Accessibility Skip to Global Navigation Skip to Local Navigation Skip to Content Skip to Search Skip to Site Map Menu

Welcome to the Division of Humanities at the University of Otago

Haere Mai ki te Kete Aronui o te Whare Wānanga o Otago

Investigate the human world, what it is to be human, and how human beings relate to their diverse and changing environments. Our Division offers a wide range of programmes in the creative and performing arts, law, humanities, and the social sciences.


News, events, podcasts

Current research

Humanities Research thumbnail
Research in the Division of Humanities at Otago encompasses various disciplines in humanities, social sciences and performing arts.
Read research stories

Research profiles

Pat Wheatley thumb

Growing up in the Canterbury high country, Pat was a farm kid who read Homer.
See more...

Our people

Will Sweetman

Indiana Jones and the Da Vinci Code may be fictional, but academics really do have their moments in solving age-old mysteries in exotic locations.
See more...


Humanities at Otago

Te Kete Aronui Division of Humanities at Otago is a community of creative and diverse critical thinkers who explore how humans interact with one another and the world around them. As scholars, practitioners and performers we engage with the past, imagine the future, and develop people-centred solutions to local, national and global problems.

We are committed to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and to undertaking high-quality and impactful research, transformational teaching, and meaningful service to our communities.

Our schools and programmes

Our Strategic Plan

We offer a wide range of exciting subjects and degrees

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree gives students the flexibility to major in a wide range of humanities subjects or the choice from one of our professional programmes in Law, Social Work, Teaching and Theology.

A humanities education develops the essential lifelong learning skills that employers seek such as critical thinking, communication skills, interpersonal and teamwork skills, and analytical and problem-solving skills.

Find out more about our degrees and qualifications

Research and teaching excellence

The Division of Humanities is proud of our excellence in teaching and research. All teaching is research-informed, and annual student surveys have confirmed that student satisfaction with the quality of Otago Humanities courses and teaching is very high.

Recently released results from the New Zealand Government’s Performance Based Research Fund (PBRF) Quality Evaluation confirmed the Division as one of the country’s top research institutions in the arts, social sciences, and humanities.

Find out more about our research