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A university entrance qualification is essential for admission to the University of Otago for all types of programmes.

Undergraduate entrance requirements

We recognise many other qualifications as equivalent to the New Zealand qualification for entrance. To check if we recognise your previous studies, select the country where you gained the qualification from the drop-down list below.

Find the entrance requirements for your country

We also accept the following international qualifications

International Baccalaureate

A completed IB Diploma with a minimum of 24 points

If taken in New Zealand: you must also satisfy literacy and numeracy requirements by completing English as the language at Higher or Standard level in Language A: literature, or Language A: language and literature, or at Higher level in Language B, together with any mathematics subject.

If taken outside New Zealand you may meet the literacy requirement through an approved alternative as outlined on our English Language requirements page.

Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) Advanced Levels

You must obtain:

  • a minimum of 120 points on the New Zealand Tariff at A or AS level from any syllabus groups which are broadly equivalent to those in the list of approved subjects for NCEA; and
  • a D grade or better in syllabuses from at least three different syllabus groups (excluding Thinking Skills).

If taken in New Zealand, you must also satisfy literacy and numeracy requirements, by either:

  • gaining an E grade or better in any one of AS English Language, English Language and Literature, English Literature or English General Paper; and a D grade or better in IGCSE or GCSE Mathematics, or
  • as prescribed for university entrance with NCEA.

If taken outside New Zealand, you may meet the literacy requirement through an approved alternative as outlined on our English Language requirements page.

Pearson Edexcel International A levels

You must obtain:

  • a minimum of 120 points on the New Zealand Tariff at A or AS level from any syllabus groups in the Pearson Edexcel table, which are broadly equivalent to those in the list of approved subjects for NCEA; and
  • a D grade or better in syllabuses from at least three different syllabus groups (excluding Thinking Skills).

If taken in New Zealand, you must also satisfy literacy and numeracy requirements, by either:

  • gaining an E grade or better in AS English Language or Literature in English; and a D grade or better in IGCSE Mathematics, or a pass in any Mathematics at AS level.
  • as prescribed for university entrance with NCEA.

If taken outside New Zealand, you may meet the literacy requirement through an approved alternative as outlined on our English Language requirements page.

University of Otago Foundation Studies Certificate

Successful completion of the Foundation Studies Certificate with a grade of at least C in both Academic English papers.

English New Zealand Accredited Pathway Assessment

Undergraduate: English New Zealand Accredited Pathway Assessment Level 2 (with no skill lower than Level 1)

Postgraduate: English New Zealand Accredited Pathway Assessment Level 3 (with no skill lower than Level 2)

Northern Consortium United Kingdom (NCUK) International Foundation Year (IFY)

A minimum of CCC across the NCUK IFY

Acceptance of the NCUK English for Academic Purposes qualification as an alternative to meeting the English-language requirements, with a minimum of a C grade overall and no less than D grade in each component

Advanced Placement International Diploma (APID)

A completed diploma with grades of 3 or higher in each of at least 4 subjects.

LRN International A Levels

Three A level passes at grade C or higher.

Literacy and numeracy must be satisfied as follows:

  • Literacy: an E grade or better in English Language at AS or A level
  • Numeracy: a C grade or better in GCSE Mathematics, or a D grade in Mathematics at AS or A level.
  • Satisfactory completion of one year's study at a recognised tertiary institution. A recognised institution is generally a college or university that is listed in the World Higher Education Database.

Selection into Health Sciences Professional Programmes is limited. For five of the eight programmes, selection occurs after the completion of Health Sciences First Year. View Undergraduate Health Science Information for International Students.

Postgraduate entrance requirements

Entrance requirements for postgraduate study vary by programme with most requiring a minimum bachelor-level qualification in the same field, and some having additional requirements such as relevant work experience and/or professional registration in New Zealand.

A postgraduate certificate or postgraduate diploma can usually be taken at any time after the completion of your bachelor's degree.

If you hold an honours degree or postgraduate diploma you may be able to eligible for master’s study by thesis only. In some cases if you hold a bachelor’s degree you may apply for a coursework master’s degree or for master’s study by coursework and thesis.

To study a PhD you usually require the completion of a master’s degree, or a first-class or upper second-class honours degree in the same area of study, or a related discipline, as your intended area of research.

Check the postgraduate students pages for specific information on the entrance requirements of the programme you are interested in.

Applying for a research-only master’s or PhD programme?

Before applying, you need to:

  1. Visit the website of the academic department appropriate to your subject.
  2. Identify the research interests of the relevant department(s) and individual staff members. Good places to start are the postgraduate research opportunities and departments and schools.
  3. Develop a possible research topic that fits in with these interests.
  4. Approach a potential supervisor to see if vacancies exist for research supervision.

When applying, you need to include the following documents with your application:

  • The documents detailed above (academic transcripts, ECE, and proof of identity).
  • A detailed research proposal that shows you are familiar with current literature surrounding your topic.
  • An up-to date curriculum vitae.
  • The name of the academic staff member who has agreed to be your supervisor.
  • An approximate start date.

Don't meet the entrance requirements?

To help students achieve their academic goals, Otago offers a Foundation Studies Certificate for students to meet University entrance requirements. In addition, Otago offers the Diploma in Arts, Diploma in Commerce and Diploma in Science for ‘near-miss’ university entrance students, which provide a pathway into the second year of a relevant bachelor’s degree.

Both the Foundation Studies Certificate and Diplomas provide excellent preparation for academic study at the University of Otago.

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