About Us

Doug BoothDean's Welcome

As the Dean of the School of Physical Education, I am delighted to welcome you to our website. The School of Physical Education is 60 years old in 2008 and has much to celebrate. Over the preceding decades our School has established itself as the foremost institution for the study of physical education, exercise science, sport and dance in New Zealand. Today, we enjoy an enviable international reputation for the high quality of our staff and the School’s facilities.

Our School offers a broad range of qualifications and study options, whether it be a Degree with Honours, a Diploma, or the opportunity for research at postgraduate level culminating in a PhD. Our teaching staff deliver the latest knowledge, theories and methods in their lectures, tutorials, laboratories and course books. Academic staff in the School of Physical Education are inspirational teachers with national and international reputations for scholarship in their areas of research and interest.

We have designed and structured the Bachelor of Physical Education Degree to enhance knowledge and understanding of movement, health, sport, physical and outdoor education, Māori physical education and dance and their various functions. Our Degree opens the door to professional and vocational opportunities in many fields including sports organisations, government departments, research institutes, primary and secondary schools, universities and private enterprise in New Zealand and around the world. The programmes in our School enable students to develop and improve generic life skills: thinking, questioning, reflecting, evaluating, team work and communicating. These are the skills desired and sought by employers of today’s and tomorrow’s graduates.

The School of Physical Education draws many students from abroad who are attracted by the expertise and commitment of our staff and by the picturesque geography of Dunedin city and the Otago region. Situated at the head of the scenic Otago harbour, Dunedin is a vibrant and culturally rich city with an abundance of sporting facilities and is surrounded by surf beaches and mountains.

I invite and encourage visitors to explore this website; it offers details about the School of Physical Education, its goals and the activities of its staff. The site also contains links to affiliated national and international agencies, organisations and institutions with whom the School collaborates and shares interests.

I wish incoming students well in their endeavours; I know that the School of Physical Education will help students achieve their personal, intellectual and professional goals.

Best wishes

Douglas Booth BSc(Hons) Melb, MSocSci Natal, PhD Macquarie

 

 

University of Otago The School of Physical Education - Te Kura Akoraka Whakakori