Master of International Studies

The Master of International Studies (MIntSt) degree is an intensive, 12-month programme of postgraduate coursework and research in the multidisciplinary field of International Studies.

It consists of four master's-level papers taught by staff from four disciplines – international politics, global economics, international law, and peace and conflict studies – and a supervised research essay of between 18,000 and 20,000 words.

The degree will take at least twelve months of full-time study, or the equivalent in part-time study.

The Master of International Studies is good preparation for professions that require international expertise: diplomacy, the public service, teaching, journalism or business. It can also serve as a foundation qualification if you are interested in advancing to the PhD.

You may enrol in the MIntSt degree at the beginning of semester one (February) or semester two (July) each year.

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)