Bachelor of Culinary Arts

Your workload

The Bachelor of Culinary is a full-time programme, meaning you will be expected to spend about 40 hours a week on your course work. This will be a combination of directed learning in the form of workshops and classroom sessions, and your own self-directed study.

The number of hours you spend in directed learning will vary depending on where you are at within each project.

Entry requirements

Applicants must meet the minimum entry criteria and submit a CV and letter of application that satisfies the requirements of the admissions committee.

Minimum academic entry criteria 

NCEA Level 3:

• 60 credits at level 3 or above + 20 credits from level 2 or above
• Literacy - minimum of 10 credits through either:
  - Specified assessment standards - available through a range of subjects including English for Academic Purposes unit standards 22749, 22750 and 22751 (minimum total of 10 credits); OR
  - Unit standards - a package of three literacy unit standards (total of 10 credits - all three required).
• Numeracy – minimum of 10 credits through either:
  - Achievement standards - specified assessment standards available through a range of subjects - (minimum total of 10 credits); OR
  - Unit standards - package of three numeracy unit standards (total of 10 credits - all three required).

Additional requirements

• A CV detailing qualifications/academic record, interests and hobbies, positions of responsibility (both in and out of school) and details of work experience (either paid or voluntary).
• A letter of application, of no more than 500 words, explaining your reasons for application to the BCA, expectations of the programme, career goals in this field and the steps already taken to progress those career goals.

If you do not hold NCEA Level 3, you must demonstrate equivalent qualifications/experience through your CV and letter of application and will have to undertake an interview.

Provisional entry

If you are a school leaver or adult applicant, you may be given provisional entry. You'll need to demonstrate a strong motivation and desire to achieve in the food industry and established personal or professional interest in food indicating you are capable of degree-level learning.

International learners will be individually assessed to ensure you meet degree-level entry requirements.

Applicants for whom English is not a first language must also demonstrate English language skills equivalent to an IELTS overall band score (academic) of 6.0, with no band score lower than 5.5.

Contact Chloe Humphreys for more info about provisional entry by emailing chloe.humphreys@op.ac.nz or phoning or +64 03 479 6089. 

Selection criteria

Eligible applicants will be selected using a range of identified criteria.

Should the number of applicants who meet the selection process requirements exceed the available places, the professional judgement of kaiako will be used to determine those given immediate entry and those placed on a waiting list.

Applicants who do not meet the entry criteria will be directed to a path of study to prepare them for application the following year.

Recognition of prior learning

If you have already earned relevant qualifications or gained experience in the food industry, you may be eligible for 'Advanced Standing' entry to the BCA.

Find out more.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language you must provide: 

• New Zealand University Entrance, or 
• Overall Academic IELTS 6.0 with no individual band score lower than 5.5 (achieved in one test completed in the past two years), or 
• Acceptable alternative evidence of the required IELTS (see the NZQA website for a proficiency table and see our English language requirements page for a list of recognised proficiency tests). 

If you need to improve your English skills, we offer a wide range of English programmes. 

Additional costs

During your induction day, you have the opportunity to purchase your full uniform from Otago Polytechnic's preferred supplier. You can expect to spend approximately $700 on programme-specific equipment. This can be covered by the 'Course-Related Costs' component of your student loan (if eligible - see Studylink section below).  

Multi-year fees

The tuition fees shown above are approximate only. There may be a slight fee increase per year once Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) rules and guidelines are applied. These fees also don’t include additional costs or living costs.