Universities In Australia 
Universities In Canada 
Universities In Germany 
Universities In Ireland 
Universities In Jordan 
Universities In New Zealand 
Universities In Saudi Arabia 
Universities In United Kingdom 
Universities In United States Of America 
Apply for the Bachelor of Arts (BA) through the Dunedin campus in 2023
Apply Now- Overview
- Contact details
- Major subject areas
- Minor subject areas
- Programme Requirements
- Regulations for the Degree of Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Overview
The Bachelor of Arts (BA) is Otago's most flexible undergraduate degree programme, enabling students to study from a selection of more than 40 arts and social science subjects, as well as papers offered elsewhere in the University. Academic breadth is complemented by in-depth knowledge gained through majoring in one or two subjects with the option of minors in one or two others. It is normally undertaken over three years of full time or its equivalent in part-time study.
Students are taught by research-active scholars, are expected to undertake a diverse range of learning tasks and are challenged to develop their intellectual independence. Graduates of the programme are well-informed, versatile, independent thinkers with the information literacy, communication, research and interpersonal skills necessary for a career or further academic study. The completed BA is an entry qualification for the PGDipArts in the major subject of the degree.
Contact details
Website Bachelor of Arts
^ Top of page
Major subject areas
For a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree, you must major in at least one of the following subjects:
- Anthropology
- Asian Studies
- Biblical Studies
- Chinese
- Christian Thought and History
- Classics
- Communication Studies
- Computer Science
- Economics
- Education
- English
- English and Linguistics
- European Studies
- Film and Media Studies
- French
- Gender Studies
- Geography
- German
- Global Studies
- History
- Indigenous Development/He Kura Matanui
- Information Science
- Japanese
- Language and Linguistics
- Linguistics
- Māori Studies
- Mathematics
- Music
- Pacific Islands Studies
- Philosophy
- Philosophy, Politics and Economics
- Politics
- Psychology
- Religious Studies
- Sociology
- Spanish
- Sport Development and Management
- Statistics
- Theatre Studies
- Tourism, Languages and Cultures
^ Top of page
Minor subject areas
Selecting a minor subject is not compulsory and there may be other combinations of papers more appropriate to your degree. There are no particular subject requirements for the other papers of your degree, but if you wish you may have another subject specified as a minor subject in your degree by passing the prescribed papers for any of the listed subjects.
- Full list of available minor subject areas
Programme requirements
Bachelor of Arts (BA) majoring in Anthropology
| Level | Papers | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 100-level | Two 100-level ANTH papers | 36 |
| 200-level | One of ANTH 208, ANTH 210 or ANTH 211 Two further 200-level ANTH papers BIOA 201, GEOG 210, GLBL 211, MUSI 268 or any 200-level GEND or SOCI paper may be substituted for one 200-level ANTH paper. | 18 36 |
| 300-level | Four 300-level ANTH papers BIOA 301, GEOG 381, GLBL 311, MUSI 368, MUSI 386 or any 300-level GEND or SOCI paper may be substituted for one 300-level ANTH paper. | 72 |
| Plus | 198 further points; must include 54 points at 200-level or above. Up to 90 points may be taken from outside Arts | 198 |
| Total | 360 |
Bachelor of Arts (BA) majoring in Asian Studies
| Level | Papers | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 100-level | ASIA 101 Introducing Asia One of: | 18 18 |
| 200-level | ASIA 201 Asian Popular Cultures One of: One of CHIN 241, CHIN 242, CHIN 243, CHIN 244, GLBL 211, JAPA 242, JAPA 243, JAPA 244, MUSI 240, MUSI 268 | 18 18
18 |
| 300-level | ASIA 301 Topics in Asian Studies One of: Two of HIST 304, MANT 348, POLS 318, RELS 302, RELS 309, RELS 316, RELS 320, RELS 326, RELS 327, RELS 336 Note: MUSI 140, 240, 340 must be taken in an approved instrument. | 18 18
36 |
| Plus | 198 further points; must include 54 points at 200-level or above. Up to 90 points may be taken from outside Arts | 198 |
| Total | 360 |
Bachelor of Arts (BA) majoring in Biblical Studies
| Level | Papers | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 100-level | BIBS 112 Interpreting the Old Testament BIBS 121 Interpreting the New Testament | 18 18 |
| 200-level | Three 200-level BIBS papers, one of which may be replaced with a 200-level CHTH paper | 54 |
| 300-level | Four 300-level BIBS papers, one of which may be replaced with a 300-level CHTH paper | 72 |
| Plus | 198 further points; must include 54 points at 200-level or above. Up to 90 points may be taken from outside Arts | 198 |
| Total | 360 |
Bachelor of Arts (BA) majoring in Chinese
| Level | Papers | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 100-level | Two of: CHIN 132 Introductory Chinese 2 One of ASIA 101, GLBL 101 | 18 18 18 |
| 200-level | CHIN 231 Intermediate Chinese 1 CHIN 232 Intermediate Chinese 2 One of CHIN 241, CHIN 242, CHIN 243, CHIN 244, CHIN 250, ASIA 201, GLBL 201, GLBL 202, GLBL 211, HIST 204 | 18 18 18 |
| 300-level | CHIN 334 Advanced Chinese 1 CHIN 335 Advanced Chinese 2 Two of CHIN 342, CHIN 343, CHIN 344, ASIA 301, GLBL 301, GLBL 302, GLBL 311, HIST 304, POLS 318 Note: Students with previous knowledge of Chinese will be placed in CHIN language papers appropriate to their level. Students placed in 200- or 300-level language papers will still have to pass approved papers worth 180 points in order to major in Chinese. | 18 18 36 |
| Plus | 180 further points; must include 54 points at 200-level or above. Up to 90 points may be taken from outside Arts | 198 |
| Total | 360 |
Bachelor of Arts (BA) majoring in Christian Thought and History
| Level | Papers | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 100-level | CHTH 102 The History of Christianity CHTH 111 Doing Theology or CHTH 131 God and Ethics in the Modern World | 18 18 |
| 200-level | Three 200-level CHTH papers, one of which may be replaced with a 200-level BIBS paper | 54 |
| 300-level | Four 300-level CHTH papers, one of which may be replaced with a 300-level BIBS paper | 72 |
| Plus | 198 further points; must include 54 points at 200-level or above. Up to 90 points may be taken from outside Arts | 198 |
| Total | 360 |
Bachelor of Arts (BA) majoring in Classics (including Classical Studies, Greek and Latin)
| Level | Papers | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 100-level | Any two CLAS, GREK or LATN 100-level papers ANAT 131 may be substituted for one 100-level CLAS, GREK or LATN paper. | 36 |
| 200-level | Any three CLAS, GREK or LATN 200-level papers | 54 |
| 300-level | Any four papers from CLAS, GREK or LATN 300-level papers, PHIL 335 | 72 |
| Plus | 198 further points; must include 54 points at 200-level or above. Up to 90 points may be taken from outside Arts | 198 |
| Total | 360 |
Bachelor of Arts (BA) majoring in Communication Studies
| Level | Papers | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 100-level | MFCO 102 Understanding Contemporary Media MFCO 103 Introduction to Communication Studies | 18 18 |
| 200-level | MFCO 202 Theory of Communication Studies Two further papers from 200-level MFCO papers, GEND 205 Gender and the Media | 18 36 |
| 300-level | MFCO 303 Critical Problems in Communication Studies Three further papers from 300-level MFCO papers, GEND 305 Gender and the Media | 18 54 |
| Plus | 198 further points; must include 54 points at 200-level or above. Up to 90 points may be taken from outside Arts | 198 |
| Total | 360 |
Bachelor of Arts (BA) majoring in Computer Science
| Level | Papers | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 100-level | COMP 101 Foundation of Information Systems COMP 161 Computer Programming COMP 162 Foundations of Computer Science One of MATH 120, MATH 130, MATH 140, COMO 101, STAT 110, STAT 115, BSNS 112, FINC 102, or an approved alternative | 18 18 18 18 |
| 200-level | COSC 201 Algorithms and Data Structures COSC 202 Software Development COSC 203 Web, Databases, and Networks COSC 204 Computer Systems | 18 18 18 18 |
| 300-level | One of: Three further 300-level COSC papers | 18
54 |
| Plus | 144 further points; must include 36 points at 200-level or above. Up to 90 points may be taken from outside Arts. Notes: (i) Students are exempt from COMP 161 if they have gained entry to COMP 162 by passing COMP 151 with a grade of at least B or via an Advanced Placement Test. (ii) Students who have passed at least one of MATH 120, 130, 140, COMO 101, STAT 110, 115, BSNS 112, or FINC 102 as part of another subject’s requirements do not need to pass another one of these papers to fulfil the Computer Science requirements. | 144 |
| Total | 360 |
For students who entered the programme prior to 2021, please contact the Department of Computer Science for advice regarding programme requirements or refer to the 2020 University of Otago Calendar or 2020 Guide to Enrolment.
Bachelor of Arts (BA) majoring in Economics
| Level | Papers | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 100-level | BSNS 113 Economic Principles and Policy ECON 112 Principles of Macroeconomics | 18 18 |
| 200-level | ECON 201 Microeconomics, or ECON 271 Intermediate Microeconomic Theory ECON 202 Macroeconomics One further 200-level ECON paper | 18 18 18 |
| 300-level | Four 300-level ECON papers | 72 |
| Plus | 198 further points; must include 54 points at 200-level or above. Up to 90 points may be taken from outside Arts | 198 |
| Total | 360 |
Bachelor of Arts (BA) majoring in Education
| Level | Papers | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 100-level | EDUC 101 Education and Society EDUC 102 Human Development | 18 18 |
| 200-level | Three 200-level EDUC papers | 54 |
| 300-level | Four 300-level EDUC papers | 72 |
| Plus | 198 further points; must include 54 points at 200-level or above. Up to 90 points may be taken from outside Arts | 198 |