艺术学士学位（BA）是奥塔哥大学最灵活的本科学位课程，使学生能够从40多种艺术和社会科学学科以及大学其他地方提供的论文中进行学习。学术广度是通过在一门或两门主修专业中选择一门或两门未成年专业而获得的深入知识来补充的。它通常在三年的全日制课程中学习，或在兼职学习中进行同等水平的学习。在本科阶段提供的日语论文着重语言习得，并通过文学，电影和录像带等多种媒体介绍日本文化。
To learn Japanese is to gain direct access to one of the world's most sophisticated, dynamic, and fascinating cultures and to the large and wealthy market of one of New Zealand's major trading partners. Japanese culture blends the best of East and West, of cutting-edge modernity and unique tradition, of high-tech innovation and high-cultural style. It is the culture that has given us award-winning manga and anime, the mysteries of Zen, the delectable tastes of sushi and tempura, and the great fun of karaoke not to mention the world's shortest poems and longest novels Japanese culture has something to interest everyone.