The Department of Chemistry strongly recommends that students enrolling for CHEM 191 or CHEM 111 have studied chemistry at school – ideally to NCEA Level 3 or equivalent.
For students who have not done much chemistry previously, we have two options to help you ‘catch up’ on your missing chemistry knowledge.
Introductory Chemistry
This course is completely distance taught and can be started, and completed, at any time.
This course has no entrance restrictions.
Introductory Chemistry cannot be counted towards a degree at Otago.
Introductory Chemistry course details
CHEM 150 Concepts in Chemistry
This six-week, 18-point course runs during Summer School (Jan–Feb), with the first four weeks taught fully online and the last two being full-time on the Dunedin campus, with a final exam held in late February.
The 2027 teaching dates for CHEM 150 are:
- Online classes begin on Monday, 11 January 2027
- On-campus classes run from Tuesday, 8 February to Friday, 19 February 2027
- Final exam held on Monday, 22 February 2027
This course has an entrance restriction – students who have attained more than 14 credits of Level 2 chemistry (or equivalent) will not normally be allowed to enrol.
CHEM 150 can be counted towards an Otago degree.
For more information about CHEM 150, including course content and structure, visit the CHEM 150 paper page:
For more information about Summer School, including key dates, application and accommodation, visit the Summer School website: