Te Whāinga o te Ao Tikanga
Noho Marae
Tirohanga whānui
Learn about Tikanga Māori
Tikanga is about purpose, practices and protocols, and you'll find it in every aspect of te ao Māori (the Māori world).
This introductory programme gives you the foundations to:
Understand what tikanga is
Why it exists
How it manifests itself in practice
Your local class will have a specialised delivery strand that brings learning to life. You’ll cover tikanga in four key areas:
Mana tangata (leadership and people)
Mana whenua (land and identity)
Mana reo (language and communication)
Mana ao tūroa (the wider environment)
He aha tāu ka whiwhi?
What you'll gain from this programme
Completing this programme means you’ll be able to:
Explain cultural concepts
Use basic reo Māori in tikanga practices
Show how tikanga connects people, place and environment
Apply tikanga in different settings
Strengthen your current skills and work practices relating to tikanga
Mā te mahi ka ako
Learn by doing
You will get to:
Explore the traditional thinking behind tikanga
Experience how it’s used in different contexts
Practice identifying and applying tikanga
Take part in activities that use protocols and cultural practices
Respond to real-life situations and everyday tikanga challenges
Ngā ara e wātea ana
Where will this take me?
Keep studying:
Pursue Level 4 study options such as:
At work:
Apply for entry‑level roles or strengthen your current mahi across tourism, hospitality, retail, education support, horticulture, environmental projects, media, and with marae trusts or organisations.
Community involvement:
Support whānau, hapū, iwi and community groups by applying tikanga in events, projects and everyday practice.
He meka
Quick facts
- Level 3 (Introductory)
- 60 Credits
- 20 Weeks
- NZ Certificate in Tikanga (Mātauranga Māori) Level 3
- No fees
- NZQA Accredited
Paearu whakauru
Entry criteria
You can enrol if you:
Are 16 years or older
Are a NZ citizen or resident (includes Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau) or Australian citizen/permanent resident
Currently reside in New Zealand
Attend an information sharing hui with the kaiako
Te wā
Time commitment
This programme is:
Full-time
60 credits
20 weeks long
Noho based with workshops and wānanga
Kōnae ako
Learning modules
Ki hea, mō āhea hoki au ako ai?
Where and when can I learn?
No classes are currently open for application.
Kaupapa anamata
Upcoming events
Pitopito kōrero o te wā
Latest news
Finding a deeper sense of self through te ao Māori
Moving to Aotearoa from rural Australia as a teenager, Lily Warring found herself wanting to learn more about the culture and language of the place she now called home.
A journey shaped by whānau and a love of tamariki
Members of Tayla-Marie Takawe’s (Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Maniapoto) whānau were among the first tauira to graduate from the Bachelor of Education (Primary Teaching) at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.
Reconnecting to te ao Māori through raranga
Haylee Roussel (Ngāti Rārua, Rangitāne, Ngāti Maniapoto) was searching for a way to reconnect with te ao Māori when she enrolled in the Certificate in Māori and Indigenous Art, Raranga, at the Waiwhero campus of Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.
Creating the spark for business success
With plenty of experience as an electrician, Josh Verstraten was ready to branch out from employee to business owner, but he knew running a successful business would require a new set of skills.
From financial stress to financial freedom for Auckland whānau
For Augustine Kopa, studying the Certificate in Money Management at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa was about creating a better future for her whānau.
Two generations, one reo Māori journey
When Melody Francis (Ngāti Kahungunu) saw the positive impact that studying te reo Māori had on her mum, she decided to jump on the waka and begin the journey alongside her.
Tikanga study boosts whānau presence on marae
Patrick and Donna Tobin (Ngāti Kahu) are a brother-and-sister duo studying tikanga alongside their wider whānau at Te Paatu Marae in Kaitaia, all working towards the betterment of their whānau, iwi, and marae.
A teacher’s path to understanding tikanga
Originally from South Africa, Franda Zondagh has called Aotearoa home since 2003, but it was through studying He Papa Tikanga with Te Wānanga o Aotearoa that she began to feel a deeper connection to the place she lives and people she serves in her mahi.
Leading by example and learning te reo Māori
Liisa Wharepapa’s (Te Whānau ā Apanui) journey with te reo Māori wasn’t something that happened overnight, it was a goal waiting to be pursued until the moment she felt ready to take that step.
Returning home and reclaiming te reo Māori
After many years away building his professional career, Logan Bertram (Whakatōhea), returned home to Ōpōtiki with a clear goal of reconnecting with his whakapapa and creating a better future for his young whānau.
