University of Otago
| 125 | 96 | Arts & Humanities | 206 | Natural Sciences |
| - | Engineering & IT | 120 | Social Sciences | |
| World Rankings | 72 | Life Sciences & Biomedicine | ||
| 124= | 81 | Arts & Humanities | 185 | Natural Sciences |
| - | Engineering & IT | 98 | Social Sciences | |
| World Rankings | 70 | Life Sciences & Biomedicine | ||
| 114= | 81 | Arts & Humanities | 181 | Natural Sciences |
| 314 | Engineering & IT | 92 | Social Sciences | |
| World Rankings | 90 | Life Sciences & Biomedicine | ||
| 79= | ||||
| World Rankings | ||||
Faculty
| Number of Faculty Staff | Headcount: 1,583 FTE: 1,334 | Total number of academic faculty staff who are responsible for planning, directing and undertaking teaching only, research only or both teaching and research. Please include: vice-chancellors, deputy vice-chancellors, principals, professors, heads of school, associate professors, principal lecturers, tutors or postdoctoral researchers. Please exclude research assistants*, PhD students who contribute to teaching, and exchange scholars or visiting faculty staff who are members of another university. * The important distinction for us is that staff counted as 'research only' should be academically involved in that research and should be likely to publish research outputs. A research assistant, in our understanding, is any individual who is not doing own research and is therefore not likely to publish own research outputs. Said individual is (only) involved in research in terms of operation execution , such as lab technician or equipment operator. |
| Number of International Faculty Staff | Headcount: 1,029 FTE: 867 | Number of academic faculty staff who are of foreign nationality. The term 'international' is hereby determined by citizenship. For EU countries, this includes all foreign nationals, even if from another EU state. In Hong Kong, this includes professors from Mainland China. Inclusion and exclusion mirrors those for academic faculty staff. In case of dual citizenship, the 'deciding' criteria should be 'citizenship obtained through birth', basically first passport obtained. |
| Number of Outbound Visiting Faculty Staff | Headcount: 101 FTE: 101 | Number of academic faculty staff employed by your institution contributing to teaching or research at an overseas institution in the last 12 months for a minimum period of at least 3 months. |
| Number of Staff with PhD | Headcount: 1,155 FTE: 974 | Number of academic faculty staff employed by your institution that have studied a PhD |
Undergraduate Information
| Number of Undergraduate Students | Headcount: 16,545 FTE: 15,414 | Number of students pursuing a Bachelor’s level or equivalent degree. This excludes certificates/diplomas and associate’s degrees. |
| Number of International Undergraduate Students | Headcount: 3,048 FTE: 2,664 | Number of undergraduate students who are foreign nationals. The term 'international' is hereby determined by citizenship. For EU countries, this includes all foreign nationals, even nationals of other EU states. In Hong Kong, this includes students from Mainland China. In case of dual citizenship, the 'deciding' criteria should be 'citizenship obtained through birth', basically first passport obtained. Please exclude all exchange students. As for language students, if the language students take up a particular language course that is outlined as 'undergraduate degree program' they should be included under 'international undergraduate students' . Language students who take part in a course not contributing to a degree qualification should be counted under 'Total International Students'. |
| Number of Inbound Exchange Undergraduate Students | Headcount: 295 FTE: 189 | Number of undergraduate students attending your university on international exchange programs for at least 1 semester in the last 12 months. |
| Number of Outbound Exchange Undergraduate Students | Headcount: 173 FTE: 98 | Number of undergraduate students registered at your institution who have attended another institution abroad for at least 1 semester on an exchange program in the last 12 months. |
| Average International Undergraduate Fees | $ USD 13,517 | Average tuition fees per academic year (two semesters) that an international student would be expected to pay for an undergraduate program, with ‘program’ referring to the complete range of courses contributing to a degree. FAQ: How do I calculate average fees? |
| Average Domestic Undergraduate Fees | $ USD 2,595 | Average tuition fees per academic year (two semesters) that a domestic student would be expected to pay for an undergraduate program, with ‘program’ referring to the complete range of courses contributing to a degree. FAQ: How do I calculate average fees? |
| Average Undergraduate Class Size | Headcount: 69 | The average size of class across all undergraduate programs. The term ‘class’ refers to an unit of instruction or taught session in which a teacher has pre-defined material to cover. It does exclude tutorial seminars. |
| Number of first year Undergraduate students | Headcount: 4,167 FTE: 4,034 | Number of students pursuing a Bachelor's level or equivalent degree in their first year of study. This excludes certificates/diplomas and associate's degrees. |
Graduate / Postgraduate Information
| Number of Graduate / Postgraduate Students | Headcount: 4,609 FTE: 2,886 | Students pursuing a higher-level degree (Master and Doctorate), including both taught and research postgraduates (e.g. PhD students) |
| Number of International Graduate/Postgraduate Students | Headcount: 1,411 FTE: 978 | Number of graduate / postgraduate students who are foreign nationals. The term 'international' is hereby determined by citizenship. For EU countries, this includes all foreign nationals, even nationals of other EU states. In Hong Kong, this includes students from Mainland China. In case of dual citizenship, the 'deciding' criteria should be 'citizenship obtained through birth', basically first passport obtained. Please exclude all exchange students. As for language students, if they take up a particular language course that is outlined as 'postgraduate degree program', they should be included under 'international postgraduate students'. Language students who take part in a course not contributing to a degree qualification should be counted under 'Total International Students'. |
| Average International Graduate / Postgraduate Fees | $ USD 12,011 | Average tuition fees per academic year (two semesters) that an international student would be expected to pay for a graduate / postgraduate program, with ‘program’ referring to the complete range of courses contributing to a degree. FAQ: How do I calculate average fees? |
| Average Domestic Graduate / Postgraduate Fees | $ USD 3,215 | Average tuition fees per academic year (two semesters) that a domestic student would be expected to pay for a graduate / postgraduate program, with ‘program’ referring to the complete range of courses contributing to a degree. FAQ: How do I calculate average fees? |
| Average Taught Graduate / Postgraduate Class Size | Headcount: 8 | The average size of class across all taught graduate / postgraduate programs. The term ‘class’ refers to an unit of instruction or taught session in which a teacher has pre-defined material to cover. It does exclude tutorial seminars. |
Students
| Total Students | Headcount: 21,154 | Total number of students. |
| Total International Students | Headcount: 4,459 | Number of students who are foreign nationals. The term 'international' is hereby determined by citizenship. For EU countries, this includes all foreign nationals, even nationals of other EU states. In Hong Kong, this includes students from Mainland China. In case of dual citizenship, the 'deciding' criteria should be 'citizenship obtained through birth', basically first passport obtained. |
| Average International Student Fees | $ USD 13,112 | Average tuition fees per year that an international student would be expected to pay for any course |
| Average Domestic Student Fees | $ USD 9,740 | Average tuition fees per academic year (two semesters) that a domestic student would be expected to pay for any program, with ‘program’ referring to the complete range of courses contributing to a degree. FAQ: How do I calculate average fees? |
| Number of Male Students | Headcount: 9,096 | Number of students who are male out of the total number of students studying at your university |
| Number of Female Students | Headcount: 12,058 | Number of students who are female out of the total number of students studying at your university |
Graduate Output
| Proportion of Graduates Pursuing Further Study | Headcount: 19 % | Proportion of graduates from undergraduate programs pursuing further study at your own institution or any other within 6 months after graduation. |
| Proportion of Graduates Employed | Headcount: 81 % | Proportion of graduates (excluding those opting to pursue further study) in permanent employment within 6 months of graduation |
| Number of PhDs Awarded | Headcount: 154 | Total number of PhDs awarded in the last 12 months |
Careers Support
| Number of Full-Time Careers Advisors | Headcount: 2 | Total number of staff employed by your institution on a full-time basis who are exclusively responsible for career support for your students (undergraduate and/or postgraduate) |
Student Satisfaction
| Overall Student Satisfaction Rate | Headcount: 93 % | Percentage of all first year undergraduate students who are satisfied with the overall quality of their course |
| Teaching Student Satisfaction Rate | Headcount: 83 % | Percentage of all first year undergraduate students who are satisfied with the overall teaching on their course |
Internationalisation
| Number of University Collaborations or Partnership Agreements | Headcount: 157 | Number of universities your institution has collaborations or partnership agreements with. These partnership agreements may include student and teaching exchanges, as well as collaborative research projects, exchange of academic materials and other information, and jointly offered executive development programmes. This includes collaborations at either a university or faculty level. Please also state the names of these institutions in the Submission Notes box. |
Main claims to international academic or non-academic excellence
The University of Otago is New Zealand's most research-intensive university (Ministry of Research, Science and Technology. Research & Development in New Zealand, Wellington, 2006).
It is also the top-ranked university for research quality (Tertiary Education Commission. PBRF Quality Evaluation 2006. Wellington, 2007)
Basic TOEFL/IELTS requirements
IELTS: score of 6.0 in the academic module (no band below 6.0)
TOEFL (internet-based): score of 80 (writing score 20)
TOEFL (paper-based): score of 550 (TWE4.5)
TOEFL (computer-based): score of 213 (essay 4.5)
Accommodation
The University of Otago has a dedicated Accommodation Office, and accommodation can be booked pre-arrival. For further information, go to: http://www.otago.ac.nz/about/accommodation/intl_students.html
Entry Requirements
Entry to undergraduate programmes varies according to student's educational background. Generally speaking, students need to have the equivalent of 3 UK A-levels, with a minimum of 'C' passes, and have to meet the English language requirements.
Language Support
The University of Otago Language Centre offers a wide range of English-language courses at different levels. Information available at: http://www.otago.ac.nz/foundationyear/uolc
In addition to this, the University's Student Learning Centre offers free and confidential support to all students at any level of study.
- Accountancy & Business Law
- Anatomy & Structural Biology
- Anthropology, Gender & Sociology
- Applied Science
- Art History & Theory
- Biochemistry
- Botany
- Chemistry
- Classics
- Clothing & Textile Sciences
- Computer Science
- Dentistry
- Design Studies
- Economics
- Education
- English
- Finance & Quantitative Analysis
- Food Science
- Geography
- Geology
- History
- Human Nutrition
- Information Science
- International Office
- Languages & Cultures
- Law
- Management
- Maori, Pacific & Indigenous Studies
- Marine Science
- Marketing
- Mathematics & Statistics
- Media, Film & Communication
- Medical Laboratory Sciences
- Medicine
- Microbiology & Immunology
- Music
- Office of the Vice-Chancellor
- Pharmacology & Toxicology
- Pharmacy
- Philosophy
- Physical Education
- Physics
- Physiology
- Physiotherapy
- Planning Support & Funding Office
- Politics
- Preventive & Social Medicine
- Psychology
- Public Health
- School of Business
- Social Work & Community Development
- Surveying
- Theatre Studies
- Theology & Religious Studies
- Tourism
- Zoology
-
Anthropology
- Anthropology - Full Time
-
Biological Sciences
- Anatomy & Structural Biology - Full Time
- Biochemistry - Full Time
- Biomedical Sciences - Full Time
- Genetics - Full Time
- Microbiology - Full Time
- Molecular Biotechnology - Full Time
- Neuroscience - Full Time
- Physiology - Full Time
-
Built Environment
- Applied Geology - Full Time
-
Business/Management
- International Business - Full Time
- Management - Full Time
- Marketing Management - Full Time
-
Communications/Media
- Communication Studies - Full Time
- Film & Media Studies - Full Time
-
Computing/Information Technology
- Computational Modelling - Full Time
- Computer Science - Full Time
- Information Science - Full Time
- Software Engineering - Full Time
- Telecommunications - Full Time
-
Creative/Performing Arts
- Music - Full Time
- Performing Arts Studies - Full Time
- Theatre Studies - Full Time
-
Dentistry
- Dental Surgery - Full Time
- Dental Technology - Full Time
- Oral Health - Full Time
-
Design
- Design for Technology - Full Time
- Design Studies - Full Time
-
Earth Sciences
- Botany - Full Time
- Geology - Full Time
- Plant Biotechnology - Full Time
-
Economics
- Economics - Full Time
-
Education/Training
- Education Studies - Full Time
- Exercise & Sport Science - Full Time
- Exercise Prescription & Management - Full Time
- Graduate Diploma in Teaching (Primary) - Full Time
- Graduate Diploma in Teaching (Secondary) - Full Time
- Graduate Diploma of Teaching (Early Childhood) - Full Time
- Physical Education - Full Time
- Professional Studies - Full Time
- Sport & Leisure studies - Full Time
- Teaching (Primary) - Full Time
- Teaching (Secondary) - Full Time
-
Electronic/Electrical Engineering
- Electronics - Full Time
-
Environmental Studies
- Aquaculture & Fisheries - Full Time
- Ecology - Full Time
- Energy Management - Full Time
- Environmental Management - Full Time
-
Ethnicity, Gender and Diversity
- Gender Studies - Full Time
- Maori Studies - Full Time
- Pacific Island Studies - Full Time
-
Finance/Accounting
- Accounting - Full Time
- Finance - Full Time
-
General Engineering/Other Engineering
- Geographic Information Systems - Full Time
- Land & Spatial Information - Full Time
- Surveying - Full Time
-
Geography
- Geographic Information Systems - Full Time
- Geography - Full Time
-
Health/Para-medical Studies
- Human Nutrition - Full Time
- Physiotherapy - Full Time
-
History/Archaeology
- History - Full Time
-
Humanities
- Art History & Theory - Full Time
- Asian Studies - Full Time
- Classics - Full Time
- English - Full Time
- European Studies - Full Time
- Greek - Full Time
- Latin - Full Time
- Linguistics - Full Time
- Modern Literature & Film - Full Time
- Religious Studies - Full Time
- Visual Culture - Full Time
- Languages
-
Law/Legal Studies
- Laws - Full Time
-
Manufacturing/Production Engineering
- Clothing & Textile Sciences - Full Time
- Food Innovation - Full Time
- Process Technology - Full Time
-
Mathematics
- Mathematics - Full Time
-
Medicine/Medical Sciences
- Anatomy & Structural Biology - Full Time
- Biochemistry - Full Time
- Biomedical Sciences - Full Time
- Genetics - Full Time
- Medical Laboratory Science - Full Time
- Medicine - Full Time
- Microbiology - Full Time
- Neuroscience - Full Time
- Physiology - Full Time
-
Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Pharmacology - Full Time
- Pharmacy - Full Time
-
Philosophy
- Philosophy - Full Time
-
Physical Sciences
- Chemistry - Full Time
- Energy Management - Full Time
- Energy Studies - Full Time
- Food Science - Full Time
- Physics - Full Time
-
Politics
- Political Studies - Full Time
-
Psychology
- Psychology - Full Time
-
Public Policy
- Community & Family Studies - Full Time
-
Sociology/Social Studies
- Social and Community Work - Full Time
- Sociology - Full Time
-
Sports/Leisure
- Exercise & Sport Science - Full Time
- Exercise Prescription & Management - Full Time
- Physical Education - Full Time
- Professional Studies - Full Time
- Sport & Exercise Nutrition - Full Time
- Sport & Leisure studies - Full Time
- Sports Studies - Distance Learning
-
Theology/Religion
- Biblical Studies - Full Time
- Christian Thought & History - Full Time
- Religious Studies - Full Time
- Theology - Full Time
-
Tourism/Hospitality
- Tourism - Full Time
-
Urban Planning
- Land Planning & Development - Full Time
-
Zoology
- Aquaculture & Fisheries - Full Time
- Zoology - Full Time
- Otago International Masters' Awards . 4 available @ USD 20,000
- This Award is offered by the University of Otago for Masters thesis study in any subject.
Tenure of a Postgraduate Award by a Master's degree student is for one year, or until the thesis is submitted, (whichever period is the shorter.) Students must be in the first year of their thesis research to be eligible for an Award. A shorter period of tenure shall be awarded in cases where four months or more of registration as a candidate for the degree have already been completed at the time of the award. Overseas tenure of a Postgraduate Award is not permitted.
Please note: the value of the scholarship varies according to the cost of tuition. The figure above is based on tuition fees of NZ$19,000.
The scholarship consists of an emolument of NZ$13,000 plus tuition fees at the International student level and costs incurred in the production of two hard bound theses. - Otago Postgraduate Scholarships . 150 available @ USD 14,500
- This Scholarship is offered by the University of Otago for PhD study in any subject.
Tenure of a Postgraduate Scholarship by a PhD student is for three years, or until the thesis is submitted (whichever period is the shorter), subject to the provision of satisfactory Annual PhD Progress Reports by the Department in which the student is registered. A shorter period of tenure shall be awarded in cases where six months or more of registration as a candidate for the degree have already been completed at the time of the award.
Overseas tenure of a Postgraduate Scholarship is not normally permitted. In exceptional circumstances, a period of up to one year's overseas tenure may be granted by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research and International.
Please note: the value of the scholarship varies according to the cost of tuition, and the figure given above is based on tution fees of NZ$4000.
The Otago Postgraduate Scholarship consists of an emolument of NZ$20,000 per annum, plus tuition fees (at the NZ student level), and costs incurred in the production of two hard bound theses.

