Bachelor of Arts Prospectus

Transcription

Arts
at Otago
May 2014
For further information:
0800 80 80 98
www.otago.ac.nz
txt 866
[email protected]
Dunedin
Arts at Otago
Division of Humanities
University of Otago
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Welcome to the Division of Humanities –
home of the Bachelor of Arts at Otago
Tënei rä te mihi atu ki a koutou katoa e whakaaro ana ki te whakauru mai ki Te Whare
Wänanga o Otägo i raro i te maru o Ngäi Tahu.
This is a greeting to all of you who are considering enrolling in the University of
Otago which is located under the mantle of the Ngäi Tahu tribe.
The Division of Humanities at Otago also
offers degrees in:
Education and Teaching
Law
Music
Performing Arts
Social Work
Theology
For more information on these degrees visit
www.otago.ac.nz/humanities/study/undergraduate
Bachelor of Arts subjects explore the human world and the ways in which people interpret
and represent their experiences.
Arts students develop essential lifelong learning skills such as critical thinking, flexibility and
competence with language, as well as specialised knowledge of the human and natural world,
making them highly sought after by employers.
The highly flexible nature of an Otago Arts degree allows a number of papers from other
Divisions, such as Science or Commerce, to also be included in your degree.
Arts subjects let you be who you want to be.
Bachelor of Arts students often study for double degrees, especially with Law,
but also with degrees from Commerce and Science.
For more information on the full range of degrees the University of Otago offers visit
www.otago.ac.nz/prospectivestudents
Contents
Why choose Otago to study for your Bachelor of Arts?
2 Your start to a great career 4
Enrolment 4
We’re here to help 5
Bachelor of Arts (BA) 7
Glossary of Terms
30
Where to go for more information
31
While all information in this booklet is, as far as possible, up to date and accurate at the time of publication, the University
reserves the right to change courses and course requirements, and to make any other alterations, as it may deem necessary.
Published May 2014
1
Why choose Otago to study
for your Bachelor of Arts?
Great lecturers
Otago’s Humanities Division has some
of the top lecturers and researchers in the
country. These lecturers and researchers
are teaching undergraduate subjects. They
come from diverse cultural backgrounds,
from New Zealand and overseas, and
regularly attend national and international
conferences in their fields of research,
bringing the latest developments from all
over the world back to their Otago students.
Although they may have high public
profiles, and national and international
reputations, lecturers are still approachable
and take a keen interest in the studies of
their undergraduate students.
Great courses
There is a vast range of subjects available
in an Arts degree. As long as you fulfill the
University’s entrance requirements, you can
enrol in almost any arts or social science
subject. Some degrees have compulsory
papers, but otherwise you can pick and
choose from a huge variety for an Arts
degree, or add some of the papers to a
degree in Commerce or Science.
This flexibility of an Otago Arts degree is
greatly valued by students, especially those
who have trouble initially choosing which
pathway to follow.
Great facilities
The Central Library is in the spectacular
Information Services Building and has
print, electronic and audio-visual resources,
computers, wireless internet access, ports for
laptop use, photocopying services and more
than 2,000 study spaces.
For students living in North Dunedin, the
University’s Marsh Study Centre hosts a 225
seat community based study centre, with
social spaces and a café.
The Hocken Collections, one of the foremost
historical research libraries in New Zealand,
is also part of the University campus.
And, if you want to take a break from
studying, the Link and Union buildings are
nearby with a variety of food on offer – from
salad to a stir-fry, or a muesli bar if you are in
a hurry. Of course, the coffee is great.
Enjoy the sun on the Union lawn with
friends while reading course notes from the
University website on your laptop using
wireless internet access.
2
Great preparation for
employment
Employers seek Otago Arts graduates for
both the vocational and generic skills they
have gained while studying.
There is a perception that Arts degrees are
“less vocational” than other degrees, or that
Arts graduates have much lower earnings
than graduates of other degrees. A number
of surveys and research studies refute this
perception (e.g. Hard Times, College Majors,
Unemployment and Earnings. A. Carnevale,
B. Cheah and G. Strohl. Georgetown Centre
on Education and the Workforce (2012)).
Statistical and anecdotal evidence from
our own academic departments confirms
that Otago Arts graduates are securing
interesting and well-paid positions, both
nationally and internationally.
At Otago we strongly advise students to
study the subjects they enjoy, as doing this
will lead them into a job they will love. Many
employers look at how well a student has
succeeded in their degree, i.e. marks gained,
rather than looking for particular subjects.
Students may consider either including a
minor from another discipline, or completing
a double degree in a subject from another
discipline, to emphasise to employers their
versatility in a range of subjects.
Great student life
As a University of Otago student you can
write for the student newspaper or DJ for
Radio One 91FM, go to your own gym or
join a club at the clubs and societies centre.
You will probably remember your first
Orientation as the best two weeks of your
life as you will make new friends from all
over New Zealand and overseas.
On the more serious side, there is also a
student health care centre, student learning
centre, counselling services, disability
information and support, careers advisers,
and lots and lots of student support.
Otago is a leading research
University
Research underpins all academic activity at
Otago and a strong research culture is fostered
across all divisions. This was highlighted
by Otago’s success under the New Zealand
Government’s 2012 Performance-Based
Research Fund (PBRF) quality evaluation,
which confirmed Otago’s position as the
leading research institution in New Zealand.
Otago was the only university to be ranked in
the top four in all average quality score (AQS)
measures in the PBRF evaluation. Students benefit by having the latest leadingedge research knowledge passed on by
lecturers and staff in lectures and tutorials.
Fees at Otago are very
competitive
If you are from out of
town you are not alone
Fees for Arts subjects are amongst the
lowest of any university in New Zealand
and many scholarships are available. There
is also a wide range of part-time jobs on
and near campus to help students finance
their studies. Student Job Search can help
students find paid employment that fits in
with their study schedules.
Students from throughout New Zealand
and from all over the world come to Otago
to take our degrees. At least 80 per cent of
students are from outside the area and find
a warm welcome in the southern city. There
is a choice of excellent residential colleges
to stay in, most of which are fully catered,
and lots of student flats near campus. Many
students can walk to their lectures, although
some prefer to live a bit further away –
perhaps to take in the early morning surf at
St Clair Beach. With such a large number of
students living away from home, many for
the first time, friendships are easily made
and often continue for life.
Overseas opportunities
Student exchanges to other countries can be
part of the Otago experience. The University
of Otago has partnerships with around
100 overseas universities in more than 30
countries throughout Europe, the Americas
and Asia.
By taking part in the Student Exchange
programme, Otago students further their
academic studies while experiencing another
culture and taking advantage of work and
research opportunities there. Subjects passed
overseas are credited back to an Otago degree.
Honours language students (studying
Chinese, French, German, Japanese or
Spanish) are required, as part of their
studies, to spend at least one semester in
a country where the language they are
studying is spoken. However, students
studying many other subjects also take
advantage of the exchange programme.
Exchange students pay Otago tuition fees, and
some grants and scholarships are available for
travel and living costs. Applicants must have a
B average, or better, to qualify.
3
Enjoy Dunedin’s arts and
cultural heart
The city is home to a thriving arts and
cultural scene. There is a wide range of
art, literature, music and theatre events
happening every week, whether it be touring
from other New Zealand centres, from
overseas, or homegrown events. Watch the
ID Fashion Show at the Railway Station on
one of the longest catwalks in the world or
listen to the legendary Dunedin sound at
one of the many venues near the Octagon.
There is always something happening in
Dunedin. University of Otago staff and
students add to this culture, with some
taking the spotlight themselves. Dunedin
people welcome students and appreciate the
many contributions they make to the city.
Your start to a
great career
Enrolment
Some students enrolling at Otago know what they want to do when
they leave university, but many are still making up their minds. The
course structure offered in an Arts degree allows students to try a
variety of subjects in the first year and decide what they want to
specialise in later on, depending on their interests and strengths.
Whatever the choice made, employers value students with a
bachelor’s degree from Otago. Those who have completed a degree
have proven they have communication skills, the ability to work
independently and to deadlines, as well as analytical and problemsolving abilities.
Otago’s Schools’ Liaison Officers visit high schools throughout New
Zealand and can provide information on entrance requirements,
enrolment, degrees, accommodation and student life. Secondary
school careers advisers will also hold Otago information to help with
student enquiries.
Applications for accommodation in a residential college open on
1 August for the following year, and should be completed by the end
of September.
Bachelor degree graduates in New Zealand, five years after finishing
study, earn 53 per cent above the national median earnings (Ministry
of Education 2011). In other countries, such as the United Kingdom
and the United States, the average income of graduates is also
significantly higher.
Applying for University (Enrolment) is a separate process and can be
completed online using the student portal called eVision. Enrolment
needs to be completed by 10 December. Applications then go
through an approval process. Students usually arrive on campus in
mid-February, and lectures commence around the third week in
February.
A bachelor’s degree offers many possible career paths and also equips
graduates with the skills to adapt in an ever-changing job market.
Postgraduate study is also an option, whether soon after graduation
or many years later when the need arises.
Students transferring to Otago from other universities enrol just like
any other student.
Work successfully completed at another university may be credited
to an Otago degree if appropriate.
To help students and graduates choose a career, the Career
Development Centre at Otago can give career and course advice
and information about specific jobs. It also provides personal
career counselling, graduate recruitment, seminars, resources,
OtagoCareerHub for graduate jobs, information and assistance
with job search strategies and networking, as well as CV writing and
interview skills.
For more information, refer to the Undergraduate Prospectus, the
Guide to Enrolment or the University of Otago’s website
www.otago.ac.nz
To contact the University, phone 0800 80 80 98,
email [email protected] or text 866.
4
We’re here
to help
Course Advisers
Course advisers from within Humanities
are available for students to talk to about
their intended plan of study. You will find
them in the Humanities Divisional Office
on the fifth floor of the Arts Building.
Division of Humanities course advisers
can also give you advice on who to talk to
if you need information from staff in the
Division’s academic departments. Usually
no appointment is necessary and they are
always ready to listen and help.
The number of Arts subjects can make
choosing hard, especially when some
subjects don’t have compulsory papers.
Course advisers look at the student’s
academic and personal strengths and
weaknesses and what they want to do when
they graduate. They can give advice on
what papers, majors, minors and degrees
are available to meet the student’s needs as
they understand the skills each course of
study will develop and the workload that is
required to finish it.
Kaiäwhina Mäori – Mäori
Student Support Officer
Pacific Islands Students’
Support Officer
The Kaiäwhina Mäori – the Mäori Student
Support Officer in the Humanities Division
– can be found on the fifth floor of the Arts
Building. The office door is usually always
open and, if it is not, it is easy enough to
make an appointment.
Otago may be far away from the warm
sands of the Pacific, but the welcome is a
warm and friendly one for students in the
Humanities Division. Academic support and
advice is available for Arts students through
the Division’s Pacific Islands Student
Support Officer on the fifth floor of the
Arts Building.
Providing academic support to students
– such as liaising with course advisers on
behalf of students – the Kaiäwhina Mäori
welcomes students and keeps in touch with
them as they progress through their studies.
5
Contact details for the Division of
Humanities Course Advisers and Mäori
and Pacific Support Officers are available at
www.otago.ac.nz/humanities
6
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
(BA) Degree
Flexibility
Employment
Structure of a Bachelor of Arts (Ba)
The Bachelor of Arts is our most well
known academic programme – and for
good reason. It is one of the most flexible
degrees at Otago. With more than 50 arts
and social science subjects to choose from,
plus others from elsewhere in the University,
students can combine interests as diverse as
Geography and Greek or Mäori Studies and
Maths. However, with two majors possible,
or major(s) and minor(s) combinations, you
don’t need to be overwhelmed by choice.
Just start in your first semester by studying
three or four subjects that you think you will
enjoy, and by the end of your first or second
semester, your pathway will be much clearer.
It is the ability to create individual study
paths in the BA that catches the attention of
employers. Graduates with a BA have proven
that they can take on challenges, that they
have strong analytical, research, problem
solving, communication, interpersonal
and teamwork skills – all of the skills that
employers are looking for.
The Bachelor of Arts (BA) is usually
completed in three years:
Length
The degree is normally completed in three
years, or longer if studied part-time.
A number of students complete double
degrees. Combining the BA with a threeyear science or business degree, for example,
will usually take between four-and-a-half
and five years because of the ability to crosscredit some papers. Similarly, combining
the BA with a four-year Law degree will take
around five years.
Entrance and studying
Entry to an Arts degree requires students to
have met the University’s entrance criteria.
The Undergraduate Prospectus sets out the
entrance requirements, admission and
enrolment procedures.
Entrance to most Arts subjects does not
require you to have studied a particular
subject at school. This gives you the
opportunity to either try some new subjects,
or to continue studying in an area you enjoy.
If you change your mind part way through
a BA, there is no need to worry. Students
should follow their interests and passions,
and their degree can be restructured with
many papers still counting towards the
completed degree.
Students are taught by research-active
lecturers and take part in a range of learning
tasks to develop intellectual independence.
Employers say graduates are also adaptable,
flexible and creative. This ensures graduates
are employable in an ever-changing world.
The job students enter when they leave
university may be very different to the one
they find themselves in five or 10 years later.
The BA also gives students the widest choice
of career paths. Graduates become successful
managers and administrators, writers,
journalists, editors and publishers, policy
analysts, public servants, artists, musicians,
advertising and public relations executives,
environmentalists, academics, social services
workers and teachers – the range is almost
endless.
•
Subjects are studied as papers and each
paper is worth a number of points
•
Undergraduate semester papers (half a
year of study) are worth 18 points each
•
Full year undergraduate papers are
usually worth 36 points each
•
A BA degree programme is made up of
papers worth not less than 360 points
(which equates to 20 one-semester
papers)
•
First-year papers are coded 100-level,
second-year papers 200-level and so on
•
A BA must have at least 180 points (10
one-semester papers) above 100-level,
and 72 (four one-semester papers)
above 200-level.
For the degree, the student needs to satisfy at
least one of the major subject requirements
as set out in the Guide To Enrolment.
The degree may also include one or more
minor subjects and may include up to 90
points (five one-semester papers) outside
the BA subjects.
Rather than relying on a set of specific
vocational skills, the breadth of a BA
helps graduates keep their employment
opportunities open for life.
Year 3
Year 2
Year 1
Major
Major
Major
Major
arts
other
300 level
18 points
300 level
18 points
300 level
18 points
300 level
18 points
any level
18 points
any level
18 points
Major
Major
Major
arts
arts
other
other
200 level
18 points
200 level
18 points
200 level
18 points
200 level
18 points
200 level
18 points
200 level
18 points
any level
18 points
Major
Major
arts
arts
arts
other
other
100 level
18 points
100 level
18 points
100 level
18 points
100 level
18 points
100 level
18 points
100 level
18 points
100 level
18 points
Arts major subject
7
Arts subjects other than the major
Subjects either from arts
or from other degrees
As some papers are only offered in semester one or
semester two, courses should be planned so study is
spread over both semesters in each of the three years.
Visit the MyBA pages for more information and
videos on the BA
www.otago.ac.nz/MyBA
Some papers are also taught as part of Otago’s
Summer School that runs from early January to midFebruary. These papers, mostly also worth 18 points,
are usually not compulsory, but allow students to
ease their workload by spreading study over a greater
period of the year. Summer School papers also give
students the opportunity to speed up their degree
or catch up points that they failed to gain in earlier
years of study.
Information Sheets in printed form on many
subjects are available from the University, or visit
www.otago.ac.nz/humanities-subjects to view these.
For more general information refer to the
Undergraduate Prospectus, the Guide to Enrolment or
the University of Otago’s website www.otago.ac.nz
To contact the university phone 0800 80 80 98,
email [email protected] or txt 866.
Otago Schools’ Liaison Officers visit high schools
throughout New Zealand to help pupils plan their
degrees before enrolment. The Humanities course
advisers are on campus to advise students if they
wish to change their planned degree following
enrolment. Staff in academic departments can also
advise on major and minor course requirements.
SPECIFIC EXAMPLE:
DEGREE STRUCTURE FOR BACHELOR OF ARTS
Major: Classics Minor: Marketing Management
Year 1
BSNS 103
CLAS 109
CLAS 105
LATN 111
MART 112
HIST 108 POLS 104
Marketing and Consumption
Roman Social History: Slaves, Gladiators, Prostitutes
Greek Mythology
Introductory Latin 1
Marketing Management From Medieval to Modern Europe
International Relations – Introduction
18
18
18
18
18
18
18
126
Year 2
CLAS 232
CLAS 238
CLAS 241
MART 201
MART 202
POLS 207
HIST 217
Love and War in Graeco-Roman Literature
Fantasies, Phobias and Families in Graeco-Roman Myth
Alexander the Great
Integrated Marketing Communications
Product and Brand
Environmental Politics
Russia: Reform and Revolution
18
18
18
18
18
18
18
126
Year 3
CLAS 331
CLAS 337
CLAS 338
CLAS 340
MART 325
ARCH 101
Research Methods in Classics
Cicero and Roman Oratory
Political Criticism and Dissidence in the Graeco-Roman World
Love, Death and the Good Life: Socrates and Plato
Services Marketing
Origins and Civilisations
18
18
18
18
18
18
108
360 360
Total Points 8
Gaining a Bachelor of Arts is one of the best
ways to gain the generic/transferable skills that
employers value. These generic skills transfer
into almost any occupation. Students studying
for the BA will spend time researching,
analysing and writing on their own. In many
subjects students also develop communication
and interpersonal skills through tutorials,
group work and presentations.
Career opportunities with
a Bachelor of Arts
Gaining a Bachelor of Arts will give students
the widest possible scope to enter almost any
occupation.
Here are just a few areas where our
graduates work:
• Advertising, communications and public
relations
• Art galleries, museums, libraries and
cultural centres
The skills employers are looking for in
graduates are exactly the skills a BA will help
graduates gain. These include:
• Business and banking
• strong interpersonal skills
• Government, local government and the
diplomatic service
• strong verbal and written
communication skills
• Community work and the social services
• Education and teaching
• Human resources and recruitment
• flexibility, adaptability and a “can–do”
attitude
• Journalism, reporting, media relations,
web design
• sound academic achievement
• Music and the performing arts industry
(theatre, television, film)
•
self motivation and time management
• analytical, conceptual and problem
solving skills
• Research and policy analysis
• being a team player
• Writing, editing and publishing.
•
Tourism and hospitality management
• energy and enthusiasm.
9
The University of Otago’s Career
Development Centre assists intending
students, current students, graduates and
alumni with a wide range of career enquiries
– from the exploration of career ideas and
related course advice, to personal career
counselling and information about specific
jobs, employers and further study. The
Centre also liaises with employers, assisting
them to recruit some of New Zealand’s top
graduates. Visit www.otago.ac.nz/careers
Bachelor of Arts
The Bachelor of Arts –
gaining the skills employers
want
Index to
Bachelor of Arts subjects
Subject
Page
Anthropology (Social Anthropology)
11
Latin 21
Archaeology 11
Law 21
Art History and Theory 11
Linguistics 21
Asian Studies 12
Mäori Studies 22
Biblical Studies 12
Mathematics 22
Chinese 12
Moral and Political Thought
22
Christian Thought and History 13
Music 23
Classical Music
13
Music Industry
23
Classics 13
Music Technology 23
Communication Studies 14
New Zealand Studies 23
Computer Science 14
Pacific Islands Studies 24
Economics 14
Philosophy 24
Education 14
Philosophy, Politics and Economics 24
English 15
Politics 25
English and Linguistics
15
Popular Music
25
English for Academic Purposes 15
Psychology 25
Environment and Society 15
Religion 26
Ethnomusicology
16
Sociology 27
European Studies
16
Spanish 27
Film and Media Studies 16
Statistics 28
French 17
Gender Studies 17
Teaching English as a Second Language
(TESOL) 28
Geography 17
Theatre Studies 28
German 18
Theology
29
Greek 18
Visual Culture 29
Hebrew 18
Writing 29
History 18
History and Philosophy of Science 19
Indigenous Development
19
Information Science 20
Irish Studies 20
Japanese 20
Language and Culture (Diploma)
Subjects can be taken as a major or a minor as
indicated. Most can be taken to postgraduate
level. Individual papers can also be taken to
supplement degrees other than the BA.
Study symbol key
Major 21
Minor
Language and Linguistics 21
Postgraduate Study
Languages 21
10
Anthropology
(Social Anthropology)
Department of Anthropology and
Archaeology
www.otago.ac.nz/anthropology
Social Anthropology focuses on the cultural
basis of social life and the diversity and
similarities within cultures. It is studied
comparatively and historically with close
attention to the dynamics of social and
cultural change at every level of human life,
from the local to the global. The complexities
of cultural identity and social change in the
contemporary world are of special interest.
Social anthropology specialisations at Otago
include Pacific Studies, South Asia, history
and anthropology, medical anthropology,
religion and ritual, gender, ethnicity,
development, political anthropology, legal
anthropology, economic anthropology,
globalisation, migration, new media, and
anthropological theory and methods.
First-year papers introduce the fundamental
concepts of anthropology and provide an
introduction to the study of contemporary
cultures in a global world from the
perspectives of social anthropology.
Specialised courses are offered at 200 and
300-levels.
Students attend weekly lectures and tutorials
at 100 level.
Career Opportunities
Graduates become professional
anthropologists, museum staff, social
scientists and teachers, and work as
researchers, writers, policy analysts and
advisers with government ministries and
departments in, for example, Culture and
Heritage, Ethnic Affairs, Te Puni Kökiri,
Health, Social Development, Justice, Foreign
Affairs and Conservation. Anthropology
graduates are also sought by nongovernmental and private organisations.
Archaeology
See graduate profile on this page.
Department of Anthropology and
Archaeology
www.otago.ac.nz/anthropology
From the pyramids of Egypt to microscopic
plant fragments retrieved from ancient soils
– humans have left many traces of their past
for us to study. Archaeologists examine these
remains to add to existing records or to give
a glimpse of early human cultures where no
records exist.
Otago has a world-renowned archaeology
programme with department staff
specialising in the origin, spread and regional
development of cultures in New Zealand,
Oceania and East and Southeast Asia.
Students attend weekly lectures and
tutorials. From second-year, students
use the department’s laboratories where
archaeological remains are cleaned,
sorted, identified and studied with the
aid of extensive reference collections. The
laboratories also include specialist facilities
for spatial analysis, including GIS, and the
chemical identification and analysis of stone
materials.
Graduates may become professional
archaeologists who work variously as
consultants in private practice, as officials or
specialists in public heritage or conservation
agencies (at local or national government
level), or as scientists or researchers in
specialist laboratories (e.g. radiocarbon
dating) or museums. As well, archaeology
graduates may be employed as museum
curators, social scientists, teachers,
government researchers and policy analysts.
Art History and Theory
Department of History and Art History
www.otago.ac.nz/historyarthistory
For as long as there have been people there
has been art. Developing knowledge of how
painting, sculpture, architecture, graphic
and the decorative arts have been influenced
by history and, in turn, have changed the
world around them, gives insights into what
makes us human.
At weekly lectures and tutorials students
study a range of “core” periods including
Medieval, Gothic, Renaissance, and the
nineteenth and twentieth centuries. We offer
a mixture of international, national and
local perspectives, with a strong emphasis
on New Zealand art. Some courses focus
on the literature of art and methodology, in
line with our aim to develop the skills of art
interpretation and criticism.
Students use the resources of the Hocken
Collections, the Dunedin Public Art Gallery
and the Otago Museum. Art History
staff have strong links with local and
international galleries and museums, are
prominent public commentators on art
history and theory, and publish widely.
11
JESSIE GARLAND
Archaeology
archaeologist and artefacts specialist,
underground overground archaeology ltd
ba (hons) classics & anthropology,
ma archaeology
“Archaeology is never what you expect
it to be, there’s always something
unexpected or new,” says Jessie Garland.
The desire to better understand people
is what led Jessie to study Archaeology
and Classics, and it is what continues
to inspire her in her work with
Underground Overground Archaeology
Ltd, an archaeological consultancy based
in Christchurch.
Jessie’s days are very busy, helping to
recover, identify and research artefacts
found in sites in Christchurch.
“Due to the earthquakes of 2010 and
2011 and the scale of earthworks, so
much of the central city is being dug
up. We’re making significant discoveries
about what life was like in 19th century
Christchurch as we collect artefacts from
all kinds of archaeological sites. We’re
learning so much about the people who
lived in, and built this city during that time.
“I studied archaeology because I loved
history and science, and archaeology
combines both,” she says. “I also loved
stories and both classics and archaeology
are windows into different, often distant
worlds.”
Of her time at the University of Otago
Jessie says “I loved it, I miss it still. The
friends I made there continue to be
some of my best friends. The department
is really supportive and there is lots of
opportunity to volunteer and help with
archaeological work. And I don’t think
there’s anywhere else quite like Dunedin,
it’s a unique place to live and go to
university.”
A degree in Art History and Theory
provides a foundation for careers in
education, arts administration, museums,
galleries, conservation, historic preservation,
libraries, archives, publishing, art criticism,
journalism, advertising, international
tourism and art investment.
Asian Studies
Department of Languages and Cultures
www.otago.ac.nz/asianstudies
Asian Studies is for students who wish to
learn about the history, culture, politics and
economics of the countries of the Asian
region. Subjects combine well with learning
either the Japanese or Chinese languages
that are also offered by the department.
Most of the texts used in the course may be
read either in their original language, or in
English.
Biblical Studies
Department of Theology and Religion
www.otago.ac.nz/theology
Biblical Studies is devoted to the study
of the Jewish and Christian Scriptures. It
looks at the origins of biblical writings and
the history of their interpretation. Biblical
Studies papers are divided between the
Old Testament (the Hebrew Bible) and the
New Testament. Students can also study the
biblical languages – classical Hebrew and
New Testament Greek – to an advanced
level. The department welcomes all students,
irrespective of religious background.
Graduates develop valuable skills in critical
thinking, research and communication.
They go on to develop careers in any
number of roles: teaching, social work,
journalism, librarianship, administration,
aid and development agencies, government
department work, and church leadership
and ministry.
tutorials.
Graduates work in private and public
sectors, in industry and government.
Chinese
www.otago.ac.nz/chinese
Chinese is the most spoken language in
the world and the number of people who
are learning Chinese as a second-language
is increasing rapidly. It is also the secondmost-common language on the Internet.
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Modern Standard Chinese (also known as
Mandarin, Putonghua or Guoyu) is used in
mainland China, Taiwan and, increasingly,
in Hong Kong and Macau.
Links between China and New Zealand are
growing and knowledge of the language
enables access to Chinese documents not
yet translated into English. Literary and
philosophical texts can be read, and Chinese
art, film and media accessed in their original
state for a greater understanding of the
culture and history of the country.
There is the opportunity to take part in
Otago’s international exchange programme
attending some of the most prestigious
Universities in China e.g. Tsinghu University
in Beijing and/or Fudan University in
Shanghai, for up to one year of study.
Courses are credited to the student’s Otago
degree.
and are encouraged to speak the language
wherever possible.
Graduates work in New Zealand and
overseas in business, law, tourism,
information science and technology,
teaching, translation and interpretation,
print and electronic journalism, and
government departments.
Christian Thought and
History
To study Christian Thought and History
students do not need to have a Christian
faith of their own, only a curiosity about
the world and human experience, though
Christian students find their study enriches
their understanding of the faith.
Christian Thought and History is the study
of church history, systematic theology and
Christian ethics. It covers the growth and
development of the Christian faith from
the first century to modern times. It also
offers a critical exposition and analysis of
Christian thought from a historical and
a philosophical perspective and links the
history and nature of Christian ethical
thought with current ethical issues.
Classical Music
Classics
Department of Music
www.otago.ac.nz/music
Department of Classics
www.otago.ac.nz/classics
The Classical Music minor is a specialised
programme offered for students wishing
to develop their historical, analytical and
stylistic knowledge of western classical
music from the 16th to 21st centuries.
The cultures of Ancient Greece and
Rome still influence our world today. The
languages, literature, theatre, art, philosophy,
architecture, medicine, political and legal
systems of the western world all have their
roots in these distant civilisations. Learning
more about the complex heritage behind
what people think and do in New Zealand
now gives Humanities graduates a strong
sense of historical development and national
identity. A classical education will help them
confidently shape the future with a sound
understanding of the past.
Students will acquire a high level of musical
literacy as they undertake a series of papers
in the materials of music, as well as papers
focused on the historical and stylistic aspects
of music.
The programme has the flexibility to
encompass a range of other subjects while
at the same time developing skills aimed at
a deep intellectual and artistic engagement
with classical music.
Students may include the minor in Bachelor
of Arts, Commerce, Science or Theology
degrees.
Graduates develop valuable skills in critical
thinking, research and communication.
They go on to develop careers in any
number of roles: teaching, social work,
journalism, librarianship, administration,
aid and development agencies, government
department work, and church leadership
and ministry.
A diverse range of papers in Classical Studies,
Ancient Greek and Latin can be flexibly
combined to suit the interests of individual
students and to create the BA major in
Classics. Each language can also be taken
as a minor with Classical Studies for the
major; or one of the three fields will make a
complementary but distinctive minor with
another Arts subject as the major. Moreover,
a Classics minor will broaden other degrees
like the BCom and BSc.
The Classical Studies papers explore
fascinating aspects and periods of Greek and
Roman history, literature and mythology
(in English translations), as well as the
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surviving artistic and archaeological sources
(including those held in the Otago Museum).
The beginners’ Ancient Greek and Latin
papers offer valuable linguistic training in
small, interactive classes, and the advanced
papers open up the stimulating experience
of reading classic works of Greek and Roman
drama, history, poetry, philosophy and
rhetoric in the authors’ own words.
Students are supported by the lecturers
in the Classics Department, who have all
earned international reputations in their
research areas.
fortnightly tutorials, and most papers
are supported by resources available on
Blackboard.
Note: students who plan to complete an
Honours degree or postgraduate study in
Classics in New Zealand or overseas are
strongly advised to enrol in Latin or Greek
papers in their first year.
Graduates are employed not only in
schools and universities, but also in foreign
affairs, trade and industry, banking, social
work, local government, polytechnic
and university administration, libraries,
museums and art galleries, theatres,
journalism, editing and publishing, web
design, fashion and tourism — everywhere
transferable academic skills are valued.
Communication Studies
Department of Media, Film and
Communication
www.otago.ac.nz/mfco
Cell phones, the internet and cable television
are changing the world. Communication
Studies focuses not only on how we use
these new forms of media, but how they
affect what we do and what we think.
Students consider media technologies
that are used for modern communication,
their emergence and how they are used in
contemporary society.
The varieties of ways we communicate
on an interpersonal, intercultural and
symbolic basis are also examined. Media
uses and their intended and unintended,
desirable and undesirable consequences
for individuals, nations, and the world are
looked at critically.
Communication Studies is a major
which recognises the need for graduates
who understand communication in the
information age and the era of globalised
media. Many of the skills that you will learn
are widely applicable to a broad range of
occupations and professions.
Graduates work in a variety of fields,
including mass media, journalism, education
and training, advertising, government
institutions, media administration, media
policy analysis, personnel management, sales,
public relations, tourism, and some pursue
postgraduate studies.
Computer Science
Department of Computer Science
www.cs.otago.ac.nz
Many people use computers every day, but
few know how they really work. Computer
Science teaches students the practical skills
of computer programming, computer
networking, databases, building websites
and much more. Computer Science also
explores the fundamental concept of
computation: what is or isn’t possible to
compute in principle, and what is or isn’t
possible to compute in practice. Computer
scientists are highly sought after, can choose
from a wide range of careers and are among
the highest paid graduates in the country.
Computer science can be naturally paired
with many humanities subjects as either a
double major, minor or as a DipGrad after
completing your degree. For example, it
goes very well with: linguistics, philosophy,
geography, education, law, media, film and
communication, and music.
This is a good time to think of an IT career.
Over the past few years, the number of jobs
has continued to increase steadily while the
number of graduates has lagged behind. A
career in the IT sector offers good salaries and
job security. It also offers a lot of variety, since
computer skills can be combined with any
other interests you have. On our web page
www.cs.otago.ac.nz/careers/index.html you’ll
see what a range of jobs our graduates do.
Economics
Department of Economics
www.otago.ac.nz/economics
Economics provides a framework for
thinking about almost everything.
Economics is about choice and is at the
heart of decision-making. Governments,
businesses and individuals are all faced
with making choices in situations where
resources are scarce.
Not just a subject, but a way of thinking,
Economics applies to business, finance,
administration, law, local and national
government and most aspects of everyday
life. It provides a logical way of looking at a
variety of issues.
Economics examines topics important to
human well-being such as unemployment,
economic growth, inflation, poverty,
distribution of income, and resource
allocation in areas such as education, health,
business and the environment.
Graduates work in large industrial and
commercial firms and many different
branches of the public sector including the
Ministries of Economic Development, Foreign
Affairs and Trade, and Health, the Reserve
Bank, Treasury, Statistics New Zealand, the
Departments of Labour and Internal Affairs,
local government and planning authorities
and banks and financial institutions.
Some work with health providers, research
bureaux and management consultancies,
while others have careers in universities, other
tertiary institutions and secondary schools.
Education
College of Education
www.otago.ac.nz/education
Education is a lifelong endeavour. Studying
education at the University of Otago College
of Education involves critical analysis of
contemporary educational theories, policies
and practices to promote understanding
of education and to enhance educational
processes. At the College of Education, we
engage in cutting-edge research, outstanding
teaching, professional leadership, and service
to the wider educational community.
On our courses students examine the
political, social and cultural dimensions of
current educational practices within New
Zealand and international contexts. They
attend weekly lectures and tutorials, with
tutorials.
14
some papers and programmes available
through Distance Learning.
Education Studies is for students with an
interest in education who do not necessarily
want to teach, as it does not qualify
graduates to be teachers. The College of
Education also offers a range of programmes
for students to qualify as early childhood,
primary and secondary teachers.
The College of Education is an exciting,
vibrant place with an international
reputation for excellence in educational
practice. Join us!
Education provides a foundation for all
teaching and for other careers that require
critical thought, interactions with people,
an understanding of human development
and learning, policy analysis and advanced
communication.
English students at Otago are able to choose
a variety of texts from Old English poetry to
online digital novels, gaining knowledge of
literary history and culture, and learning to
use critical methods.
Papers include New Zealand literature,
Shakespeare, crime fiction, medieval
literature, contemporary American fiction
and Scottish literature.
Students find their perceptions sharpened,
their understanding deepened and their
enjoyment enhanced – for life. And they
equip themselves for careers in almost any
sector of society where flexible thinking and
imagination are required.
An English and Linguistics major or a
Languages and Linguistics major are also
options for students.
Students attend weekly lectures and tutorials.
“Good readers and writers can do anything.”
English
See also Writing (minor subject)
Department of English and Linguistics
www.otago.ac.nz/englishlinguistics/english
Literature is the living record of the efforts
of the human imagination to shape the
world through language. English at the
University of Otago opens the vast and
provocative range of literatures written in
English; provides a grasp of concepts and
techniques for analysing texts; and improves
communication skills.
A degree or minor in English advances any
professional career such as law, business or
health.
Graduates work in journalism, editorial
work, publishing, library work, film,
radio, theatre and television, personnel
and information management, policy
initiatives for government, diplomacy, arts
management, teaching and educational
administration and research for business
and industry.
15
English and Linguistics
See separate subjects.
English for University
Purposes
www.otago.ac.nz/englishlinguistics
Anyone wishing to improve their
communication skills in English, or students
who have English as a second language, may
enrol in the paper English for University
Purposes ENGL126.
The paper offers a skills-based course for
those seeking to improve their command
of the English language for use in an
academic context.
Environment and Society
Department of Geography
www.otago.ac.nz/courses/subjects/envi.html
The Environment and Society minor was
introduced to provide a way for all graduates
to build an environmental awareness
component into their degree programmes,
whatever their major.
Environment and Society looks at
fundamentals of the Earth’s environmental
systems, and human impact on natural
systems at global, national and regional scales.
It covers environmental hazards, concerns
and issues; ethical, legislative, economic, and
political responses and constraints.
The minor is built around three core papers.
ENVI 111 develops a broad understanding
of environmental systems, people and their
activities, and the nature of environmental
concerns in the world around us. ENVI
211 focuses on the environmental history
of New Zealand while ENVI 311 returns to
contemporary issues, with closer attention to
three or four specific environmental topics.
To complete the minor, a student will take
two other papers that need to be approved
by the course director: these would be
papers that have an environmental theme or
relevance and build on the core papers in a
useful way.
Ethnomusicology
Department of Music
Ethnomusicology is sometimes described
as “the study of people making music”, or
as “the anthropology of music”. It examines
social and cultural meanings of music, and
can be applied to any musical context. It is
also a term used to describe musicology in
relation to the music of the world’s many
different cultures.
A wide range of papers is offered including
ethnographic research in music, how music
fits into a cultural context, as well as specific
papers on music in Asian, Pacific and Latin
American cultures. Students do not need
a prior knowledge of music except for one
performance paper where entry is by audition.
European Studies
www.otago.ac.nz/europeanstudies
European Studies covers the remarkable
social, economic, political and cultural
transformations that have taken place over
several centuries and have now, among
other changes occurring in Europe, resulted
in European integration and the building
of the European Union. By focusing on
the long-term factors that gave rise to
these developments, students will gain a
substantive perspective on modern Europe
and the issues emerging for an enlarged
concert of European nations.
A core paper provides an overview of the
histories, languages and cultures of Europe.
It grounds the study of Europe as a distinct
discipline.
A range of optional papers allows students
to deepen their interest in the histories,
politics and cultures of European countries.
The major in European Studies provides
language training in French, German or
Spanish. The minor shares the basic features
16
of the major, though language acquisition
papers are optional.
The aim of the programme is to provide
students with a clear pathway to
postgraduate training opportunities and
careers in law, commerce, arts and the
diplomatic service. It also provides a good
grounding for students who wish to pursue
postgraduate study opportunities at the
National Centre for Research on Europe
(NCRE) at the University of Canterbury.
Film and Media Studies
See graduate profile on page 17.
Department of Media, Film and
Communication
www.otago.ac.nz/mfco
Film and Media Studies focuses on
the historical, aesthetic, cultural and
social significance of cinema, television
and new visual technologies and their
interconnections. From the emergence of
cinema at the end of the 19th century to the
internet revolution, it looks at dominant
practices (Hollywood cinema, global media,
mass entertainment), and also alternative
practices (art cinema, the avant-garde and
local and indigenous media).
The production and consumption of
moving images has changed almost every
aspect of our lives and cultures. How we see
ourselves is now partly defined by what we
have observed at the movies, on television
and on the Internet. Film and Media Studies
provides students with the tools to analyse
what they see, and to understand the
motivation behind the production of what
is viewed.
and use the audio-visual study centre in
the Central Library. New Zealand and
international films are shown in a movie
theatre near campus.
Graduates work in filmmaking, television,
journalism, teaching, advertising,
government institutions, archival and
curatorial work and some pursue
postgraduate studies.
French
www.otago.ac.nz/french
French is spoken in almost every continent
in the world and, as it is closely related to
English, is an accessible language to learn for
English speakers.
Students study the language and also French
literature, art and culture using up-to-date
resources and computer-based technology.
Those who have passed NCEA Level 3
French, or who have prior knowledge of the
language, are able to enter the programme at
200-level. Students may be given a placement
test to ensure they are appropriately enrolled.
Otago’s international exchange programme
where students can attend one of the
University’s partner institutions abroad for
up to one year of study. Courses are credited
to the student’s Otago degree.
Students attend weekly lectures, tutorials
and oral classes with fluent French speakers.
They are encouraged to join the Alliance
Française de Dunedin, a French club that
offers year-round social activities with a
distinctly French flavour.
Graduates work in New Zealand and overseas
in teaching, translation and interpreting,
libraries, journalism, radio and television, the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and
other government departments, and in law,
business and administration.
Gender Studies
Department of Sociology, Gender and
Social Work
www.otago.ac.nz/sgsw
In our time there have been dramatic
changes in the ways gender and sexuality are
practised. At work and in the home, in dress
and movement, and even in what we eat and
how we speak, the organisation of gender
and sexuality is changing. Recent critical
enquiry has sought to explain how gender
shapes our lives, and how our lives impact
on gender.
Students examine the concepts of gender
and sexuality in papers which focus on
the practice of gender in historical and
contemporary New Zealand, bodies and
sexuality, the media, masculinities, work and
consumer culture and the ways in which
the state manages gender and embodiment.
At each level, papers address the beliefs and
practices through which gender, sexuality
and identity are created and how they are
produced, reinforced and transformed.
Graduates work in social and cultural policy
development and analysis, education, the
media, professional arts, Equal Employment
Opportunities, human rights, church
and pastoral work, health professions,
management, health and community
advocacy, and social and family work.
Geography
Department of Geography
www.geography.otago.ac.nz
Geography is the study of the earth, its many
environments, and the diverse people who
interact with those environments at different
scales, from the global to the regional,
national and local.
Geographers play a key role in exploring
some of the big issues that concern us
today such as climate change, sustainable
development, population and environmental
management.
Students learn skills in information gathering,
data analysis and critical assessment.
The department offers undergraduate and
postgraduate courses in physical geography,
human geography, and environmental
management. At postgraduate level the
department also offers a Master of Planning.
17
SCOTT McLachlan
Media, Film and Communication
web writer – public health
bachelor of arts (honours)
(university of otago)
master of arts (media and communication)
(university of melbourne)
Scott McLachlan’s education and career
brought him full circle, back to his
hometown University, and beyond.
When Scott enrolled in a BA at Otago,
he was not quite sure where his interests
might take him. After first studying English,
Music, Politics, and Film and Media, he
opted for the latter as his major.
”I found Film and Media very interesting
and enjoyed its multidisciplinary nature.
The department spans film studies, media
theory and communications so really
gives you the opportunity to engage with
media on a number of different levels,
and you’re always encouraged to take
perspectives from other disciplines.
He received an Australian Postgraduate
Award scholarship to study at the
University of Melbourne before returning
to Dunedin to work.
“I’ve always wanted to be involved in
the web world and thought I would be
a writer of some description. The two
came together in my job as a web writer
at the Unversity of Otago.”
“At Otago I learned how to write
confidently and persuasively, and how to
critique and edit my own work.”
Scott has now returned to Melbourne
to work as a digital communications
coordinator in the public health sector,
and works on social media campaigns for
community outreach programmes.
and practical sessions including occasional
field trips.
Geography graduates work in the public
and private sectors. Their skills and
interdisciplinary outlook prepare them for a
diverse range of careers. Central government
departments, state-owned enterprises, local
government and private corporations employ
Geography graduates in areas such as regional
and resource planning, environmental
management, natural resources (especially
water) analysis, social and economic research,
social services and tourism.
Courses taken while on exchange are
credited to the student’s Otago degree.
Students may also apply to take part in the
regular six-week DAAD, (German academic
exchange service) Hochschulwinterkurs.
Students attend weekly lectures and oral
classes and are encouraged to use the
language as often as possible. The teaching
programme is supported by a variety of
extra-curricular activities such as German
films, cultural events, weekly Stammtisch
and the production of an annual play.
Graduates work in teaching, science, the
media, law, government departments (e.g.
Foreign Affairs and Trade), tourism and
business.
German
www.otago.ac.nz/german
German is one of the major languages
of Europe and, as it belongs to the same
language family as English, it is easier for
English speakers to learn than many other
languages.
Students study the language and also
German literature, film and culture. Those
who have had two years or more studying
German at secondary school may enter
the programme at higher levels. There is
the opportunity to take part in Otago’s
international exchange programme
attending one of the University’s partner
institutions abroad, Heidelberg and
Tübingen, for up to one year of study.
Greek
The language and culture of Ancient Greece
is taught by the Department of Classics
from beginners’ level to Honours. No prior
knowledge of the language is required. For
more information please see the entry under
Classics.
Students attend weekly lectures.
18
Hebrew
www.otago.ac.nz/subjects/hebr.html
Classical Hebrew, which is closely related
– but not identical with – the modern
language spoken in Israel, is the language
of the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament,
and is an essential tool for the study of
both the Bible and ancient Judaism. Papers
at 100-level are taught jointly with the
University of Auckland.
Students need no prior knowledge of the
language and learn to read simple narrative
texts from the Hebrew Bible in the first year.
Although not offered as a major or minor
subject, Hebrew can be studied at more
advanced levels through papers in Biblical
Studies. Hebrew will be primarily of interest to
students of Religion, Theology, and Classics.
As its structure is very different to many of
the languages of Europe and Asia, Hebrew
offers students a broader knowledge of the
world’s languages, and it will thus also be
of interest to students of Linguistics and
Languages and Cultures.
History
Students curious about the variety of
human experience across oceans and eras
enjoy studying history at Otago. They
are encouraged to develop their own
interpretations of the past and so gain
a deeper understanding of the world’s
contemporary predicaments.
There is a wide choice of papers covering
the history of New Zealand, Mäori, the
Pacific, Australia, the United States, Asia and
Europe (medieval to modern). Students use
the resources of Archives New Zealand, the
Hocken Collections and Toitü Otago Settlers
Museum, working hands-on with primary
sources and making their own discoveries.
History at Otago has a rich tradition of
research excellence, with staff winning many
large research grants and playing leading roles
in opening up new areas of historical research.
Staff use their experience and insights to
bring the past alive in the classroom.
History and Philosophy
of Science
Department of Philosophy
www.otago.ac.nz/subjects/hpsc.html
History and Philosophy of Science (HPS)
looks at the nature of science and scientific
knowledge, both in the past and today. It
includes the study of scientific revolutions,
such as the one in the late 18th century,
and the forces that brought these about.
Other questions include: what is special
about science? How are scientific theories
generated? How are they tested?
Papers are offered by the Departments of
Philosophy and History and Art History,
and the Bioethics Centre.
Graduates enter a wide range of professions,
including teaching at all levels, journalism,
broadcasting, library work, government
service and industry. Graduates acquire the
ability to collect and analyse data and write
clear, coherent and balanced reports based
on this analysis, together with the ability to
think independently, flexibly and objectively.
These skills are readily transferable to many
occupations.
Indigenous Development –
He Kura Matanui
A BA major and BA Honours in He Kura
Matanui/Indigenous Development aims to
provide students with a strong grounding
in core indigenous cultural values, concepts,
issues and practices, using Mäori and
other indigenous examples and readings,
including the Pacific.
Students will include elective papers from
other disciplines relevant to the focus
of the programme, on contemporary
cultural, social, intellectual and economic
development of indigenous peoples in an
international context.
Graduates are prepared for a wide
variety of occupations where the focus
is on development issues for Mäori and
indigenous peoples.
An undergraduate degree in Indigenous
Development/He Kura Matanui is an entry
qualification to the Master of Indigenous
Studies and Master of Arts in Indigenous
Development/He Kura Matanui.
Te Tumu – School of Mäori, Pacific and
Indigenous Studies
www.otago.ac.nz/tetumu
Indigenous Studies is an area of increasing
national and international interest, both
amongst students and potential employers,
where Mäori and indigenous development
issues are of increasing importance.
Boris Efimov, The captain of the Soviet land is guiding us from victory to victory! 1932, poster, Russian State Library
19
Information Science
Department of Information Science
www.otago.ac.nz/informationscience
Computer-based systems play a vital role
in contemporary society. We live in a world
where information is constantly being
sorted, transported and analysed. Online
shopping, in-car navigation and digital/
streamed media all use computer systems
and software to process information.
Information Science is an exciting and
progressive field of study that focuses
on problem-solving through applying
information and communications
technologies and techniques to business.
Topics students can study in the Information
Science major include software engineering,
database design, system development,
business intelligence, user experience,
project management, and several state-ofthe-art techniques in the area of Artificial
Intelligence, spatial information systems,
distributed information systems, networking,
security, and multimedia systems.
Information Science is a dynamic course of
study that is an excellent partner to subjects
ranging from Physics and Statistics through
to Accounting and Marketing, Anthropology
and Linguistics.
A degree in Information Science can enable
a successful career in business, science,
medicine and the arts. Otago graduates can
be found in companies doing a variety of
roles such as:
• Analysis
• Database administration
• System and web design
• Programming
• IT Management
Irish Studies
Centre for Irish and Scottish Studies
www.otago.ac.nz/ciss
Once subject to the British Empire and, for
New Zealand and Australia, a major source
of immigrants, Ireland is now a wealthy,
technologically advanced, highly educated
and culturally sophisticated European nation.
Irish Studies looks at 19th and 20th Century
Irish history and literature, and 20th and
21st Century theatre and film with a focus
on issues of identity, ethnicity and nation
building.
20
Japanese
www.otago.ac.nz/japanese
Japan is one of New Zealand’s major trading
partners and is one of the powerhouses of
the Asian economies.
Students study written and spoken Japanese
to a level that enables them to converse with
native speakers without serious difficulty. They
also learn about Japan’s culture, literature
and film to understand contemporary
Japanese society where religious and artistic
traditions are blended into the daily life of this
technologically advanced country.
An all-expenses-paid year of study at a
university in Japan is offered through
scholarships from the Japanese government.
The exchange gives students the opportunity
to master the language and gain first-hand
knowledge of the country and its culture.
Courses are credited to the student’s Otago
degree.
Because of the important trade and tourist
links between Japan and New Zealand,
graduates with expertise in Japanese language
and culture are in high demand by employers
in a wide variety of fields, including business,
law, government, tourism, journalism,
advertising and education.
Diploma in Language and
Diploma in Language and
Culture
www.otago.ac.nz/courses/qualifications/
diplang.html and www.otago.ac.nz/courses/
qualifications/diplangc.html
The course offers Otago students the
opportunity to study for a Diploma in
Language, or a Diploma in Language
and Culture, while studying for another
qualification such as a Bachelor of Arts or
other degrees in Commerce or Science.
The diploma is made up of either seven
language papers (126 points), from 100-level
to 300-level, in Chinese, French, German,
Japanese, or Spanish, or of a mix of language
and culture papers from one of these
language areas. Up to two papers (36 points)
can be cross-credited from the degree study
to the diploma. Complete beginners, as well
as those who already have some language
skills, can study towards it.
Students graduate with an in-depth
knowledge of another language, with the
ability to communicate effectively in oral
and written forms. They understand their
place in the global environment and have
a more informed sense of how a second
language assists their understanding of the
international environment and its business
relationships.
Language and Linguistics
See Linguistics.
Languages
See individual subject entries for Chinese,
French, German, Greek, Latin, Hebrew,
Japanese, Mäori, and Spanish.
Latin
The language and culture of Ancient Rome
are taught by the Department of Classics
from beginners’ level to Honours. No prior
knowledge of the language is required,
and students who have studied Latin at
secondary school may enrol at a higher level.
For more information please see the entry
under Classics.
Students attend weekly lectures.
LAWS 101 deals with legal history,
legislation and case analysis, and gives
students an understanding of the history
and context of the New Zealand legal
system. Many students include LAWS
101 as part of their BA as it gives them
an understanding of the history of New
Zealand’s legal system and how it works.
Topics such as the role of parliament
and the courts, rights when arrested, the
legal relevance of the Treaty of Waitangi,
consumer rights, police entrapment, rights
of finders, the role of defence lawyers, the
role of Judges and the relationship between
law and morality are studied.
LAWS 101 is a very complementary paper to
many other BA subjects. A large number of
students study this paper even if they do not
intend to continue into second-year Law.
Linguistics
www.otago.ac.nz/englishlinguistics/linguistics
Law
Faculty of Law
www.otago.ac.nz/law
LAWS 101 the Legal System is a first-year,
full-year paper which is open to all students.
This paper is compulsory for students who
wish to study for a Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
which is a restricted degree from secondyear level. Entry into the LLB in second
year is determined by the strength of the
student’s academic record with a particular
emphasis on their mark for LAWS 101. It
can be taken as part of a Bachelor of Arts
(BA) or any other Otago Bachelor degree.
21
21
Linguistics is the study of how languages
work – from the sounds we make and how
they make up words, to how the words are
joined together to form sentences to convey
meaning. It is also the study of how languages
change as time passes, and how culture and
history alter what we say and how we say it.
Linguistics students are strongly advised
to study a language, but the subject can be
learnt without any prior knowledge of any
language other than English.
An English and Linguistics major or a
Language and Linguistics major are also
options for students.
LUCY CARTER
Ngäi Tahu/Kai Tahu
Sociology
project co-ordinator. economic and social
- tahu
development branch, te runanga
o ngai
ba (hons) sociology
After graduating with honours in
Sociology, Lucy Carter started her
career as a project coordinator for the
Economic and Social Development
branch of Te Rünanga o Ngäi Tahu.
Lucy (Ngäi Tahu) is now involved in
a wide range of projects including
promoting traditional art and helping
market authentic pounamu and the
produce of local food producers pursuing
sustainable practices.
“At the core of my projects is the vision
of mö tätou, mö kä uri ä muri ake nei
(for us and our children after us), which
is a guiding principle of Ngäi Tahu and,
in my opinion, is the principle behind a
lot of sociology — working not only to
understand the society we live in but
to have a positive impact that may be
inherited and looking to a better future,”
she says.
“Sociology and the humanities are
important subjects because they teach
you about ethics,” says Lucy.
“Social responsibilities are increasingly
valuable because they are becoming
more and more important for companies
now and in the future. Having an
understanding of ethics is valuable in the
job market.”
“Sociology teaches abstract thinking and
problem solving with a strong emphasis
on research skills. It teaches you different
ways of thinking and to approach issues
from a range of perspectives.
“In my day-to-day life I find myself
constantly using the variety of skills I
learned from my time at Otago.”
While linguistics does not provide specific
vocational training, you will be trained to
use analytic, evaluative and argumentative
skills, which are widely applicable in the
modern world. Linguistics is a valuable
subject for those interested in second
language teaching (also see the TESOL
minor), interpreting, translating, writing,
editing, speech therapy and computer
programming.
Mathematics
Department of Mathematics and Statistics
www.maths.otago.ac.nz
Mathematics provides a way to explain the
world and, as a language, it crosses borders
and generations like no other. It is also
the ultimate problem-solving subject and
teaches students the ability to think clearly
and use deductive reasoning.
There is a wide selection of mathematics
papers available allowing for a major or a
minor with specialty in algebra, calculus,
methods or a mixture of all of these areas.
Mäori Studies
Indigenous Studies
www.otago.ac.nz/tetumu
Tënei te mihi atu ki a koutou i roto i ngä tini
ähuatanga o te wa.
Te Tumu is a pan-Polynesian term which is
often used in Mäori in the phrase te tumu
herenga waka – the post for tying up canoes.
Indigenous Studies acts as a foundation for
staff, students and guests to anchor themselves
to for the duration of their stay at Otago.
Mäori Studies is an academic programme
focused on te ao Mäori (the Mäori world).
Subjects offered include the Mäori language,
customary lore, history, performing arts,
education, politics, research methodology,
Ngäi Tahu studies, Te Tiriti o Waitangi (The
Treaty of Waitangi) and Mäori epistemology.
Mäori Studies is useful to those who wish to
pursue careers as academics, archivists, the
diplomatic corps, government officials, iwi
development, language planners, librarians,
the media industry, ministers of religion,
police, policy analysts, research historians,
social workers, teachers and translators.
Mäori Studies complements a wide range of
other subjects.
Students who pursue Mathematics and
Statistics at any level gain very marketable
skills: clear thinking and deductive
reasoning are valuable in all areas of
modern life. Graduates find work in
government departments and agencies and
in commercial and industrial companies in
New Zealand and overseas.
Recent New Zealand employers include:
AgResearch, various health authorities,
insurance companies requiring actuaries,
Landcare Research, the Ministries of
Commerce, Education, Health and Housing,
New Zealand Aluminium, New Zealand
Forest Research Institute, New Zealand
Meat Industry, New Zealand Meteorological
Service, various power authorities and
Statistics New Zealand. Other graduates
teach in schools and tertiary institutions.
Moral and Political Thought
www.otago.ac.nz/subjects/mpth.html
Moral and Political Thought examines
the theoretical underpinnings of political
action and provides students with critical
perspectives from a diversity of ethical
approaches. It includes the study of the
most influential and important thinkers in
moral and political philosophy from ancient
to contemporary times. Questions about
justice, freedom and equality are central.
Papers are offered by the Departments
of Politics, Philosophy, History and Art
History, Theology and Religion, and the
Gender Studies Programme.
22
Music
Department of Music
Music can be studied as a major for a threeyear Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree, leading to
a BA in Music. The BA in Music must include
at least nine Music papers, whereas the threeyear Bachelor of Music (MusB) degree must
include at least 16 Music papers. Therefore,
the BA in Music provides the opportunity
to study a wider range of non-Music papers,
while the MusB is a specialist Music degree.
Students wishing to take performance
papers need to apply to the Music
Department who will arrange an audition.
Graduates may become performers, teachers
or composers, or work in the media or the
music industries. These are just a few of the
possibilities.
Consisting of papers in music industry
studies, music technology, songwriting,
marketing and communication and popular
culture studies, the Music Industry minor
reflects the plurality of creative and business
skills necessary for achieving your goal as
a performer, composer, producer or music
industry professional.
This pathway provides a professional focus
for students whose aim is to combine
their artistic and creative abilities with
practical and necessary commercial skills.
This combination of skills will prove very
valuable in the music industry.
Students may include the minor in a
Bachelor of Arts, Commerce, Science or
Theology degree.
Department of Music
The Music Industry minor enables students
to negotiate the modern music business and
achieve success in their careers. This minor
provides a pathway for those students wishing
to gain a comprehensive insight into the ways
in which the creative industries work.
The papers are designed to empower
students with the tools necessary to create,
perform, record and enjoy music on all
levels in the constantly expanding digital
environment we experience today.
Theology degree.
New Zealand Studies
www.otago.ac.nz/subjects/nzst.html
Music Technology
Department of Music
Music Industry
meaningful media products. The Music
Technology minor caters to any music genre
or style, from classical to traditional folk
music, jazz and beyond.
The music world of today is comprised of
overlapping media and technologies and
new music professionals will need a range of
skill-sets to make their mark. Desktop tools
for music creation and production provide
an unparalleled opportunity for people to
create their music outside of traditional
studio-system production houses.
Along with these increased opportunities
comes a need for related skill-sets in using
the technology to create sophisticated and
23
A wide range of papers from a variety of
departments can be taken as a minor in
New Zealand Studies. Students can build
a coherent programme with a strong body
of knowledge that examines New Zealand,
and the South Island in particular, from the
perspectives of history, economics, culture,
politics, law and Mäori studies.
First year papers are drawn from History,
Politics, Law and Mäori Studies.
The New Zealand Studies minor
complements a wide range of degrees and
major subjects. It provides specific regional
knowledge for those contemplating careers
in business, teaching and the public service.
It is of special interest to overseas students
looking for a New Zealand focus for their
study abroad.
Pacific Islands Studies
Indigenous Studies
www.otago.ac.nz/pacificislandsstudies
Pacific Islands Studies is a programme
focusing on the Pacific Islands taught across
several departments.
Papers cover topics such as Pacific
prehistory, Pacific people’s issues, Pacific
performing arts, Pacific history, geography,
intercultural film and media studies and
religion. These papers make up a unique
programme with a multidisciplinary
orientation that examines contemporary
issues of importance to Pacific peoples.
The programme covers the geographical
area contained within the Polynesian
Triangle defined by Hawai’i, Rapa Nui and
Aotearoa as well as the islands of Melanesia
and Micronesia.
The focus of the course acknowledges New
Zealand’s location within the Pacific and
examines changing attitudes and approaches
by Pacific countries themselves as they seek
relationships with more countries on the
Pacific Rim.
Pacific Islands Studies is useful to those who
wish to pursue a career in the diplomatic
corps, or as government officials, ministers
of religion or social workers.
Employers value the clear thinking and
reasoned arguments learned in philosophy,
and philosophy graduates secure positions
in business, government, secondary and
tertiary education and many professions.
A Pacific Islands Studies major can
complement a wide range of other academic
subjects.
Philosophy, Politics and
Economics (Ppe or Phpe)
Philosophy
www.otago.ac.nz/philosophy
Philosophy examines the big questions
about the nature of the world and our place
in it, attempting to assess the foundations
of our beliefs and the principles we live by.
As many of these questions have been asked
through history, and by different cultures,
philosophy students also consider past
attempts to answer them and compare them
with contemporary thinking and their own.
Students learn rigorous and analytical
approaches to answering philosophical
questions, and the importance of justifying
their answers. Studying philosophy develops
constructive, creative and critical reasoning.
24
www.otago.ac.nz/philosophy
The disciplines of Philosophy, Politics and
Economics provide three distinct but related
ways of analysing the world and they share
common roots. The aim of this programme
is to give students a broader exposure to
these three subjects than would be derived
from a traditional single-discipline major.
Students develop a basic literacy in each of
the three disciplines; they are exposed to
a broad range of exciting ideas, and they
are encouraged to develop a set of logical,
mathematical and analytical skills.
The PHPE major cultivates a range of logical,
analytical and mathematical skills which are
in demand among employers. It also exposes
students to three different approaches to
understanding (and perhaps improving)
the social world. Career opportunities exist
in a wide range of businesses, government
departments and NGOs, both in New
Zealand and around the world.
Politics
Department of Politics
www.otago.ac.nz/politics
People use power to pursue their interests
whether it is physical power, economic
power, legal power or power over opinion.
These interests are often grouped together,
within countries and across national borders.
Politics students learn how such power
operates, how people use it to pursue
common ends and how conflict can arise as
a result.
The study of Politics is one of the oldest
academic disciplines. Throughout the
centuries philosophers have tried to
understand power, but have also been
concerned with creating good societies and
balancing the pursuit of power with justice
and order.
Over time, the study of Politics has become
organised into four sub-disciplines:
domestic politics and policy studies
(including media and politics), political
philosophy, comparative politics, and
international relations. All four are covered
by the department using a blend of
traditional and modern analyses.
In third and fourth-year papers students use
formal debate to discuss ethical issues and in
a third-year paper, students take internships
with local agencies and write a research
report on the experience.
Politics is an excellent major subject, with a
strong emphasis on generic analytical and
communications skills in demand in a wide
range of workplaces.
It concentrates above all on how the
contemporary real world actually operates.
Graduates have found highly rewarding
employment in diverse fields: government
service, particularly in external relations and
policy-making posts, legal practice, political
journalism, teaching, the media, and
commerce. Go-ahead business enterprises
are often more interested in the analytical
capabilities and broad outlook of a Politics
graduate than in narrower vocational
degrees. Politics is also a sought-after subject
for Law and Public Health students because
of its focus on the practicalities of getting
things done in the power structures of
modern society.
Popular Music
Department of Music
The Popular Music minor is an innovative
programme for students interested in the
diverse popular musics of the world and
their cultural contexts. Suitable for students
with or without a background in music
performance, this minor allows for a flexible
combination of papers in film music,
world music, and cultural studies, as well as
marketing and industry papers to equip our
graduates with the practical skills necessary
to enter the creative industries.
Popular music is a contemporary
phenomenon and this minor will provide
you with the ability to critically evaluate its
function in your everyday life and the world
around you.
Theology degree.
Psychology
Department of Psychology
www.otago.ac.nz/psychology
Psychology is the science of behaviour
and the mind, exploring the complex way
humans (and other animals) interact with
the world and each other. Psychology
examines perceptual, mental and emotional
processes, for instance, the biological basis
for memory, how drugs, head injuries or
hormones influence behaviour, why we
remember little from before three or four
years of age, how parent talk affects children’s
development, how the abilities of men and
women differ, how emotion recognition
changes in old age, how emotion affects
reasoning, prejudice, and what underlies
disorders of the mind such as schizophrenia.
Applied psychologists address problems as
Burt Hatch, Department of Psychology PhD student with research participant. Photo by Alan Dove Photography.
25
diverse as aircraft safety, hyperactivity in
children, and industrial relations.
Religion
The Psychology Department at Otago has a
highly regarded teaching programme and is
internationally renowned for the strength of
its research. Students attend weekly lectures
and labs.
www.otago.ac.nz/religion
Graduates work in universities, health
services, business and industry, road safety,
communications and planning. Clinical
psychologists work in the public health
sector or private practice.
Psychologists with appropriate postgraduate
qualifications work in research sections of
the government, such as the Departments
of Health, Justice, Social Development,
Transport and Labour. Many of our
graduates spend time working overseas in
the United Kingdom or Australia.
See also the separate Theology entry pg 29.
While Theology is the study of the Christian
faith, the study of religion takes a broader
view of all the religions of the world
(including Christianity). It is concerned not
with the truth of religious claims, but with
understanding the beliefs and behaviour of
religious people.
Whether it is on the television world news
or happening on campus, religion has an
impact on the contemporary world. Virtually
every aspect of human culture has been, and
continues to be, shaped by beliefs about gods
and demons, saints and shamans.
The study of religion helps students
understand the complex world of religion by
26
introducing the diversity of religious beliefs
and practices. It traces established traditions
from their ancient roots through to modern
times and examines the various forms of
spirituality that feature so prominently in
modern popular culture.
The study of religion is designed to be
accessible to everyone, irrespective of
religious background. Many Religion papers
are also available by distance learning.
In addition to the current major and minor
in Religious Studies, the Department also
offers a minor in Buddhist Studies and a
minor in Islamic Studies.
Career Opportunites
Religion graduates work in teaching,
religious and social work, counselling,
libraries, business (especially marketing)
and government.
Sociology
Department of Sociology, Gender and
Social Work
www.otago.ac.nz/sgsw
Sociology is the study of humans as social
beings – how we organise and participate in
groups, whatever their size, and how these
groups change over time.
Students critically examine social conflict
and why some societies are conflict driven,
due to factors such as ethnicity or religion,
while others are not. Students study the
dynamics of power, inequality, social division,
and personal and cultural identity in social
groups and how they change over time.
Students also examine New Zealand society
from a “sociological perspective”. They
identify social problems and what has
contributed to them, and consider possible
ways to make our society more just and
equitable. Students are able to choose their
own case studies – subjects such as teenage
pregnancy, boy racers, and social media have
been examined in the past.
tutorials. The Programme has a strong focus
on research methods and social theory.
Assessment tasks in most courses focus on
generic skills and life-long learning strategies
as well as skills specific to sociological analysis.
Sociology is a broad-based discipline that
combines well with a range of other subjects
at university.
By learning skills of social research and
social analysis, Sociology graduates find
careers in the following fields: research,
teaching, business, local and national
government service, politics and pressure
groups, foreign affairs, social services, health,
journalism, social policy development and
analysis, trade unions and advertising.
Those who have prior knowledge of the
language may enter the programme at
higher levels.
Otago’s international exchange programme,
attending one of the University’s partner
institutions abroad for up to one year of
study. Courses are credited to the student’s
Otago degree.
and are encouraged to use the language as
often as possible. A variety of modern written
and spoken media are used, particularly
Spanish and Latin American film and media.
There is also a student Spanish club.
Spanish
www.otago.ac.nz/spanish
Spanish language skills can give graduates
employment opportunities in government
departments, planning and consultancy
firms, the mass media (e.g. journalism,
publication and advertising), the finance
and banking sectors, the health sector, the
tourism and hospitality industries, as well as
all sectors of the education system.
About 400 million people speak Spanish
as their first language, making it one of the
most spoken languages in the world.
Since 2001 there has been significant growth
in the formal links between New Zealand
and Spanish speaking Central and South
American governments.
At Otago, the focus is on learning the
language and the culture of native speakers
in Spain and Latin America.
27
With New Zealand-Latin American trade
links growing fast, the demand in business for
Spanish language graduates is on the increase.
Statistics
Department of Mathematics and Statistics
www.maths.otago.ac.nz
Statistics is the study of the collection,
analysis and interpretation of data. It teaches
students statistical methods that are used in
most contemporary research in a wide range
of diverse fields. Knowledge of algebra and
calculus is helpful in many fields, but Statistics
is more than a set of mathematical tools.
Statisticians interact with people from
other disciplines in modeling and analysing
complicated data. Their skills in problem
formulation, computing, the assessment of
evidence and communication are highly
valued.
Graduates work in government
departments, research institutes and private
industry in New Zealand and overseas.
Employers include AgResearch, health
organisations, insurance companies,
Landcare Research, New Zealand
Aluminium Smelters, New Zealand Forest
Research Institute, Treasury, and Statistics
New Zealand. Biostatistics and epidemiology
are currently growth areas for statisticians.
Tesol – Teaching English
to Speakers of Other
Languages
www.otago.ac.nz/subjects/tsol.html
Increasingly, the world’s people want
to speak the English language and
opportunities are increasing to teach English
to speakers of other languages, both in New
Zealand and overseas.
This subject gives students theoretical
and practical experience including lesson
preparation, materials selection as well as
relevant theories and research in second
language acquisition.
They are encouraged to develop their own
teaching skills and are given opportunities to
observe teaching in practice.
Theatre Studies
Theatre Studies Programme
www.otago.ac.nz/theatrestudies
Where better to learn Theatre Studies than
in a theatre? Allen Hall Theatre on campus
is a fully working theatre during semesters
with a weekly schedule of plays and other
performances by staff, students and visiting
performers.
28
Theatre Studies offers students a
combination of practical skills and academic
training including performance skills,
analysis and interpretation of plays, theatre
history, playwriting, directing, theatre
technology and design. No audition is
required. Students have the opportunity to
take part in public performances, on stage
or behind the scenes, both for coursework
and as part of the Lunchtime Theatre
programme. The programme provides a lot
of individual attention and allows students
to test out ideas in a stimulating and creative
environment.
and workshops.
In addition to possible careers in the theatre,
film and television industries, graduates
work in such fields as teaching, journalism,
broadcasting, marketing, design, tourism
and arts administration.
Theology
See also the separate Religion entry pg 26.
Theology is concerned with the critical
study of Christianity, and is studied by
students from a variety of backgrounds. The
primary qualification for entry is an interest
in religious questions.
As well as the separate Bachelor of Theology,
students can major in Biblical Studies or
Christian Thought and History in a BA
degree.
Theology can form a five paper minor in
Science, Commerce, Education or Law
degrees, or many students study individual
papers as part of another degree. Theology
papers are often of particular interest
to students completing degrees in other
subjects in the Liberal Arts or Social Sciences.
There are three subject areas within Theology:
•
•
•
Biblical Studies (BIBS) explores the
Jewish and Christian Scriptures, looking
at the origins of the biblical writings
and the history of their interpretation.
Language study is required to proceed to
postgraduate study.
Christian Thought and History (CHTH)
deals with the Christian faith and the
historical development of the Christian
Church. It looks at Christian beliefs
from historical, philosophical and
ethical standpoints.
Pastoral Studies (PAST) concentrates
on the theory and practice of Christian
ministry and spirituality.
Visual Culture
Otago’s Visual Culture programme is
unique in its diversity and breadth. As a
multi-disciplinary course, it combines
papers drawn from disciplines across the
Humanities, such as Art History, Classics,
Cinema Studies, European Studies, Media
Studies, Religious Studies and many more,
that focus on the creation, nature, use,
meanings and histories of images and other
forms of visual representation.
You will enjoy the opportunity to develop
your visual literacy and analytic skills by
studying popular culture, high art, their
intersection and their histories. You will
also have ‘hands-on’ access to exceptional
collections at the Dunedin Public Art
Gallery, the Hocken Collections, Toitü Otago
Settlers Museum and the Otago Museum.
and screenings.
As the world becomes increasingly flooded
with images, critical visual “reading” skills as
taught by Visual Culture become more and
more important for a wide variety of careers
in both the private and public sectors.
Writing
www.otago.ac.nz/writing
The Department of English and Linguistics
at Otago offers a minor in Writing, which
can be taken alongside major subjects in
Arts, Science or Commerce, including the
major in English.
Completing this minor helps to demonstrate
to prospective employers that a student
has mastered the complex writing and
communication skills they seek. The minor
consists of five papers.
If students do not want to complete the full
minor, there is a range of individual papers
in Creative Writing, Professional Writing
and Academic Writing.
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Elizabeth Young
Religion/ Religious Studies
caseworker, adult community care program
community detention program
jesuit social services
melbourne
australia
bachelor of arts – religious studies (major),
philosophy (minor) 2008
postgraduate diploma – religious studies and
biblical studies (combined) 2009
master of arts – religious studies (2010)
Elizabeth Young, although not religious
herself, became totally engrossed and
passionate about Religious Studies in her
first year at Otago.
“It is about what makes the world tick,
and it underpins every decision we make,
even if we are not aware of it or don’t
profess to have a religion.”
Today Elizabeth works as a Case Worker
with Vulnerable Adult Males Seeking
Asylum, who are living in Community
Detention in Melbourne. Her clients
come from Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and
Sri Lanka, and are a host of different
ethnicities. Elizabeth describes it as her
dream job.
“I am fortunate enough to gain the
trust of some of the most vulnerable,
persecuted and marginalised people in
the entire world, and really help them
affect change in their lives.”
Elizabeth credits her Otago degrees in
Religious Studies for making her well
prepared and ideally suited for her
present job.
“Because a degree in Religious Studies
covers so many different religious and
cultural practices and beliefs, I am able to
really connect with my clients as I actually
know and understand where they come
from and why they believe what they
believe and do what they do.”
Glossary
of Terms
Papers
300-Level
The building blocks of a degree are called
papers. A paper is a fixed course of work in
certain aspects of a subject at a particular
level. All papers are identified by a name and a
code. For example, the first semester 100-level
Anthropology paper that introduces the
concepts of anthropology is called ANTH 103
Anthropology, Culture and Society.
Four papers must be taken at 300-level
to gain most bachelor’s degrees. These
are usually papers from the student’s
major subject. Many 300-level papers
have prerequisites, which means a specific
100-level or 200-level paper or papers must
have been passed before the student can take
the paper.
Points
Major
Each paper has a point value. Most
undergraduate papers that take one semester
to complete are worth 18 points. When the
paper is passed all the points are awarded to
the student’s degree, regardless of the mark
achieved. A full-time course is at least 108
points per year, although papers worth more
points can be taken in a year. A bachelor’s
degree is usually 360 points (usually 20
papers) which is three years of full-time
study. As a general guide, one point represents
10 hours of lectures, tutorials or independent
study, so an 18-point paper means 180 hours
of study spread over about four months.
A major subject is the subject a student
has decided to take to third-year level in a
specific degree. Most undergraduate degrees
require students to choose a major subject.
The major requirements for each subject are
set out in the Guide to Enrolment. Students
are encouraged to keep their major options
open in their first year until they decide the
course that best suits them.
100-Level
Papers that introduce a student to a subject
are called 100-level papers. Most papers
offered in the Humanities Division at
100-level need no prior knowledge of the
subject. Although it may be helpful to have
studied the subject at high school it is not
necessary and much of what is taught at
school is covered in the first few weeks of
lectures. In most bachelor’s degrees, no
more than half of the points needed can be
at 100-level. They can be studied in the first,
second and third year of a degree.
200-Level
Second-year papers are at 200-level.
Some subjects, especially languages, allow
admission directly into 200-level, instead
of 100-level, if the student is able to
show competency in the subject. In most
bachelor’s degrees about six papers are
studied at 200-level. Many 200-level papers
have prerequisites, which means a specific
100-level paper or papers must have been
passed before the student can take the paper.
Students can take a double major in a
bachelor’s degree. This means four papers
of each major subject are taken at 300-level.
Students take fewer 100-level papers and so
can still complete the degree, with the two
majors, without taking more than the 20
papers (360 points) normally needed for a
bachelor’s degree.
Minor
In some bachelor’s degrees there can be
formal recognition of a major subject and a
minor subject.
Usually, for a minor, five papers (90 points)
must be passed in a subject with one of
those at 300-level.
Majors and minors in a degree do not need
to have anything directly in common – a
major in Art History can be completed
with a minor in Economics, or a major in
Computer Science with a minor in Spanish.
Double Degree
Many Otago students choose to take a
double degree. This is two bachelor’s degrees
such as a Bachelor of Arts, a Bachelor of
Science or a Bachelor of Commerce that are
studied at the same time.
30
Often these can be completed in as little as
four years as many papers can be credited
to both degrees at the same time. For two
three-year degrees, instead of passing two
sets of papers worth 360 points each (40
papers), a double degree only needs 594
points (33 papers) as long as seven of the
papers can be credited to both degrees.
Common double degrees are a Bachelor
of Arts and a Bachelor of Commerce, or a
Bachelor of Laws with either a Bachelor of
Arts, a Bachelor of Commerce or a Bachelor
of Science.
As a Bachelor of Laws is a four-year course a
double degree including it would normally
take five years.
Honours Degree
Most general bachelor’s degrees and many
of the specialised bachelor’s degrees have
Honours degrees allied to them (e.g.
Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Arts with
Honours). They usually involve more papers
in the subject of the degree and a research
report or dissertation.
In most subjects, the Honours degree is a
postgraduate degree, requiring an additional
year of study after completion of a general
three-year bachelor’s degree. Students
wishing to undertake an Honours degree
apply online by the relevant due date for
applications.
Semesters
There are two semesters at Otago – first
semester begins at the start of March with
exams in June and second semester begins in
July with exams in October and November.
Papers are usually taught in one of the
semesters, although some take the whole
year. When deciding on a course, students
should plan to take some papers in the first
semester and others in the second semester
so their workload is balanced.
Summer School
Undergraduate
Summer School starts in early January with
exams in mid-February. A small selection
of mostly non-compulsory papers are
taught in a variety of subjects. Students can
choose one or two papers only. By attending
Summer School students can shorten the
time it usually takes to finish a degree.
A student studying for an ordinary
bachelor’s or other first degree.
Enrolment
Enrolment for the Bachelor of Arts at Otago
involves three phases:
1. Applying to the University
2. Completing course enrolment
3. Paying your fees
Your application is made online through the
eVision system, and your enrolment goes
through a process of approval.
You will be able talk to University Course
Advisers if you need help with your
decisions about what to study at Otago.
Postgraduate
A student who has completed the
requirements of a degree at a university and
has graduated is a postgraduate student if
they return to university for further study. A
postgraduate degree is studied by students
who have graduated with an undergraduate
degree. Most major subjects offer students
the opportunity of postgraduate study.
Types of postgraduate degrees include one
or two-year master’s degrees, or one-year
honours degrees or postgraduate diplomas.
A PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) usually takes
three years or more and requires research
and the writing of a thesis. It is the highest
degree a university can confer on a student.
A new process for enrolment was
introduced at Otago in 2014, so for the latest
information visit the “Thinking of Otago?”
pages on the website www.otago.ac.nz
31
Where to find more
information
For more information refer to the
Undergraduate Prospectus, the Guide to
Enrolment or the University of Otago’s
website www.otago.ac.nz in the section
“Thinking of Otago?”.
Information sheets in printed form on
many subjects are available from the
University, or visit www.otago.ac.nz/
humanities-subjects to view subject
details.
For the Bachelor of Arts information
visit “My BA” www.otago.ac.nz/MyBA
To contact the University
phone 0800 80 80 98
email [email protected] or txt 866.
32
Arts at Otago
Division of Humanities
University of Otago
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Welcome to the Division of Humanities –
home of the Bachelor of Arts at Otago
Tënei rä te mihi atu ki a koutou katoa e whakaaro ana ki te whakauru mai ki Te Whare
Wänanga o Otägo i raro i te maru o Ngäi Tahu.
This is a greeting to all of you who are considering enrolling in the University of
Otago which is located under the mantle of the Ngäi Tahu tribe.
The Division of Humanities at Otago also
offers degrees in:
Education and Teaching
Law
Music
Performing Arts
Social Work
Theology
For more information on these degrees visit
www.otago.ac.nz/humanities/study/undergraduate
Bachelor of Arts subjects explore the human world and the ways in which people interpret
and represent their experiences.
Arts students develop essential lifelong learning skills such as critical thinking, flexibility and
competence with language, as well as specialised knowledge of the human and natural world,
making them highly sought after by employers.
The highly flexible nature of an Otago Arts degree allows a number of papers from other
Divisions, such as Science or Commerce, to also be included in your degree.
Arts subjects let you be who you want to be.
Bachelor of Arts students often study for double degrees, especially with Law,
but also with degrees from Commerce and Science.
For more information on the full range of degrees the University of Otago offers visit
www.otago.ac.nz/prospectivestudents
Arts
at Otago
May 2014
For further information:
0800 80 80 98
www.otago.ac.nz
txt 866
[email protected]
Dunedin

Bachelor of Arts Prospectus

Transcription

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