Master of Indigenous Studies

The Master of Indigenous Studies (MIndS) degree is founded in the proposition that Māori, Pacific Island and other Indigenous peoples have unique bodies of knowledge about customary, environmental and cultural practices. This degree requires at least twelve months of full-time, or the equivalent in part-time, study to complete. The normal admission requirement is a four-year degree, but applications will be received from alternatively qualified individuals who have at least three year's relevant experience.

Degree candidates enrol in one core and two elective papers, and submit a supervised research report at the end of the course. Graduates will have advanced communication and team work skills, know about current issues, have a multi-disciplinary and international perspective, be able to independently assess topical issues, and appreciate the key ethical considerations.

This degree prepares graduates for administrative and leadership roles with indigenous communities in New Zealand and abroad. It is also an entry qualification for the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).

The Master of Indigenous Studies (MIndS) is also available through Distance Learning.

Postgraduate entrance requirements

Entrance requirements for postgraduate study vary by programme with most requiring a minimum bachelor-level qualification in the same field, and some having additional requirements such as relevant work experience and/or professional registration in New Zealand.

A postgraduate certificate or postgraduate diploma can usually be taken at any time after the completion of your bachelor's degree.

If you hold an honours degree or postgraduate diploma you may be able to eligible for master’s study by thesis only. In some cases if you hold a bachelor’s degree you may apply for a coursework master’s degree or for master’s study by coursework and thesis.

To study a PhD you usually require the completion of a master’s degree, or a first-class or upper second-class honours degree in the same area of study, or a related discipline, as your intended area of research.

Check the postgraduate students pages for specific information on the entrance requirements of the programme you are interested in.

IELTS (Academic module) (including IELTS Online) : Overall score of 6.5, no individual band below 6.0

TOEFL iBT : Overall score of 90 and a writing score of 21 The University of Otago TOEFL institution code is 9483 (Please note we do not accept MyBest TOEFL scores)

Pearson Test of English ( PTE ) Academic : Overall score of 58 with no communicative skills score below 50

Duolingo English Test : Overall score of 120 (with no Individual Subscore below 95)