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Flexible study options with over 140 subjects to choose from

For your bachelor's degree, you'll need to choose a major subject. This is what you'll specialise in. With most degrees, you can optionally add a minor subject (which is like a mini specialisation), and a mix of papers from other subjects.

This page lists all the subjects you can take as part of a bachelor's degree. When you select a subject below, you'll be taken to a page with information about:

  • Which qualifications are available for that subject
  • Which papers are available for that subject
  • Employability and career options

Not sure what you want to study?

Explore our subject areas to discover a programme that matches your interests.

Browse our subjects by subject area

Do you already have a degree?

Subjects for further study

List of major and minor subjects, and endorsements

Subject Major Minor Endorsement
Accounting (ACCT) Y Y N
Agricultural Innovation (AGRI) Y Y N
Anatomy (ANAT) Y Y N
Anthropology (ANTH) Y Y N
Aquaculture and Fisheries (AQFI) Y Y N
Archaeology (ANTH) Y N N
Biblical Studies (BIBS) Y Y Y
Biochemistry (BIOC) Y Y N
Bioethics (BITC) N Y Y
Biomedical Sciences N N N
Botany (BTNY) Y Y N
Buddhist Studies N Y N
Business Analytics N Y N
Chemistry (CHEM) Y Y N
Chinese (CHIN) Y Y Y
Christian Thought and History (CHTH) Y Y Y
Classics (CLST; LATN; GREK) Y Y N
Communication Studies (MFCO) Y Y N
Community Health Care (CMHC) Y Y N
Composition (Music) (MUSI) N N Y
Computational Modelling (COMO) N Y N
Computer Science (COSC; COMP) Y Y N
Criminology (CRIM) N Y N
Dance (DANC) N Y N
Data Science (COMP; COSC; INFO; STAT) Y N N
Dental Technology (DTEC) Y N N
Dentistry (DENT) Y N N
Drugs and Human Health (DRHH) Y N N
Early Childhood Education (ECED) N N Y
Ecology (ECOL) Y Y N
Economics (ECON) Y Y N
Education (EDUC) Y Y N
Energy Science and Technology / Energy Management (EMAN) Y N N
Engineering Intermediate Y N N
English (ENGL) Y Y N
English and Linguistics Y N N
Entrepreneurship (ENTR) Y Y N
Environmental Management Y Y N
Environmental Toxicology (ENVT) N Y N
Environment and Society (ENVI) N Y N
Exercise and Sport Science Y Y N
Film and Media Studies (MFCO) Y Y N
Finance (FINC) Y Y N
Food Science (FOSC) Y Y N
Forensic Analytical Science (FORS) Y N N
French (FREN) Y Y Y
Functional Human Biology Y N N
Gender Studies (GEND) Y Y N
Genetics (GENE) Y Y N
Geographic Information Systems (SURV) Y Y N
Geography (GEOG) Y Y N
Geology (GEOL) Y Y N
German (GERM) Y Y Y
Global Studies (GLBL) Y N N
Greek (GREK) N Y N
Health Sciences First Year (HSFY) Y N N
History (HIST) Y Y N
Hospitality (HOSP) N Y N
Human Nutrition (HUNT) Y Y N
Human Resource Management (HURM) Y Y N
Human Services Law (HUSL) N Y N
Indigenous Studies (INDS) Y Y N
Infection and Immunity (INIM) Y N N
Information Science (INFO) Y Y N
International Business (INTB) Y Y N
Irish Studies (IRST) N Y N
Japanese (JAPA) Y Y Y
Land Planning and Development (SURV) Y Y N
Language and Linguistics (LALI) Y N N
Latin (LATN) N Y N
Law (LAWS) Y N N
Linguistics (LING) Y Y N
Management (MANT) Y Y N
Māori Health (MAOH) Y Y N
Māori Studies (MAOR) Y Y N
Marine Science (MARI) Y Y N
Marketing (MRKG) Y Y N
Mathematics (MATH; COMO) Y Y N
Medical Laboratory Science (MELS) Y N N
Medicine (MICN) Y N N
Microbiology (MICR) Y Y N
Molecular Basis of Health and Disease Y N N
Music (MUSI) Y N N
Music Production N Y N
Neuroscience (NEUR) Y Y N
Nutrition and Metabolism in Human Health (NMHH) Y N N
Nutrition Communication (NUCO) N Y N
Oceanography (OCEN) Y Y N
Oral Health (DEOH) Y N N
Pacific and Global Health (PACH) Y Y N
Pacific Islands Studies (PACI) Y Y N
Pastoral Studies (PAST) N Y Y
Pathology (PATH) N Y N
Performance (Music) (MUSI) N N Y
Performing Arts Y N N
Pharmaceutical Science (PSCI) Y N N
Pharmacology (PHAL) Y Y N
Pharmacy (PHCY) Y N N
Philosophy (PHIL) Y Y N
Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PHIL; POLS; ECON; PHPE) Y N N
Physical Activity and Health N Y N
Physical Education, Activity and Health (SPEX) Y N N
Physics (PHSI) Y Y N
Physiology (PHSL) Y Y N
Physiotherapy (PHTY) Y N N
Plant Biotechnology (PLBI) Y Y N
Politics (POLS) Y Y N
Popular Music (POPM) N Y N
Primary Education (PRED) N N Y
Psychology (PSYC) Y Y N
Public Health (PUBH) Y Y N
Radiation Therapy (RADT) Y N N
Religious Studies (RELS) Y Y N
Reproduction, Genetics and Development (REGD) Y N N
Science Communication (SCCM; SCOM) N Y N
Science of Religion N Y N
Secondary Education (SEED) N N N
Social Work (SOWK) Y N N
Sociology (SOCI) Y Y N
Software Engineering (SENG) Y Y N
Spanish (SPAN) Y Y Y
Sport and Exercise Nutrition Y Y N
Sport Development and Management (SPEX) Y Y N
Sports Technology N Y N
Statistics (STAT) Y Y N
Studio Production (Music) (MUSI) N N Y
Supplementary Nutritional Science (SUNS) N Y N
Surveying / Surveying Measurement (SURV) Y N N
Sustainable Business N Y N
Sustainable Finance (SUFI) N Y N
Teaching (TEACHING) Y N N
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) (TSOL) N Y N
Te Pōkai Mātauranga o te Ao Rua / Primary Bicultural Education (PRBE) N N Y
Theatre Studies (THEA) Y Y N
Theology (BIBS; CHTH; HEBR; MINS; PAST) Y Y N
Tourism (TOUR) Y Y N
Tourism, Languages and Cultures (TLC) Y N N
Writing N Y N
Zoology (ZOOL) Y Y N

1 Archaeology is a specialisation within the Anthropology major. If you wish to specialise in Archaeology, you need to major in Anthropology.
2 You can take a first year at Otago to satisfy the Intermediate Year for the University of Canterbury's Bachelor of Engineering. It is treated like a major subject for enrolment purposes.
3 Health Sciences First Year (HSFY) is treated like a major subject for enrolment purposes, however you cannot complete a three-year Bachelor of Science majoring in HSFY. Instead, after completing your first year, you can transfer to a different major subject for second year and beyond. For example, after HSFY, you might enter second-year Anatomy or Biochemistry or Medicine.

Questions?

We're open from 8am - 6pm Monday to Saturday, and can help with any questions about application and enrolment, or anything else you want to know about the University.

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