Forth Street, in North Dunedin, is where most Otago Polytechnic students spend their week, a short walk from the University of Otago and the city centre. The polytechnic was folded into the national Te Pukenga network in 2020 and is being set up to run on its own again as that network is broken up. Courses are practical: nursing, engineering technology, IT, design, culinary arts and occupational therapy. There's also a campus in Cromwell, in Central Otago, and an international campus in Auckland.
Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand
Official website: op.ac.nz
Public polytechnic
Forth Street, Dunedin
Cromwell and Auckland
Formerly part of Te Pukenga
NZ$22,000 – NZ$30,000
International students, degree programmes
NZ$18,000 – NZ$22,000
Rent, food and local transport
Approximate figures for 2026-27, please verify. Fees change every year and vary by course, so check the latest amount on op.ac.nz before you apply.
Bachelor of Nursing
Bachelors DegreeDuration
36 Months
Intake
Feb
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5
Bachelor of Engineering Technology
Bachelors DegreeDuration
36 Months
Intake
Feb, Jul
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.0, TOEFL: 80
Bachelor of Information Technology
Bachelors DegreeDuration
36 Months
Intake
Feb, Jul
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.0, TOEFL: 80
Bachelor of Culinary Arts
Bachelors DegreeDuration
36 Months
Intake
Feb
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.0
Master of Applied Management
Masters DegreeDuration
18 Months
Intake
Feb, Jul
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 90
Degrees built around practical projects and workplace learning.
A culinary school with its own training restaurant.
Capable NZ, which assesses work experience toward qualifications.
Nursing graduates can sit the state exam to register as nurses in New Zealand.
Engineering technology and IT graduates join firms in Dunedin, Christchurch and Auckland.
Eligible graduates can apply for a post-study work visa.
Undergrad
Main intake
Postgrad
Main intake
Undergrad
Selected programmes
Postgrad
Selected programmes
North Dunedin is a student town inside the city, full of old villas shared by flatmates. The campus, the university, the Botanic Garden and the Water of Leith are all within walking distance.
Dunedin is small and hilly, with Otago Peninsula wildlife and the surf beach at St Clair a bus ride away. Rent is lower than in Auckland or Wellington, but winters are cold, so heating matters.
Offer of place from Otago Polytechnic
Proof of NZD 20,000 per year
Tuition fee receipt or evidence
Medical and chest X-ray certificates
Police certificate, if required
Passport valid three months beyond stay
Otago Polytechnic takes international applications year-round, but popular degrees such as nursing fill up. Apply four to six months before your start date to leave time for the student visa.
The main intake is in February, with a second intake in July for some programmes, including IT and applied management.
You'll apply online to Immigration New Zealand for a Fee Paying Student Visa. Budget time for the chest X-ray and medical, which some nationalities need.
Nursing, engineering technology, information technology, culinary arts and applied management are popular. Degrees need secondary school results comparable to NCEA University Entrance, plus IELTS 6.0 overall, or 6.5 for nursing and postgraduate study.
Otago Polytechnic offers a small number of international scholarships and fee discounts. Check its international pages for current awards before you apply.
