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IFSA University of Otago Partnership

by: IFSA, Institute for Study Abroad

9.47 (17)Verified

LIVE AND LEARN IN A FRIENDLY COLLEGE TOWN WITH A CASUAL VIBE Located near the country’s southern tip, Dunedin is a classic university town—one in five residents are college students. Heritage architecture (like the iconic railway station), natural beauty, and protected wildlife (hello, yellow-eye penguin) are plentiful. New Zealand’s oldest university is a top-ranked research institution with ...

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Program Highlights

Orientation: Orientation is a fantastic opportunity to get to know other students on your program as well as the IFSA team who will make up your on-site community.

Otago Overnight: Bike or hike (if biking is not your thing) the Otago Rail Trail. There will be beautiful scenery, a bit of adventure, and heaps of fun!

Otago Volunteer–Kaitiakitanga: Kaitiakitanga (guardianship of environmental resources) is a concept underpinning much of New Zealand’s identity.

Otago Day Trip: Situated on the Otago Peninsula, which lies to the south of the city, sits Larnach Castle, New Zealand’s only castle!

Otago Cultural: Dunedin was a bustling port town in the 1870s with a newly established university built from the profits of the Central Otago Gold Rush.

Quick Details

Locations
  • Dunedin, New Zealand
Availability
Year(s) Offered2025, 2026Terms Available:
  • Fall
  • Spring
Age Requirement:Varies
Types & Subjects:
  • Anthropology
  • Art & Fine Arts
  • Education
  • Geography
  • Health Sciences
  • See more
Guidelines:
  • American
  • Canadian
See all program details

Awards

GoAbroad Innovation Awards 2024 Finalist - SustainabilityInnovative Student Video 2023 FinalistInnovation in Crisis Response Finalist 2022

Program Reviews

Hear what past participants have to say about the programs

Overall Rating

9.47

Total Reviews

17

I pushed myself, thanks to IFSA

May 13, 2020by: Emma Rieves - United StatesProgram: IFSA University of Otago Partnership
10

When I landed in New Zealand, I was freaking out. I knew absolutely no one and I had slept for around 4 hours in the last day of travel. But, I was met with the people who would make my abroad experience so special. The staff of IFSA truly felt like a safety net for me. I was so excited to go out with the friend I made through IFSA and try new things, putting myself out there, and every time I did, I knew that Sian and Christina would be there for me if I needed help. I truly felt safe and supported in Dunedin because of the IFSA staff. They threw us students together as soon as we got to the Pre-Orientation program, making it easy for us to meet each other and settle in. They continued to reach out through the semester for coffee catch ups or ice cream outings. The trips they planned for us were extraordinary. I fully attribute my ability to enjoy my time in New Zealand to IFSA and could not recommend studying abroad with IFSA more. In terms of the Otago program specifically, it was exactly what I wanted. The beach was a 25 minute bus ride away, and amazing weekend hikes were close by as well. The town of Dunedin is a college town through and through, so there's never a dull moment. Live music can be found just about every night of the week, and you're never more than a 5 minute walk from a coffee shop. To me, studying abroad with IFSA at University of Otago is a no-brainer. What I got out of the experience (new passions, a better understating of myself, and life-long friends) will stay with me forever.

Hiking up a mountain... or two!

April 25, 2020by: Caleb Williams - United StatesProgram: IFSA University of Otago Partnership
9

When I arrived in New Zealand I was pensive and worried being so far from the United States. Thankfully, I made a good group of friends within my IFSA program. We would do homework together, explore the city, and I even went on a couple of hikes on the other side of New Zealand! Adjusting to the workload in another country was difficult at first, but with the support from my friends it wasn’t all that bad. The mountains I climbed with my friends made the mountains of work I had more bearable.

The glacier

A life-changing experience in New Zealand, but not without challenges

April 07, 2020by: Elizabeth Vaccaro - United StatesProgram: IFSA University of Otago Partnership
7

My IFSA experience was life changing. I experienced the highest highs and lowest lows of my life so far, all of which changed me for the better. Our orientation was informative, adventurous, and extremely community-oriented. While it was very emotionally, socially, and physically exhausting, my memories of sea kayaking, trail blazing, bird watching, sunrise-watching, visiting a Maori sanctuary, and sharing meals are some of my most cherished, and allowed long lasting friendships to organically and enthusiastically begin to form. The IFSA excursion, particularly the Doubtful Sound sailing trip, were some of the most emotionally/mentally challenging yet rewarding experiences of my entire time abroad. A huge thank you to the IFSA staff!!! The University of Otago is beautiful, academically challenging, always bursting with activity, and despite its large size, I always felt cared for by professors/lecturers and engaged in small class sizes. I felt I could not have been in a more perfect, classic university environment than at University of Otago. The biggest drawback for me was access to health (particularly mental health) resources. Especially as an international student, accessing counselors, check ups, medicinal prescriptions, and specialists were extremely challenging (often having to wait weeks for appointments or pay massive copays for necessary prescriptions). As a study abroad student with mental health issues and a chronic illness, this was both frustrating and discouraging. I appreciated the outreach and support of my in-city IFSA advisors in the midst of that frustration. Dunedin is a lively little city with interesting restaurants, cafes, parties, museums, and architecture. The surrounding mountains and beaches make for an INCREDIBLE outdoors experience at the foot of your doorstep (though the entire South Island itself is brimming with unbelievable scenery and adventure). Public transportation is very limited, which makes outings and outdoor recreation very challenging. This is a major downside of studying in Dunedin (whereas Wellington may have offered more city experiences and walkable/public transit options), though tons of students (as well as campus clubs) are willing to help each other out with rides and carpooling. Overall, my experience

A group of people looking at mountains

Program Details

Learn all the nitty gritty details you need to know

Locations

  • Dunedin, New Zealand

Types and Subjects

  • Subjects & Courses
  • Anthropology
  • Art & Fine Arts
  • Education

Availability

Years Offered: 2025, 2026

Age Requirement

Age Requirement Varies

Guidelines

  • American
  • Canadian

Program Cost Includes

  • Tuition & Fees
  • Accommodation / Housing for Program Duration
  • Pre-Departure Orientation
  • In-Country Orientation

Accommodation Options

  • Apartment/Flat
  • Dormitory

Qualifications & Experience

      Accepted Education Levels

    • University Sophomore (2nd Year)
    • University Junior (3rd Year)
    • University Senior (4th Year)

    Application Procedures

    • Online Application
    IFSA, Institute for Study Abroad

    IFSA, Institute for Study Abroad

    9.47Verified

    Ready to Learn More?

    LIVE AND LEARN IN A FRIENDLY COLLEGE TOWN WITH A CASUAL VIBE Located near the country’s southern tip, Dunedin is a classic university town—one in five residents are college students. Heritage architecture (like the iconic railway station), natural beauty, and protected wildlife (hello, yellow-eye penguin) are plentiful. New Zealand’s oldest university is a top-ranked research institution with quality academics—professors regularly win awards for teaching excellence. Share a house with a Kiwi host and take advantage of amazing possibilities for outdoor adventure. Day outings and overnights get you out and about, learning the Māori concept of kaitiaki (taking care of the Earth) and exploring dramatic oceanside cliffs, rugged mountains, and unique creatures and plants.

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