The Bachelor of Arts (BA) is the University of Otago's most flexible undergraduate degree program.

It is normally undertaken over three years of full-time or its equivalent in part-time study.

Learn how to change the world.

Education is a powerful tool that can transform the lives of children, adults, families, and communities. 

How has education shaped your own life, for better or worse? What aspects of education have sparked your curiosity and excitement about the world?

If you study education, you will also learn about history, philosophy, psychology, politics, and sociology. 

You will explore how education has changed the lives of people and communities in the past, and about the ways different people have made sense of education as a cornerstone of society. 

You will encounter different ideas about the purpose of education, what good education looks like, and how people learn. You will learn about people, and how they think.

The University of Otago College of Education offers a range of papers contributing to the study of Education, as a subject major or minor in a Bachelor of Arts degree, or as a minor subject included in other degrees.

The university offers papers that allow you to focus your studies in the following areas:

• Psychology of education
• Sociology of education
• Pedagogy of education
• Equity in education
• Disability studies and education

• Academic Transcripts
• Educational Credential Evaluators report (ECE) (If required)
• Proof of your identity (Full name, date of birth, and nationality)
• Certified/notarised copy (passport or birth certificate)
• English Language Proficiency (If Available)

Undergraduate entrance requirements

The university recognizes many other qualifications as equivalent to the New Zealand qualification for entrance. 

To check if the university recognizes your previous studies, determine the country where you gained the qualification. Countries entrance requirements example:

China entrance requirements:

Senior High School graduation and one year of successful study at a recognized institution of university standing; 
Or Senior High School graduation and completion of a diploma with high passing grades at a recognized institute or university.

Students with the requisite scores in Gaokao may be given direct entry to bachelor degree programme.

India entrance requirements:

Minimum overall average of 75% in the All India Senior School Examination (CBSE) or Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE) with a minimum of 70% in English.

The scores are calculated on the best four academic subjects excluding local languages and non-academic subjects.

Iran entrance requirements:

One year of successful study at a recognized institution of university standing, or successful completion of a University of Otago Foundation Year programme or equivalent.

The university also accepts the following international qualifications:

• International Baccalaureate: IB Diploma with a minimum of 24 points.
• Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) GCE Advanced Levels: minimum Numerical Score of 8.
• Northern Consortium United Kingdom (NCUK) International Foundation Year (IFY)
• Satisfactory completion of one year's study at a recognized tertiary institution.

Background required

There are no specific subjects you need to have studied at school in order to study education.

Pathway programme

Study in your chosen subject area and gain a university entrance qualification

The University of Otago Pathway programme offers a university entrance qualification within two 13-week semesters for domestic and international students. It is called the Foundation Studies Certificate (FSC).