Every year Phys Ed students undertake study abroad at one the University's partner institutions. The School encourages you to consider such exchanges as a way to learn about other cultures and ways of doing things, to learn more about yourself, to improve your social skills and networking, and to broaden your horizons.
In 2015, third-year Caitlin O'Donoghue went on exchange to the University of Alberta in Canada. In her words, "exchange allows you to live out the adventures of your dreams, whilst gaining credit towards your degree and growing as a person. My experience on exchange to Canada allowed me to immerse myself in everything the country had to offer. I got to explore the Rocky Mountain ranges, snowboard on weekdays and travel North America whilst studying topics specialised to my chosen career path that were not offered in NZ."
"Studying abroad", Caitlin added, "gives you a new perspective on your degree and the world, making you a more independent, skilled individual who stands out from the crowd. An exchange is not just about gaining credit in a different country, it's an opportunity to live and travel a part of the globe that has a totally different geography, climates and cultures to those in New Zealand."
To be considered for the student exchange programme, students must:
- Have completed at least one semester of full time study at Otago before applying.
- Have and maintain a minimum B average grade (GPA of 5).
Students with a GPA between 4.5 and 4.99 will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
- Have been interviewed by a panel to discuss their exchange.
- Are enrolled full time at Otago while on exchange.
- Have a full course load (paper based) at the host institution.
For more information visit the Otago Student Exchange portal