University of Otago Study Abroad Application Information

Application Closing Dates

First Semester: 1 December
Second Semester: 30 April
Summer School: 31 October

To find out when you should arrive at and leave Otago please check our key study dates.

Documents you will need to provide

Gather and scan your supporting documents before you start. As you go through the online application you will be required to upload your supporting documents as follows:

Original or certified copies of all previous tertiary level studies undertaken (a full academic transcript showing all subjects attempted, including failures, marks, or grades). The International Office will also accept documents that have been certified/notarised by staff of the Study Abroad office at your home institution.
Evidence of English language proficiency (if applicable).
A key/guide to the grading system must also be included.
Documents not in English must be accompanied by official English language translations.
You are required to provide proof of your identity; this is usually achieved by providing a certified copy of the personal details page of your passport or a birth certificate (in English). A scanned document may be uploaded in the first instance, but a ‘hard copy’ original or certified version of that document will be required in order to complete your enrolment. Information on certified/notarised documents.

As soon as you have completed your online application your proof of identity document must be posted to

International Office,
University of Otago
PO Box 56
Dunedin 9054
New Zealand

We will contact you directly if additional information is required.

Meeting the entrance requirements

To be eligible to apply for the Study Abroad programme you should have

Completed at least one year of study at an accredited tertiary institution. US students are expected to be in their Junior year.
Current enrolment at an accredited tertiary institution.
A cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or greater (USA), or have “credit”, “good”, or above average results.

Students who do not meet all of the above criteria are welcome to apply. We will confirm your eligibility for Study Abroad.

In addition to the requirements above, if you wish to gain entry to higher level undergraduate classes at Otago you will need to have completed academic prerequisites at your home institution.

Meeting the English language requirements

If your first language is not English you must provide evidence of a satisfactory level of English language proficiency.

Evidence of English language proficiency may be satisfied by one of the following:

IELTS score of 6.0 in the academic module (no individual band below 6.0).
Internet-based TOEFL score of 80 (minimum writing score of 20).

For a full list of English language tests we accept please see our English language requirements for undergraduate applicants.

Please note that the English language test must have been taken within two years of the proposed study start date.