
Bachelor of Arts (BA) Majoring in Pacific Islands Studies
Dunedin, New Zealand
DURATION
3 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
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EARLIEST START DATE
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TUITION FEES
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STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Introduction
Bachelor of Arts (BA) Majoring in Pacific Islands Studies
The Bachelor of Arts (BA) is Otago's most flexible undergraduate degree program, 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.
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 program 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 possible qualification for the PGDipArts in the major subject of the degree.
What is Pacific Islands Studies?
Pacific Islands Studies is a unique program with a multi-disciplinary orientation that examines contemporary issues of importance to Pacific peoples, including New Zealanders, within their broad cultural context.
The course covers the geographical area contained within the Polynesian Triangle defined by Hawai’i, Rapa Nui, and Aotearoa as well as the islands of Melanesia and Micronesia. The focus of the program affirms New Zealand’s location within the Pacific and its acknowledged political, intellectual and diplomatic links in the area.
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
Several scholarship options are available. Please check the university website for more information.
Curriculum
Areas of learning
A particular strength of this subject area is its cross-disciplinary nature, readily combining indigenous knowledge with a range of other disciplines. Papers in the program cover topics such as Pacific people’s issues, Pacific prehistory, Pacific history, Pacific religion and church history, Pacific art history, intercultural film and media studies as well as Maori culture and history.
You are required to do core papers in Pacific Islands Studies in combination with papers offered in participating departments that have a particular indigenous focus. These departments/subject areas include:
- Anthropology
- Archaeology
- Geography
- History
- Indigenous Development
- Maori Studies
- Media, Film and Communication
- Music
- Politics
- Social Work
- Theology
Because of the multi-disciplinary nature of this major you are able to tailor your own program of study by choosing papers that suit your interests and career needs.
100-level
- PACI 101 Pacific Societies
- One of:
- Introduction to Anthropology
- Global and Local Cultures
- New Zealand in the World from the 18th Century
- Māori Society
- Understanding Contemporary Media
- Pacific Dance: An Introduction
- Languages and Cultures of the Pacific: An Introduction
200-level
- Contemporary Pacific Island Issues
- Pacific and New Zealand Archaeology
- One of:
- Anthropology and the Contemporary Pacific
- Anthropology of Globalisation
- Geographies of the South Pacific
- Pacific Islands to c. 1900
- Ngā Kōrero Nehe - Tribal Histories
- Media and Intercultural Communication
- Performance in Asia and the Pacific
- Special Topic: Pacific Education
300-level
- Gafa o Tagata Pasifika - Pacific Diaspora in New Zealand
- Three of:
- Anthropology of Money
- Geographies of the South Pacific
- Environmental History of the Pacific
- Ancient East Polynesian Histories
- Te Tūtakitanga o Ngā Ao e Rua
- Indigenous Media
- Performance in Asia and the Pacific
- Peace and Conflict in the Pacific
- Special Topic
- Communities and Organisations - Analysis and Theory
- Kaupapa Māori, and Indigenous Approaches to Social Work
- Theatre of Australasia
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
Our students are equipped with an understanding of Pacific Islands and indigenous cultural philosophies that are relevant in a myriad of employment situations.
A background in Pacific Islands Studies creates opportunities for international careers, not only in the Pacific, but also with Pacific peoples in the Americas, Asia and Australia. Knowledge gained in the course is applicable to issues affecting indigenous peoples anywhere in the world.
Graduates with a background of study in Pacific Islands Studies bring to employers a wide range of skills. The multidisciplinary focus of the course provides a wide perspective giving graduates:
- An understanding of contemporary Pacific people’s issues combined with an understanding of, for example, history, archaeology, cultural expression and environmental concerns
- An awareness of ethical issues in relation to Pacific Islanders in the context of past and present colonial practices, gender relations and society and culture
- Skills in intercultural communication in the Pacific context
Program delivery
Application details
Applicants must apply online. They should also attach all the necessary supporting documents which includes scanned copies of their official high school or foundation transcripts (awards gained, marks, grades); scanned copies of the relevant official transcripts of previous university study; and provide proof of their identity this is usually achieved by providing a certified copy of the personal details page of their passport or a birth certificate (in English). Applicants may also be required to submit an Educational Credential Evaluators report (ECE). As soon as applicants have completed their online application, their proof of identity document must be posted to International Office, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand. International student applications for semester 1/summer school study close: Oct-31; Semester 2 study close: Apr-30.