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

Regulations for the Degree of Bachelor of Arts (BA)

1. Structure of the Programme

   Every degree programme shall consist of papers worth not less that 360 points,

   1. shall include at least 180 points for papers above 100-level, of which at least 72 points shall be for papers above 200-level,
   2. shall satisfy at least one of the major subject requirements listed above. No paper above 200-level may count for more than one Major Subject Requirement,
   3. may include one or more optional minor subjects which satisfy the Minor Subject Requirements listed in Arts and Music Schedule A, or Science Schedule A, or Applied Science Schedule A, or Commerce Schedule A, or BHealSc Schedule Part 2. No paper may count for both a Major and a Minor Subject Requirement or for more than one Minor Subject Requirement unless that paper is at 100- or 200-level and is specified as compulsory for both Requirements.
   4. may include papers which are not listed in Arts and Music Schedule C
      1. up to 90 points; or
      2. as specified in the Arts and Music Major Subject Requirements; or
      3. as specified in the Minor Subject Requirements.

2. Prerequisites, Corequisites and Restrictions

   1. Every programme of study shall satisfy the requirements for prerequisites, corequisites, and restrictions set out in the Prescriptions (published in the Guide to Enrolment).
   2. A candidate with outstanding results in a subject prior to entering the University may be permitted by the Head of Department concerned to enrol for a paper at 200-level without having satisfied the normal prerequisites. In such cases the candidate shall not be credited with the prerequisite papers, but shall be exempted from including those papers in a Major Subject Requirement. A candidate may not, having passed any such paper at 200-level, enrol subsequently for any paper for which the exemption has been given.

3. Cross Credits

   A candidate who is enrolled for the degree concurrently with another degree, or who has completed one degree and is proceeding with the other, may cross credit 100- and 200-level papers which are common to both degrees up to a maximum of 126 points where the other degree is a three-year degree and up to a maximum of 180 points where the other degree is longer than a three-year degree.

4. Variations

   The Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Humanities) may in exceptional circumstances approve a course of study which does not comply with these regulations.