Entrance Requirements
Last Reviewed:
Enrolment at the University of Otago for 2012
Caps on the numbers of students in a range of undergraduate programmes have been introduced with selection primarily based on academic merit.
There are two pathways for admission to these programmes for new domestic undergraduate students (and certain students who have enrolled at Otago previously):
More information about Entry Pathways
New Zealand University Entrance Requirements
If you are enrolling at a New Zealand university for the first time, you must meet the following three criteria:
1 Age
To enrol at the University of Otago for study in 2012 you must be at least 16 years old by 31 December 2011.
2 Language Requirements
You must also meet the criteria for Language Requirements
3 University Entrance Qualification
You must also meet the criteria for University Entrance through one of the following categories:
- NCEA Level 3
- other New Zealand secondary school qualifications
- overseas secondary school qualifications
- tertiary qualifications or study
- Foundation Studies
- Special Admission - for students 20 years of age or over
- Discretionary Entrance - for students under 20 years of age
International students
International students must apply for admission through the International Office. Details are available at http://www.otago.ac.nz/international/otago004130.html
Christchurch Secondary School Applicants to Otago for 2012
The University of Otago recognises that the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake has had a significantly disruptive effect on a number of students who will be seeking to progress from school to University study in 2012.
NZQA is taking steps to address the issue of students who may have struggled to gain University Entrance because of the earthquake. However, a further significant issue is the extent to which earthquake-affected students may be disadvantaged in respect of their assessment under Otago’s managed enrolment system. This system sets enrolment caps for commencing students in all undergraduate programmes, and uses mainly academic criteria to select students within these caps.
Any student, who has a University Entrance qualification and has studied at a secondary school in Christchurch and surrounding areas in 2011, and is below the threshold for entry to a particular programme will have their case individually assessed, taking into account any educational disadvantage they may have suffered during the 2011 school year.
