About University of Otago
Located in Dunedin, the University of Otago was first established in 1869, making it the oldest university in New Zealand. As well as its main campus, there is a nearby campus in Invercargill and two further campuses in Christchurch and Wellington, which both focus on health sciences.
There are around 20,000 students at the university, representing more than 100 nations around the world.
The university is organised into four divisions: health sciences, sciences, humanities and the Otago Business School, also known as the division of commerce. Within these divisions students can choose from around 140 different courses, from economics to anthropology, zoology to neuroscience. There is a flexible structure to undergraduate degrees and students can follow a major and minor style course which allows them to study across a number of different subjects.
There are also a huge range of options for postgraduate study at the University of Otago, which has the highest proportion of PhD students at any New Zealand university.
Most students will study at the main Dunedin campus and live in one of the 15 well-appointed and friendly residential colleges or nearby flats. Dunedin itself is well known for its vibrant student community.
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Key statistics
- 19,350Number of FTE Students(1)
- 61 : 39Student Ratio of Females to Males(1)
- 16%Percentage of International Students(1)
- 20.6No. of students per staff(1)
Subjects taught at University of Otago
Engineering & technology
- General Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
Physical sciences
- Chemistry
- Mathematics & Statistics
- Physics & Astronomy
- Geology, Environmental, Earth & Marine Sciences
Clinical, pre-clinical & health
- Other Health
- Medicine & Dentistry
Social sciences
- Communication & Media Studies
- Geography
- Politics & International Studies (incl Development Studies)
- Sociology
Life sciences
- Sport Science
- Biological Sciences
- Agriculture & Forestry
- Veterinary Science
Arts & humanities
- History, Philosophy & Theology
- Art, Performing Arts & Design
- Archaeology
- Languages, Literature & Linguistics
Education
- Education
Psychology
- Psychology
Law
- Law
Business & economics
- Economics & Econometrics
- Accounting & Finance
- Business & Management
Computer science
- Computer Science