approved per semester.
How many papers can I do?
54-72 points per semester (three or four papers) can be regarded as an average course load. Typically, one paper is worth 18 points. 54 points is the minimum course load to maintain full-time status for one semester. 18 points is the minimum course load to maintain full-time status for Summer School.
If you are applying for two semesters of study you will need to select papers for both semesters.
How do study levels work at Otago?
Papers are grouped in levels, and levels 100-300 are undergraduate. In a general sense, 100-level papers are suited to 1st year students, 200-level papers are suited to 2nd year students, and so on. It is possible, however, to apply for approval to take papers that are above your 'normal' level, if you feel you have the required academic background.
What papers can I study?
Subjects and papers offered at Otago
Normally, you will not be permitted to take papers from the following degree schedules: Dentistry, Medicine, Medical Laboratory Science, Pharmacy, and Physiotherapy.
Papers numbered 200-300 normally require the fulfilment of academic prerequisites at your home institution. Papers numbered above 300 level are postgraduate papers. You will need to have an advanced background to be accepted for these papers. If the papers you are considering have prerequisites, you will need to seek pre-approval to take them. You can check online if a paper has specific prerequisites.
You can only take papers which are taught in the semester you are applying to study in. If you're unsure if your paper is offered at the right time or not, search for the paper number on our website to check.
A number of papers are listed as "full year". You may enrol for these papers only if you intend to enrol for two semesters commencing in the First Semester (February).
The information sheets below are designed to provide you with information about some of the papers that you may be interested in studying at the University of Otago as a Study Abroad student.
- Business (135k in PDF format)
- Communcations, Film and Media (173k in PDF format)
- Classes with a New Zealand focus (166k in PDF format)
- Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management (149k in PDF format)
- Health Nutrition and Biomedical Sciences (114k in PDF format)
- Maths, Engineering and Computer Science (119k in PDF format)
- Sports Recreation and Exercise Science (155k in PDF format)
- Summer School at Otago (144k in PDF format)
- Tourism, Hospitality and Retail Management (139k in PDF format)
- Visual and Performing Arts (124k in PDF format)
More questions? Check out AskOtago, our knowledge base.
