University of Otago

The University of Otago is New Zealand’s oldest university and one of its finest. It is a leader across all fields of academic endeavour – the Humanities, Sciences, Health Sciences, and Business – regularly topping the New Zealand Tertiary Education Commission’s education performance indicators. 

Students can choose from more than 200 undergraduate and postgraduate programmes and are taught by leaders in their fields. The high calibre of teaching at Otago is reflected by an unparalleled record of success in the country’s Tertiary Teaching Excellence Awards. 

Research excellence underpins all academic activity: around 3,500 of the University’s students study at postgraduate level. Otago is the home of New Zealand’s first medical school, and the only schools of Dentistry and Surveying. Otago is also New Zealand’s only provider of a Radiation Therapy programme and an undergraduate qualification in Neuroscience. 

The University has leadership roles in national Centres of Research Excellence and partnership roles in the country’s National Science Challenges. It also hosts multidisciplinary research themes and research centres, including two of the world’s most highly regarded health and development longitudinal studies. 

The teaching year generally runs from February to November, broken into two 13-week semesters. A number of programmes are offered via distance learning and a Summer School is held for six weeks during January and February. In addition to research and teaching excellence, the University is committed through its Strategic Direction to local, national and international betterment; strong external engagement; sustainable capability; and providing outstanding student experiences and campus environments. 

The main campus is located in Dunedin – internationally recognised as one of the most beautiful campuses in the world – with significant health sciences campuses in Christchurch and Wellington, as well as a presence in Invercargill and Auckland. 

The University of Otago is also strategically committed to furthering the aspirations of Māori, and our Pacific neighbours, and has memoranda of understanding with a number of iwi (tribes), in particular Ngāi Tahu, the mana whenua (the local tribal authority) of the University’s main area of operation.

With more than 85 per cent of students coming from outside Dunedin, the University offers a unique campus-based lifestyle, a special feature of which are the 15 residential colleges located close to the heart of all University activities. 

Providing a world-class environment for students and staff is a priority and the University has embarked on a significant capital development programme in recent years. Otago was the first New Zealand university to achieve Fair Trade status and our Social Impact Studio fosters a culture of volunteerism among staff and students. 

The University of Otago is committed to see sustainability embedded as part of its core ethos. Its Sustainability Strategic Framework clarifies its commitment to enable a consistent, productive focus on sustainability, and to better communicate its efforts at all levels of the organisation. The framework articulates twenty-two strategies and a wide range of activities, within six interdependent themes. 

The University is recognised as a Rainbow Tick certified employer. This accreditation shows that it has met a standard of inclusivity with respect to staff sexual orientation and gender identity, and that it is committed to continuous improvement